The history of Transylvania, like so many other Eastern European regions, is full of constant invasion and transformation. In 900 AD Magyar (Hungarian) tribes invaded Transylvania which was inhabited by a mix of Slavs and Romanians. During this time medieval Transylvania was ruled by a system of regional military commanders that acted for the King of Hungary. In 1200 AD the Magyars invited Germanic peoples (now known as Saxons) to Transylvania to establish trading cities. In 1241 Transylvania was devastated in the Mongol invasion of Europe and a large portion of the population perished. In the centuries following this time the Magyar nobility and the Saxons dominated the feudal system as peasant Magyars and Romanians continued to be suppressed. In 1541 the Ottomans defeated Hungary and left Transylvania as the only remaining area of Magyar control, until the Austrian Hapsburg's Empire regained Hungary and Transylvania in 1691. In 1867, under the dual monarchy of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Transylvania became part of Hungary for the first time. As Magyar settlements and peoples continued to inhabit the region, many Romanians moved to Moldavia to escape the hardships of being a peasant serf.
After WWI, the Treaty of Versailles gave Transylvania back to the Romanians defining a new border between Hungary and Romania. In 1940 the northern half of Transylvania was again given back to Hungary till the end of WWII when it was again returned to Romania. Most of the Saxons living in Transylvania returned to Germany after WWII and the fall of communism, making Hungarians the largest minority group. In some regions the Hungarians outnumber the Romanians creating tension over autonomy.
(Lydia, Paul and Liz)
No comments:
Post a Comment