Margina

Margina is located in the eastern extremity of Timiș County, 8 km (5 mi) east of Făget, and is crossed by the Bega River. The commune has an area of 132.81 km² (51.28 sq mi),^[1] which represents about 1.5% of the area of Timiș County.

The first recorded mention of Margina dates from 1365,^[5] but it is mentioned even before 1300 as the seat of a Vlach district belonging sometimes to Hunyad County and sometimes to Temes County.^[6] In the Middle Ages it played an important role in the area; here there was a fortress, first mentioned in 1439 and disputed by the lords of the time.^[7] In 1551 the fortress was demolished by John Török, but was rebuilt three years later. The Turks occupied Margina for a time, until it was liberated by Sigismund Báthory. In 1658, as a result of the political interests of Ákos Barcsay, Margina was ceded to the Turks, who ruled it for 30 years.

After the Treaty of Passarowitz, the old fortresses of Banat are demolished. The ruins of the fortress of Margina were still visible at the end of the 18th century. The settlement continued its existence under the Austrians, as a settlement located on the border of Banat with Transylvania. In 1734, the Romanian wooden church was built, which still exists today and is a national historical monument.

At the end of the 18th century, Germans and Hungarians settled here, brought as officials or workers in the vinegar factory, one of the largest in Europe at that time. Up until 1930 the factory produced acetone and then vinegar and canned cucumbers and pickles. Because of the transition to state socialism during 1945 and 1947 it was closed, before being nationalized in 1948.^[8] During the 1960s–1970s it employed over 700 people. The factory closed permanently in 1998.^[9]

Margina had a population of 2,074 inhabitants at the 2021 census, down 5.12% from the 2011 census. Most inhabitants are Romanians (88.57%), with a minority of Ukrainians (1.97%). For 7.9% of the population, ethnicity is unknown.^[10] By religion, most inhabitants are Orthodox (66.53%), but there are also minorities of Pentecostals (18.8%), Baptists (3.42%) and Roman Catholics (1.35%). For 8.38% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.^[11]

The commune of Margina is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 11 councilors. The mayor, Cosmin-Simion Popescu, from the Social Democratic Party, has been in office since 2021. As from the 2024 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political parties:^[13]

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  The wooden church in Coșevița (1776)
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  The school in Coșteiu de Sus
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  The wooden church in Groși (1741)
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  The wooden church in Nemeșești (1798)