But the city itself was built by German settlers - later referred as Transylvanian Saxons, but actually originating from the region of Rhine and Moselle - on the territory of the Hungarian Kingdom in the second half of the 12th century and became an important city in medieval Transylvania.
The Székely groups who had inhabited the valleys of the rivers Hortobágy and Sebes had moved eastward, across the river Olt by the 1220s.
Among those who witnessed Hungary's Olympics victory was Stanley Rous, secretary-general of the English FA and future FIFA president; he subsequently approached Sebes and invited Hungary to play England at Wembley.
Sebes personally guaranteed the country's Interior Minister and future Prime Minister, János Kádár, that Lóránt would not abscond while in Vienna.
The town is situated on a main Romanian road link: the DN1 road between Sibiu and Sebeş, E68/E81 European routes.