Cârlibaba

For the river in Suceava County, see Cârlibaba (river).

Cârlibaba (German: Mariensee, Ludwigsdorf, or Kirlibaba; Polish: Kirlibaba)^[3] is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of six villages, namely: Cârlibaba (Veche; also the commune seat), Cârlibaba Nouă, Iedu (German: Jedt), Șesuri (German: Schessu), Țibău (German: Zibau), and Valea Stânei (German: Hüttenthal bei Mariensee).

Cârlibaba German: Mariensee, Ludwigsdorf, or Kirlibaba Polish: Kirlibaba
Commune
Cârlibaba in July 2009
Coat of arms
Location in Suceava County
Cârlibaba Location in Romania
Coordinates: 47°35′N 25°8′E
Country	Romania
County	Suceava
Subdivisions	Cârlibaba, Cârlibaba Nouă, Iedu, Șesuri, Țibău, Valea Stânei
Government
• Mayor (2024–2028)	Gabriel-Michael Danciu[1] (PNL)
Area	272 km2 (105 sq mi)
Elevation	946 m (3,104 ft)
Population  (2021-12-01)[2]	1,588
• Density	5.8/km2 (15/sq mi)
Time zone	EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code	727110
Area code	+40 x30
Vehicle reg.	SV
Website	www.primariacirlibaba.ro

Other names

In standard German (i.e. Hochdeutsch), Cârlibaba Veche is known as Mariensee whereas Cârlibaba Nouă is known as Ludwigsdorf.

Demographics

At the 2002 census, 85.3% of inhabitants were Romanians, 9% Germans (more specifically Bukovina Germans and Zipser Germans), and 5.4% Ukrainians. 85.8% were Romanian Orthodox and 13.1% Roman Catholic.

At the 2011 census, 89.05% of inhabitants were Romanians, 5.07% Germans (more specifically Bukovina Germans and Zipser Germans) and 4.08 Ukrainians. For the rest of 1.81% inhabitants, their ethnicity was registered as unknown. 84.8% were Romanian Orthodox and 12.17% Roman Catholic. For the rest of 1.81% inhabitants, their religious confession was registered as unknown.

History

Historical affiliations

 Moldavia (1388–1775)
 Habsburg Monarchy (1775–1804)
 Austrian Empire (1804–1867)
 Austria-Hungary, Cisleithania (1867–1918)
 Kingdom of Romania (1918–1947)
 Romanian People's Republic (1947–1965)
 Socialist Republic of Romania (1965–1989)
 Romania (1989–present)

Along with the rest of Bukovina, Cârlibaba formed part of the Principality of Moldavia until 1774, when it was occupied by Russia, and soon handed over to Austria. Under Austria and Austria-Hungary, the commune was inhabited by a sizeable number of Zipser German mining colonists (part of the broader Bukovina German community of the historical region of Bukovina and Suceava County).^[4]

During World War I, on 18–23 January 1915, it was the site of a battle between the Polish Legions and Russian troops, won by the Poles.^[5] A memorial to the fallen Polish soldiers was erected in 1932 near the Saint Louis church.^[6]

Administration and local politics

Communal council

The commune's current local council has the following political composition, according to the results of the 2020 Romanian local elections:^[7]

	Party	Seats	Current Council
	National Liberal Party (PNL)	5
	Social Democratic Party (PSD)	4
	People's Movement Party (PMP)	1
	PRO Romania (PRO)	1

Gallery

• 
  Evangelical Lutheran church
• 
  Roman Catholic church
• 
  The house on the rock (Romanian: Casa de pe stâncă)
• 
  Traditional Romanian houses
• 
  Local horse-drawn cart
• 
  Valea Stânei constituent village in August 2021
• 
  Cârlibaba during World War I
• 
  Cârlibaba in 1917
• 
  Grave of Polish soldiers fallen in the Battle of Cârlibaba