Historically, Alba de Jos County was located in the central-western part of
Greater Romania, in the southwestern part of
Transylvania, with a territory identical with the old
Alsó-Fehér County of Hungary. After the administrative unification law in 1925, the name of the county changed to Alba County and the territory was reorganized. It was bordered on the west by
Hunedoara County, to the north by
Turda County, and to the east by the counties of
Sibiu and
Târnava-Mică. Its territory included the central part of the current Alba County.
Administration The county originally consisted of seven districts (
plăși): • Plasa Abrud (headquarters at
Abrud) • Plasa Aiud (headquarters at
Aiud) • Plasa Ighiu (headquarters at
Ighiu) • Plasa Ocna Mureș (headquarters at
Ocna Mureș) • Plasa Sebeș (headquarters at
Sebeș) • Plasa Teiuș (headquarters at
Teiuș) • Plasa Vințu de Jos (headquarters at
Vințu de Jos) Subsequently, Plasa Ighiu was abolished and two other districts were established, leaving these: • Plasa Abrud (seven villages, headquarters at
Abrud) • Plasa Aiud (thirty-three villages, headquarters at
Aiud) • Plasa Alba Iulia (eighteen villages, headquarters at
Alba Iulia) • Plasa Ocna Mureș (twenty-one villages, headquarters at
Ocna Mureș) • Plasa Sebeș (twenty-one villages, headquarters at
Sebeș) • Plasa Teiuș (twenty villages, headquarters at
Teiuș) • Plasa Vințu de Jos (thirteen villages, headquarters at
Vințu de Jos) • Plasa Zlatna (eighteen villages, headquarters at
Zlatna) There were four towns:
Alba Iulia,
Abrud,
Aiud, and
Sebeș.
Population According to the census data of 1930, the county's population was 212,749, of which 81.5% were Romanians, 11.3% Hungarians, 3.6% Germans, 1.8% Romanies, 1.4% Jews, as well as other minorities. In the religious aspect, the population consisted of 50.1% Eastern Orthodox, 31.6% Greek Catholics, 7.5% Reformed (Calvinists), 3.4% Roman Catholics, 3.3% Evangelical (Lutherans), 1.2% Unitarians, and other minorities.
Urban population In 1930, the urban population of the county was 33,365, of which 58.8% were Romanians, 23.0% Hungarians, 8.2% Germans, 6.2% Jews, 1.6% Romanies, as well as other minorities. From the religious point of view, the urban population was made up of 38.3% Eastern Orthodox, 21.4% Greek Catholic, 14.7% Reformed (Calvinist), 7.2% Evangelical (Lutheran), 6.5% Jewish, as well as other minorities.
After 1938 After the 1938 Administrative and Constitutional Reform, this county merged with the counties of
Ciuc,
Odorhei,
Sibiu,
Târnava Mare, and
Târnava Mică to form
Ținutul Mureș. The county was re-established in 1940, but dissolved again in 1950. It was re-established in 1968 in its current borders. ==People==