Iacobeni

The Village of Iacășdorf

Once upon a time, in the past, there was Iacășdorf – the village that served as the residence of a commune in Sibiu County. Nowadays, the name has completely transformed, with the locality being recognized as Iacobeni. Thus, the commune located in Sibiu County, bearing the same name, occupies its eastern part.

Historical Background

From the name, it is not hard to deduce that this commune is of German origin – more precisely, Saxon. The first documented mention dates back to 1309, yet it remains one of the earliest existing in Transylvania.

Moreover, according to the census during communism, in 1986 there were:

• 403 Saxons
• 550 Roma

These groups together formed the entire community. Some time later, in 2002, things changed, and out of 2,693 people, 2,100 were ethnic Romanians. At that time, only 5 Saxons remained in the entire commune.

Visiting Iacobeni

If you are considering stopping by Iacobeni, we assure you that you wouldn’t be making a bad choice – and you will see why.

Tourist and Memorial Sites

First of all, you will be able to enjoy a series of tourist and memorial sites, including:

• The cemetery of German heroes who fell in duty during World War I.

Being a commune truly inhabited by Saxons (of course, in the past), nowadays we can only admire the fortifications built by them and their history. However, fragments of history are always welcome.

Thus, this cemetery is located on Kreutberg Hill, where 15 soldiers are buried. Only a few of the graves bear insignia, while the others are left without the knowledge of those who willingly sacrificed themselves for their homeland.

Another Memorial Site

Another exceptional memorial site is represented by the plot of German heroes, another resting place for 24 German heroes buried who fell on the battlefield for their homeland. Of all 24, 13 sacrificed themselves in World War I, while the remaining 11 did so in World War II.

This plot is found within the evangelical cemetery in Iacobeni.

Significance of Iacobeni

The residence village and, on the other hand, the commune of the same name, are extremely well known by the locals in the area. For this reason, even international tourists manage to reach these lands to say a prayer and to understand what it means to sacrifice oneself for one’s homeland – whatever that may be.

In this sense, Iacobeni represents an important location on the country’s map both as a tourist attraction and as a historical point.