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Dorohoi

Dorohoi
Dorohoi City Hall
George Enescu Memorial Museum
Dorohoi Central Market
Saint Nicholas Church
Coat of arms of Dorohoi
Location in Botoșani County
Location in Botoșani County
Dorohoi is located in Romania
Dorohoi
Dorohoi
Location in Romania
Coordinates: 47°57′35″N 26°23′59″E / 47.95972°N 26.39972°E / 47.95972; 26.39972
CountryRomania
CountyBotoșani
Government
 • Mayor (2020–2024) Dorin Alexandrescu[1] (PSD)
Area
60.39 km2 (23.32 sq mi)
Elevation
170 m (560 ft)
Population
 (2021-12-01)[2]
22,893
 • Density380/km2 (980/sq mi)
Time zoneEET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code
715200
Area code(+40) 02 31
Vehicle reg.BT
Websitewww.primariadorohoi.ro

Dorohoi (Romanian pronunciation: [doroˈhoj]) is a city in Botoșani County, Romania, on the right bank of the river Jijia, which broadens into a lake on the north. The city administers three villages: Dealu Mare, Loturi Enescu, and Progresul.

History

Dorohoi used to be a market for the timber and farm produce of the north Moldavian highlands; merchants from the neighboring states flocked to its great fair, held on the June 12. The settlement is first mentioned in documents from 1408, where a treaty was signed between Moldavian voievode, Alexandru cel Bun, and the King of Poland and Hungary.

Dorohoi was bombed by the Russians during World War I.[3]

Dorohoi used to be the capital of Dorohoi County, but was downgraded to a municipality when the Soviet Union occupied Bessarabia and Northern Bukovina in late June 1940. On July 1, 1940, units of the Romanian Army attacked local Jews in a pogrom. These military actions against the Jews were not endorsed by the Romanian Government. When the conspiracy against the Jews was discovered by the military command, troops were sent to end the abuse.[4]

Geography

2010 Romanian floods

The northeastern town of Dorohoi witnessed deaths during the night of June 28–29, 2010 as floods rose to just over 1 metre (3.3 ft) in some places. Several roads into Dorohoi remained either washed away or under water.[5] The heavy rain that had been falling for close to a week had forecasters warning that it would continue in northeast Romania.[5] The unusually heavy rain killed 6 people, most in the town of Dorohoi on the 29th.[6]

Demographics

Historical population
YearPop.±%
1859 6,049—    
1900 12,701+110.0%
1912 13,951+9.8%
1930 15,866+13.7%
1948 15,036−5.2%
1956 14,771−1.8%
1966 16,699+13.1%
1977 22,161+32.7%
1992 33,739+52.2%
2002 31,073−7.9%
2011 22,600−27.3%
2021 22,893+1.3%
Source: Census data

At the 2021 census, Dorohoi had a population of 22,893.[7] At the census from 2011, the city had a population of 22,600, of which 98.13% were ethnic Romanians, 1.54% ethnic Romani, 0.07% ethnic Jews, and 0.02% ethnic Ukrainians.[8]

Jews of Dorohoi

Jews first settled in Dorohoi in the 17th century. It was set up as a Jewish Guild under Moldavia. Jews suffered here during World War I:

  • There were 600 Jewish families in Dorohoi in 1803.
  • 3,031 people in 1859 (roughly half of the population).
  • 6,804 in 1899 (more than half of the population).
  • 5,800 in the 1930s.

The Jewish population actually increased after the Holocaust as a result of refugees settling there. In 1947, there were 7,600 Jews living in Dorohoi. Following the establishment of Israel, the Jewish population of Dorohoi steadily decreased, due to emigration. In 1956, there were 2,753 Jews; in 1966, there were 1,013; and by 2000, there were only 49 Jews left in Dorohoi.

Natives

Attractions

A little to the Eastern outer limits of the city, on the way to Broscăuți, tourists may find Saint Nicholas Church, an edifice built by Ștefan cel Mare in 1495. Exorcisms have been officiated here until the late 2000s.

References