Mădăraş Castle

Mădăraş (Hungarian: Mezőmadaras) is a commune in Mureş County, Transylvania, Romania. It is located 10 km north-west from Târgu-Mureş and became an independent commune when it split from Band (Mezőbánd) in 2004. Mădăraş belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary, Austrian Empire, Austria-Hungary Empire. Since 1918 it belongs to Romania, after the re-unification of Transylvania with Romania. It was occupied by Hungary between 1940-1944, time when the Jewish community was exterminated by the Nazis during the Shoah (Holocaust).

The Alexius and Georgius Bethlen castle was built in 1517, nearly 200 years after the first official document of the locality. Mădăraş was then a village with only 23 houses, but after the arrival of nobles Bethlen it grew rapidly. The domain flourished overnight and soon became one of the largest and most prosperous in Transylvania. The entire area belonged to several members of the Bethlen family, until 1607, when it passed into possession of Borsos Tamás. The last owner of the castle was another Transylvanian noble family, Orban. Its descendants have lived in Mădăraş until 1948, when the whole domain was nationalized.

During the Communist regime, the castle was used in turn by an agricultural association, a restaurant, a barbershop (!). It's present state it is more than pathetic.