Roșia Montană

Rosia Montana ( German Goldbach, Hungarian Verespatak ) is a town in Alba county in Transylvania, Romania.

The place is also known under the old Romanian names Roşia Abrudului and Roşia de Munter, the German name Rotseifen and the Latin Alburnus Maior.

Geographical location

Rosia Montana is located on the county road (Drum Judetean ) DJ 742 (7 km from the national road DN 74A away), in the Transylvanian Erzgebirge ( Munţii Metaliferi ) - part of the Apuseni Mountains - in the west of Transylvania. The nearest major town Abrud ( United Schlatten ) is 10 kilometers to the west, the county capital Alba Iulia ( Charles Castle ) about 80 km (43 km distance) away to the southeast. With its 16 villages and hamlets Roşia Montană is part of the historic Pimp country.

History

Rosia Montana is one of the oldest and most important gold deposits in Europe. For over 2000 years this gold is mined, Herodotus mentioned the gold mining of Agathyrsae - a related strain of the Scythians - in the region. Partly because of this gold-rich areas made ​​the Emperor Trajan in 106 AD, north of the Danube Dacia a Roman province. Many tons of gold were further brought over the navigable river Mures ( Mures ) to the Danube, where the Black Sea and to Rome. After the invasion of the Visigoths Emperor Aurelian had around 270 AD ad the province. The economic facilities and infrastructure fell into disrepair in Late Antiquity and the Middle Ages. The turbulent boundary layer and the turbulent migration period were a prosperous promotion of the mining industry not to.

The place Roşia Montană was first mentioned in documents in 1592. In the Middle Ages the village belonged to the district of the Saxon Bergarbeitersiedlung United Schlatten. Am Bach Roşia ( Rotseifenbach ) - a right tributary of the Abrud - 1752 were 12 Pochmühlen in operation. The gold-bearing ore was washed in over 100 small reservoirs. End of the 19th century were about 400 Pochmühlen in operation.

Boom in the late Middle Ages

Only in the late medieval, attacked the Zuwandermaßnahmen kings of Hungary, the German "Sachsen", Hungarian settlers and resettled Székely brought into the country, and there was a calm and a modest mining, but could never connect to its former size. Only after the Turkish danger was over, Maria Theresa was (1717-1780) put the mining on larger base. Rosia Montana was one of the largest mines of the monarchy for financial support of the ruling family. The expansion of the mines was carried out with the help of German miners, which also shaped the landscape: mountain villages in the style of previous home graced the landscape of the Carpathians.

After the fall of the monarchy, the mine to a financial backbone of the independent Romania. Now a small Tagbergbau is operated.

Future

A project of the Canadian company Gabriel Resources currently worry the mining town and provide worldwide protests: should benefit from a modern open pit two valley turned into craters and around 2,000 people to be relocated. According to the latest estimates, a reduction would be 10 million tons of rock approximately 411,000 ounces of gold supply ( with a cost of 113 $ / oz). Inventories are approximately 17.1 million ounces of gold and 81.1 million ounces of silver.

After the mining company had received a license for the operation of an open pit at Rosia Montana in the tenure of President Ion Iliescu of the Romanian Government, began with the release of houses and land, and already with demolition work. Against this project, but public opposition began to rain, due to the planned use of sodium cyanide in the extraction of gold. In 2000 there have been at another gold mine in the north of the country, was used in the same mining technology, a dam failure, which led to a serious environmental disaster (see: Baia -Mare dam break). Therefore environmental organizations from Western Europe and the adjacent Hungary lined up against the project. The critical film created by the Hungarian documentary " New Eldorado. Gold. The Curse of Rosia Montana. " Attracted international attention and won several awards at festivals. This resulted in Romania but initially nationalist backlash in politics and the media as to the western neighboring country already exist historical tensions. Later it also encouraged in the country itself resistance and Romanian environmental activists organized from 2004 to 2007 a ​​" Fan Fest " called protest festival in Rosia Montana, on the well known Romanian and international bands free of charge occurred, including Shukar Collective, Vita de Vie and Zdob şi Zdub. The protest of the non-governmental organizations " Alburnus Maior " and " Centrul Independent pentru Dezvoltarea Resurselor de Mediu " ( Independent Centre for Development of environmental resources ) also joined the Romanian Orthodox and the Catholic Church in Romania. The elected in December 2004, new Romanian President Traian Basescu was also critical of the project and delayed further work. Due to Romania's EU accession in 2007, also changed the legal situation, since now a hitherto lack of environmental impact assessment was required under EU law. The project was now complete on ice.

Meanwhile, the mining company Gabriel Resources, however, the possible positive effects of the project on regional development and the Romanian labor market tried medially in the limelight. It was launched a media campaign, including advertisements in the Romanian Discovery Channel and the Romanian National Geographic magazine. In addition, various cultural projects were funded by Gabriel Resources, including the Transilvania International Film Festival ( TIFF). The residents of Roşia Montană themselves were promised in nearby Alba Iulia, the construction of which has already been partially completed generous compensations and modern after Metastatic new homes. According to the Canadian mining company, the removal of at least three mountains and the waste water after cyanide leaching process can be passed into a 185 -meter-deep reservoir, planned.

In 2010, the planned open pit gold mine project received new impetus. Due to the ongoing financial crisis in Romania and the successful lobbying by the mining company, returned various stakeholders on their critical attitude and a speedy commissioning of the mine now seems more likely than in recent years. In a press release dated May 31, 2011 informed the Canadian mining company - the now 80.46 % of the shares; the Romanian company MINVEST Deva 19.31% of Roşia Montană Gold Corporation has - with that Bucharest Court ( Curtea de Apel Bucureşti) is an application for suspension of the plans of Rosia Montana Gold Corporation from 2010 " final and irrevocable " rejected.

In June 2011, 48 trade associations, trade unions, civil societies and personalities, such as the rectors of state universities in Alba Iulia and to assist in Petrosani the mining project in the Apuseni Mountains met.

During a visit of the Romanian Prime Minister Victor Ponta in Finland in September 2013, he has asked for gold mining to mining project for technical assistance, the President Traian Băsescu, because many advocates resistance from the population, for the cancellation of the project.

Archeology

In the field of community - called by the locals Orlea and Piatra Corbului - many archaeological finds to be associated with the Roman period.

Impressive are the extensive underground Roman galleries, which have an excellent natural ventilation system. You are now accessible and one of the most impressive evidence of ancient mining.

Historically, law is of utmost importance 25 wax tablets, which were found in the years 1820 and 1855, in the tunnels. The oldest piece is from the year 131 as well Roman law - thanks to the codification of Emperor Justinian - is extensively researched, we know the everyday legal life of antiquity just as the papyrus writings from the Roman province of Egypt and it is for the Transylvanian wax tablets. They are thus one of the few products of ancient - daily - life of rights and invaluable sources of social and economic history. In addition to loans and leases there is also the employment of a miner.

Also from these wax tablets indicate which position is likely to have the former settlement Alburnus Maior occupied within the Roman Empire: the actors on these wax tablets helped themselves to legal institutions that were only Roman citizens only. This suggests that Roşia Montană vicus or pagus had to have been at least; probably but at least had their own legal status. The best available are the contents of the wax tablets in Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum III, page 921 ff, Corpus Inscriptionum Latinarum III, 260-1277.

Population

The population of the whole municipality is as follows:

The highest population of the church today - and at the same time the Romanians and Germans - was found in 1850. The highest number of Hungary in 1910 and the Roma (334 ) 2011 registered. In addition, in 1930 a resident called the Ukrainians, 1890, 1900 and 2002, one each in 1910 and two as Serbs, 1890 a and 1930 four as Slovaks.

Attractions

• The Romanian Orthodox Church, Adormirea Maicii Domnului, 1741; their hall built in the 19th century, is a historical monument.
• In place Roşia Montană conservation are about 40 houses (built from 1700-1900 ).
• The Mining Museum, situated Mineritului, with outdoor section and exhibits from ancient times to the present day. A 400 meter long Roman tunnel with all accessories, which follows a vein of gold. After two and a half years of renovation at a cost of 150,000 euros, 325 was born on 23 February 2010, the house No. (1874 built ) opened as the Museum Aurul Apusenilor. Funded by Rosia Montana Gold Corporation ( RMGC ), the Museum offers visitors free admission.
• In eingemeindeten village Carpinis (Hungarian Abrudkerpenyes ) the childhood home of Ioan Orga ( 1747-1785 ) called Closca - one of the leaders of the peasant uprising of 1784 - and whose bronze bust.

Pictures

Former Reformed Presbytery (2007)

The Closca Memorial House in Carpinis