Brad, Hunedoara

Brad
Municipality
Brad skyline
Coat of arms
Location in Hunedoara County
Brad Location in Romania
Coordinates: 46°7′46″N 22°47′24″E
Country	Romania
County	Hunedoara
Government
• Mayor (2020–2024)	Florin Cazacu[1] (PSD)
Area	79.98 km^2 (30.88 sq mi)
Elevation	278 m (912 ft)
Population  (2021-12-01)[2]	12,690
• Density	160/km^2 (410/sq mi)
Time zone	EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code	335200
Vehicle reg.	HD
Website	primariabrad.ro

Brad (Romanian pronunciation: [brad]; Hungarian: Brád; German: Tannenhof) 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 ("birch"; Mesztákon), Potingani (Pottingány), Ruda-Brad (Ruda), Țărățel (Cerecel) and Valea Bradului ("the valley of the fir tree"; Vályabrád).

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

Historical population

Year	Pop.	±%
1948	6,210	—
1956	9,963	+60.4%
1966	15,532	+55.9%
1977	17,077	+9.9%
1992	18,861	+10.4%
2002	16,482	−12.6%
2011	14,495	−12.1%
2021	12,690	−12.5%
Source: Census data

At the 2021 census, Brad had a population of 12,690.^[3] At the census from 2011, the population of the city was 14,495, of which 13,534 (97.3%) were Romanians, 192 (1.38%) Romani, 127 (0.91%) Hungarians, 19 (0.13%) Germans, and 33 others.

Natives

• Cătălin Bălescu (born 1962), visual artist and academic
• Gavril Blajek (born 1939), water polo player
• Gheorghe Falcă (born 1967), politician and engineer
• Ilarion Felea (1903–1961), priest and theologian of the Romanian Orthodox Church
• Florin Maxim (born 1981), footballer and manager
• Teodor Meleșcanu (born 1941), politician, diplomat, and jurist
• László Pataky (1857–1912), painter
• Ileana Stana-Ionescu (born 1936), actress and politician

References

1. "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau. Retrieved 8 June 2021.
2. "Populaţia rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (XLS). National Institute of Statistics.
3. "Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021" (in Romanian). INSSE. 31 May 2023.

Capitoline Wolf in Brad

Street in Brad

View of Brad