Năsăud

Năsăud (; german: Nassod, ''Nußdorf''; hu, Naszód) is a town in Bistrița-Năsăud County in Romania located in the historical region of Transylvania. The town administers two villages, Liviu Rebreanu (until 1958 ''Prislop''; ''Priszlop'') and Lușca (''Szamospart''). At the 2011 census, 93.6% of inhabitants were Romanians, 5.5% Roma, and 0.6% Hungarians.

Geography

The town lies on the Transylvanian Plateau, on the right bank of the Someșul Mare River. It is located in the central part of the county, at a distance of from the county seat, Bistrița, and from the town of Beclean.

History

The name Năsăud is possibly derived from the Slavic ''nas voda'', meaning "near the water". Another etymology is from ''Nußdorf'' (''Nussdorf'', "walnut tree village"), the Transylvanian Saxon name of the town during the Middle Ages.

A former Habsburg border town known for its border regiments with panache and good schools, Năsăud saw industrial expansion during the communist era and industrial collapse after the Romanian Revolution of 1989.

Năsăud still has a few late 18th and early 19th century buildings left standing. Most remarkable in this regard is the local Romanian Greek Catholic church and the former military headquarters of the Habsburg era military regiment, now a museum. Although the town hall is located in its midst, the 19th century center of the town has been left to decay. Since 2012 the municipality has begun to restore the buildings in the old city center. The town hall saw a complete restoration and expansion in 2013.

Economy

Local economic activity revolves around the remittance economy generated by massive outmigration to Spain and Italy during the early 2000s, although the largest industrial employers in textiles and chemicals have been rejuvenated by European Union membership.

The economic upturn of the mid-2000s has translated into a better city life and infrastructure improvements. Most notable in this regard are the refurbishing of the old military headquarters (now a museum), improved roads and more bar/restaurant options. Two new restaurants (Geea and La Borșanu) are popular in town.

Education

The town is the home of the George Coșbuc National College.

Natives

*Tudor Bompa (born 1932), sports scientist, professor at York University
* Joel Brand (1906–1964), member of the Budapest Aid and Rescue Committee during the Holocaust
*Nicolae Bretan (1887–1968), opera composer, baritone, conductor, and music critic
*Vasile Dîncu (born 1961), politician
* Tudor Drăganu (1912–2010), jurist
* Sergiu Homei (born 1987), footballer
* Veronica Micle (1850–1889), poet, best known for her love affair with Mihai Eminescu
* Constantin C. Moisil (1876–1958), archivist, historian, numismatist, and schoolteacher
*Iuliu Moisil (1859–1947), schoolteacher and non-fiction writer
*Sandu Negrean (born 1974), footballer
* (born 1962), writer
* (1831–1908), officer in the Austrian Imperial Army

Photo gallery

File:Nasaud_oe.jpg, Entrance from the west
File:Nasaud_centrum.jpg, View from the east
File:nasaud_bahnhof.jpg, Train station
File:nasaud_turm.jpg, Towers of the Romanian Greek-Catholic church
File:nasaud_denkmal.jpg, Monument in the park
File:nasaud_kirche.jpg, Romanian Orthodox church

Notes

Populated places in Bistrița-Năsăud County
Localities in Transylvania
Towns in Romania

{{BistriţaNăsăud-geo-stub