Zmeny krajiny v rumunskom Bihore (na príklade slovenskej enklávy Borumlak a Varzaľ

• Authors: Chrastina P. , Krovakova K. , Bruna V.

Title variants

EN

LANDSCAPE CHANGES IN ROMANIAN BIHOR (PRESENTED ON THE EXAMPLE OF THE SLOVAK ENCLAVE BORUMLAK AND VARZAL')

• Languages of publication: SK

Abstracts

EN

The present landscape in the villages of Borumlak and Varzaľ, Bihor resulted from gradual changes of the landscape influenced by economic and other human activities. The beginning of anthropogenic cultivation of the thickly forested territory on the south-eastern edge of the Barcau Valley, just between Dernianska Highlands and Sedmohradske Rudohorie (Mountains) can be noticed in the early primaeval ages (the neolithic period), or during the Bronze Age and in the Middle Ages. The most significant changes in the structure of the local landscape occurred only after the arrival of Slovaks in 1790 who settled down in Borumlak and established Varzal'. Subsequent human interventions into the natural structure of the landscape continued the trends started in the past. Logging continued to be the primary motive and soon agriculture (growing of grain), potatoes and technical plants were added. A part of the deforested areas was turned into meadows and clearings which have not lost their importance by now. The character of the morphosculpture geo-relief, geological substrate, altitude, exposure and steepnes of slopes restricted the agricultural activities in the given area. The commencement of coal mining in Varzal' in the 1950s was a significant threshold in the development of cultural landscape of the researched region. The territory with features of agricultural countryside gradually transformed into a temporary agricultural & industrial landscape where mining works were also present including the relevant infrastructure (a narrow gauge railway). And after the reduction, or discontinuation of mining activities, some of these phenomena have remained in the region and have enhanced the landscape structure of the region till now. From the point of view of Slovaks from Bihor the first phase of re-emigration to Czechoslovakia (in 1946/48) did not result in changes in the utilisation of the cultural landscape in the region. This was caused by arrival of new people from mountainous regions or delimitation of abandoned farms to Roman people. The applied approach enables us to document changes which affected the landscape in the researched territory from the oldest times till now fairly well - whereas the period after 1790 is emphasized (arrival of Slovak colonists in Borumlak and establishing of Varzaľ) which was important for strengthening the identity in Romanian Bihor and preservation of the cultural heritage for future generations.

Keywords

EN

DEMOGRAPHY; EMIGRATION; INDUSTRY; LAND USE; SETTLEMENT

Discipline

• HISTORY: HISTORY

• Publisher: Institute of History, Czech Academy of Sciences
• Journal: Historická geografie (Historical Geography)
• Year: 2007
• Volume: 34
• Pages: 371-398
• Document type: ARTICLE

Contributors

author

Chrastina P.

author

Krovakova K.

author

Bruna V.

• P. Chrastina, Katedra manazmentu kultury a turizmu FF UKF, Stefanikova 67, 949 74 Nitra, Slovak Republic

Identifiers

CEJSH db identifier

08CZAAAA04188160