Braşov

Braşov (bräshôv'), Hung. Brassó, Ger. Kronstadt, city (1990 pop. 364,307), central Romania, in Transylvania, at the foot of the Transylvanian Alps. The administrative center of the Braşov region, the city is a road and rail junction and a major industrial center. Tractors, trucks, helicopters, chemicals, and textiles are among the chief manufactures. The city is also a noted resort and winter sports center. Founded in the 13th cent. by the Teutonic Knights, Braşov was a major center of trade and industry in the Middle Ages. It enjoyed considerable autonomy under the Hapsburg empire. After World War I the city, along with Transylvania, was ceded by Hungary to Romania. There are sizable German and Hungarian minorities. From 1950 to 1960, Braşov was called Stalin or Oraşul-Stalin (city of Stalin). It has a large 14th-century church (called the Black Church because of fire damage in 1689), the 13th-century St. Bartholomew Church, and the 14th-century St. Nicholas Church (rebuilt 1751). Parts of the medieval town wall and the 17th-century citadel remain intact. There is also a polytechnic institute.