Giurtelecu Şimleului

Giurtelecu Şimleului Somlyógyőrtelek Wüst Görgen
Settlement
Official name: Giurtelecu Şimleului
Location of Giurtelecu Şimleului within Romania
Nickname(s):  Giurtelec, Jurtelec, Győrtelek
Motto(s):  Concordia Salus ("well-being through harmony")
Crasna River banks before the entry in Giurtelecu Şimleului Crasna River banks before the entry in Giurtelecu Şimleului
Location of Giurtelecu Şimleului within Sălaj County Location of Giurtelecu Şimleului within Sălaj County
Country	Romania
County	Sălaj
Development region1	North West Development Region
Historic region	Transylvania, Partium, Crişana
Founded	Before Christ
First official record	1259 (record as Gyurgteluke)
Area
• Settlement	20 km2 (8 sq mi)
• Land	20 km2 (8 sq mi)
Highest elevation	267 m (879 ft)
Lowest elevation	190 m (620 ft)
Population  (2007)
• Settlement	1,351
• Density	50/km2 (100/sq mi)
• Metro	1,351
• Demonym	Giurtelecan
Time zone	UTC+2 (EET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+3 (EEST)
Postal Code	457238
Area code(s)	+40 260 and +40 3602
Currency	RON
Official language	Romanian
Flow through	Crasna River
Ambulance	Şimleu Silvaniei
Police	Măerişte
Fire	Şimleu Silvaniei
Car Plates	SJ
Drives on	right
1The development regions of Romania have no administrative role and were formed in order to manage funds from the  European Union. 2+40 x60: x is a digit indicating the operator: 2 for Romtelecom and 3 for the other ground telephone networks

File:WineGiurtelecu.jpg

Giurtelecu Şimleului (Template:Lang-hu, Template:Lang-de) is a settlement situated in the north west of Transylvania, in Sălaj County, Romania. In Romanian, it is also known as Giurtelec or Giurtelecu (Template:Lang-hu). The territory of Giurtelecu Şimleului covers proximately 20 km². Traditionally, Giurtelecu Şimleului was a multiethnic community, with inhabitants speaking different languages and practicing different religions.

Giurtelecu Şimleului includes several important archaeological sites. The hill Coasta lui Damian overlooks the town; it has the oldest traces of human presence in the area, dating from the Stone Age.

Giurtelecu Şimleului is located around 47°18′N 22°48′E / 47.300°N 22.800°E / 47.300; 22.800 in the north west of Transylvania, in Sălaj County, Romania, approximately 400 kilometres (250 mi) east of Budapest and 600 km north of Bucharest.

Giurtelecu Şimleului lies on the banks of Crasna River which drains into the Black Sea, via the Tisza and Danube. The Vârşolţ dam protects the settlement from floods.

Coasta lui Damian (Damian’s promontory) dominates Giurtelecu Şimleului. It is part of the north eastern spur of the Măgura Şimleului Massif, of the Carpathian Mountains.

File:Nearby Settlements of Giurtelecu Simleului.jpg

Nearby settlements of Giurtelecu Şimleului
Nearby settlement	Distance	Cardinal direction
Soruşa	3 km (1.7 nm)	West
Măerişte	2 km (1.0 nm)	North
Ilişua (Hungarian: Ilosva)	5 km (2.0 nm)	East
Măgura	5 km (2.0 nm)	East
Slovacii	5 km (2.0 nm)	East
Lompirt	5 km (2 mil)	East
Cehei	6 km (3.1 nm)	South
Ceheiu-Pusta	6 km (3.1 nm)	South
Bădăcin	7 km (3.6 nm)	South
Şimleu Silvaniei	7 km (4.0 nm)	South

Giurtelecu Şimleului has a continental climate, characterised by hot dry summers and cold winters. The average temperature in January is -3°C, in July 21.1°C. The average annual precipitation is about 627mm. Some West Atlantic influences are present during winter and autumn.

Winter temperatures are often below 0°C (32°F), even though they rarely drop below −10°C (14°F). On average, snow covers the ground for 65 days each winter. In summer, the average temperature is approximately 18°C (64°F) (the average for July and August), despite the fact that temperatures sometimes reach 35°C (95°F) to 40°C (104°F) in mid-summer. Although average precipitation and humidity during summer is low, there are infrequent yet heavy and often violent storms. During spring and autumn, temperatures vary between 13°C (55°F) to 18°C (64°F), and precipitation during this time tends to be higher than in summer, with more frequent yet milder periods of rain.

The landscape within the settlement's boundaries is quite varied. The general landscape of Giurtelecu Şimleului comprises Crasna River's plain, numerous valleys and gorges that are separated by hills.

Much of the natural habitat in the low-lying areas of Giurtelecu Şimleului has disappeared over the last 200 years due to the agricultural development of the land and settlement expansion. Crasna River's plain have been deforested for agricultural purposes. At present, the forest cover generally remains outside of the low-lying areas and is mainly located along the foothills. Giurtelecu Şimleului's forests comprise of species such as oak, hornbeam, beech, elm, ash, and chestnut.

Due to its high landscape diversity and low latitude Giurtelecu Şimleului is home to a large number of animal species, e. g. species of vertebrates (birds, fish, reptiles). A number of large animals live in the forests, e. g. wild boar, wolf, brown bear, and deer. Hunting is an ancestral heritage in Giurtelecu Şimleului; it has many acres of hunting paradise.

File:Environments of Giurtelecu Simleului.jpg

Giurtelecu Şimleului is in a scenic area, and Coasta lui Damian provides many spectacular views. The touristic potential of Giurtelecu Şimleului (Template:Lang-hu) is bound to the natural and manmade elements.

Tourism, especially ecotourism, is growing. The town's heritage has been maintained and promoted by ecotourism. There are a few retail stores and pubs all over Giurtelecu Şimleului. The nearby Cehei Lake is a beautiful natural reservation.

The traditional way of life for Giurtelecu Şimleului people involved a number of activities that were completed on a daily basis. These activities included the sharing of history, finding sustenance, housing, and forms of entertainment. The Giurtelecu Şimleului people could share their history by story telling.

Folk music (like "Barcaul din Giurtelec" or "Romanesc din Giurtelec")^[1] and dances from Giurtelecu Şimleului are also noteworthy for Transylvania, Partium and Crişana.

• http://www.propertyromania.com/Romanian%20music.htm
• http://www.photomagazine.ro/galeriefoto/pic_detail.php?image=7228&categ=9

The pig slaughter is an important winter tradition. The pig slaughter is performed by a butcher and accompanied by various local rituals, towards the end of December. Nothing of the pig gets wasted - every bit can be used to make something edible. Apart from the meat - which can be cooked in many different ways: roasted on a spit, boiled in water or fried in breadcrumbs - there are many other pork specialities that are prepared almost exclusively during a pig slaughtering feast.

Traditionally, Easter, Christmas and New Years were the major events in Győrtelek. At Christmas, New Years and Easter, there are lots of parties and activities. Carolers sing a lot of popular songs of Christmas and New Years. The extended family gathers on Christmas Eve at around 9 p.m. for dinner, music, and often dancing.

The cuisine of Giurtelecu Şimleului is influenced and derived predominantly from the cuisines of Hungary, Austria, Germany, as well as Poland, Turkey and other European countries, and also from the culinary heritage of the indigenous.

Bacon, ham, sausage, stuffed cabbage rolls, stuffed vine leaves, stuffed peppers, homemade pasta, chicken soup, cabbage soup, polenta, sponge cake and so on are the traditional food. Homemade wine, homemade distilled alcohol and brandy are the traditional drinks. Wine and alcohol were stored in wood barrels for centuries.

Agriculture is a complementary job for the majority of the town's inhabitants and it is largely traditional. Traditional life style encouraged investment in agriculture, making Giurtelec nearly self-sufficient.

The quality of Giurtelecu Şimleului’s environment is generally good. The energy sources are generally clean and green. Wood was Győrtelek's original heating fuel. Wood burning continues to be an effective and economical way to heat the homes – as a primary heating source or as a secondary heating source to complement coal, conventional oil or gas furnaces, or electric baseboards. Most groundwater is clean; the majority of town households draw their drinking water from private wells.

The settlement waste encompasses an area of 3,200 sq ft (300 sq m). It is undangerous, according to The Sălaj County Environmental Protection Agency.^[2]

The Crasna River banks here are partially wooded and moderately polluted. The river banks were drained after the early 1970s floods. Also, in the 1970s, was built the Vârşolţ dam, which protects Giurtelecu Şimleului from floods.

Giurtelecu Şimleului is 20 km from the Nuşfalău Interchange entry/exit point to the Transylvania Motorway. The Giurtelecu Şimleului's roads were rebuilt between the Summer of 2007 and the Summer of 2008, with a grant from the Special Accession Programme for Agriculture and Rural Development, a programme of the European Union.^[3]

Most homes subscribe to either cable TV or satellite TV to augment the two locally available channels. In Giurtelecu Şimleului is a high speed Internet network, CATV, and the Romtelecom land telephone network. Also, a majority of town households use mobile phones.

The Giurtelecu Şimleului football field is used by football (soccer) teams from nearby settlements.

Giurtelecu Şimleului has one train station, Giurtelec hc, who serve passenger transport. Győrtelek is connected to the rest of Europe by trains operated by the national railway company Romanian Railways. The railway line connected the settlement with the rest of Europe at the end of the 19th century. In Győrtelek, the Romanian Railways has two concrete arch bridges across the Crasna River. The official name of the train station is Giurtelec hc.

• Train Timetable

File:Giurtelecu Simleului 1715 census.jpg

As a general phenomenon, the population of Giurtelecu Şimleului has been steadily declining from 1970s. Also, Giurtelecu Şimleului has been shifting from agriculture to the service industry. In the second half of the 20th century, many inhabitants worked in nearby towns, but especially after January 2002 the majority of the working age population steadily works in other countries within the European Union. Some of them return to retire in Giurtelecu Şimleului. The area has a low cost of living, which is attractive to seniors on a fixed income and inhabitants which live with remittance income. Unemployment is a major problem, running at about 10% to 20%.

Housing costs in Giurtelecu Şimleului are low, and so many families are attracted to the area. The public school is the largest employer in Giurtelecu Şimleului and received a grant of approx. € 30,000 (RON 100,000) in October 2006^[4] from the Romanian government for capital rehabilitation of the structure. In October 2007, public school of Giurtelecu Şimleului received another € 3,000.^[5]

But, as a general phenomenon, Giurtelecu Şimleului has an ageing population. Győrtelek is experiencing a demographic shift towards an older population, with more retirees and fewer people of working age. As of the 2002 census, there were 1,055 people residing in Giurtelecu Şimleului. Analysts estimate that actual emigration could be higher, as many seasonal workers remain registered as living in Giurtelecu Şimleului.

Population by year
Date	Year	Inhabitants
	2007	1,351
March 18	2002	1,055
January 7	1992	1,149
	1941	1,667
	1934	1,511
December	1920	1,395
December 31	1910	1,322
December 31	1900	1,216
	1890	1,059
	1880	996
	1869	1,190
	1847	684
	1750	231
	1720	90
	1715	72
	1529	50 [6]

A gradual migration of inhabitants from Giurtelecu Şimleului commenced at the end of the 19th century and increased at the turn of the twentieth century. Because of precarious social and economic conditions, many inhabitants from territories under Austro-Hungarian rule migrated towards North America.

Then, especially towards the end of the 20th century, rapidly growing industrial cities attracted most migrants. Often, migration was two-stage - rural peple moved first to small towns, before departing for larger settlements. Such a movement might take two generations to complete.

Especially after January 2002, most of the migration is towards Western European countries.

Although the overall crime rate is reassuringly low, petty crime can be an irritant. The majority of people are unsatisfied or very unsatisfied with the activity of the public services; corruption remains a major concern.

Giurtelecu Şimleului is part of the commune of Măerişte, Sălaj County, Crişana, North West Development Region, Transylvania, Romania, European Union. North West Development Region have no administrative role and were formed in order to manage funds from the European Union.

The postal code for the residential area of Giurtelecu Şimleului is 457238.

• Romanian Post

• Valea Tăului
• Berc

Low housing prices attract inhabitants to Giurtelecu Şimleului, and as a result, the overall cost of living is low. The price of a medium-sized house in Giurtelecu Şimleului is under 10,000 Euros whereas a comparable second-residence property in Spain would cost a minimum of 50,000. The prices combined with a low property tax rate have resulted in a majority of the homes being used as second residences.

In recent decades, Giurtelecu Şimleului is largely a bedroom community, as the primary employer is the public school. In the second half of the 20^th century, the majority of the working age inhabitants had industrial jobs in nearby towns but this has changed; especially after January 2002, the majority of working age inhabitants live in different places of the European Union. While the labor migration was growing, remittances have increased and some inhabitants live with remittance income; the majority of remittance senders are based mainly in Italy and Spain.

Many Giurtelecu Şimleului households currently subscribe to CATV, Internet, landline and wireless phone services. There are a few retail stores and pubs all over Giurtelecu.

The traditional watermill on the banks of the Crasna River was converted in a electric mill in the 1960s.

An important part of Giurtelecu Şimleului's economy is represented by the black market, the money spent is not registered. Often, is a non-monetary economy, where no money comes into play at all. A lot of business transactions occur informally, portions of local economy are not registered. Bartering may be more prominent than the use of money, even extending to services.

Agriculture is a complementary job for the majority of the town's inhabitants, but it is largely undeveloped. The agriculture of Giurtelecu Şimleului consists largely of grain, potatoes and olericulture. In recent years, livestock-breeding has grown in importance. The floodplains near the Crasna River provide a flat block of land suitable for agriculture, and there are vineyards in the hills.

The majority of Giurtelecu Şimleului inhabitants rely on private, household hand-drawn water wells for drinking water. Water supply and sanitation in Giurtelecu Şimleului continue to be inadequate. Very little progress had been made in reducing the prevalence of those without indoor running water or indoor plumbing (about 70% of the population).

The train line that connects the settlement with the rest of Europe was built at the end of the 19th century. Only at 20 km is a interchange entry/exit point to the Transylvania Motorway.

Tradition connects the founding of Giurtelecu Şimleului with the name of György (/ɟørɟ/) who was a landlord, according to different legends. In Hungarian, Giurtelecu means "property of a person called György". "Somlyowa" is an archaic Hungarian word for mountain(side). Also, "Şimleului" refers to Şimleu Silvaniei, an important medieval settlement in Central Europe.

The official town name in full is Giurtelecu Şimleului. A native or resident of Giurtelecu Şimleului is called Giurtelecer (Template:Lang-ro).

Giurtelecu Şimleului ecclesiastical developments were highly important for the town. Traditionally, the town is a multi-religious community, as the inhabitants range from Greek Catholics, Christian Orthodox, Jews, Catholics and Protestants to Neo-Protestants and so on.

The interest of Giurtelecu Şimleului inhabitants for religious is mentioned in a document for the first time in 1470. In that year, in the context of a conflict between Bánffy family members, some Slavonic religious manusripts stolen from priest Ilie were found in Giurtelecu Şimleului.^[7]

The first written documents of a priest at Giurtelecu Şimleului date back to 1594.^[8]

At the beginning of the 17th century, priest Îndreiu from Giurtelecu Şimleului was one of the oldest hand bookbinders of Transylvania. For example, in June 1624, he finished a religious book called "Tetraevanghel".^[9]

As liturgical book, the priests from Giurtelecu Şimleului used, for hundreds of years, Cazania lui Varlaam [Varlaam’s Homily], a book printed in Iaşi in 1643 and encompassing 72 Varlaam's commentaries on the Bible.^[10] It was one of the first books printed in the Romanian language with Cyrillic alphabet.

Priest Gheorghe from Giurtelecu Şimleului finished a "Penticostar" in 1771.

Giurtelecu Şimleului church bought many books hundreds of years ago; among them:

• Metropolitan Varlaam, Carte românească de învăţătură [Romanian Book of Teaching] (known also as Varlaam's Cazania) (Iaşi, 1643)
• Apostolier (Râmnic, 1747)
• Antologhion (Râmnic, 1766)
• Penticostar (Blaj, 1768)
• Bible, translated in Romanian by Samuil Micu-Klein (Blaj, 1795) - http://bitflow.dyndns.org/romanian/Biblia/Romanian-Biblia_Blaj_1795.pdf
• Samuil Micu-Klein, Teologhie dogmatică şi moralicească (Blaj, 1802)
• Apostolier (Blaj, 1802)
• Liturghier (Blaj, 1807)
• Molitvelnic (Blaj, 1815)
• Evanghelie (Blaj, 1817)

In the medieval times, Giurtelecu Şimleului had a wooden church. The church was made of thick logs, was quite small and dark inside, and painted with Biblical scenes. The most characteristic features were the tall tower above the entrance and the massive roof that seems to dwarf the main body of the church. Similar churches and houses are conserved at the Village Museum.

The stone Greek Catholic church was built in 1819.^[11]

For many years, the Jews from Giurtelecu Şimleului used the synagogue of Şimleu Silvaniei, built in 1876, now the centerpiece of the Northern Transylvania Holocaust Memorial Museum.

Erected in 1974, the Orthodox Church is the largest religious building in Giurtelecu Şimleului and the tallest building in town. It is not accessible by wheelchair.

The parochial house of Greek Catholic church was built in 1854.

• http://www.floridecrin.iuliumaniu.ro/inc/text/pdf/flori22.pdf
• http://www.cimec.ro/scripts/Monumente/Culte/detaliu.asp?k=31123-1

File:1920 Census Giurtelecu Simleului.jpg

File:1715 Census.jpg

Strategically positioned and naturally fortified, Coasta lui Damian served several communities in search of security for thousands of years, although older defensive settlements located on Coasta lui Damian have been destroyed by the more recent settlements. The ancient settlement of Giurtelecu Simleului dates back to the Stone Age.

The area was settled prior to the arrival of the Romans, as archaeological diggings on Coasta lui Damian proved that Giurtelecu Şimleului was inhabited in the Stone Age. Research in "Coasta lui Damian" has helped reveal the communities' evolution during the final part of the Middle Neolithic and Early Eneolithic. The Dacian fortifications have been identified at Coasta lui Damian. Here has been discovered a Dacian fortress with strict military functions. Giurtelecu Şimleului was a few kilometers outside of Roman Empire border (Limes).

In medieval times, this town was a hamlet inhabited by the families of the retinue and servants attached to the noble's court and the domain steady passed from a family to another. The first written documents of Giurtelecu Şimleului date back to 1259. Population was growing very slowly but steadily in the medieval times. In 1529, Giurtelecu Şimleului had seven households. Economically and politically, the Báthory family was very powerful until 18^th century, as the castle of this influential family in Central Europe is situated at Şimleu Silvaniei, 7 km from Giurtelecu Şimleului.

In 1687, the Habsburg Monarchy annexed Giurtelecu Şimleului until 1867, when it became part of the Kingdom of Hungary within the newly established Austro-Hungarian Empire. Until 1919, the village was part of the Kingdom of Hungary's Szilágy county; it was again part of Hungary during World War II.

Giurtelecu Şimleului was a multiethnic community, with different languages being spoken and different religions practiced. In 1715 Giurtelecu Şimleului had its first national conscriptio (census) and according to this census, 36 inhabitants were Romanians, 27 Hungarians and 9 Germans. According to the 1720 census, the town had a population of 90, of whom 45 were Romanians, 36 were Hungarians and 9 Slovaks.

Official Census Year	1529	1715	1720	1750	1847	1869	1880	1890	1900	1910	1920	1934	1992	2002
Inhabitants	50	72	90	231	684	1,190	996	1,059	1,216	1,322	1,395	1,511	1,149	1,055

The town's population experienced a phases of rapid growth in the second half of 19th century, when Giurtelecu Şimleului grew in importance and size.

The 1890 census shows that the Romanian language was spoken by 996 inhabitants, Hungarian by 54 and 9 inhabitants spoke another language. According to the same census, 992 were Greek Catholics, 43 Jews, 23 Evangelical Protestants and 1 Catholic.

In 1895 an agricultural survey of Hungary was conducted; according to the results of that survey, the mayor, Albach Géza was a important landholder in Giurtelecu Şimleului.

Population by age in 1910
Age of residents in 1910	Inhabitants
Under 6 years old	224
6-11 years	175
12-14 years	102
15-19 years	154
20-39 years	349
40-59 years	244
After 60 years of age	74
Total residents 1910	1,322
In 1910, Giurtelecu Şimleului had 662 men and 660 women.

The culture was promoted in Giurtelecu Şimleului, especially by the priests and teachers. Often, until the beginning of the 20th century, the priests were teachers. In Giurtelecu Şimleului school was along with the church the center of social life. Often, culturally, Giurtelecu Şimleului was into the sphere of influence of Şimleu Silvaniei. For example, Danil Graur, teacher in Giurtelecu Şimleului, was one of the editors of Gazeta Învăţătorilor (1912-1914), newspaper of teachers from Transylvania printed in Şimleu Silvaniei^[12].

During World War II, the area around Giurtelecu Şimleului (Template:Lang-hu) was under Hungarian control but in March 1944, German troops occupied Hungary and there were mass deportations of Jews to German death camps in occupied Poland. At the beginning of May, 1944, Győrtelek's Jewish population was expelled from their homes. The Jews were rounded up rapidly, given only a few minutes to pack, and driven into the ghettos on foot. The Jews of Győrtelek and Sălaj County were concentrated in the Klein Brickyard, Cehei, in a marshy and muddy area about three miles (6 km) from Győrtelek. At its peak, the ghetto held about 8,500 Jews. Since the capacity of the brick-drying sheds was limited, many of the ghetto inhabitants were compelled to live in the open. The ghetto was guarded by a special unit of gendarmes from Budapest, commanded by László Krasznai, one of the cruellest ghetto commanders in Hungary.

Győrtelek's Jewish population was loaded into overcrowded cattle cars and transported to Auschwitz-Birkenau, via Košice. The deportation of Jews from Cehei to Auschwitz-Birkenau was done in three transports on May 31, June 3, and June 6. As a result of the poor living conditions in the Cehei ghetto, the Jews of Sălaj County arrived at Auschwitz in very poor condition, so that an unusually high proportion were selected for immediate gassing upon arrival.

Today, the Jewish cemetery in the northeastern part of Győrtelek is in ruin.

• http://www.ispaim.ro/doc/English/14%201.10.doc

File:Archeology in Giurtelecu Simleului in 1950s.jpg

Here is a list with the archaeological sites from Giurtelecu Şimleului and the discoveries:

Damian’s Promontory (Romanian: Coasta lui Damian or Dealul lui Damian or Via lui Damian) is Giurtelecu Şimleului's most prominent landmark and it can be seen from everywhere in the settlement. Coasta lui Damian is the main archaeological site in Giurtelecu Şimleului. The promontory is part of the north eastern part of the Măgura Şimleului Massif.

At the end of Coasta lui Damian, there is a plateau, 60 by 30m. The hill is accessible only from the Crasna River meadow on a long route, slope, or via the narrow saddle that connects with the rest of the promontory.

Here is a list with the archaeological discoveries at Coasta lui Damian:

• La Tène Culture (late Iron Age)
• Bronze Age settlement, Wietenberg Culture
• Bronze Age settlement, Coţofeni Culture
• Neolithic settlement, Tiszapolgár Culture
• discoveries from 7th-9th centuries
• 10th-11th centuries, early Middle Ages

Well positioned strategically and naturally fortified, the site different human communities in search of security for thousands of years. Older defensive settlements located on Coasta lui Damian have been destroyed by the most recent arrivals. There is an archaeological site situated on a plateau at the end of Damian’s Promontory, which was studied by M. Moga, who made a short survey of the site. Also, Victor Russu (1843-1910) studied the subject. Emil Lobonţiu (1893-1970) was very interested in archeology at Giurtelecu Şimleului. He conducted archaeological excavations at Coasta lui Damian.^[13] Zalău Museum began systematic archaeological excavations in 1998. In August 1999, the archaeological site has been further excavated. The oldest traces of human presence on Coasta lui Damian date from the Neolithic period. The Neolithic era layer is separated from the Eneolithic level by a thick ash layer, perhaps deriving from a widespread fire which destroyed the Neolithic settlement. During the Tiszapolgár Culture, a new settlement grew up on the plateau. The plateau is exposed to winds which can cause fires to spread out of control, and the only water source is located at the foot of the hill, and it is probably these reasons which led the Eneolithic residents to abandon this area for a high terrace on the bank of Crasna River, called today “Dâmbul Radului” (Radu’s Hill); a bronze axe was discovered at this site in the 20^th century. Former settlements were a burial site or cemetery; a tomb of the Tiszapolgár Culture was discovered in 1998. Archaeologists have found discarded household goods and other refuse from the Coţofeni Culture on the plateau. A hut from this era was investigated in a sheltered area, on a terrace located below the plateau. Ceramic material indicates a late stage of Coţofeni Culture. The Coţofeni Culture was succeeded by the Wietenberg Culture on Coasta lui Damian. Two houses and a workshop of the Wietenberg Culture are on the plateau.

Dacians used the site to bar access from this area to the central area of the Măgura Şimleului acropolis. A top arrow dating from the 10th century was found on Coasta lui Damian].

• "Tărbăcii" Site Bronze Age civil settlement, Wietenberg Culture

• "Dâmbul Radului" Site or "Dealul Radului" Site Neolithic civil settlement

• "Berc" Site Neolithic axe (isolated descovery until now)

• "Măgură" Site or "Măgura" Site or "Poiana Măgura" Site Neolithic civil settlement

• "Cârstor" Site discoveries from 7th-9th centuries

• 1st century BC - a Dacian fortress with military functions in Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 106 AD to 271 AD - Giurtelecu Şimleului was a few kilometers outside of Roman Empire border (Limes).
• 1241 - The region was devastated during the Mongol invasion
• 1259 - Giurtelecu Şimleului's earliest mention in recorded history
• 1470 - some slavonic religious manusripts stolen from priest Ilie were found in Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 1529 - aprox. 50 inhabitants in Giurtelecu Şimleului; there were seven households
• 1594 - the first mention of a priest in Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 1624, June - priest Îndreiu from Giurtelecu Şimleului, one of oldest hand bookbinders of Transylvania, finished a religious book called "Tetraevanghel"
• 1687, October - Giurtelecu Şimleului was added to the expanding territories of Habsburg Monarchy
• 1715 - first official census in Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 1771 - priest Gheorghe from Giurtelecu Şimleului finihed a "Penticostar" in 1771

• 1810 - the Greek-Catholic Vicarage was set up in Şimleu Silvaniei, which becomes a major centre of the Romanian intellectuals; also, after 1817 it hosts a Romanian Gymnasium
• 1819 - the stone Greek Catholic church "St. Arhangheli" was built
• 1830 – a new school was built in Giurtelecul Şimleului
• 1848, March 19 - the priest of Giurtelecu Şimleului Ioan Lobonţiu, who chaired at Giurtelecu Şimleului the first meeting of the Revolution of 1848 in Transylvania, announced the emancipation of serfs. Ioan Lobonţiu advocates spreading wealth to poorer people in Giurtelecu Şimleului, where agriculture hasn't changed since medieval times.
• 1854 - the parochial house of Greek Catholic church was built
• 1867 - Giurtelecu Şimleului returned to the Kingdom of Hungary within the newly established Austria-Hungary
• 1869 – the inhabitants of Giurtelecu Şimleului express the disagreement with the conversion of the confessional school in a public school, according to Law XXXVIII/1868 of Education Minister József Eötvös
• 1876 - Giurtelecu Şimleului became part of the newly established Szilágy County, Szilágysomlyó District
• 1876 - Şimleu Silvaniei synagogue was built; was the main cultural centre for Giurtelecul Şimleului Jews and in 2005 it became the centerpiece of the first fully functional Holocaust memorial museum in Romania
• 19th century - began archaeological researches in Giurtelecu Şimleului

• 1911/1912, winter - Nicolae Munthiu (1880-1937), emploee of Astra, speak at a conference in Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 1918, November - Ioan Taloş, priest in Giurtelecu Şimleului, is elected as deputy of the Electoral circle of the Şimleu in the National Assembly of all Romanians in Transylvania, Banat and the Hungarian Country (1,228 elected deputies). On December 1, the assembly decreed, by unanimous vote, the union of Transylvania with Romania
• 1919 - Giurtelecu Şimleului became part of Romania
• 1919, March 14 - the "Unirea" (the weekly newspaper of the Romanian Church United with Rome, Greek-Catholic) published an article of the Greek Catholics from Giurtelecu Simleului: "Where are you, Romanian brothers? Why do not the Transylvanian Romanians escape us from these modern Huns?" (Unirea, Blaj, an XXIX, nr. 56, 14 martie 1919, p. 1.)
• 1918-1919 - Daniel Graur, teacher in Giurtelecu Şimleului, was the inspector of the schools in Sălaj County.
• 1920 - Census: 1,395 inhabitants at Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 1927 - Romanian Government start building a new public school in Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 1934 - "Reuniunea Sf. Maria" Association had 45 members
• 1940 to 1944 - Giurtelecu Şimleului was again part of Hungary during World War II
• 1944, May - the Giurtelecu Şimleului's Jewish population was forced out of their homes into the Cehei ghetto
• 1944, May-June - the deportations of the Jews from Cehei ghetto to Auschwitz-Birkenau were carried out in three transports between May 31 and June 6
• 1946, November - As a volunteer of the National Peasants' Party, the priest in Giurtelecu Şimleului, Alexander Ratiu, worked at an electoral section at the Romanian general election, 1946
• 1947, May - Alexander Ratiu, priest in Giurtelecu Şimleului, was arrested for his political activity against the Romanian Communist Party
• 1949 - new archeological researches at Coasta lui Damian
• 1950 - Giurtelecu Şimleului become part of Şimleu Rayon, Bihor region, set after the soviet style and mirroring the political goals of the moment; in 1952 Bihor region changed its name into Oradea Region and in 1960 it changes its name to Crişana Region
• 1968 - part again of re-established Sălaj county^[14]
• 1974 - start building of the Orthodox Church from Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 1998-1999 - systematic archaeological excavations at Giurtelecu Şimleului

• 2002, January 1 onwards - after this date (when Romanians got visa-free access to the Schengen states for 90 days), the migration towards European Union countries become a major economic and cultural phenomenon in Giurtelecu Şimleului
• 2006, October - The public school of Giurtelecu Şimleului received from the Romanian Government a grant of € 30,000 (RON 100,000) for capital rehabilitation of the structure (Romania’s Official Monitor, October 19, 2006)
• 2007, October 24 - The public school of Giurtelecu received from the Romanian Government a grant of € 3,000 (RON 10,000) for rehabilitation (Romania’s Official Monitor, October 26 2007)
• 2008, August 26 - A storm destroyed the roof of the Giurtelecu Şimleului community house
• 2008, September 14 - a homemade palinka producer from Giurtelecu Şimleului, Ioan Pârvu, win the 3rd prize at a palinka contest in Sălaj County

• Ioan Lobonţiu was a priest and dean (protopop) in Giurtelecu Şimleului in the 19th century and 1848 revolutionary. On March 19, 1848 the dean Lobonţiu presided in Giurtelecu Şimleului the first meeting of the Revolution of 1848 in Transylvania and announced the emancipation of serfs.
• Îndreiu, priest in Giurtelecu Şimleului in the first half of 17th century, one of oldest hand bookbinders of Transylvania
• Augustin Deac
• Octavian Guţu
• Danil Graur or Daniel, teacher, newspapers editor, and the inspector of the schools in Sălaj County (1918-1919).
• Emil Pop
• Alexander Raţiu, author, priest in Giurtelecu Şimleului, and political prisonier
• Ioan Taloş, deputy of the Electoral circle of the Şimleu in the National Assembly and priest in Giurtelecul Şimleului in the first half of the 20th century

In the last decade, a team from Babeş-Bolyai University in Cluj-Napoca collected a few turtle bones from the red clays above the Rona Member at Giurtelecul Şimleului.

At Giurtelecu Şimleului, near the top of the succession, several turtle remains were discovered, assigned to "Palaeochelys" sp. s.l. and Neochelys sp. (Codrea & Fľ rcaż, 2002).

• Vlad A. Codrea and Pascal Godefroitb, New Late Cretaceous dinosaur findings from northwestern Transylvania (Cluj-Bruxelles, 2008) linkinghub.elsevier.com/retrieve/pii/S1631068308000419
• http://bioge.ubbcluj.ro/~bonac/pdf/2002/CodreaSasaran.pdf
• http://frf.cncsis.ro/documente/355TD43.doc

• The music of the song "Imaginini din Giurtelec" (1961) by Tibor Fátyol (b. 1935) is dedicated to Giurtelec. The premiere of "Imaginini din Giurtelec" took place on January 18, 1962, at Cluj-Napoca Romanian Opera. ^[15]
• Folk music (like "Barcaul din Giurtelec" or "Romanesc din Giurtelec")
• Suită de dansuri din Giurtelec
• http://real.irc.uci.edu/rgarfias/mp3/salaj/salaj.html

• August 26, 2008 - A storm destroyed the roof of the Giurtelecu Şimleului community house.^[16] http://www.magazinsalajean.ro/articleprint.php?artid=8218

• September 2, 2007 - A Giurtelecu Şimleului building on fire.^[17]. http://www.magazinsalajean.ro/index.php?cmd=article&artid=4227; http://www.presaonline.com/stiri/stiri-locale/incendiu-la-giurtelecu-simleului-84208.html

• December 21, 2006 - The death of a child.^[18] http://www.libertatea.ro/stire/copil-mort-in-propria-casa-169416.html
• http://www.magazinsalajean.ro/index.php?cmd=article&artid=7975
• http://2002.informatia.ro/Buletin_de_presa_al_IGP_din_10_08-1504

• Depozitul eparhial CVR Şimleu Silvaniei [Şimleu Silvaniei Eparchial Archive], Şimleu Silvaniei
• The Northern Transylvania Holocaust Memorial Museum, Şimleu Silvaniei
• "Dr. Moshe Carmilly" Institute for Hebrew and Jewish History, Cluj-Napoca
• Salaj County Branch of National Archives of Romania (Direcţia Judeţeană Sălaj a Arhivelor Naţionale), Registration no. 121, Fond "Şcoala Generală Giurtelecu Şimleului", 1871-1968, Nr.u.a.1.^[19]

• The Cambridge Ancient History: Second Edition, by John Boardman (N. G. L. Hammond, D. M. Lewis, Frank William Walbank, A. E. Astin, Elizabeth Rawson, Edward Champlin, Andrew Lintott, Alan K. Bowman, J. A. Crook, Peter Garnsy, Dominic Rathbone), Cambridge University Press, 2000); ISBN 0521224969.
• G. Schumacher-Matthäus, Studien zu bronzezeitlichen Schmucktrachten im Karpatenbecken. Marburger Studien zur Vor- und Frühgeschichte 6 (Mainz 1985) 243; Karte 11
• N. G. O. Boroffka, Die Wietenberg-Kultur. Universitätsforschungen zur Prähistorischen Archäologie 19 (Bonn 1994) 46
• Petri Mór, Szilágy vármegye monographiája [Sălaj County Monography] (I-VI, Budapest, 1901-1904)
• Dionisie Stoica, Ioan P. Lazăr, "Schiţa monografică a Sălagiului" (Şimleul Silvaniei, 1908).
• Ioan Ardeleanu Sr., "Oameni din Sălaj. Momente din luptele naţionale" (Zalău, 1938).
• Ioan Han, Vasile Lucăcel (under the coordination of Grigore Beldeanu), "Schiţa monografică a judeţului Sălaj", edited by the Salaj County branch of the Romanian Communist Party, The Propaganda Department.
• "Limes" (1998-2001)
• Sanda Băcueţ Crişan, "Noi descoperiri preistorice în judeţul Sălaj" [New prehistoric discoveries in Sălaj County], Giurtelecu Şimleului - Coasta lui Damian, in Acta Musei Porolissensis, Zalău, 2000, vol. 23 (1), pp. 9-28, ISSN 1016-2801
• Ioan Bejinariu, Dan Sana, Şantierul arheologic Giurtelecu Şimleului – "Coasta lui Damian", Cronica cercetărilor arheologice din România, CIMEC, 1999.
• Gheorghe Sisestean, Forme traditionale de viata taraneasca, Ed. Centrului Judetean de Conservare si Valorificare a Traditiei si Creatiei Popular Sălaj (Zalău, 1999).
• Ioan Ciocian, Biserica si societatea romaneasca din Transilvania: vicariatul Silvaniei in a doua jumatate a sec. al XIX-lea (Arad: Vasile Goldis University Press, 2000).
• Zoia Maxim, Neo-Eneoliticul din Transilvania. Date arheologice şi matematico-statistice (Publicaţie), nr.465, 1999
• Sanda Băcueţ Crişan, Early Neolithic and Eneolithic in Şimleu Depression [Neoliticul şi eneoliticul timpuriu în Depresiunea Şimleului], doctoral thesys (Alba Iulia, 2007).
• Dan Băcueţ Crişan, Depresiunea Silvaniei in secolele VII-XI, from Zeno Karl PINTER, Ioan Marian ŢIPLIC, Maria Emilia ŢIPLIC, (Sibiu, 2005), ISBN 973-709-158-2.
• Augustin Deac, "The History of the Historical Truth", Bucharest, 2002.
• Victor Russu (1843-1910), Silvania antica (Regio transvallana Daciae porolissensis). Bulletin Societatea Geografică Română 10,3/4, 1889, 171-437 (388-391).
• M. Moga, Traiul populaţiei daco-romane şi barbare la grăniţa de vest a Daciei. Stud. şi Cerc. Istor. Veche 1, 1950, 131-135 (132).
• K. Horedt, Die Wietenbergkultur. Dacia N.S. 4, 1960, 107-137 (111 Nr. 59; 127)
• Ioan Oros, Cazania lui Varlaam în Sălaj - exemplarul necunoscut de la Giurtelec [On an unknown copy of Varlam's Homiliary in Giurtelec] ("Cazania" de Varlaam en Sălaj - l'exemplaire inconnu de Giurtelec). In: AMP, 1996, 20, p.465-467.
• I. H. Crişan, Contribuţie la inceputurile ritului de incineraţie în Transilvania. Probleme Muzeogr. 1961, 169-178 (Nr.3)
• N. Chidioşan, Sincronismele apusene ale culturii Wietenberg stabilite pe baza importurilor ceramice. Crisia 4, 1974, 153-170 (156 Nr. 11)
• T. Soroceanu/M. Blăjan/T. Cerghi, Cimitirul de incineraţie de la Aiton. File Istor. 4, 1976, 57-82 (67)
• I. Andriţoiu, Cimitirul de incineraţie din epoca bronzului de la Deva. Stud. şi Cerc. Istor. Veche 29, 1978, 241-256 (254 Nr.9)
• N. Chidioşan, Cultura Wietenberg la vest de Munţii Apuseni. Rezumatul tezei de doctorat (Cluj-Napoca 1979) 20 Nr. 12
• Viorel Ciubota, Cornel Grad, 1918: Sfarsit si inceput De Epoca [1918 the End and the Beginning of an Era], Hardcover, Editura Muzeului Satmarean, ISBN 9739802664 (973-98026-6-4)
• N. Chidioşan, Contribuţii la istoria tracilor din nord-vestul României. Aşezarea Wietenberg de la Derşida (Oradea 1980) 88 Nr. 2
• Romania’s Official Monitor, nr. 859, 19 octombrie 2006.
• Legea nr. 2/1968, republicată în 1981/Anexa 1 - Judeţul Sălaj
• Ileana Petrean Pausan and Gh. Chende Roman, Profesorul, dirijorul si compozitorul Marius Cuteanu – Cetatean de Onoare al orasului Simleu Silvaniei: "A nu trai degeaba - acesta este un mare lucru", "Caiete Silvane", Zalău.
• E. Lakó, Repertoriul topografic al epocii bronzului şi al hallstattului timpuriu în judeţul Sălaj. Acta Mus. Napocensis 7, 1983, 69-100
• Vasile Caba, Szilagy varmegye roman nepnyelve es nepkolteszete (Vienna, 1918), a Giurtelecu Şimleului Folk Poem.
• Ioan Bejinariu, Săpăturile arheologice de la Giurtelecu Şimleului – Coasta lui Damian (II). Descoperirile culturii Wietenberg, în Ioan Cristian Popa, Gabriel Tiberiu Rustoiu (editori), Studii si cercetari arheologice (Omagiu profesorului Ioan Andritoiu cu prilejul împlinirii a 65 de ani), Alba Iulia, Editura „ALTIP”, 2005, p. 363-390.
• László Zentai and Pál Kósa, A történelmi Magyarország atlasza és adattára 1914, Pécs: Talma Kiadó (2003). ISBN 9638568348.
• Magyar Statisztikai Közlemények, Új sorozat, Budapest, 1902-1909.
• Lucia Bălaş, Bódis Ottilia, Oameni de seamă ai Sălajului : dicţionar biobibliografic, Zalău, Biblioteca judeţeană "Ioniţă Scipione Bădescu" Sălaj, 2004, 232 pp.
• Horea Pop, Fortificaţiile dacice din vestul şi nord-vestul României, Published by Editura Mega, 2006, ISBN 9737867424, 9789737867421, p.91.
• Randolph L. Braham, Contributor Randolph L. Braham, Genocide and Retribution: The Holocaust in Hungarian-ruled Northern Transylvania, Published by Kluwer-Nijhoff, 1983, ISBN 0898381460, 9780898381467, 260 pages.

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