Alsó-Fehér (Lower Fehér) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in western Romania (central Transylvania). The latest capital of the county was Nagyenyed (present-day Aiud).
Geography
Alsó-Fehér county shared borders with Hunyad, Torda-Aranyos, Kis-Küküllő, Nagy-Küküllő and Szeben counties. The rivers Mureș and Târnava flowed through the county. Its area was 3,576.5 km2 around 1910.
History Alsó-Fehér (Lower Fehér) county was formed when Fehér county was split in 1744 (the other half, , consisted entirely of enclaves between Székely and Saxon seats). In 1876, when the administrative structure of Transylvania was changed, the territory of Alsó-Fehér was modified and parts of it were annexed to the counties of Torda-Aranyos and Szeben (during the same administrative reform, Felső-Fehér county was entirely abolished and merged with other counties). In 1920, the Treaty of Trianon assigned the territory of the county to Romania. Its territory lies in the present Romanian counties of Alba, Sibiu (the south-east) and Mureș (a small northeastern part).
Demographics
+ Population by mother tongue Census Total Romanian Hungarian German Other or unknown 1880 178,021 135,439 (78.79%) 25,818 (15.02%) 6,972 (4.06%) 3,667 (2.13%) 1890 193,072 151,397 (78.41%) 30,181 (15.63%) 7,539 (3.90%) 3,955 (2.05%) 1900 212,352 166,099 (78.22%) 36,360 (17.12%) 7,953 (3.75%) 1,940 (0.91%) 1910 221,618 171,483 (77.38%) 39,107 (17.65%) 7,269 (3.28%) 3,759 (1.70%)
+ Population by religion Census Total Eastern Orthodox Greek Catholic Calvinist Roman Catholic Lutheran Jewish Other or unknown 1880 178,021 76,165 (42.78%) 66,714 (37.48%) 16,834 (9.46%) 8,551 (4.80%) 5,961 (3.35%) 2,806 (1.58%) 990 (0.56%) 1890 193,072 80,353 (41.62%) 74,132 (38.40%) 19,472 (10.09%) 8,943 (4.63%) 5,813 (3.01%) 3,280 (1.70%) 1,079 (0.56%) 1900 212,352 87,210 (41.07%) 80,211 (37.77%) 21,296 (10.03%) 11,226 (5.29%) 7,170 (3.38%) 3,903 (1.84%) 1,336 (0.63%) 1910 221,618 89,724 (40.49%) 85,276 (38.48%) 23,009 (10.38%) 11,194 (5.05%) 7,283 (3.29%) 3,845 (1.73%) 1,287 (0.58%)
Subdivisions
In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of Alsó-Fehér county were: Districts (járás) District Capital AlvincAlvinc (now Vințu de Jos) BalázsfalvaBalázsfalva (now Blaj) KisenyedKisenyed (now Ocna Sibiului) MagyarigenMagyarigen (now Ighiu) MarosújvárMarosújvár (now Ocna Mureș) NagyenyedNagyenyed (now Aiud)Tövis Tövis (now Teiuș) VerespatakVerespatak (now Roșia Montană)Urban districts (rendezett tanácsú városok)Abrudbánya (now Abrud)Gyulafehérvár (now Alba Iulia)Nagyenyed (now Aiud)Vízakna (now Ocna Sibiului)
Notes
References