Darova | |
|---|---|
 The Roman Catholic church with the statue ofJohn of Nepomuk | |
 Coat of arms | |
 Location in Timiș County | |
  Darova Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates:45°38′17″N21°46′00″E / 45.63806°N 21.76667°E /45.63806; 21.76667 | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Timiș |
| Established | 1786 |
| Subdivisions | Darova, Hodoș, Sacoșu Mare |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2024–) | Viorel-Aurel Cherciu (PSD) |
Area | 104.59 km2 (40.38 sq mi) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 3,074 |
| • Density | 29.39/km2 (76.12/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) |
| Postal code | 307140–307142 |
| Vehicle reg. | TM |
| Website | primariadarova |
Darova (German:Kranichstätten orDarowa;[3]Hungarian:Daruvár) is acommune inTimiș County,Romania. It is composed of three villages: Darova (commune seat), Hodoș and Sacoșu Mare. Ștefănești existed as a separate hamlet from 1885 to 1930, when it was merged into Darova, with Darova Nouă similarly absorbed in 1956.
In the autumn of 1960, in the Sacoșu Mare area, a local resident accidentally unearthed anIron Age hoard, attributed to theHallstatt period (theFirst Iron Age) and contemporaneous with the presence of theDacians on the territory of present-day Romania.[4] The hoard comprises 25 gold ingots, jewelry, and wire-ingots, and is currently housed at theNational Museum of History inBucharest.
Darova was founded in 1786 by 57 families of German settlers fromSilesia andWürttemberg.[5] It happened during the third wave of colonizations inBanat, under the reign of EmperorJoseph II. The name was given in honor of the government commissioner ofTemes County, Count Johann Jankovits vonDaruwar.[5] Only two years after its founding, in the autumn of 1788, Darova was invaded by the Turks. Most of the younger settlers fled Darova and only a few returned after the Turks were driven out. In 1791, some of the German inhabitants of the village ofTormac settled in Darova.[6]
In 1885, on the northern edge of the village hearth, a new settlement was established,Istvánfalva (Ștefănești) or Darova Mică, where 72 families fromNovo Selo,Torontál County,Serbian Banat were colonized.[6] Historian Remus Crețan claims that this locality was Romanian.[7] Many of these colonists left and were replaced by people from different localities in the area. Until 1930 Darova Mică was independent, after which it was incorporated into present-day Darova, being a neighborhood of it.[6]
Population movements continued in the years that followed. In 1892,LutheranSlovaks fromBékéscsaba andNyitra were brought to David Kuhner's estate. On this occasion, a new short-lived hamlet was set up, calledImrefalva. In 1906 the hamlet was abolished and the Slovaks were assimilated to the Germans. In 1954 there was another hamlet, this time Romanian, called Darova Nouă. It was, however, absorbed by Darova.[6]
Darova had a population of 3,074 inhabitants at the 2021 census, up 0.82% from the 2011 census. Most inhabitants areRomanians (89.72%). For 9.72% of the population, ethnicity is unknown.[8] By religion, most inhabitants areOrthodox (72.41%), but there are also minorities ofPentecostals (9.79%),Baptists (2.6%),Adventists (1.62%) andPlymouth Brethren (1.1%). For 9.95% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.[9]
| Census[10] | Ethnic composition | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | Population | Romanians | Hungarians | Germans | Ukrainians |
| 1880 | 4,977 | 3,470 | 108 | 1,329 | – |
| 1890 | 5,338 | 3,517 | 80 | 1,690 | – |
| 1900 | 5,759 | 3,642 | 205 | 1,838 | – |
| 1910 | 5,898 | 3,887 | 68 | 1,930 | – |
| 1920 | 5,614 | 3,630 | 15 | 1,897 | – |
| 1930 | 5,230 | 3,263 | 39 | 1,911 | – |
| 1941 | 5,157 | 3,174 | 20 | 1,932 | – |
| 1956 | 4,567 | 2,721 | 8 | 1,835 | – |
| 1966 | 4,221 | 2,485 | 13 | 1,720 | – |
| 1977 | 3,791 | 2,191 | 9 | 1,584 | – |
| 1992 | 3,031 | 2,763 | 20 | 213 | 204 |
| 2002 | 3,208 | 2,800 | 31 | 12 | 350 |
| 2011 | 3,049 | 2,574 | 6 | 7 | 329 |
| 2021 | 3,074 | 2,758 | 3 | – | 11 |
The commune of Darova is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 13 councilors. The mayor, Viorel-Aurel Cherciu, from theSocial Democratic Party, has been in office since 2024. As from the2024 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political parties:[11]
