Jiu Valley - History

History

The Jiu Valley is Romania’s principal coal mining region. Two other areas in Romania have some surface mining, while the Jiu Valley contains deep shaft underground mines. While providing only 12% of the Romania’s supply of coal, the Jiu Valley is the only region in Romania both completely urbanized and reliant on a single industry. Coal mining has been long been the heart and economic lifeline for the Jiu Valley. The development of coal mining started in the Jiu Valley about 150 years ago around the middle of the 19th century when Polish, Czech and German workers were brought from all parts of the Habsburg Empire to work in the coal mines. The mines were privately owned until 1948, when all private companies were nationalized by the Communist government. As part of Romania’s reparations to the Soviet Union for its wartime alliance with Germany, the Romanian coal mines were also nationalized and converted into joint Soviet-Romanian companies (SovRoms). These Sovroms continued for about ten years.