Brad, Hunedoara


Brad is a city in Hunedoara County in the Transylvania region of Romania. Its name comes from the Romanian word brad, "fir".

Geography

The city is located in the northern part of the county, at the foot of the Metaliferi Mountains. It lies in the valleys of the river Crișul Alb and its tributaries, Brad and Luncoiu. Five villages are administered by the city: Mesteacăn, Potingani, Ruda-Brad, Țărățel and Valea Bradului.

History

A gold mine in the area began to be exploited in Roman times, and the town developed around it. The earliest documentary mention of Brad dates to 1445. Gold mining was active until 2006. There is a Gold Museum.

Buildings and monuments

The Brad railway station is listed as a historic monument. The central plaza of Brad features a copy of the Capitoline Wolf, near the Dacian Draco.

Demographics

At the 2021 census, Brad had a population of 12,690. At the census from 2011, the population of the city was 14,495, of which 13,534 were Romanians, 192 Romani, 127 Hungarians, 19 Germans, and 33 others.

Natives

  • Cătălin Bălescu, visual artist and academic
  • Gavril Blajek, water polo player
  • Gheorghe Falcă, politician and engineer
  • Ilarion Felea, priest and theologian of the Romanian Orthodox Church
  • Florin Maxim, footballer and manager
  • Teodor Meleșcanu, politician, diplomat, and jurist
  • László Pataky, painter
  • Ileana Stana-Ionescu, actress and politician