Aninoasa coal mine

Transcription

Located in the South of Hunedoara County and the Southwest of Transylvania at 45°25’ North latitude and 23°22’ East longitude in a depression of the Southern Carpathians, Petrosani Depression or the Jiu Valley, lies down along the two Jiu rivers (Eastern and Western) and includes a number of 6 cities from East to West Petrila, Petrosani, Aninoasa, Vulcan, Lupeni, Uricani, all mining centers The average altitude in the Jiu Valley is 600 m above sea level. The depression of Jiu Valley, as the name says is crossed by the two branches of Jiu River the Western Jiu and the Eastern Jiu, which reunite in Livezeni area and follows its flow to the sea The depression is surrounded by four mountain chains Retezat in the North-Northwest, Sureanu in the East-Northeast Parang in the East-Southeast and Valcan in the South Along the two Jiu Rivers, from East to West, there are 6 cities Petrila, Petrosani, Aninoasa, Vulcan, Lupeni and Uricani settlements developed as a result of coal mining. Jiu Valley is a place with a long history even if this assertion is not supported by many written testimonies The first historical traces date back to the Geto-Dacian period the ruins of Banita Citadel 15 km from Petrosani a citadel that was part of the fortification system which ensured the defense of central Dacia There are a number of numismatic treasures discovered at Jiet-Popi and Bolii Cave certifying the existence of a Geto-Dacian civilization on these lands. The influences of such civilization can be found also in the traditional costume of the Jiu peasants locally called momarlans whose costume is prevailed by white and black The soil castra in Patru’s Peak and Comarnicel and the stone road in Valcan Pass are also an evidence of these places. The act of donation of 1493 by which the Hungarian King Władysław III Jagello granted Mihai Kendeffy places in the Jiu Valley Pterela, Malee, Rathond, Mwrysowar and Nyakmezew as appurtenances of the River of Mills domain in Hateg district represents according to our information the first real reference to the settlements in this area Although not mentioned as localities but as grazing, ploughing and meadow places at least three of them seem to have had villages or groups of villages a proof that their name has been preserved until today Pterela = Petrila, Malee = Maleia a vill of Petrosani city Nyakmezew = Neag’s Field a locality part of Uricani city The other two may be an isolated settlement Rathond, and more certainly a water-course Mwrysowar = Morisoara in the area of Vulcan city Nobody knows how old these settlements are because archaeological research carried out in the Jiu Valley was unfortunately, insignificant and the discoveries made were not the result of a scientific and methodical effort but the fruit of fortuity. In 1720, the entire Jiu Valley as evidenced by the cartographic documents of Fridrich Schwantz was populated by households spread across the Valley so this seemed like a very large village. In the second half of the 18th century however, the most intense population takes place with an important contribution especially from those coming from outside the Jiu Valley, in particular from Hateg Country. Joseph’s conscription drawn in 1784-1787 the first exercise with such a complex structure mentions six settlements in the Jiu Valley at that time: Livádszel = Livezeni?, Petrosan, Petrilla, Vulcan, Uricani and Neag’s Field with a population of 4.704 inhabitants. All the communes of the Jiu Valley with separate designations, appear as established in the census of 1818 Petrosani (96 inhabitants) Livezeni (137) Maleia (58) Dalja (59) Iscroni (98) Barbatenii de Jos (95) Lupeni (173) Uricani (210); Paroseni (60); Matesteni (90); Barbatenii de Sus (85) Neag’s Field (52); Coroesti (50); in 1854 11 localities are reviewed in the Jiu Valley with a population of 6.770 inhabitants predominantly Romanian people. Silvestru Moldovan will describe the beginning of these transformations showing that „in 1896 there were 10-14 communes in the Jiu Valley which until the new times were purely Romanian But since the mining, a lot of strangers came on the Jiu Germans, Poles, Bohemians, Hungarians and Jews particularly mineworkers and craftsmen and they settled in communes, especially in Petroseni URICANI Established as a result of the swarming of the inhabitants in the area of Hateg Country, from the localities of Hobita (1411) and Uric (1473), the city of Uricani was named Hobiceni-Uricani until the Union of Transylvania with the Motherland in 1918, when the name became Uricani. The population dislocated here originally established temporary settlements for grazing, but historians believe that they have been established as a community before the Turkish invasion of 1788 when, on August 15, the priest and those who were at the Church were taken in subjection. Located in a particularly spectacular setting in an area protected from the migratory people that have crossed throughout the ages the territory of our country the inhabitants have kept for centuries their occupations, traditions and beliefs. The increase of coal demand after World War II leads to increased coal mining throughout the depression of the Jiu Valley so that the mining perimeters that at first were considered unprofitable have been set in operation As a result, in 1947, the first adit – Balomir adit – is opened in Uricani recording the beginning of coal mining The natural consequence of opening the mining exploitation is the increased population, by workforce migration from other areas of the country and the building of a large number of dwellings required for the new-comers; therefore, in 1965 Uricani is declared city and includes the localities of Fir Tree Valley and Neag’s Field as well. But the transition from the status of rural settlement to town was not done without sacrifices, especially on the part of the locals They were forced by the Romanian State to dispense with many of the lands that belonged to them Thus, apartment blocks for the new residents have been built on some of these lands and other lands have served as locations for the future mining premises Balomir, Sterminos Mailat, or for the storage of the gangue extracted from underground. FIR TREE VALLEY Integrated as part of Uricani city the Fir Trees Valley is located on both sides of the Western Jiu Valley consisting of a series of villages (vills) spread mainly along the tributaries of the Jiu Rivertowards the Valcan Mountains and Tulisa Mountains The landscape of the area has been altered only in a very small degree by the mining activity performed at the Fir Trees Valley Mining Exploitation (currently closed). The Fish Valley dam is built on the territory of the locality at its western border; the lake upstream of this dam provides water supply to the entire Jiu Valley. NEAG’S FIELD As for the Neag’s Field it seems that its first inhabitants came from North Oltenia the tradition mentioning an outlaw, Neagu who, while running from the Turks at the beginning of the 16th century first settled in the place called Dosul Pribeagului and then in the meadow of Jiu River. It is said that he marked the central place of the future village by sinking a stone (a monolith) in the ground about two meters in length with two veins of white quartz encrusted in it, arranged in the shape of a cross It is known for sure that in 1850 the priest of the village, Constantin Stanci found this stone fallen on the Jiu River’s bank, took it with a sled pulled by oxen and placed it in the courtyard of his house which, from 1890 to 1936, was a village school as well Today, the stone is located at the entrance to the village of Neag’s Field. The busts of Trajan and Decebal throne next to it. An important event of the 17th century was Matei Basarab’s passing through Uricani (1631), together with other boyars and his army gathered from Hateg Country. In their wander in Ardeal they have entered Uricani through the Vulcan Pass. Along with this outlaw came Hamza, Muscalu, Mojoatca, Manuilescu, Vinte, Tabara Dumitrescu and Stanciu, and Canda family seems to have come from Hateg Country the River of Mills; these names are now very common among the inhabitants This community has suffered a lot due to communism. The hunger for coal and the incompetence of the communist regime’s officials have led to the destruction of the locality, which was completely dislocated and the Church was demolished Today, as evidence of the crime perpetrated against these people there is a water area with a surface of about 30 hectares and a depth of 100 m on the central place of the village Today, local authorities are trying to define a new path for the locality subject to heavy trials The restructuring of the mining industry requires the search for new solutions for the development of the city one of them and the most convenient is the tourism.