BRASOV THE BEST CITY IN THE WORLD ETYMOLOGY

BRASOV THE BEST CITY IN THE WORLD

ETYMOLOGY The city was described in 1235 AD under the name Corona, a Latin word meaning "crown", a name given by the German colonists. According to D. Moldovanu, the name of Braşov came from the name of local river named Bârsa who was adopted by Slavs and transformed in Barsov and finally in Brasov. According to Binder, the current Romanian and the Hungarian name Brassó are derived from the Turkic word barasu, meaning "white water„. The first attested mention of Brașov is Terra Saxonum de Barasu ("Saxon Land of Baras") in a 1252 document. The German name Kronstadt means "Crown City" and is reflected in the city's coat of arms as well as in its Medieval Latin name, Corona. The two names of the city, Kronstadt and Corona, were used simultaneously in the Middle Ages, along with the Medieval Latin Brassovia. From 1950 to 1960, during part of the Communist period in Romania, the city was called The Stalin City, after the Soviet leader Joseph Stalin.

THE HISTORY OF BRASOV The oldest traces of human activity and settlements in Brașov date back to the Neolithic age (about 9500 BCE). Archaeologists working from the last half of the 19 th century discovered continuous traces of human settlements in areas situated in Brașov: Valea Cetăţii, Pietrele lui Solomon, Șprenghi, Tâmpa, Dealul Melcilor, and Noua. The first three locations show traces of Dacian citadels; Șprenghi Hill housed a Roman-style construction. The last two locations had their names applied to Bronze Age cultures—Schneckenberg ‘Hill of the Snails’ (Early Bronze Age) and Noua 'The New’ (Late Bronze Age).

THE HISTORY OF BRASOV German colonists known as the Transylvanian Saxons played a decisive role in Brașov's development. These Germans were invited by Hungarian kings to develop towns, build mines, and cultivate the land of Transylvania at different stages between 1141 and 1300. Although the crusaders were evicted by 1225, the colonists they brought in remained, along with local population, as did three distinct settlements they founded on the site of Brașov: Corona , around the Black Church , Martinsberg , west of Cetățuia Hill , Bartolomä , on the eastern side of Sprenghi Hill.

THE HISTORY OF BRASOV The cultural and religious importance of the Romanian church and school in Șchei is underlined by the generous donations received from more than thirty hospodars of Moldavia and Wallachia, as well as that from Elizabeth of Russia. In the 17 th and 19 th centuries, the Romanians in Șchei campaigned for national, political, and cultural rights, and were supported in their efforts by Romanians from all other provinces, as well as by the local Greek merchant community. In 1838 they established the first Romanian language newspaper Gazeta Transilvaniei and the first Romanian institutions of higher education ( "The Greek-Orthodox Central Schools", today named after Andrei Șaguna). The Holy Roman Emperor and sovereign of Transylvania Joseph II awarded Romanians citizenship rights for a brief period during the latter decades of the 18 th century.

THE CULTURE OF BRASOV The culture and education made their place very early in the life of Brasov. It is enough to remember the first Romanian school from Schei occurred before 1399. The papers published here were spread throughout the Romanian space. In the fortress has worked in the sixteenth century the humanist Honterus , who founded a school, a library and a printing press. He published numerous books and his library was famous. Unfortunately, the fire of 1689 burned it almost entirely. Since the nineteenth century the number of schools has multiplied , have appeared theaters, publications, various festivals were organized and the telegraph and the telephone appeared. The twentieth century brought the cinema, radio and television.

THE CULTURE OF BRASOV In Brasov were established several theaters and a philharmonic Theatre "Sica Alexandrescu" Opera Braşov (originally Musical Theatre, and Lyric Theatre), the Philharmonic "Gheorghe Dima" Puppet Theatre "Harlequin" Cultural Center "Reduta". There also a number of cultural organizations, mostly established since 1990. It is worth mentioning the Union of Artists, Musashino Cultural Association (Japan), Alliance French, German Cultural Centre, British Council, House of Culture of students and Japanese Cultural center. Libraries are well spread around the town, mainly due to the county library branches. Also , in the city have been set up some other libraries: Library Alliance Francaise, British Council Library, University Library "Transylvania".

TOURIST ATTRACTIONS In the city , authorities have started a long process of renovation of ancient monuments and they try to turn them into museums. The best views of the city can be obtained from the top of Tampa Mountain (960 m), which can be reached by cable car. In Brasov, you can visit museums (Brașov History Museum , Muresenilor House , First Romanian School ) , churches (The Black Church , Church of St. Nicholas , Church of St. Bartholomew) or monuments (Weavers Bastion , Schei gate , Merchants House in Brasov ).

THE FOLKLORE OF BRASOV Barsa special settlements have evolved from those in Fagaras land area _. Brasov development since its beginnings as a fair-dominated merchants and artisans and has made its mark on the small settlements around. In turn most of them bear the imprint of the cities Saxon coagulation, and a defining element is the absence of the habit of going to the dance Sunday. Clothes are rather festive city. These elements led to the absence of characteristic costumes. In the villages close to Fagaras, later borrowed elements have appeared in the area. And girls wearing embroidery thread in a color, red or black, and the model has geometric embroidery. Red clothes with black stripes are woven. However, sometimes the background color derived from brown or ocher wedding, hottest or less intense.

PERSONALITIES Johannes Honterus (1498 – 23 January 1549) was a Transylvanian Saxon, renaissance humanist and theologian. Honter is best known for his geographic and cartographic publishing activity, as well as for implementing the Lutheran reform in Transylvania. He returned to Braşov in 1533 and became involved in local events. During his stay in the Holy Roman Empire, Honter had encountered Protestant ideas, and he worked hard to introduce Lutheranism to Siebenbuergen. He attempted to achieve this by informing as many persons as possible. As such, he founded the humanist gymnasium local school (functioning to this day as the "Johannes Honterus" School), set up a printing press (1539), printed a large number of books (some of which he himself authored), such as the Reformationsbuechlein, published the Kirchenordnung aller Deutschen in Siebenbuergen and assisted in the introduction of a paper mill.

JOHANNES HONTERUS In 1542, in Braşov, he printed a new version of his cosmography manual, this time in verse, under the name Rudimenta Cosmographica. He believed that verse would help students remember information contained in the book. Additionally, the book contains 13 maps, engraved by Honter himself. The maps show all known parts of the world. The Rudimenta was so successful that no less than 39 editions of it were printed in Braşov, Zürich, Antwerp, Basel, Rostock, Prague and Cologne. The book was last reprinted in 1602, but sections of it have been included in other books up to 1692. It can be considered the first European-wide manual.

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