The last official census in 2011 set the population of Slatina-Timis at 3074 inhabitants, 75 less than the previous census in 2002.  Earlier the decrease was much more pronounced: after the revolution most of the ethnic German-Bohemian inhabitants left Sadova Veche (Alt Sadowa) to return to Germany.  In 1977 it was still a closed German community: 522 Germans and only 61 Romanians.

baptistenkerk

 

The current ethnic demographic is approximately:

  • Romanian                         93%
  • German                              2.5%
  • Roma                                 2.5%
  • Other                                 2%

 

 

The distribution of faiths:

  • Orthodox                          60%                                                        Baptist's Church of  Sadova Noua
  • Roman Catholic                30%                                                                 
  • Baptist                              5%
  • Other                                5%

                                                   

The Roman Catholic faith:

It is remarkable that in an otherwise almost entirely orthodox environment almost half the inhabitants of the main village are Roman Catholic.  There has been quite some research done to explain this fact.  There are several reasons to believe this is not due to Hungarian influence.  After the Ottoman invasion in 1716 there are reports that a Hungarian community capitulated and settled in Slatina-Timis.  Professor Zeicu has debunked this explanation on the basis of a study of surnames.  The Roman Catholic population all has typical Romanian names.  Doubt has also been cast on the idea that a portion of the community converted to Catholicism under Austrian pressure during a later period of religious unrest (1731-1771).  There are surviving manuscripts from the Roman Catholic parish that pre date that period.  Professor Zeicu concludes that the Roman Catholics descend from the Vlachs, a Romanian-speaking people from Bulgaria.  The Vlachs converted to Catholicism around 1200 AD during the time of Pope Innocent III.  During Turkish invasions they crossed the Danube.  250 families, 2000 souls are thought to have settled in Slatina-Timis in 1526.

Gugulans:

…was the name given to the farmers around Slatina-Timis.  They cultivated fruit on the hills, usually apples.  Typically covered carts were used to transport the goods which were sold throughout the entire Banat region each autumn and winter.  The lifestyle was relatively primitive, insular.  Even though business was good this was not apparent from their properties but could be seen by the gold coins worn around the necks of the woman and daughters of the community.

 

Work:landbouw1

Most residents of Slatina-Timis were poor.

The farming land was not very productive, this was also the reason why the land was not collectivised during the Communist period.  Many families were engaged in subsistence farming on their own allotments.  Many also owned cows, pigs, sheep, geese and chickens.  The largest farms owned a dozen cows.

Forestry also provided an income.

bosbouw

 houttransport

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There were large lumber mills.

houtzagerij

Additionally there were tradesmen, artisans, journeymen and smiths.dakgoot2

 

The Roma are particularly talented in artistic undertakings such as painting, plasterwork and metalwork.

 

 

 

 

 

For jobs in other industries it was necessary to travel: Caransebes had lost its furniture industry and metal works (producing train axles) in the meantime.  The workers sought employment in the blast furnaces and foundries of Otelu-Rosu and Resita.  Most companies closed one by one after the revolution.  Caransebes was able to attract new employers, amongst others producing car parts.  Many of the younger generation sought opportunity in the more prosperous Western Europe, America and Canada.  This explained the reducing population figures and the collapse of the property market in the main cities.