Dârjiu
title: "Dârjiu" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["communes-in-harghita-county", "localities-in-transylvania", "villages-with-fortified-churches-in-transylvania", "székely-communities"] topic_path: "society/religion" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dârjiu" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::data[format=table title="Infobox Romanian subdivision"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| type | commune |
| county | Harghita |
| name | Dârjiu |
| other_name | Székelyderzs |
| image_skyline | Szekelyderzs 01.jpg |
| image_caption | 13th Century UNESCO World Heritage fortified Unitarian Church, and some geese |
| image_map | Darjiu jud Harghita.png |
| map_caption | Location in Harghita County |
| leader_name | Adrián István |
| leader_party | UDMR |
| term | 2020–2024 |
| coordinates | |
| elevation | 555 |
| area_total | 41.96 |
| population_total | auto |
| postal_code | 537075 |
| area_code | (+40) 0266 |
| website | |
| :: |
|type = commune |county = Harghita |name = Dârjiu |other_name = Székelyderzs |image_flag = |image_shield = |image_skyline = Szekelyderzs 01.jpg |image_caption = 13th Century UNESCO World Heritage fortified Unitarian Church, and some geese |image_map=Darjiu jud Harghita.png |map_caption = Location in Harghita County |leader_name = Adrián István |leader_party = UDMR |term = 2020–2024 |coordinates = |elevation = 555 |elevation_min = |elevation_max = |area_total = 41.96 |area_footnotes = |population_as_of = |population_total = auto |population_footnotes = |postal_code = 537075 |area_code = (+40) 0266 |website =
Dârjiu (, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. The commune is composed of two villages, Dârjiu (Székelyderzs) and Mujna (Székelymuzsna), both of which are on the route of the Via Transilvanica long-distance trail.
Name
The Hungarian name Székelyderzs was first mentioned as "De ers" in a papal list of tithes taken in 1334. In 1525, it was recorded as Ders, while in 1760, it was already mentioned by its modern Hungarian name of Székely Derzs. The name Derzs is thought to be from the Old Bulgar.
Demographics
At the 2011 census, the commune had a population of 1,036, of which 91.51% were Hungarians, 5.69% Roma, and 1.35% Romanians; 60.62% of the inhabitants were Unitarian, 20.46% Reformed, 7.34% Roman Catholic, 3.96% Baptists, and 1.83% Romanian Orthodox. At the 2021 census, Dârjiu had a population of 851; of those, 92.6% were Hungarians and 1.41% Romanians.
History
Unitariansm was an official religion in Transylvania from the 1583 Medgyes (Mediaş) parliament. The first bishop was Ferenc Dávid, a local Hungarian-speaking Saxon. The first appointed ruler of Transylvania was the Unitarian John II Sigismund Zápolya, son of the Hungarian king John Zápolya (1526–1541).
The villages were historically part of the Székely Land region of Transylvania province. They belonged to Udvarhelyszék district until the administrative reform of Transylvania in 1876, when they fell within the Udvarhely County in the Kingdom of Hungary. After the Hungarian–Romanian War of 1919 and the Treaty of Trianon of 1920, they became part of the Kingdom of Romania and fell within plasa Odorhei of Odorhei County during the interwar period. In 1940, the second Vienna Award granted the Northern Transylvania to Hungary and the villages were held by Hungary until September 1944, when Romanian and Soviet troops regained control during World War II. After a brief Soviet occupation, the Romanian administration returned in March 1945. Between 1952 and 1960, the commune fell within the Magyar Autonomous Region, between 1960 and 1968 the Mureș-Magyar Autonomous Region. In 1968, the region was abolished, and since then, the commune has been part of Harghita County.
Heartland of Unitarianism
Between 80,000 and 100,000 Unitarians live in the geographical region of Transylvania, mostly between Sighișoara and Odorheiu Secuiesc, more or less around Dârjiu. Further east, Hungarians are Roman Catholics with Calvinist enclaves, e.g., in the former Háromszék County, while the former Csík County is solidly Roman Catholic.
Fortified church; mural art in the region
::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/da/derzs1.jpg" caption="The Unitarian Church"] ::
The village is home to the Dârjiu fortified church, a 13th-century fortified Unitarian Church, which is on UNESCO's World Heritage List
The murals of the Unitarian church show the legend of Ladislaus I of Hungary. When the Cumans broke into Kingdom of Hungary, Ladislaus, still a Duke, along with his cousin (King Salamon (Solomon) I) rode against them and freed from a Cuman a girl believed to be daughter of an aristocrat. Unfortunately enough, the girl did not support this act of the future saint.
Further murals in the region are to be found at Unitarian churches in Mugeni, Crăciunel (Karácsonyfalva; part of Ocland commune), and smaller ones in Rugănești (Rugonfalva; part of Șimonești commune) and Cristuru Secuiesc (Székelykeresztúr). The most significant murals in Saxon churches are those of Mălâncrav (German: Malmkrog, Hungarian: Szászszentlászló; part of Laslea commune).
Twinning
The local Unitarian community has relationship with the Unitarian Universalist Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, USA.
Gallery
Image:derzsx.jpg|Unitarian church Image:derzs6.jpg|Façade of the Unitarian church Image:derzs4.jpg|Murals on the St. Ladislaus legend Image:derzs3.jpg|Murals on the St. Ladislaus legend Image:derzs101.jpg|Fight of Ladislaus with the Cuman Image:derzs102.jpg|Death of the Cuman warrior Image:Josephinische Landaufnahme pg193.jpg|The village on the Josephinische Landaufnahme, 1769-1773
References
References
- "Results of the 2020 local elections". Central Electoral Bureau.
- "Darjiu Fortified Church - Castles and Fortresses in Transylvania, Romania. Romania UNESCO World Heritage Sites".
- "Terra Siculorum {{!}} Via Transilvanica".
- János András Vistai. (2011-07-10). "Tekintő – Erdélyi Helynévkönyv}}[http://www.fatornyosfalunk.com/helynevkonyv_-_1._kotet_A-H.pdf Transylvanian Toponym Book] {{Webarchive".
- [http://www.recensamantromania.ro/rezultate-2/ Tab8. Populația stabilă după etnie – județe, municipii, orașe, comune], 2011 census results, [[National Institute of Statistics (Romania). Institutul Național de Statistică]], accessed 20 February 2020.
- [http://www.recensamantromania.ro/rezultate-2/ Tab13. Populația stabilă după religie – județe, municipii, orașe, comune], 2011 census results, [[National Institute of Statistics (Romania). Institutul Național de Statistică]], accessed 20 February 2020.
- (31 May 2023). "Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021". [[National Institute of Statistics (Romania).
- [http://www.readthespirit.com/interfaith_heroes/2009/01/2nd-annual-interfaith-heroes-month-no-12-queen-isabella-king-john.html Queen Isabella and King John] {{webarchive. link. (2012-09-09)
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