Aiud
city in Alba County, Romania
Aiud is a town in Alba County, Romania.
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city in Alba County, Romania
Aiud is a town in Alba County, Romania.
Aiud (Nagyenyed in Hungarian) is a town of troubled fate; devastated numerous times by Turks, Austrians, Romanians - its history is "a tragedy of blood and soot in several acts". Today, however, it is a small and mostly insignificant Romanian town, with not much to see, and only the central plaza reminding of its old atmosphere.
Having been founded by Germans in the 12th century, Aiud has later turned into a wealthy Hungarian town with its economy based on vine cultivation. With the foundation of a prestigious high school, it became a centre of education, and was dubbed "the Leiden of Transylvania". In 1849, Romanian troops and marauders massacred most of the inhabitants (who were predominantly Hungarian) and destroyed the entire town, including the school and churches. While it has been rebuilt later, it could never regain its prestige and importance.
Aiud is an important railway hub. The nearest airport is in Cluj Napoca.