Alțâna (German: Alzen; Hungarian: Alcina) is a commune in the north of Sibiu County, Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania. It is composed of three villages: Alțâna, Benești (Bägendorf; Bendorf), and Ghijasa de Sus (Obergesäß; Felsőgezés).
Alțâna | |
|---|---|
.JPG) Lutheran fortified church in Alțâna | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location in Sibiu County | |
  Alțâna Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates: 45°55′41″N 24°27′44″E / 45.92806°N 24.46222°E | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Sibiu |
| Established | 1291 (first official record) |
| Government | |
| • Mayor (2020–2024) | Ioan Bucșă[1] (PSD) |
| Area | 80.19 km2 (30.96 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 448 m (1,470 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 1,533 |
| • Density | 19/km2 (50/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) |
| Postal code | 557005 |
| Area code | (+40) 02 69 |
| Vehicle reg. | SB |
| Website | primariaaltina |
Geography edit
The commune lies on the Transylvanian Plateau, on the banks of the Hârtibaciu River and its right tributary, the river Zlagna. It is located in the central part of the county, 36 km (22 mi) northeast of the county seat, Sibiu, to which it is connected by county road DJ106.
History edit
Alțâna was one of the most important villages of the Transylvanian Saxon seat of Nocrich. There is an Evangelical Lutheran fortified church in the village; the Romanesque basilica dates to the 13th century.[3]
In 1910 the Agnita to Sibiu railway line was completed, with stations at Alțâna and Benești; however, the line was closed in 2001. An active restoration group has since been formed aiming to restore the entire line to working condition.[4]
Name edit
The legend says that the first German villagers were led by ten "greavi". These ten men counseled in the matter of how should they name the settlement and each of them wanted to use their name. In the end, they decided to name it Alzen, which means "all ten".[5]
Natives edit
- Adolf Gottschling (1841–1918), a professor at the Brukenthal College in Sibiu and one of the pioneers of meteorology in Transylvania.[5]
References edit
- ^ "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 14 June 2021.
- ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
- ^ "Alțâna/Alzen/Alcina". kirchenburgen.org. Fortified Churches Foundation. Retrieved August 20, 2023.
- ^ "Sibiu Agnita Railway Group". Retrieved 2 December 2015.
- ^ a b "Comuna Alțâna". www.sibiul.ro (in Romanian). Retrieved August 19, 2023.
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