Parța

Parța (Hungarian: Parác; German: Paratz; Serbian: Парац, romanized: Parac) is a commune in Timiș County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Parța, and was part of Șag commune until 2004.^[3]

Parța
Commune
Timiș River in Parța
Location in Timiș County
Parța Location in Romania
Coordinates: 45°38′N 21°8′E
Country	Romania
County	Timiș
Government
• Mayor (2020–)	Daniel Drăgan (PNL)
Area [1]	61.37 km2 (23.70 sq mi)
Elevation	86 m (282 ft)
Population  (2011-10-31)[2]	2,172
• Density	35.39/km2 (91.66/sq mi)
Time zone	EET/EEST (UTC+2/+3)
Postal code	307396
Vehicle reg.	TM
Website	www.primariaparta.ro

History

See also: Parța Neolithic Sanctuary

Parța was first documented in 1334 as Parkas, and in 1417 the settlement of Maraz, with town (market) status, is recorded near Parța.^[1] At the conscription (census) carried out in 1717 by the Austrians, after the conquest of Banat, the settlement had 84 houses and was called Paraz.^[1]

In 1878, during the regularization of the Timiș River, traces of a Neolithic settlement on three levels were discovered here, in which pottery specific to the Vinča culture was found. The first systematic excavations of the site began in 1931 and were completed only in 1985.^[4] Over the course of five decades, the following have been discovered here: two Neolithic sanctuaries, one with monumental statues, relocated and restored in Timișoara's National Museum of Banat, another overlapping the first one from which only one altar has been preserved, household shrines or altars, about 150 houses and complexes and four dwellings with 4–5 rooms, some of which have a suspended floor or an upper floor.^[5]

Demographics

Ethnic composition (2021)^[6]

1. Romanians (81.5%)
2. Roma (3.27%)
3. Hungarians (1.99%)
4. Serbs (1.23%)
5. Unknown (11.3%)
6. Others (0.63%)

Religious composition (2021)^[7]

1. Orthodox (52.1%)
2. Greek Catholics (15.3%)
3. Pentecostals (11.1%)
4. Roman Catholics (5.82%)
5. Baptists (1.19%)
6. Unknown (11.9%)
7. Others (1.73%)
8. Irreligious, atheists and agnostics (0.72%)

Parța had a population of 2,351 inhabitants at the 2021 census, up 8.24% from the 2011 census. Most inhabitants are Romanians (81.53%), larger minorities being represented by Roma (3.27%), Hungarians (1.99%) and Serbs (1.23%). For 11.35% of the population, ethnicity is unknown.^[6] By religion, most inhabitants are Orthodox (52.14%), but there are also minorities of Greek Catholics (15.31%), Pentecostals (11.14%), Roman Catholics (5.82%) and Baptists (1.19%). For 11.95% of the population, religious affiliation is unknown.^[7]

Census[8]		Ethnic composition
Year	Population	Romanians	Hungarians	Germans	Roma	Serbs
1880	2,226	1,455	160	290	–	297
1890	2,744	1,543	411	489	–	281
1900	2,813	1,444	521	541	–	284
1910	2,739	1,333	543	559	–	252
1920	2,761	1,346	567	539	–	–
1930	2,633	1,498	367	527	22	194
1941	2,404	1,310	448	438	–	–
1956	2,021	–	–	–	–	–
1966	1,935	1,136	341	277	27	138
1977	2,034	1,358	277	208	60	120
1992	1,420	1,066	150	78	56	65
2002	1,752	1,412	129	61	88	59
2011	2,172	1,747	129	43	101	44
2021	2,351	1,917	47	7	77	29

Politics and administration

The commune of Parța is administered by a mayor and a local council composed of 11 councilors. The mayor, Daniel Drăgan, from the National Liberal Party, has been in office since 2020. As from the 2024 local elections, the local council has the following composition by political parties:^[9]

Party		Seats	Composition
	National Liberal Party	6
	Social Democratic Party	4
	Save Romania Union	1

Notable people

• Stelian Olariu [ro] (1928–2017), conductor