 | This articleneeds additional citations forverification. Please helpimprove this article byadding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. Find sources: "Arad County" former – news ·newspapers ·books ·scholar ·JSTOR(June 2012) (Learn how and when to remove this message) |
| Arad County | |
|---|---|
| County of theKingdom of Hungary (~1200-1526) County of theEastern Hungarian Kingdom (1526–1552) County of theKingdom of Hungary (1741–1923) | |
 | |
| Capital | Arad; Elek (1920–1923) |
| Area | |
| • Coordinates | 46°11′N21°19′E / 46.183°N 21.317°E /46.183; 21.317 |
• 1910 | 6,048 km2 (2,335 sq mi) |
• 1920 | 270 km2 (100 sq mi) |
| Population | |
• 1910 | 414,388 |
• 1920 | 21,720 |
| History | |
• Established | 11th century |
• Ottoman conquest | 1552 |
• County recreated | 1741 |
| 4 June 1920 | |
• Merged into Csanád-Arad-Torontál County | 1923 |
| Today part of | Romania (5,778 km2) Hungary (270 km2) |
Arad County was an administrative unit in theKingdom of Hungary, theEastern Hungarian Kingdom and thePrincipality of Transylvania. Thecounty was established along theMaros (Mureș) River in the 11th or the12th century, but its first head, orispán, was only mentioned in 1214. Its territory is now part ofRomania, except a small area (the town ofElek and the surrounding villages) which is part ofHungary. The capital of the county wasArad.
.jpg)
The medieval Arad County was situated in the lands along both banks of theMaros (Mureș) River.[1][2] The existence of arable lands, pastures, vineyards and orchards in the western lowlands in the Middle Ages is well-documented.[1] The hilly eastern regions were sparsely populated.[1] The total territory of the medieval county was around 3,800 km2 (1,500 sq mi).[3]
In 1744, Arad County absorbed a large part ofZaránd County, including its capital Zaránd/Zărand (the remainder of Zaránd County was then reorganized, with Körösbánya/Baia de Criș as the new capital). In 1876, when the administrative structure of the Kingdom of Hungary was changed, the territory of Arad County was further modified to include the western third of the diminished Zaránd County, namely the Nagyhalmágy/Hălmagiu district (Zaránd County was disbanded altogether on that occasion).
Arad County shared borders with the Hungarian counties ofCsanád,Békés,Bihar,Torda-Aranyos,Hunyad,Krassó-Szörény,Temes, andTorontál. The river Mureș formed its southern border.Crișul Alb River flowed through the county. Its area was 6,078 km2 (2,347 sq mi) around 1910.
TheHungarians dominated the region of the Maros in the middle of the10th century, according to theByzantine EmperorConstantine Porphyrogenitus.[4][5] Archaeological finds also shows that Hungarians settled in the plains along the river aftertheir arrival in the Carpathian Basin at the end of the9th century.[6][7] Place names ofSlavic origin, includingLipova (Lippa) andZăbrani (Temeshidegkút), evidence the presence of Slavic speaking communities, especially in the region where the river, coming from the mountains, reached the lowlands.[8]
A powerful chieftain,Ajtony, ruled the territory along the rivers Danube, Maros andTisza in the early11th century.[9][10] The Maros formed the northern border of Ajtony's realm, according to theGesta Hungarorum, but the longer version of theLegend of Saint Gerard wrote that he controlled the lands as far as theKörös River.[11] Ajtony was killed in a battle against the army ofStephen I of Hungary, which was under the command ofCsanád.[12] According to a scholarly theory, first proposed by historianGyörgy Györffy, Stephen I established Arad County after Ajtony's fall.[7] On the other hand, historian Gyula Kristó writes that Ajtony's whole realm was transformed into the largeCsanád County during Stephen I's reign; Arad County only developed into a separate administrative unit in the second half of the11th century or in the12th century.[7][2]
The remains of an 11th-century stronghold, made of earth and timber, were found atArad.[13] At an assembly held in Arad in 1131, the wife of KingBéla the Blind,Helena of Rascia, ordered the massacre of 68 Hungarian lords.[14] Arad Castle and the estates attached to it were first documented in a royal charter, issued in 1177.[2][7] The first knownispán, or head, of Arad County, Paul Csanád, was mentioned in a royal diploma, dated to 1214, but its authenticity is suspect.[2] The earliest authentic document that referred to anispán of Arad was issued in 1240.[2] The western regions of the county were included in the Deanery of Arad of theRoman Catholic Diocese of Csanád; the Archdean of Arad was first mentioned in 1288.[15]
The earliest documents suggest that the kings owned most lands in the plains along the Maros.[16] However, the distribution of royal domains started at the end of the11th century.[16] For instance,Ladislaus I of Hungary and his brother,Lampert, granted five villages to theTitel Chapter before 1095 and Béla the Blind established theArad Chapter in the 1130s.[16] The Hodos clan was the only local noble kindred in the county; they were the patrons of theHodoș-Bodrog Monastery.[16] Members of the Csanád,Csák and Dorozsma clans received estates in Arad County in the early13th century.[16]
The effects of theMongol invasion of Hungary cannot exactly be determined, but at least four monasteries disappeared.[16] Solymos Castle (in present-day Șoimoș inLipova), the first fortress built by a nobleman in the county, was erected after the withdrawal of the Mongols.[16] Ecclesiastic institutions, prelates and lay lords – including thebishop of Csanád, the Arad Chapter and theGarais,Lackfis and Telegdis – held most former royal estates in the first half of the14th century.[17] The existence of four elected "judges of the nobles" was first documented in 1311, proving that Arad County had transformed into a "noble county", an institution of the local noblemen's self-government.[3][15]
Lippa (present-dayLipova) became the most prosperous settlement in the early14th century: the tax payable by the local priest to theHoly See between 1333 and 1335 (266 dinars) was almost ten times higher than the average tax collected in other parishes.[18] The Slavs of the district of Lipova were converted into Catholicism in the middle of the century, according toJohn of Küküllő's contemporaneous chronicle.[18] The earliestRomanian place name in the county – Caprewar (nowCăprioara) – was recorded in a list of the estates of the Telegdis which was completed in 1337.[18]
In 1920, theTreaty of Trianon assigned most of the territory of Arad county to Romania, except for a small area south ofBékéscsaba, which became part of the newly formed Hungarian county of Csanád-Arad-Torontál in 1923. At the end of World War II, the Hungarian part of Arad county was merged into the recreated Csanád county, but in 1950 that county was split and its territory became part ofBékés County.
The rest of the county is now part of theArad County in Romania. This county also contains parts of the former countiesTemes andKrassó-Szörény.
| Census | Total | Romanian | Hungarian | German | Slovak | Other or unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880[19] | 303,964 | 185,241(63.35%) | 67,613(23,12%) | 30,931(10.58%) | 2,938(1.00%) | 5,669(1.94%) |
| 1890[20] | 343,597 | 208,957(60.81%) | 86,780(25.26%) | 37,303(10.86%) | 4,157(1.21%) | 6,400(1.86%) |
| 1900[21] | 386,100 | 223,806(57.97%) | 110,823(28.70%) | 40,148(10.40%) | 5,600(1.45%) | 5,723(1.48%) |
| 1910[22] | 414,388 | 239,755(57.86%) | 124,215(29.98%) | 38,695(9.34%) | 5,451(1.32%) | 6,272(1.51%) |
| Census | Total | Eastern Orthodox | Roman Catholic | Calvinist | Greek Catholic | Lutheran | Jewish | Other or unknown |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 303,964 | 186,758(61.44%) | 75,304(24.77%) | 17,519(5.76%) | 11,079(3.64%) | 5,151(1.69%) | 8,018(2.64%) | 135(0.04%) |
| 1890 | 343,597 | 201,984(58.79%) | 91,045(26.50%) | 20,787(6.05%) | 13,140(3.82%) | 7,495(2.18%) | 8,924(2.60%) | 222(0.06%) |
| 1900 | 386,100 | 215,904(55.92%) | 109,523(28.37%) | 24,849(6.44%) | 15,134(3.92%) | 9,954(2.58%) | 10,085(2.61%) | 651(0.17%) |
| 1910 | 414,388 | 230,907(55.72%) | 117,630(28.39%) | 26,709(6.45%) | 16,318(3.94%) | 10,950(2.64%) | 10,102(2.44%) | 1,772(0.43%) |
In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of Arad County were:
| Districts (járás) | |
|---|---|
| District | Capital |
| Arad | Arad |
| Borosjenő | Borosjenő (nowIneu) |
| Borossebes | Borossebes (nowSebiș) |
| Elek | Elek |
| Kisjenő | Kisjenő (nowChișineu-Criș) |
| Magyarpécska | Magyarpécska (nowPecica) |
| Máriaradna | Máriaradna (nowRadna) |
| Nagyhalmágy | Nagyhalmágy (nowHălmagiu) |
| Tornova | Tornova (nowTârnova) |
| Világos | Világos (nowȘiria) |
| Urban counties (törvényhatósági jogú város) | |
| Arad | |
Elek is now in Hungary. All the other towns mentioned are in Romania.
| Term | Incumbent | Monarch | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1214 | Clement | Andrew II | son of Benedict from the kindred Csanád | [23] |
| 1238 | Paul | Béla IV | [23] | |
| 1240 | Saul | Béla IV | [23] | |
| c. 1310 | Alexander | Charles I | forvoivodeLadislaus Kán; castellan ofSolymos | [24] |
| 1311 | Dominic | Charles I | forvoivodeLadislaus Kán; castellan ofSolymos | [24] |
| 1319–1321 | Thomas Széchényi | Charles I | alsomaster of the treasury for the Queen (1320–1321),voivode (1321–1342), castellan ofSolymos | [24] |
| 1321–1372 | Arad County was administered byvoivodes of Transylvania, who appointed deputies. | [24] | ||
| 1351 | Blaise Pósafi de Szer | Louis I | fordukeStephen, castellan ofHátszeg | [24] |
| 1391 | George Báthory | Sigismund | from theSomlyó branch | [25] |
| 1393–1401 | Arad County was administered byvoivodes of Transylvania, who appointed deputies. | [25] | ||
| 1404–1426 | Pipo of Ozora | Sigismund | alsoispán ofTemes County | [25] |
| c. 1427 | Emeric Pálóci | Sigismund | [25] | |
| c. 1437 | John Országh de Guth | Sigismund | also castellan ofVilágosvár;ispán of Zaránd andCsongrád Counties | [25] |
| 1441–1444 | Ladislaus Maróti | Vladislaus I Ladislaus V | together withJohn Hunyadi (1443–1444); alsoban of Macsó (1441–1443);ispán of Zaránd andBékés Counties | [25][26] |
| 1443–1456 | John Hunyadi | Vladislaus I Ladislaus V | together with Ladislaus Maróti (1443–1444), withNicholas Újlaki (1444–1446); alsovoivode (1443–1446); regent-governor of theKingdom of Hungary (1446–1452) | [25] |
| 1444–1446 | Nicholas Újlaki | Ladislaus V | together withJohn Hunyadi; alsovoivode;ban of Severin (1445–1446) | [25] |
| Term | Incumbent | Monarch | Notes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1526–1527 | Gáspár Paksy | Ferdinand I John I | forJohn I, laterFerdinand I | |
| 1527–1614 | Unknown office-holders | [27] | ||
| 1614 | András Dóczy | Matthias II | alsoispán ofSzatmár County | [27] |
| 1614–1702 | Unknown office-holders | [27] | ||
| 1702–1713 | Ferenc Klobusiczky | Leopold I Joseph I | alsochief justice (1702–1707); laterKuruc senator andispán forFrancis II Rákóczi | [27] |
| 1713–1736 | Pál Consbruch | Charles III | died in office | [27] |
| 1737–1743 | Unknown office-holder(s) | [27] | ||
| 1743–1744 | Zsigmond Andrássy | Maria Theresa | administrator | [27] |
| 1744–1751 | Antal Grassalkovich | Maria Theresa | alsochief justice (1744–1748) | [27] |
| 1751–1788 | György Fekete | Maria Theresa Joseph II | alsochief justice (1751–1762); vice-chancellor (1762–1773); master of the stewards (1766–1773);judge royal (1773–1783); director of the royal treasury (1782); died in office | [27] |
| 1788–1790 | Vacant | Joseph II | [27] | |
| 1790–1821 | Pál Almásy | Leopold II Francis | also master of the horse (1812–1821); poisoned | [27] |
| 1822–1830 | József Wenckheim | Francis | died in office | [27] |
| 1830–1837 | Lőrinc Orczy | Francis Ferdinand V | [27] | |
| 1837–1845 | István Szerencsy | Ferdinand V | [27] | |
| 1845–1848 | József Fascho de Lucsivna | Ferdinand V | [27] | |
| 1848–1849 | János Bohus de Világos | Ferdinand V | first term | [27] |
| 1849 | József Tomcsányi | Francis Joseph I | [27] | |
| 1849–1860 | Military District of Großwardein | |||
| 1860–1861 | János Bohus de Világos | Francis Joseph I | second term | |
| 1861–1867 | Vacant | Francis Joseph I | ||
| 1867–1869 | Béla Szende | Francis Joseph I | ||
| 1869–1871 | Vacant | Francis Joseph I | ||
| 1871–1878 | Péter Atzél | Francis Joseph I | resigned | |
| 1879–1886 | Károly Tabajdi | Francis Joseph I | died in office | |
| 1886– | László Fábián | Francis Joseph I | ||
| 1899–1905 | Iván Urbán | Francis Joseph I | first term; resigned | |
| 1906–1910 | Gyula Károlyi | Francis Joseph I | laterprime minister (1931–1932) | |
| 1910–1915 | Iván Urbán | Francis Joseph I | second term; died in office | |
| 1915–1917 | Ferenc Baross | Francis Joseph I Charles IV | died in office | |
| 1917 | Béla Barabás | Charles IV | ||
| 1918– | Lajos Varjassy | |||
| International | |
|---|---|
| Other | |
.svg)
