Sibiu (Romanian: Sibiu, German: Hermannstadt, Latin: Cibinium) is
a municipality in Transylvania, Romania. Once the cultural and
commercial center of the Transylvanian Saxons, Szebenszék, then
Szeben County, today the seat of Szeben County. Szenterzsébet
(Romanian Gușterița, German Hammersdorf, Saxon Hammersterf) was once
an independent settlement, today it is part of Sibiu.
As the
crow flies, it lies approximately 220 km northwest of Bucharest, 430
km southeast of Budapest, and 110 km south of Cluj, on the banks of
the Szeben River, a tributary of the Olt. Nowadays, it is the seat
of Szeben county, and between 1692-1791 and 1849-65 it was also the
center of the Principality of Transylvania.
The settlement
nicknamed the "City of Eyes" is a well-known tourist destination for
both domestic and foreign visitors. Known for its culture, history,
gastronomy and diverse architecture, which includes the large iconic
houses that gave Sibiu its nickname, it has received a lot of
attention since the beginning of the 21st century. In 2004, its
historic center began the process of becoming a UNESCO World
Heritage Site, but to date it has not been able to obtain it. In
2007, it was the European Capital of Culture. A year later,
according to the ranking of Forbes, it was chosen as the "8th most
ideal place to live in Europe". In 2019, Sibiu and its surroundings
became a European Gastronomic Region. In 2021, the city will host
the Wandering Capital of Europe event, which is the most important
touristic wandering event in Europe. In 2019, it hosted an EU
summit.
Sibiu is also well known for its Christmas market.
The famous natives of the city are Conrad Haas and Hermann Oberth,
who were pioneers in rocket production. Elrond, the company that
created the eGold cryptocurrency (one of the largest in the world),
was founded by people from Sibiu.
In 2011, the city's
population was 147,245, while a 2019 estimate puts this figure at
169,056. At the same time, the agglomeration of Sibiu has nearly
267,170 inhabitants. The city also has a village called Păltiniș,
which is located 35 kilometers south of it.
Sibiu was
historically one of the most important centers of the Transylvanian
Saxons. It is called Härmeschtat in their own local dialect. It was
founded in 1190 by German settlers who came to Hungary's
Transylvania to develop mining, handicrafts and trade. By the 14th
century, it had become an important trade center and one of the 7
German towns in Transylvania (Siebenbürgen, hence the German name of
Transylvania). The first school and pharmacy in the then Kingdom of
Hungary was based here.
Due to the immigration of Romanians
in the 18th century, Nagyszeben became one of the most important
Romanian centers in Transylvania. Between 1692 and 1790 it was part
of the Habsburg Monarchy, and between 1867 and 1918 it was part of
the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. Electricity was first used here in
1896, and in 1904 it was the second city in Europe at the time to
introduce an electric trolleybus.
After Sibiu became part of
Romania after the First World War, the continuous emigration of
Transylvanian Saxons began. At the same time, the majority of the
city's population still remained German. After the Romanian regime
change, the majority of the German population emigrated for economic
reasons.
Sibiu has always had the reputation of a cultural and spiritual
center. The evangelical bishop of the Transylvanian Saxons and the
orthodox metropolitan of Transylvania have their seat here. Two
denominations (evangelical/Lutheran and orthodox) train their clergy
here.
The first theaters and cinemas in Transylvania were in
Sibiu. As early as 1788, the father of Martin von Hochmeister built the
first theater in Sibiu. The first film screening took place on March 28,
1898.
Worth mentioning are the Astra Theater and the "Radu Stanca
National Theater", which has a German-language department.
Musical institutions today are the State Philharmonic, the Sibiu Bach
Choir and the Choir of Orthodox Theology Students.
Various
festivals also take place in Sibiu every year, including the
"International Theater Festival" and, from 1995, the "Carl Filtsch
Festival" piano and composition competition. The Sibiu Jazz Festival,
Romania's oldest jazz festival, is based in Sibiu and has been held
there since 1974. The Pro Art Sibiu Foundation has been organizing the
festival since 1992.
Restoration work is currently taking place
on many buildings.
Brukenthal Museum with the Brukenthal collection of paintings
Historical Museum in the Old Town Hall (Altemberger House, bourgeois
Gothic architecture)
Museum of the Evangelical Church AB in Romania
(in the Friedrich-German-Cultural and Meeting Center)
Open-Air Museum
of Peasant Crafts (Muzeul Civilizației Populare Tradiționale Astra)
Franz Binder Museum of Ethnology (Muzeul de Etnografie universală Franz
Binder)
Steam Locomotive Museum (Muzeul Locomotivelor cu Abur) on the
depot premises of the Romanian State Railways (CFR) at the station
premises Steam Locomotive Museum Sibiu.
August von Spiess Museum of
Hunting Weapons and Hunting Trophies
Natural Science Museum, founded
in 1895.
Emil Sigerus Museum for Transylvanian-Saxon folklore and
art.
Old Town Hall: The former seat of the city administration has an
impressive inner courtyard. Today the building houses the Historical
Museum.
Astra building: The clubhouse of the Romanian club of the
same name was built at the beginning of the 20th century.
Bishop
Teutsch Monument between Brukenthal Lyceum and Evangelical Parish Church
Bishop's Palace of the Evangelical Church
Böbelhaus: The medieval
form of Sibiu houses can still be seen in this building.
Brukenthal
Palace, one of the most important Baroque monuments in Romania, built in
1778-1788 (see Museums)
Thick tower: The first Sibiu theater was
built on this bastion (part of the city wall) in 1788. Concerts are held
in the Thalia Hall at the Thick Tower (up to 500 seats).
Fingerlingsstiege leads to the right of the treasure chest from the
upper to the lower town.
Gheorghe Lazar's Monument in the Great
Square near the Council Tower (rebuilt in 2006)
Großer Ring – the
actual main square with many buildings worth seeing, completely
renovated since 2006
Hallerbastei - imposing part of the city wall,
built under Mayor Haller (16th century).
Hallerhaus: In the former
home of Mayor Haller there is now a café
Harteneckgasse with the
guild towers on the city wall
Huetplatz: Here you will find the
evangelical parish church, the chapter house and the Brukenthal Lyceum.
Emperor Franz Monument – in the city wall, in front of the former Heltau
Bastion
Kleiner Ring: Pretty square with house facades worth seeing,
completely renovated since 2006
Bridge of Lies, cast iron bridge from
1859, which according to legend will collapse as soon as a liar steps on
it.
Lutsch House – Seat of the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania
(DFDR)
Luxemburg-Haus: The striking red building between Huetplatz
and the Kleiner Ring accommodates e.g. cafes and a hostel
Pempflinger-Stiege - main connection from the upper to the lower town
for pedestrians
Council Tower – between the Large and Small Ring
Treasure chest on the Kleiner Ring with a beautiful arcade
Statue of
St. John Nepomuk: The monument used to be in the center of the Great
Ring. After the move, it now stands in the courtyard of the Roman
Catholic vicarage.
Biserica din groapă (Church in the Moat), Romanian Orthodox, built in
1788/89
Evangelical parish church, evangelical, built in the middle
of the 14th century
Evangelische Kirche Neppendorf, Evangelical,
built from the 13th century
Franciscan Church, Catholic, built in the
15th century as a monastery of the Poor Clares
John's Church,
Protestant, built in 1883
Cross Chapel, Catholic, on the station
square
Reformed Church, Reformed, built in 1786
Holy Trinity,
Catholic parish church, built 1726–1733
Synagogue built in 1898/99
Ursuline Church, Catholic, built in the 15th century (also used by the
Greek Catholic community today)
Peter and Paul Church, built in 1788
by the Greek Catholic community (used by the Romanian Orthodox Church
since 1948)
Holy Trinity Orthodox Cathedral, Orthodox, built in
1902-1906
Brukenthal Lyceum; German grammar school and oldest school in the
city - since 1380
German Cultural Center; Opening on October 2nd,
2004. Sponsor is the Romanian-German Cultural Society Hermannstadt
Lucian Blaga University of Sibiu; valued by the local economy and
therefore regarded as a locational advantage of the city. German
professors read as honorary professors
Stadium at Erlenpark; holds up
to 20,000 spectators and is currently being renovated.
Transylvania
Multipurpose Hall; for up to 2,500 spectators (of which 1,812 are
seated)
two Jewish cemeteries
Erlenpark, botanical garden from 1856 that is being revitalized
Young forest, traditional local recreation area for the residents.
Romania's first zoo was established here in 1928
European Capital
of Culture 2007
In 2004, together with the city of Luxembourg, Sibiu
was named European Capital of Culture for 2007 by the then 25 EU
Ministers of Culture. Attempts to have the old town included in the
UNESCO World Heritage List have so far failed. However, the city made
great efforts to push ahead with the renovation of the old town. The
results are i.a. the complete redesign of the Großer Ring (the central
square of the old town), the Kleiner Ring and the Heltauer Gasse.
Important historical buildings have been and are being renovated with
funds from the EU, German federal funds and Romanian state funds.
It is located 73 km southeast of Gyulafehérvár, in the northern foreland of the Southern Carpathians, in the middle of the Szeben basin.
The city has a temperate continental climate. The average annual temperature is 9 °C. In July, the temperature is 20 °C and in January -4 °C. Thus, the temperature amplitude of 24 °C for the 46th degree of latitude is relatively high, which can be explained by the location at the foot of the Carpathians and the great distance to the sea. The annual rainfall in Sibiu is 652 mm. The months from December to March have the least rainfall at 30 mm each. In June, on the other hand, there is 118 mm of precipitation in the year. The climate is therefore humid all year round.
In Transylvania, Sibiu formed the main center in the most important settlement area of the Transylvanian Saxons. The Sibiu Chair was also the largest in terms of area. It extended in the south to the Carpathians and also included exclaves in the Kokel area (Bulkesch and Seiden) in the north. It was bordered (from east to north to west) by the chairs of Leschkirch, Mediasch and Reußmarkt. Here the most important trade routes of Transylvania and the Rotenturm Pass in the direction of Wallachia met. The location at this crossroads was of outstanding importance for the city, but also repeatedly made it the target of violent attacks.
The urban area is subject to constant expansion, which is recorded in a development plan that is valid for ten years, the Plan Urbanistic General (PUG). According to the PUG of 1999, the city is divided into several districts (Romanian cartiere), zones (zone) and sub-zones (subzone), which are based on their structural use e.g. are classified as residential, industrial or special. In 2009, work began on a new development plan, which was approved on April 27, 2011.
Its name comes from the name of the stream in Sibiu, which some derive from the Slavic noun svbina (= som). However, it should be noted that in the Kingdom of Hungary it also exists in Kissze, in the Highlands, currently under the name Sabinov, so the name probably has a much deeper meaning. Romanians derive it from the Romanian personal name Sibin, others say it is from the Bulgarian-Turkish personal name Sebin.
The first German settlers probably arrived in the area in 1147; they
settled on the hill above the Zibin River, today's Upper Town. The first
written mention comes from the year 1191 under the name praepositum
Cibiniensem; a provost was established. From 1223 the Latin name "Villa
Hermanni" and from 1241 the German equivalent Hermannstorf is
documented. The name probably derives from the name of the Cologne
settlers, who named their new place after Archbishop Hermann II or a
locator named Hermann.
Favored by its location at the
intersection of two important road connections, the settlement grew
rapidly and counted 600 inhabitants, a considerable size for a village
at that time. It is assumed that both the original settlement and the
church at that time were already fortified with ramparts or palisades.
In 1241 Hermannsdorf, like many other places in Transylvania, was
destroyed in the Mongol invasion.
However, the village was soon
able to recover from the destruction and subsequently developed into a
town. However, express city rights can only be assumed from the middle
of the 14th century. The name Hermannstadt was first mentioned in 1401,
although it was certainly in use before that. The coat of arms of Sibiu
dates from the same period. In the 14th century, Sibiu also developed
into a trading center of international importance. It was one of the
most important cities in Transylvania - maybe even the most important,
since it was not only a center of trade, administration and church, but
also had the largest fortifications in all of Transylvania.
In
1438 the Turks besieged the city, but failed to capture the city. On the
other hand, the entire surrounding area was devastated. As a result of
the Turkish threat, the city had three wall rings (some of which are
still preserved) built with 39 towers and several large gates. It became
the largest fortified city in the Kingdom of Hungary. Sibiu repeatedly
withstood sieges by the Turks, who never managed to capture the city. In
1442 the Turks were defeated in front of the city gates, the mayor
Thomas Trautenberger became a legend. In 1445 Pope Eugene IV therefore
described Hermannstadt as the wall and shield of Christianity. However,
the armies passing through and encamped in front of the city devastated
the entire surrounding area again and again. Only once did the Hungarian
prince of Transylvania, Gabriel Báthory, succeed in occupying the city
by a feint, plundering it and expelling all German residents from the
strong walls - a bitter lesson that led to even greater vigilance and
distrust from the Germans afterwards.
Around 1500 Sibiu already
had about 6000 inhabitants. From 1523, writings by Martin Luther and
Philipp Melanchthon came to the city during the Reformation. In 1543 the
evangelical creed was introduced because the estates had left each other
free to decide their faith. On March 31, 1556, the entire lower town and
part of the upper town burned down in a town fire. Around 550 buildings
were destroyed.
Sibiu was the political center of the
Transylvanian Saxons and the seat of the Universitas Saxonum, a kind of
Transylvanian parliament that took care of Transylvanian-Saxon affairs
until 1878 and was a symbol of the political unity and independence of
the Transylvanian Saxons.
In 1692, after Transylvania was annexed
to Austria, imperial troops settled in the city. General Damian Hugo von
Virmont supported the construction of the Jesuit Church on the Great
Square and the return of the Franciscan monastery. In 1781, the old laws
according to which no members of other nations were allowed to settle in
the city were abolished by a decree of Emperor Joseph II. As a result,
Hungarians and Romanians could now also acquire property within the city
walls. First of all, Gergely Bethlen's widow had a late baroque palace
built next to the reformed vicarage in Fleischergasse, known today as
"The House with Caryatids". As a result, the Romanians were able to
build churches in the city for the first time, such as the Biserica din
Groapă and the Biserica dintre Brazi in 1788. In the 18th century, Sibiu
enjoyed the reputation of being the easternmost city in Europe with a
postal connection.
In the Austrian Empire, Hermannstadt was
subject to the imperial-royal (k.k.) government in Vienna until 1867, as
was all of Transylvania. When it was reorganized into the dual monarchy
of Austria-Hungary, it was included in the Kingdom of Hungary, in
Transleithania, and was then subject to the royal government in Budapest
until 1918. She strove to Magyarize the non-Magyar nationalities of the
kingdom, about half of all Transleithania's inhabitants at the time.
After the First World War, the Romanians of Transylvania decided on
December 1, 1918 in Alba Iulia (Karlsburg) for the union with Romania,
which took place in February 1919. The Transylvanian Saxons and other
Transylvanian Germans supported this, as they expected in vain better
minority rights in Romania. In the Treaty of Trianon of the war victors
with Hungary in 1920, against the protest of the Magyars, it was
stipulated that Transylvania and Sibiu would remain with Romania. The
city's German majority population remained until the late 1930s, when
the Transylvanian Saxons lost the absolute majority in their metropolis.
In 2017, Sibiu was awarded the honorary title of "European City of
Reformation" by the Community of Evangelical Churches in Europe.
In 2004, together with Luxembourg (City), Sibiu was named European
Capital of Culture for 2007 by the then 25 EU Ministers of Culture.
Attempts to have the old town included in the UNESCO World Heritage List
have so far failed. However, the city made great efforts to push ahead
with the renovation of the old town. The results are i.a. the complete
redesign of the Großer Ring (the central square of the old town), the
Kleiner Ring and the Heltauer Gasse. Important historical buildings have
been and are being renovated with funds from the EU, German federal
funds and Romanian state funds.
In May 2019, 27 heads of state
and government of the European Union met in Sibiu. They adopted a
declaration on basic values for future cooperation.
On June 5, 2014 Astrid Fodor (Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania)
was elected the first mayor after Klaus Johannis was elected President
of Romania. He was Mayor of Sibiu from 2000 to 2014.
The City
Council of the City of Sibiu has 22 members and is composed as follows
(as of 2019):
DFDR (Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania) (12)
PSD (Social Democratic Party) (6)
PNL (National Liberal Party) (4)
Due to investments worth millions from Austria and Germany, the
city's economy has been experiencing an unabated upswing since the early
2000s, which is also fueled by growing tourism and construction
investments in the old town and public infrastructure, both of which
were very dilapidated after more than 50 years of communism. is heated.
The unemployment rate is below the Romanian average (4%) at less than
3%. There is now a shortage of skilled workers; the commercial areas of
the city are busy. In general, the city has risen to become one of the
most economically prosperous centers in the whole country within just a
few years and, together with Timișoara (Temeswar), Cluj-Napoca
(Klausenburg) and the capital Bucharest, is one of the cities with the
highest incomes in Romania. The pull of the city is now so great that no
cheaper properties and the like are given to investors - as happened in
the case of Nokia in Cluj-Napoca. However, the administration continues
to actively help with development and approval procedures.
Among
others, the following companies are represented in Sibiu, which have
settled in the "West" commercial area in the immediate vicinity of the
airport:
Bramac Group, the Austrian manufacturer of roof tiles,
opened a production facility in the city in 2004. The company
headquarters were also relocated from Brasov (Kronstadt) to Sibiu.
In
2004, Continental commissioned a new factory for door control units. A
total of 216 jobs were created, 135 of them for development engineers.
Greiner Group, packaging specialist from Austria.
Marquardt Systems
has had a production site in Sibiu since 2006.
Metro with a large
cash & carry market.
The Schwarzach offset printing company with its
Romanian subsidiaries Transilvania Pack & Print and Transilvania
Microflute.
Siemens AG currently has three plants (Simea, Siemens
Electrical Installation Technology, Sykatec) in which electromechanical
components, metal components and electronic assemblies are manufactured.
Around 400 employees currently work for Siemens in Sibiu.
Thyssenkrupp Bilstein Compa with currently 1800 employees, automotive
supply industry.
Wenglor Sensoric from Tettnang opened production and
development in 2002.
Wienerberger took over a brick factory in 2004.
There are also branches of various other Austrian and German
retailers and banks in the city (Baumax, HVB, Kaufland, Lidl, OBI,
Penny-Markt, Raiffeisenbank and others), as well as branches of other
industrial companies such as Kromberg & Schubert. Sibiu is also the seat
of the German Economic Club of Transylvania (DWS) and of Sibex - Sibiu
Stock Exchange, the second largest stock exchange in Romania.
The alchemist and philosopher Melchior Miklós was born here in the
15th century.
On January 10, 1493, Miklós Oláh, the royal chancellor,
archbishop of Esztergom, and the leading figure of the
Counter-Reformation, was born here.
Between 1616 and 1622, Benjamin
Fiebick, a bookseller and printer, was active here.
Pastor Michael
Agnethler was born here on December 29, 1652.
Naturalist Sámuel
Köleséri was born here in 1663.
Andreas Deidrich, a 17th-century
Transylvanian Saxon doctor of humanities and high school principal, was
born here.
Michael Gottlieb Agnethler, teacher and doctor of
medicine, was born here on June 10, 1719.
The philosopher and
historian Mihály Hissmann was born here on September 25, 1752.
Playwright Carl von Bausnern, one of the founders of the Musikverein,
was born here in 1797.
Mihály Fuss, a flora researcher, teacher and
pastor, was born here on October 5, 1814.
On October 14, 1836, Károly
Haller, lawyer, university professor, mayor of Cluj-Napoca, member of
the Hungarian Parliament, was born here
Court photographer Károly
Koller, knight of the Order of József Ferenc, was born here on January
28, 1838.
Orientalist and historian Géza Kuun was born here on
December 29, 1838.
Imperial and Royal General Colonel Arthur Arz von
Straussenburg was born here on June 16, 1857.
Minister of National
Defense Károly Soós was born here on July 28, 1869.
Lajos Kreybig,
agrochemist and soil researcher, member of the Hungarian Academy of
Sciences, was born here on December 23, 1879.
Lawyer, legal historian
and translator Géza Kiss was born here on April 26, 1882.
Hungarian
lawyer Jenő Szemák, president of the Court, was born here on February 4,
1887.
Guido Gündisch, Transylvanian Saxon politician and lawyer,
member of the Hungarian House of Representatives, was born here on
August 20, 1884.
Jenő Nagy, pharmacist and pharmaceutical writer, was
born here on December 15, 1891.
Physicist Hermann Oberth, one of the
pioneers of space research, was born here on June 25, 1894.
Architect
Otto Czekelius was born here on August 21, 1895, and he protected the
city's monuments from destruction during the communist regime.
Géza
Vámszer was born here on August 13, 1896, ethnographic and art writer,
ethnographic researcher, art historian, high school teacher.
Actor
Zoltán Szakáts was born here (March 10, 1901 – December 8, 1947,
Budapest).
Sándor Vita, politician, economist, economic writer and
editor, was born here in 1904.
The sculptor Miklós Borsos was born
here in 1906.
Kessler Hubert, engineer, geologist, mountaineer,
speleologist, was born here on November 3, 1907.
From 1911, Kálmán
Pándy was the chief physician of the State Mental Hospital in Sibiu. His
publications were published in prestigious journals in the first half of
the century.
István Török was born here on October 19, 1924, a
teacher, natural science and pedagogical writer.
Transylvanian Saxon
poet, writer and translator Oskar Pastior was born here on October 20,
1927.
Born here on June 19, 1936, Ferenc Bács, a Hungarian dramatist,
winner of the Kossuth and Jászai Mari awards, a worthy and excellent
artist.
He lived and died here in February 1713. On the 28th, master
goldsmith Hann Sebestyén.
The historian Josef Bedeus von Scharberg
died here on April 6, 1858.
Orthodox Metropolitan Andrei Șaguna died
here on June 28, 1873. The leading figure of the Transylvanian Romanian
national movement.
Klaus Werner Johannis, President of the Republic
of Romania since 2014, was born here on June 13, 1959.
Ziarul de Sibiu (daily newspaper)
Rondul de Sibiu (daily
newspaper)
Tribuna Sibiului (daily newspaper)
Hermannstädter
Zeitung, formerly "Die Woche", German language (weekly newspaper)
Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung, German-language daily newspaper
Sibiu is
the city where Transylvania's first newspaper, Theatral Wochenblatt, was
printed in 1778.
The city has an international airport (Aeroportul Internațional Sibiu), which offers direct flights to numerous European cities. In 2007, the airport was expanded and modernized.
Sibiu can be reached by train via the night train connection
EuroNight Dacia EN 346/347, from Vienna to Bucharest. The route from
Vințu de Jos (Unterwintz) to Brașov (Kronstadt) - on which Sibiu is
located - is not electrified; those from Sibiu to Mediaș (Mediasch) also
not. A narrow-gauge railway, the so-called "Wusch", used to connect
Sibiu with Sighișoara (Schäßburg) through the Harbach valley. After
being run only as far as Agnita (Agnetheln) from the 1960s, the Romanian
Railways (CFR) ceased operations in 2001.
The municipal company
Tursib operates bus routes in the city and to the suburbs. The
Hermannstadt tramway, which opened in 1905, also operated until 2011,
which in turn replaced the Hermannstadt trackless railway from 1904.
Since 1970, however, the tram only consisted of an overland route from
Cimitirul Central (main cemetery) to Rășinari (Reschinar). This line was
also called "Cheese Express" because of the professional specialization
of the inhabitants of the Mărginimea Sibiului in which Rășinari is
located. After the remaining cars were left to the municipality of
Rășinari in 2012 and operations were discontinued, the line is to be
reactivated for tourist purposes in mid-2014 with the help of EU funds.
However, the rails were removed in Sibiu up to Pădurea Dumbrava (Young
Forest); In addition, a new depot in Răşinari must first be built. From
1983 trolleybuses also operated in the city, at times there were up to
three lines, including to the airport. On November 14, 2009, trolleybus
traffic was finally discontinued.
Sibiu is connected to the international highway network via the E68
(national road DN1) and E81 (national road DN7). Coming from the
direction of Deva, these run on a route through the city and separate
south of Sibiu in the direction of Brasov (Kronstadt) (E68/DN1) and
Wallachia (E81/DN7). Another important road link is the National Road 14
to Mediaș and on to Sighișoara.
From 2006 to 2010, a large-scale
bypass was built, which encloses the city as a ring road since December
1, 2010. This was originally intended to be part of the A1
Arad-Deva-Sibiu-Piteşti-Bucharest main line by 2014. The subsequent
parts of the route to Bucharest via Tălmaciu (Talmesch), Curtea de Argeș
and Pitești, and to Timișoara (Temeswar) through the Unterwald in the
direction of Arad to Hungary, between Marginea (Marschina) and Ilia
(Elienmarkt), should possibly be completed in 2023. Due to the steadily
increasing transit traffic, these sections of the route are heavily
loaded.
Since the city administration focuses more on cultural projects,
there are few financial resources left for sport - the clubs survive
with the help of private sponsors. Sports such as football, handball and
volleyball are popular, but only basketball regularly celebrates success
at national level.
Football has an eventful history in Sibiu: On
the one hand, the traditional club Șoimii Sibiu (founded in 1910), which
was only able to play in the first division for three years, on the
other hand, FC Inter Sibiu, which was more successful in the 1980s and
won the Balkan Cup in 1991 brought the last international cup to
Romania. Both teams went bankrupt after 2000. A new club called FC Sibiu
was formed in 2003, but two years later it narrowly missed promotion to
the first division and was relegated back to the third (amateur)
division after the 2005/06 season. In 2007, a club was founded with CSU
Voinţa Sibiu, which made the march from League IV to League 1 within
three seasons (2008/09 to 2010/11). The association was dissolved in
2012. FC Hermannstadt, founded in 2015, plays in League I in the 2018/19
season.
Basketball club CSU Sibiu, which has a slightly more
glorious past (two championship titles), enjoys greater popularity. Due
to a lack of financial support, the CSU has not been able to get
involved in the National League title fight in recent years. The women's
basketball team of the CSU Magic Sibiu, on the other hand, plays in the
middle of the first division, despite little experience.
The
Sibiu Open, a men's tennis tournament that is part of the ATP Challenger
Tour, has been held since 2012.
For a number of years, the Red
Bull Romaniacs have been held in and around the city by Martin
Freinademetz, one of the most demanding enduro rallies in the world,
which also attracts world-famous drivers. Sibiu itself acts primarily as
the start and finish and the event is also very popular with the
population.
Furthermore, a lot of motor sport was operated in
Sibiu. It was home to the Voința Sibiu and IPA Sibiu teams, which played
a significant role in Romanian Speedway. There were also motocross races
at Guşteriţa. In automobile sport, Sibiu was a start and finish point of
the Danube Rally.
Furthermore, since 2011 the Sibiu Cycling Tour,
a four-day tour of the UCI category 2.1, has been held in Sibiu every
year.