View source for Beclean

{{about|the town in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Romania|the commune in Brașov County|Beclean, Brașov|the neighbourhood of Odorheiu Secuiesc|Odorheiu Secuiesc}}
{{Infobox Romanian subdivision
|type               = town
|county             = Bistrița-Năsăud
|official_name      = Beclean
|image_flag         =
|image_shield       = ROU BN Beclean CoA.jpg
|image_skyline      = Church in Beclean.jpg
|image_caption      = [[Reformed Church of Romania|Reformed]] church in Beclean
|image_map          = Beclean jud Bistrita-Nasaud.png
|map_caption        = Location in Bistrița-Năsăud County
|leader_name        = Nicolae Moldovan<ref>{{cite web |url=https://prezenta.roaep.ro/locale27092020/romania-pv-final |title=Results of the 2020 local elections |publisher=Central Electoral Bureau |access-date=6 June 2021 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>
|leader_party           = PSD
|term                   = 2020&ndash;2024
|coordinates            = {{coord|47|10|47|N|24|10|47|E|region:RO|display=inline,title}}
|elevation          = 252
|elevation_min      = 
|elevation_max      =
|area_total         = 59.57 
|area_footnotes     = 
|population_as_of   = 
|population_total   = auto
|population_footnotes =
|postal_code        = 425100
|area_code          = +(40) 263
|website            = {{URL|https://primariabeclean.ro/}}
}}

'''Beclean''' ({{IPA|ro|beˈkle̯an|-|Ro-Beclean.ogg}}; [[Hungarian language|Hungarian]] and [[German language|German]]: ''Bethlen'') is a town in [[Bistrița-Năsăud County]], in north-eastern [[Transylvania]], [[Romania]]. The town administers three villages: Coldău (''Goldau''; ''Várkudu''), Figa (''Füge''), and Rusu de Jos (''Alsóoroszfalu''). 

==Geography==
The town lies on the [[Transylvanian Plateau]], at the confluence of the river [[Someșul Mare]] with its affluent, the [[Șieu (river)|Șieu]]. It is located in the western part of the county, at a distance of {{cvt|30|km}} from the town of [[Năsăud]] and {{cvt|36|km}} from the county seat, [[Bistrița]]; the city of [[Dej]] is {{cvt|27|km}} to the west, in [[Cluj County]].<ref name="townhall">{{cite web|url=http://primariabeclean.ro/web/date-generale/|title=Date generale|lang=ro|website=primariabeclean.ro|publisher=Beclean town hall|access-date=November 21, 2021}}</ref>

==History==
[[File:RO BN Castelul Bethlen din Beclean (2).jpg|thumb|left|Bethlen Castle]]
The town of Beclean is the ancestral seat of the Hungarian [[Bethlen|Bethlen family]].

In 1850, the town had 1,475 inhabitants, of which 805 were [[Romanians]], 327 [[Hungarians]], 163 [[Jews]], 163 [[Romani people in Romania|Roma]], 5 [[Germans of Romania|Germans]], and 12 of other ethnicities.<ref name="Hungarian census">{{cite web|url=http://www.kia.hu/konyvtar/erdely/erd2002.htm|title=ERDÉLY ETNIKAI ÉS FELEKEZETI STATISZTIKÁJA|access-date=2020-11-07|archive-date=2022-10-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20221007065315/http://www.kia.hu/konyvtar/erdely/erd2002.htm|url-status=dead}}</ref> At the [[2011 Romanian census|2011 census]], it had 10,628 inhabitants; of those, 81.6% were Romanians, 14.2% Hungarians, and 3.7% Roma. At the [[2021 Romanian census|2021 census]], Beclean had a population of 11,260.<ref name="RPL2021">{{cite web|url=https://www.recensamantromania.ro/wp-content/uploads/2023/05/Tabel-1.03_1.3.1-si-1.03.2.xls|title=Populația rezidentă după grupa de vârstă, pe județe și municipii, orașe, comune, la 1 decembrie 2021|publisher=[[National Institute of Statistics (Romania)|INSSE]]|language=ro|date=31 May 2023}}</ref>

{{Historical populations
|source = Census data
|1850 |1475
|1910 |3070
|1920 |3088
|1930 |3334
|1941 |3439
|1966 |3657
|1977 |6957
|1992 |11606
|2002 |12033
|2011 |10628
|2021 |11260
}}

==Transportation==
[[File:Beclean pe Someş 3.jpg|thumb|left|Beclean pe Someș train station]]
Beclean is the site of an important railway junction (the [[train station]] is called Beclean pe Someș), where secondary routes to [[Sighetu Marmației]] and [[Suceava]] diverge from the main [[Căile Ferate Române]] [[Căile Ferate Române Line 400|railway line 400]] from [[Brașov]] to [[Satu Mare]].

The town is traversed by two [[Roads in Romania|national roads]]: {{ill|DN17|ro}} (part of [[European route E58]]), which joins [[Dej]] in [[Cluj County]] to [[Suceava]], and {{ill|DN17D|ro}}, which joins Beclean to  [[Cârlibaba]] in [[Suceava County]]. Additionally, county road DJ172A connects it to [[Gherla]] in Cluj County, while road DJ172F provides an alternate route to Dej.<ref name="townhall"/>

==Education==
[[File:Scoala Grigore Silasi.jpg|thumb|left|Grigore Silași Gymnasium]]
Beclean is home to four high schools: the [[Petru Rareș National College (Beclean)|Petru Rareș National College]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://petrurares.ro|title=Colegiul Național Petru Rareș – Beclean|lang=ro| website=petrurares.ro|access-date=November 21, 2021}}</ref> the [[Henri Coandă Technological High School]],<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.lthc.ro|title=Liceul Tehnologic "Henri Coandă", Beclean|lang=ro| website=www.lthc.ro|access-date=November 21, 2021}}</ref> the [[Beclean Agricultural Technological High School]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.agricolbeclean.ro|title=Liceul Tehnologic Agricol Beclean|lang=ro| website=www.agricolbeclean.ro|access-date=November 21, 2021}}</ref> and High School Nr. 1. There is also a middle school, the Grigore Silași Gymnasium.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.scoalagrigoresilasi.ro|title=Școala Gimnazială "Grigore Silași" Beclean|lang=ro| website=www.scoalagrigoresilasi.ro|access-date=November 21, 2021}}</ref>

==Natives==
*{{ill|Radu Afrim|ro}} (born 1968), theater director
*[[Károly Bárányos]] (1892–1956), Hungarian politician
*[[György Bernády]] (1864–1938), mayor of Târgu Mureș
*[[Cornel Cornea]] (born 1981), footballer
*[[Cristian Costin]] (born 1998), footballer
*{{ill|Grigore Silași|ro}} (1836–1897), Greek Catholic priest and philologist
*[[Aharon Ze'evi-Farkash]] (born 1948), Israeli general

==References==
{{Reflist}}

==External links==
*{{Youtube|id=rTC3Rd3fAyQ|Drone views of Beclean}}

[[File:RusuDeJosBN.JPG|thumb|left|Church in Rusu de Jos]]

{{commons category|Beclean}}

{{Bistriţa-Năsăud County}}

[[Category:Populated places in Bistrița-Năsăud County]]
[[Category:Localities in Transylvania]]
[[Category:Towns in Romania]]
[[Category:Monotowns in Romania]]
[[Category:Jewish communities in Romania]]