Carei Nagykároly | |
|---|---|
 TheKárolyi Castle in Carei | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
 Location in Satu Mare County | |
  Carei Location in Romania | |
| Coordinates:47°41′2″N22°28′1″E / 47.68389°N 22.46694°E /47.68389; 22.46694 | |
| Country | Romania |
| County | Satu Mare |
| Established | 1264 Incorporated: 1717 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor(2020–2024) | Eugen Kovács[1] (UDMR) |
Area | 102 km2 (39 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 160 m (520 ft) |
| Population (2021-12-01)[2] | 18,957 |
| • Density | 190/km2 (480/sq mi) |
| Time zone | EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3) |
| Postal code | 445100 |
| Area code | +(40) 02 61 |
| Vehicle reg. | SM |
| Website | www |
Carei (Romanian pronunciation:[kaˈrej];Hungarian:Nagykároly,Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈnɒckaːroj];German:Grosskarol/Großkarl,Yiddish:קראלי,pronounced[krʊlə]) is acity inSatu Mare County, northwesternRomania, near the border withHungary. The city administers one village, Ianculești (Hungarian:Szentjánosmajor).
The municipality of Carei is situated in the north-west of Romania, 99 km (62 mi) away fromOradea. Carei is situated in the south-western part of Satu-Mare County, in a plain region, and it is 35 km (22 mi) away from the county seat,Satu-Mare. Communes that are near Carei includeCăpleni,Urziceni,Foieni,Sanislău,Petrești,Tiream,Căuaș, andMoftin.
The first mention of the city under the name of "Karul" dates from 1320, and as "Károly" in 1325, however, the city is known to have existed since 1264, as it was the domain of theKaplony clan and the center of the Károlyi family's personal domain that settled in the region shortly after thearrival of the Hungarians. The name of the city comes from the word "karul" (in modern Hungarian "karvaly"). The etymology of the word can be traced back to the ancient Turkish language, the word meaningsparrow.[3] Another theory is that the city was named after the Károlyi family.
KingLouis I of Hungary permitted the organization of weekly market gatherings on Saturdays in Carei in 1346, as a result of the military achievements of the Károlyi family.[4] The development of regional trade in the region stimulated the development of the town, and in 1387,King Sigismund elevates the town to county center, while also granting it independent jurisdiction.[3]
In 1482, Ladislaus Károlyi, with the permission ofKing Matthias, begins the construction of a stone residence.[5] Over the course of the following decades, due to fears of an Ottoman attack, the residence will gradually get transformed into a fortification outfitted with a moat, four corner bastions and shooting niches for cannons.[6]
After theBattle of Mohács in 1526, the town falls under theEastern Hungarian Kingdom, a vassal state of the Ottoman Empire, and in the ensuing struggle between the HabsburgFerdinand I andJohn Zápolya for the crown of Hungary, the Karolyi family initially sides with Zápolya, and Ferdinand confiscates their holdings in 1558, however, he reinstates them to power later.[5] By 1554, the city was converted to Protestantism, and by 1567 it adhered to the Calvinist faith. In 1590, a synod takes place in the city, protesting the adoption of the Gregorian calendar in Hungary. Additional synods take place in 1591 and 1594, and the city is the birthplace ofGáspár Károli, who is the first person to translate the Bible into Hungarian in 1586.[7]
In 1592, the baron, Mihály Károlyi, further expands the fortifications of the city, these being made out of predominantly dirt. However, after an Ottoman response, the city is forced to keep paying tribute. Thanks to its strategic position, the city becomes part of a series of fortifications built against the Ottomans, and to be able of repelling the eventual attacks, the fortifications are enlarged again between 1661 and 1666, as well as a German garrison with artillery being assigned. However, after a series of attacks, the city is burned and suffers grave damage, but is eventually rebuilt by the year 1678.[8]
The city will once again come under fire duringFrancis II Rákóczi'suprising, and the city will be depopulated and left impoverished. The city will have a resurgence afterTreaty of Szatmár is signed and the Károlyi family is elevated to the status of counts. CountAlexander Karolyi, shortly after the war, begins colonizing the region withSwabians, inviting 124 families from Württemberg. EventuallySlovaks,Jews, andRusyns also get settled in the regions. The colonization efforts become more significant during Francis Károlyi tenure, an additional 132 families are settled in 1762, with the total number reaching an estimated 466Swabian families, forming two districts in the town. Effects on cultural and social life began to show: in 1727 thePiarist Gymnasium was established, in 1754 the first typography was built, and in 1756 a pharmacy was opened.[3]
In 1780, the city became the seat ofSzatmár County, and in 1828 the population reached 11,000. The town was hit by an earthquake in 1834, and the majority of the city was destroyed the next year during a great fire, which destroyed 350 houses. The city was hit by a similar great fire on 6 May 1887, causing similar damage to the fire from 1835.[5] The rebuilding of the houses and the organizing of the streets were done according to the planning regulations adopted by the town's council, and they still define the physiognomy of the city's center today. In 1871, the railway connecting Carei toSatu Mare andDebrecen was opened, and it was further expanded in 1887 with the lineTășnad-Sărmășag-Zalău, and in 1905 the railway towardsMátészalka was built. Over the course of the 19th century, the colonized families started adopting the Hungarian language but kept their religion, differentiating them from the reformed majority of the county.[9]
In 1845, with help from count György Károlyi, a hospital was built and opened. With the new railway built in 1887, thelight industry and thefood industry in the city started blooming, and a new paper mill was also built. Between the years 1893 and 1896, at the behest of count Stephen Károlyi, the castle underwent change once more, according to the plans of the architectArthur Meinig, and it reached its current form. In 1904, electricity was introduced in the city, and until 1914, multiple elementary and general schools were opened, the most renowned being the Piarist school, today known as Școală Gimnazială Vasile Lucaciu (theVasile Lucaciu school). In 1910, the train station was built, and it still exists today.[3]
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After the collapse ofAustria-Hungary at the end ofWorld War I, and the declaration of theUnion of Transylvania with Romania, theRomanian Army took control of Carei on 19 April 1919, during theHungarian–Romanian War. The city officially became part of the territory ceded to theKingdom of Romania in June 1920 under the terms of theTreaty of Trianon. In August 1940, under the auspices ofNazi Germany, which imposed theSecond Vienna Award,Hungary retook the territory ofNorthern Transylvania (which included Carei) from Romania. Towards the end ofWorld War II, however, the city was taken back from Hungarian andGerman troops by Romanian andSoviet forces on 25 October 1944, during theBattle of Carei. In memory of this battle, the "Monument of the Romanian Soldier" was erected in the center of Carei; inaugurated in 1964, it is the work of the sculptorGheza Vida. 25 October has been celebrated since 1959 as theDay of the Romanian Armed Forces.[10]
Although between 1760 and 1920 the town was the seat ofSzatmár County, the industrial development was not significant and it basically preserved its agricultural specificity until about 1960. In 1926 Carei was attached toSălaj County. After 1950, Carei was included in theBaia Mare Region, while after 1968, along with the administrative-territorial reorganization of the country, it returned toSatu Mare County.[citation needed]
Until World War II, the industry of the town consisted of mills, the oil factoryArdealul, a station for collecting and fermenting tobacco, and some small workshops. During theCommunist period, Carei gradually turned into an industrial town.[citation needed]
The most important historical building in the city is theKárolyi Castle. Built originally as a fortress around the 14th century, it was converted to a castle in 1794, undergoing further transformations during the 19th century. The manor is surrounded by anarboretum, covering a surface of about 30 acres (12 ha) and containing a great variety of species of trees and plants.
Carei's theater was built in 1907 and was inspired by a project of architect György Kopeczek. The theater was first named after the writerJózsef von Gaal [de], until the 1920s, when it was renamed Teatrul Carmen Sylva. After 1945 it was renamed again, to Teatrul Popular. In 1953, the theater received a complete overhaul and it was "modernized" both inside and outside.
The "Vasile Lucaciu" school became a Romanian high-school in 1919. Prior to that, it was a Hungarian high-school. Nowadays it serves as a secondary school.
The Monument of the Romanian Soldier, which commemorates theBattle of Carei of October 1944, is situated in the center of the city. The monument was built by the sculptorGheza Vida and the architect Anton Dâmboianu. It was inaugurated in 1964, in the presence of theDefense Minister,Leontin Sălăjan. The monument was built with white stone and has impressive dimensions, with a frontal opening of 18 m (59 ft), a depth of 5 m (16 ft), and a height of 12 m (39 ft). The monument has the following inscription: "Glory to the soldiers of the Romanian Army, fallen in the struggles for the liberation of the homeland".
The first train station was built in 1871, when theDebrecen–Satu Mare railway was built. The Carei–Zalău railway was inaugurated on 23 December 1887. The building of today's train station was built between 1910 and 1912. DuringWorld War II the train station was heavily bombarded, but the damage it suffered was rapidly repaired.
| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | 12,523 | — |
| 1890 | 13,475 | +7.6% |
| 1900 | 15,382 | +14.2% |
| 1910 | 16,078 | +4.5% |
| 1920 | 15,294 | −4.9% |
| 1930 | 16,042 | +4.9% |
| 1941 | 15,850 | −1.2% |
| 1956 | 16,780 | +5.9% |
| 1966 | 19,686 | +17.3% |
| 1977 | 24,050 | +22.2% |
| 1992 | 26,372 | +9.7% |
| 2002 | 22,781 | −13.6% |
| 2011 | 20,775 | −8.8% |
| 2021 | 18,957 | −8.8% |
| Source (if not otherwise specified): Varga E. Árpád[11]. 2021 data: INSSE[12] | ||
According to the2021 census, Carei had a population of 18,957, marking a decrease from the figure recorded at the2011 census (20,775 inhabitants).[13]
Carei istwinned with:
Carei has acontinental climate, characterized by hot warm and rainy summers, and cold and snowy winters. As the city is in the far north of the country, winter is colder than the national average. The average annual temperature is 9.6 °C (49 °F).[16]
| Climate data for Satu Mare | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Month | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | Year |
| Mean daily maximum °C (°F) | 0 (32) | 3 (37) | 10 (50) | 15 (59) | 20 (68) | 22 (72) | 25 (77) | 25 (77) | 21 (70) | 15 (59) | 7 (45) | 2 (36) | 13 (55) |
| Daily mean °C (°F) | −2 (28) | 0 (32) | 5 (41) | 10 (50) | 15 (59) | 17 (63) | 19 (66) | 19 (66) | 16 (61) | 10 (50) | 3 (37) | 0 (32) | 9 (48) |
| Mean daily minimum °C (°F) | −5 (23) | −3 (27) | 1 (34) | 5 (41) | 9 (48) | 12 (54) | 13 (55) | 13 (55) | 10 (50) | 5 (41) | 0 (32) | −2 (28) | 5 (41) |
| Averageprecipitation cm (inches) | 2 (0.8) | 2 (0.8) | 2 (0.8) | 4 (1.6) | 7 (2.8) | 8 (3.1) | 8 (3.1) | 7 (2.8) | 4 (1.6) | 4 (1.6) | 3 (1.2) | 2 (0.8) | 59 (23) |
| Source: weatherbase.com[17] | |||||||||||||
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