Crișana ( hu, Körösvidék, german: Kreischgebiet) is a geographical and
historical region
Historical regions (or historical areas) are geographical regions which at some point in time had a cultural, ethnic, linguistic or political basis, regardless of latterday borders. They are used as delimitations for studying and analysing soc ...
in north-western
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
, named after the
Criș (Körös) River and its three tributaries: the
Crișul Alb
The Crișul Alb (Romanian), ( Hungarian: Fehér-Körös) is a river in western Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, and in south-eastern Hungary ( Békés County).
Its source is in the southern Apuseni Mountains (Romanian: Munții ...
,
Crișul Negru, and
Crișul Repede. In Romania, the term is sometimes extended to include areas beyond the border, in
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
; in this interpretation, the region is bounded to the east by the
Apuseni Mountains, to the south by the
Mureș River, to the north by the
Someș River, and to the west by the
Tisza River, the
Romanian-Hungarian border cutting it in two. However, in Hungary, the area between the Tisza River and the Romanian border is usually known as
Tiszántúl.
History
Ancient history
In
ancient times
Ancient history is a time period from the beginning of writing and recorded human history to as far as late antiquity. The span of recorded history is roughly 5,000 years, beginning with the Sumerian cuneiform script. Ancient history cov ...
, this area was settled by
Celts
The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient ...
,
Dacians
The Dacians (; la, Daci ; grc-gre, Δάκοι, Δάοι, Δάκαι) were the ancient Indo-European inhabitants of the cultural region of Dacia, located in the area near the Carpathian Mountains and west of the Black Sea. They are often consi ...
,
Sarmatians
The Sarmatians (; grc, Σαρμαται, Sarmatai; Latin: ) were a large confederation of ancient Eastern Iranian equestrian nomadic peoples of classical antiquity who dominated the Pontic steppe from about the 3rd century BC to the 4th cen ...
, and
Germanic peoples
The Germanic peoples were historical groups of people that once occupied Central Europe and Scandinavia during antiquity and into the early Middle Ages. Since the 19th century, they have traditionally been defined by the use of ancient and ear ...
. In the first century BC, it was part of the
Dacian Kingdom under
Burebista
Burebista ( grc, Βυρεβίστας, Βοιρεβίστας) was the king of the Getae and Dacian tribes from 82/61BC to 45/44BC. He was the first king who successfully unified the tribes of the Dacian kingdom, which comprised the area loca ...
.
Middle Ages
In the
Middle Ages
In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...
, it was ruled by the
Hunnic Empire
The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...
, the
Kingdom of the Gepids, the
Avar Empire, the
Bulgarian Empire
In the medieval history of Europe, Bulgaria's status as the Bulgarian Empire ( bg, Българско царство, ''Balgarsko tsarstvo'' ) occurred in two distinct periods: between the seventh and the eleventh centuries and again between the ...
and the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coronation of the Hungarian monarch, c ...
.
Hungarian maps based on the
Gesta Hungarorum call it Kazárország which according to
Simon of Keza was ruled (under
Zvataplug son of
Morout), by Morout's grandson
Menumorout (Stallion of Morout). Morout was a
Prince of Poland who had supposedly subdued
Bractari and ruled as Emperor of the Bulgars and Moravians. Prince Morout occupied Crișana and the people that are called
Cozar inhabited that land. Prince Morout's son Zvataplug appears to have been the father of Prince Morout's grandson Menumorout who succeeded Zvataplug and wed his daughter to
Árpád
Árpád (; 845 – 907) was the head of the confederation of the Magyar tribes at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries. He might have been either the sacred ruler or '' kende'' of the Hungarians, or their military leader or '' g ...
's son
Zoltán of Hungary
Zoltánhttp://acta.bibl.u-szeged.hu/2733/1/historica_084_011-021.pdf (; 880 or 903 – 950), also Zolta, Zsolt, Solt or Zaltas is mentioned in the '' Gesta Hungarorum'' as the third Grand Prince of the Hungarians who succeeded his father ...
father of
Taksony of Hungary
Taksony (, also Taxis or Tocsun; before or around 931 – early 970s) was the Grand Prince of the Hungarians after their catastrophic defeat in the 955 Battle of Lechfeld. In his youth he had participated in plundering raids in Western Eu ...
.
["Anonymus Notary of King Bela The Deeds of the Hungarians" edited translated and anotated by Martyn Rady and László Veszprémy. CEU Press, 2010. P.33]
The largest city in the region,
Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...
( hu, Nagyvárad), was most probably established during the early years of Hungarian rule. It is first mentioned in 1113 under the name "Varadinum" in a diploma belonging to
Benedictine
, image = Medalla San Benito.PNG
, caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal
, abbreviation = OSB
, formation =
, motto = (English: 'Pray and Work')
, foun ...
Zobor Abbey. The Romanian name ''Oradea'' originates from the Hungarian name ''Várad'', meaning "fortified place". The city was one of the most important cultural centres of the medieval Hungarian state: two Hungarian kings,
Ladislaus I (1077-1095) and
Sigismund (1387-1437) were buried there. After the canonization of Ladislaus I in 1192, his shrine at Várad became a Catholic pilgrimage site.
Modern History
After the
Battle of Mohács
The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...
(1526), the region became part of the
Eastern Hungarian Kingdom
The Eastern Hungarian Kingdom ( hu, keleti Magyar Királyság) is a modern term coined by some historians to designate the realm of John Zápolya and his son John Sigismund Zápolya, who contested the claims of the House of Habsburg to rule th ...
. In 1552, the Ottoman Empire occupied the southern part of Crișana and included it in the newly established
Temeşvar Eyalet. According to the
Treaty of Speyer (1570), the rest of Crișana became part of the
Principality of Transylvania, a successor state of the Eastern Hungarian Kingdom.
John Sigismund Zápolya abdicated as King of Hungary and in return,
Maximilian II of Habsburg recognized John Sigismund's authority over the eastern territories of the Kingdom of Hungary. John Sigismund became ''princeps Transsylvaniae et partium regni Hungariae dominus'' – Prince of Transylvania and of
a part of the Kingdom of Hungary (Partium). Crișana was included in the Partium.
The Ottoman
Varat Eyalet that was formed in the second half of the 17th century was centered on Crișana. Since the end of the 17th century, the whole region became part of the lands of the
Habsburg monarchy
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
and was administratively divided between the
Habsburg Kingdom of Hungary, the Habsburg
Principality of Transylvania and the Habsburg
Military Frontier.
Following the abolition of the
Theiß
The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders.
The Tisza be ...
-
Muresch section of the Habsburg Military Frontier (in 1750) and the abolition of the
Principality of Transylvania in 1867, the whole area was included again into the
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coronation of the Hungarian monarch, c ...
, which was then part of the dual monarchy of
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
. During Habsburg administration, Crișana did not, on the whole, have special status such as that of
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...
or the
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
; briefly, from 1850 to 1860, it was organized as the
Military District of Großwardein. After disintegration of the
Austro-Hungarian Empire
Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...
in 1918, Crișana was divided between
Romania
Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...
(eastern part) and
Hungary
Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Cr ...
(western part).
Geography
Romanian Crișana is bounded in Romania by
Maramureș
or Marmaroshchyna ( ro, Maramureș ; uk, Мармарощина, Marmaroshchyna; hu, Máramaros) is a geographical, historical and cultural region in northern Romania and western Ukraine. It is situated in the northeastern Carpathians, alon ...
to the north,
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...
proper to the east,
Banat
Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of ...
to the south, and Hungary to the west. The region consists of the current Romanian counties of
Arad (most of it),
Bihor and some parts of
Sălaj,
Satu Mare
Satu Mare (; hu, Szatmárnémeti ; german: Sathmar; yi, סאטמאר or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in the ...
, parts of
Maramureș County (Codru, Chioar) and
Hunedoara
Hunedoara (; german: Eisenmarkt; hu, Vajdahunyad ) is a city in Hunedoara County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located in southwestern Transylvania near the Poiana Ruscă Mountains, and administers five villages: Boș (''Bós''), Groș (''Grós ...
counties. Nowadays it is sometimes considered part of the historical region
Transylvania
Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...
, although it did not fall fully within the boundaries of the historical principality.
Hungarian Körösvidék is covered by the areas of
Hajdú-Bihar County and
Békés County. The southern part of Crișana, near the Mureș River, was called
Pomorišje by the
Serbs
The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian Cultural heritage, ancestry, Culture of Serbia, culture, History of ...
.
Cities
The most important cities are:
*
Zalău
Zalău (, unofficial and former official name: ro, Zălau (; german: Zillenmarkt or , hu, Zilah, tr, Zile) is the seat of Sălaj County, Romania. In 2011, its estimated population was 56,202.
History
Ancient times
Zalău is situated in the ...
,
Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...
,
Arad,
Salonta, and
Beiuș (in Romania)
*
Debrecen
Debrecen ( , is Hungary's second-largest city, after Budapest, the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. A city with county rights, it was the largest Hungarian city in the 18th century and ...
,
Békéscsaba, and
Gyula (in Hungary)
Gallery
File:Biserici-si-manastiri-sfanta-treime-centru-arad-small.jpg, Arad - Orthodox Cathedral
File:TheaterArad.jpg, Arad - Ioan Slavici - Classic Theatre
File:Arad- Belvaros.jpg, Arad - Administration Palace
File:Piata Ferdinand.jpg, Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...
- The Ferdinand Square
File:Medicina Oradea.jpg, Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...
- The Faculty of Medicine
File:Oradea (Nagyvárad) - piaţa Unirii.JPG, Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...
- The Black Eagle Palace
File:Catedrala Catolica.jpg, Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...
- Baroque
The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including ...
Roman Catholic cathedral
File:Oradea-Nagyvárad - Crişul Repede and synagogue.jpg, Oradea
Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the western par ...
- The Crişul Repede river
File:Calvinist Cathedral.JPG, Salonta - Reformed Cathedral
Image:RO BH Salonta Parcul din centru.JPG, Salonta - Orthodox Church
File:ScoalaSalonta.JPG, Salonta - Arany Janos High School
File:RO BH Salonta Alee parc.JPG, Salonta - The central park
File:RO BH Salonta Locomotiva cu abur.JPG, Salonta - Train monument and the railway station
File:Muzeul taranului.JPG, Salonta - The Peasantry Museum
File:RO BH Salonta Consulat.JPG, Salonta - Consulate of Slovakia
File:Bradet.peste sat.jpg, Wooden church in Brădet
See also
*
Partium
References
External links
{{DEFAULTSORT:Crisana
Historical regions of Transylvania
Historical regions in Hungary
Historical regions in Romania
Divided regions