Peciu Nou


Peciu Nou is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Diniaș, Peciu Nou and Sânmartinu Sârbesc.

History

The territory of the commune has been inhabited since ancient times. During the Dacian statehood and the Roman rulership, a Roman colony was established here under the name Vibech. During the Migration Period, Peciu Nou fell under Hungarian rule; the first recorded mention of Peciu Nou also comes from this time. Between 1401–1406, the locality was a royal domain with urban status. In 1526 Hungary became a pashalik; after this period the sultan colonized many Serbs in Banat, and the name of the locality was changed from Vibech to Peciui.
The locality did not appear on Count Mercy's maps from 1723–1725, suggesting that the settlement was destroyed during the Ottoman–Habsburg wars. The first German settlers arrived here in 1723, mainly from Cologne and Mainz. The conscription of 1743 noted a settlement with the name Uypez. At one time it was also called Neu Wien.

Demographics



Peciu Nou had a population of 4,931 inhabitants at the 2021 census, down 1.02% from the 2011 census. Most inhabitants are Romanians, larger minorities being represented by Serbs and Hungarians. For 11.86% of the population, ethnicity is unknown. By religion, most inhabitants are Orthodox, but there are also minorities of Serbian Orthodox, Pentecostals, Roman Catholics and Greek Catholics. For 12.45% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.

Politics and administration

The commune of Peciu Nou is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 15 councilors. The mayor, Gabriel-Răzvan Drăgan, from the Social Democratic Party, has been in office since 2016. Since the 2024 local elections, the composition of the local council in terms of political parties' representation is the following:

Notable people