Cighid, Residential child care community in Ghiorac, Romania.
Cighid was a residential facility in Bihor County with multiple buildings where children received institutional care and support. The complex contained dormitories, medical areas, and administrative offices that operated under state oversight.
After Nicolae Ceaușescu's regime fell in 1990, western journalists uncovered severe conditions and neglect at the facility. Between 1987 and 1990, at least 137 children died during their time there.
The discovery of Cighid led to international media coverage, revealing Romania's state childcare system and prompting assistance from Western European organizations.
The location is in a rural area near the Hungarian border in Bihor County. Visitors should note that the site today is remote and generally difficult to reach by standard transport.
A cemetery on the grounds holds roughly 137 marked graves of children who died there. This quiet burial ground stands as direct evidence of the tragic events that unfolded at the location.
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