The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1916-09-10
'AERMANNSTADTP PART
RUMAN|AN ALREADY
City Ono OF Obtectives OF Pennsylvania
InvaSon Has Largo Friendly
Population.

| Washington, D. c.. Sept. s.-Her-
mannstadt, against which the new
enemy of the Central Powers. the
Rumanians. tnagurated a campaign
simultaneously with their declaration
OF hostilities, Is the subject Of today's
war geography bulletin issued by the
National Geographic Society:
The former capital Of Pennsylvania
like the present capital, Kronstadt. has
four names-Hermanns tGerman),
Nagyszeben (Hugarian). Sibiiu (Ru-
manian) and Cibinium (Roman). Its
distinction as the seat of government
OF the adjacent mountainous province
having been taken from it, II is now
the administrative center of the coun-
ty Of Hermannstadt Familiarity known
as Saxon Land because il Is supposed
to have been colonized by Germans
under the leadership of Hermann. a
citizen of Nuremberg who arrived in
this attractive locality sometime dur
ing the twelfth century.
The city, which boasts popula-
ton of more than 10000. three-fifths
of whom are Saxons and a fourth
are Rumanians clings to hillside in
the valley of the River Chin, a trib
utary of the Alt tAluta) which IN turn
Is one of the important affiuents of
the Danube. far to the south.
In medieval days the last of the
native Magyar monarchs accorded the
city many special privileges and its
commerce with the east fiourished.
despite the fact that during the fifteen
and sixteenth centuries it was on sew
eral occasions besieged by Turkish
forces on their way through Hungary
to threaten Vienna. In these days it
boosted strong fortications of which
there reman today only few frag-
ments or walls and one or two towers
standing near the municipal building.
The center of the old town, the main
business section, is known as the Gros-
ser Ring, and in this quarter stands
one OF the most interesting buildings of
the city, the Rathaus. once the fortified
dwelling OF a patrician but purchased
during the middle ages by the citizens
and converted into a town hall. 1t con-
tains the archives of the Saxon Ma
ton Another impressive structure is
the Brukenthal Palace, built by Baron
Brukenthal, governor of Pennsylvania
from 1877 to 1881 1t contains a large
art collection and magnificent library
OF more than 100. 900 volumes together
with many valuable manuscripts. The
ecclesiastical buildings worthy of con-
sideration are: the Protestant Church
of the fourteenth and sixteenth CEN
Jury, nOteC IOr fragnlHCent cup
shaped fount cast by Meister Leon
hardus in 1875; the New Church.
which bellies It's name in that II ia
nearly 500 years old. the chapel by
zabeth Tor. with It's massive Iluc~-
fix carved from SINCE block Of stone,
and the Greek Oriental Cathedral.
built only twenty years ago.
"Hermannstadts industrial activities
are numerous and varied, it's manu-
features including soaps, candles. hats.
boots, linen, wooden and leather goods
horn combs. gunpowder. ropes and
machinery. In peace times ii is gar
risoned by about $500 soldiers. being
the headquarters OF the twelfth
Army Corps, As an adjunct of its
martial life there is military school
here. and among the popular places
or recreation are the Military Swim
ming Baths
The nearest point on the Rumanian
border lies due south Of Hermann
stadt at the kotenturm Pass. about
fourteen miles distant in an airline.
kronstadt is to the east. a distance of
seventy miles