Oravița

Oraviţa ( Orawitz German, Hungarian Oravica, Czech Oravice, Croatian Oravica, Serbian Cyrillic Оравица ) is a town in the district Caras -Severin, Banat, Romania.

Geographical location

Oraviţa is located in the Banat, on the west side of the Anina Mountains. The district capital Resita is located about 35 km northeast.

Neighboring towns

History

Already in 1400 the present town of mining was carried out in the area. The Banat was after a long occupation by the Ottoman Empire in the early 18th century., As part of the Kingdom of Hungary again part of the Habsburg Monarchy In 1690 the city was first mentioned; he is a municipality since 1717. In the eastern part of the village began to settle especially Tyrolean miners at, in the western part mainly Romanians; it created two separate municipalities. In Oraviţa also Czechs, Poles, Serbs and Hungarians lived.

At the beginning of the 18th century Oraviţa was a center of copper smelting in Hungary. In addition, mining was carried out on gold. 1737-1739 disturbing incursions of the Turks temporarily development. 1816-1817, financed by donations theater was built, now known as Mihai Eminescu Theatre; it was rebuilt in a slightly smaller form, the Old Burgtheater in Vienna and was opened in the presence of Emperor Francis I and his wife.

1854, the railway line from Oraviţa was opened after Bazias, the oldest in today's Romania. In 1863 the railway line from Oraviţa about the Anina Mountains after Steierdorf - Anina in operation to transport the mined coal there to the Danube can; because of their numerous viaducts in the scenic countryside, she was referred to as Romanian Semmering. Since the end of the 19th century the importance of the mining industry took off.

After the dissolution of Austria -Hungary in 1918 and claims of ownership of several countries Oraviţa came as a result of the Treaty of Trianon in 1920 with the eastern part of Banat to the Kingdom of Romania. Now both districts were officially incorporated. Oraviţa became the capital of the district Caras.

At the end of the Second World War most of the German inhabitants fled to Germany or Austria. 1946 were discovered near the town of uranium deposits that have been mined on a large scale and taken to the Soviet Union.

Today, wood and food processing as well as trade and tourism are the main industries.

Population

1880 lived on the territory of today's 13,669 people, including 4,250 in German - Orawitz, 2252 in Romanian- Orawitz and 7,167 in today's incorporated towns. 9,917 were Romanians, 2,910 German and 260 Magyars. As a result, the population fluctuated depending on the economic circumstances. 1900 it rose to over 14,000 in 1941 to fall to less than 11,000. 1992 was achieved with 15,293 the maximum.

As of the 2002 census, 12,858 residents have been registered, of which 10,222 in Oraviţa and 2636 in several incorporated villages. 11,972 were Romanians, Roma 376, 222 German, 155 Hungarians, 84 Serbs, 17 Czechs and 15 Ukrainians.

Traffic

From Oraviţa station currently operate (April 2012) several daily CFR passenger trains to Anina and after Iam. The route to Berzovia is operated by the private operator RegioTrans. Through the city, the National Road 57 from Orşova after Moravita.

Attractions

• Theatre Mihai Eminescu (1816-1817), an architectural monument
• Monastery Calugara (1859 ) in eingemeindeten place Ciclova Montană
• Oraviţa station and railway line to Anina
• Pharmacy Museum garlic
• National Park Cheile Nerei - Beusnita