When going from Săpânța to Borșa, and after going on a trip by “mocănița” (steam train) do not forget to stop at Moisei. There you will discover an old village first mentioned in documents in 1213, with the name of Moyzun. This is the text of the first documentary mentioning of Moisei village (February the 2nd 1365): “King Ludovic gives to Balc, the son of Sas, and to his brothers Drag, Dragomir and Ștefan, as a reward for their services the Cuhnea property and its surroundings: Jeud, both Vișeus, MOYSENI, Borșa and both Seliște, confiscated from Bogdan Vodă, who left for Moldavia and was caught being unfaithful.”
In the Maramureș diplomas from the 14th and 15th centuries, by I. Mihali, dating from 1900, Moisei is attested on February 2nd, 1365, with the mention that it is a village that was organized long ago. In these diplomas, it has different names: Moyse (1365), Moyzey (1465), Moyzen (1465), Moyzyn (1495), Moyszen și Moszey (1828, 1851). Out of the 12 Maramureș diplomas, it results that a part of the land of Moisei was owned by some nobles from Săliște, Vișeu and other villages, achieved as a result of the battles. In the same diploma it was mentioned that there were some battles between the society and the local judges, on one side, and rulers of the valley, the family of the Dolheni, who were not from Maramureș, but still wanted this region, on the other side.
The Hungarian royalty decided these conflicts in favor of one or the other side, constantly seeking to undermine the property rights of the communities and local leaders, permanently trying to find a way to annex Maramureș to Hungary, a process completed in the sixteenth century. The documents from that time mention that the name Moisei comes from Moise Coman, son of the village, rich and God-fearing person.
Source: http://www.primariamoisei.ro/
