Giera

The first recorded mention of Giera dates from 1322, when it was a property of the Csanád clan [hu];^[3] Tivadar Vejtehi donated it to his son-in-law Omori Gál.^[4] At the 1717 census, in Giera there were 12 houses inhabited by Serbs and an Orthodox church (built since 1667).^[4] They settled here during the 17th century. From 1795, the domain (including Toager, Grănicerii and Livezile) came into the possession of the Gyertyánffy family [hu], a Hungarian noble family of Armenian origin, taking the name Gyér.^[5] In 1829, Lukács Gyertyánffy built a mansion in Giera, near the grain storehouse (now a historical monument), built in turn by Andor Gyertyánffy; the mansion is preserved to this day.^[5] The Gyertyánffys also owned a grove called Gradinaț (Hungarian: Grádácz), where an Avar ring and a Turkish fortress were later unearthed.^[4]

Giera had a population of 1,131 inhabitants at the 2021 census, down 8.71% from the 2011 census. Most inhabitants are Romanians (61.71%), larger minorities being represented by Hungarians (12.73%), Roma (8.66%) and Serbs (4.06%). For 12.55% of the population, ethnicity is unknown.^[6] By religion, most inhabitants are Orthodox (65.07%), but there are also minorities of Roman Catholics (13.52%), Serbian Orthodox (4.5%) and Pentecostals (1.5%). For 14.05% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.^[7]

The commune of Giera is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 8 councilors. The mayor, Radu-Ionel Vicol, from the National Liberal Party, has been in office since 2016. As from the 2024 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political parties:^[9]