Balinț (Hungarian: Bálinc; German: Balintz or Balintin) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Balinț (commune seat), Bodo, Fădimac and Târgoviște. It borders Bara to the north, Coșteiu to the south, Belinț and Ghizela to the west and Bethausen to the east.

Balinț
Bálinc
Church of the Resurrection in Balinț
Church of the Resurrection in Balinț
Coat of arms of Balinț
Location in Timiș County
Location in Timiș County
Balinț is located in Romania
Balinț
Balinț
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°49′42″N 21°52′22″E / 45.82833°N 21.87278°E / 45.82833; 21.87278
CountryRomania
CountyTimiș
Government
 • Mayor (2024–) Andrei-Dumitru Popa (USR)
Area55.6 km2 (21.5 sq mi)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[2]
1,489
 • Density27/km2 (69/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
307005–307008
Vehicle reg.TM
Websitewww.primariabalint.ro

History

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Balinț

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Since the 10th–11th centuries, there have been numerous floods on the middle course of the Bega River. Balinț, being located 500 meters (1,600 ft) from the Bega riverbed, was periodically flooded. In the 11th century, some of the villagers moved to a hearth protected from floods. A new village appears, derived from the first, Balințul de Sus (Upper Balinț), located in the Church valley, and Balințul de Jos (Lower Balinț) remains on the old hearth.[3]

The first recorded mention of Balinț dates from 1488, when Count Ferenc Haraszti donates the Felső-Bályncz estate to his daughter. By 1554 the two settlements merged under the name Balinch. In 1604, around Balinț, there are battles between the troops of George I Rákóczi and the rebels of Stephen Bocskai (future Prince of Transylvania) and Gabriel Bethlen.[3] Balinț is mentioned in the documents from 1690 and 1717, meaning that it continued to exist during the Turkish occupation. At the 1717 census it had 20 houses. In 1739 Austrian troops retaliated against the villagers who supported the Turks during the Austro-Turkish War of 1737–1739 and took part in the uprising. The villages of Balinț, Fădimac and Târgoviște were burned down by the imperial armies.[3] By 1740 the Austrians set new hearths for the burned villages.[3]

At the end of the 19th century, Balinț was the seat of the Béga District of the Krassó-Szörény County; it was a small village with Romanian, German and Hungarian inhabitants and had a post and telegraph office, as well as a sawmill.[4]

Bodo

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Postcard from the 1900s, showing the view of Nagybodófalva/Bodo

Bodo (Hungarian: Nagybodófalva; German: Boddau) seems to have existed since at least the 14th century, mentioned by the name Bodov in 1344.[5] Later, in 1401, a certain Bodofalva is mentioned.[5] However, the village itself was founded only in 1890, by Hungarian colonists who settled near the Romanian village of Păru, forming the current hearth of the village. Between 1880 and 1890, more than 50 Hungarian families settled here, most of them from the Debrecen area. It was named Andrásfalva for a while, in honor of András Bethlen, its founder.[6] For a short period after the union of Banat with Romania, the village was called Bodofalva, while the Romanians also called it Bodăul Mare.

Fădimac

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The first recorded mention of Fădimac (Hungarian: Fagymag; German: Fadmak) can be considered a diploma from 1488 where the name Fagymag appears.[7] From the period 1500–1550 there are numerous other Hungarian and Turkish documents attesting the village under different derived names. The village has always been Romanian and was located on the hill to the north of the village. After conquering Banat, the Austrians named it Vitigmak. At the 1717 census it appeared with 23 houses and was owned by the state.

Târgoviște

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The first recorded mention of Târgoviște (Hungarian: Vásáros; German: Tergowest) dates from 1690 in Marsigli's notes.[5] The village is probably older, since the traces of a medieval earth fortification were discovered here.[8]

Politics and administration

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The commune of Balinț is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 11 councilors. The mayor, Andrei-Dumitru Popa, from the Save Romania Union, has been in office since 2024. As from the 2024 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political parties:[9]

Party Seats Composition
Social Democratic Party 3
Save Romania Union 3
Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania 1
National Liberal Party 1
Ind. 1
S.O.S. Romania 1
Alliance for the Union of Romanians 1

Demographics

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Ethnic composition (2011)[10]

  Romanians (69.05%)
  Hungarians (23.37%)
  Roma (2.19%)
  Unknown (4.32%)
  Others (1.07%)

Religious composition (2011)[11]

  Eastern Orthodox (66.79%)
  Reformed (19.74%)
  Greek Catholics (3.57%)
  Roman Catholics (2.88%)
  Pentecostals (1.69%)
  Unknown (4.32%)
  Others (1.01%)

Balinț had 1,596 inhabitants at the 2011 census, down 9% from the 2002 census. Most inhabitants are Romanians (69.05%), larger minorities being represented by Hungarians (23.37%) and Roma (2.19%). For 4.32% of the population, ethnicity is unknown.[10] By religion, most inhabitants are Eastern Orthodox (66.79%), but there are also minorities of Reformed (19.74%), Greek Catholics (3.57%), Roman Catholics (2.88%) and Pentecostals (1.69%). For 4.32% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.[11]

Census[12] Ethnic composition
Year Population Romanians Hungarians Germans Roma
1880 2,208 1,962 96 146
1890 2,411 2,166 98 118
1900 3,868 2,360 1,367 118
1910 4,903 2,338 2,368 132
1920 4,164 2,005 2,073 84
1930 4,018 2,087 1,763 92 47
1941 3,732 2,073 1,482 95
1956 3,309 1,925 1,329 43 5
1966 2,987 1,918 1,028 32
1977 2,523 1,687 817 13 3
1992 1,849 1,260 558 5 25
2002[13] 1,751 1,181 477 7 68
2011 1,596 1,102 373 35

References

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  1. ^ "Primăria Balinț". Ghidul Primăriilor.
  2. ^ "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
  3. ^ a b c d "Istorie". Primăria comunei Balinț.
  4. ^ Gerő, Lajos, ed. (1893). A Pallas nagy lexikona. Vol. II. Budapest: Pallas Irodalmi és Nyomdai Rt.
  5. ^ a b c Szabó, M. Attila (2003). Erdély, Bánság és Partium történeti és közigazgatási helységnévtára. Miercurea Ciuc: Pro-Print Kiadó. ISBN 973-8468-01-9.
  6. ^ Gyalay, Mihály (1989). Magyar igazgatástörténeti helységnévlexikon. Budapest. p. 657.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  7. ^ Crețan, Remus (2006). Dicționar toponimic și geografico-istoric al localităților din județul Timiș. Timișoara: Editura Universității de Vest. ISBN 973-7608-65-8.
  8. ^ "Fortificația de pământ de la Târgoviște-Târgoviște Sud-1". Repertoriul Arheologic Național. Ministerul Culturii.
  9. ^ "Alegeri locale 2024". Rezultate Vot.
  10. ^ a b "Tab8. Populația stabilă după etnie – județe, municipii, orașe, comune". Institutul Național de Statistică. Archived from the original on 2016-01-18. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  11. ^ a b "Tab13. Populația stabilă după religie – județe, municipii, orașe, comune". Institutul Național de Statistică. Archived from the original on 2020-08-07. Retrieved 2021-09-03.
  12. ^ Varga, E. Árpád. "Temes megye településeinek etnikai (anyanyelvi/nemzetiségi) adatai 1880-1992" (PDF).
  13. ^ "Balinț / Bálinc / Balintz". Structura etno-demografică a României. Centrul de Resurse pentru Diversitate Etnoculturală.