Braşov
[key], Hung. Brassó, Ger.
Kronstadt, city, central Romania, in Transylvania, at
the foot of the Transylvanian Alps. The administrative center of the
Braşov region, the city is a road and rail junction and a major
industrial center. Tractors, trucks, helicopters, chemicals, and textiles
are among the chief manufactures. The city is also a noted resort and winter
sports center. Founded in the 13th cent. by the Teutonic Knights,
Braşov was a major center of trade and industry in the Middle Ages.
It enjoyed considerable autonomy under the Hapsburg empire. After World War
I the city, along with Transylvania, was ceded by Hungary to Romania. There
are sizable German and Hungarian minorities. From 1950 to 1960,
Braşov was called Stalin or Oraşul-Stalin (city of Stalin). It
has a large 14th-century church (called the Black Church because of fire
damage in 1689), the 13th-century St. Bartholomew Church, and the
14th-century St. Nicholas Church (rebuilt 1751). Parts of the medieval town
wall and the 17th-century citadel remain intact. There is also a polytechnic
institute.
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