Burzenland
Encyclopedia
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
, Romania
Romania
Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeastern Europe, on the Lower Danube, within and outside the Carpathian arch, bordering on the Black Sea...
with a mixed population (German
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
, Romanian
Romanians
The Romanians are an ethnic group native to Romania, who speak Romanian; they are the majority inhabitants of Romania....
, Hungarian). Since the exodus of most of the German-speaking Transylvanian Saxons
Transylvanian Saxons
The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania from the 12th century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans was begun by King Géza II of Hungary . For decades, the main task of the German settlers was to defend the southeastern border of the...
in the 20th century, this region has been predominantly inhabited by Romanians.
Geography
The Burzenland lies within the Carpathian MountainsCarpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
, bordered approximately by Apaţa
Apata
Apaţa is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Apaţa.At the 2002 census, 54.3% of inhabitants were Romanians, 40.7% Hungarians and 4.9% Roma. 37.8% were Evangelical Lutheran, 36.4% Pentecostal, 20.1% Romanian Orthodox and 2.4% had no religion.-Natives:*János...
in the north, Bran
Bran, Brasov
Bran is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It lies at 30 km from the city of Braşov and is composed of five villages: Bran, Poarta, Predeluţ, Şimon and Sohodol...
in the southwest and Prejmer
Prejmer
Prejmer is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Lunca Câlnicului, Prejmer and Stupinii Prejmerului. Located 18 km northeast of Braşov, the Olt River passes through the commune.-History:...
in the east. Its most important city is Braşov
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
. Burzenland is named after the stream
Stream
A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...
Bârsa
Bârsa River (Olt)
The Bârsa River is a tributary of the Olt River in Romania. It starts at the junction of two headwaters: Bârsa Groşetului and Bârsa Tămaşului. As several tributaries also have the name Bârsa, in order to differentiate them, the main course of the river is frequently referred to as Bârsa...
(Barca, Burzen, 1231: Borza), which flows into the Olt
Olt River
The Olt River is a river in Romania. It is the longest river flowing exclusively through Romania. Its source is in the Hăşmaş Mountains of the eastern Carpathian Mountains, near the village Bălan. It flows through the Romanian counties Harghita, Covasna, Braşov, Sibiu, Vâlcea and Olt...
river. The Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
word bârsă is supposedly of Dacian
Dacian language
The extinct Dacian language may have developed from proto-Indo-European in the Carpathian region around 2,500 BC and probably died out by AD 600. In the 1st century AD, it was the predominant language of the ancient regions of Dacia and Moesia and, possibly, of some surrounding regions.It belonged...
origin (see List of Romanian words of possible Dacian origin).
Middle Ages
Based on archaeological evidence, it seems German colonization of the region started in the middle of 12th century during the reign of King Géza II of HungaryGéza II of Hungary
Géza II , , King of Hungary, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama . He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle...
. The German colonists from this region are attested in documents as early as 1192 when terra Bozza is mentioned as being settled by Germans (Theutonici).
In 1211 the region was given to the Teutonic Knights
Teutonic Knights
The Order of Brothers of the German House of Saint Mary in Jerusalem , commonly the Teutonic Order , is a German medieval military order, in modern times a purely religious Catholic order...
by King Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II of Hungary
Andrew II the Jerosolimitan was King of Hungary and Croatia . He was the younger son of King Béla III of Hungary, who invested him with the government of the Principality of Halych...
in return for guarding the southeastern border of the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
against the Cumans
Cumans
The Cumans were Turkic nomadic people comprising the western branch of the Cuman-Kipchak confederation. After Mongol invasion , they decided to seek asylum in Hungary, and subsequently to Bulgaria...
. While the king retained his right to mint currency and claims on gold or silver deposits that would be uncovered, he granted the Teutonic Order the right to establish markets and administer justice. The crusaders were also free from taxes and tolls. The Teutonic Knights began building wood-and-earth forts in the area and they had constructed five castles (quinque castra fortia): Marienburg
Feldioara
Feldioara is a Romanian commune located in Transylvania, very close to Braşov . It is composed of three villages: Colonia Reconstrucţia , Feldioara and Rotbav ....
, Schwarzenburg
Codlea
Codlea is a city in Braşov County, central Romania.-History:During the 13th century, the Teutonic Order built a fortress known as Schwarzburg near the "Măgura Codlei". The castle's name was first noted in 1265. The city of Codlea is believed to have been also founded by Germans...
, Rosenau
Râsnov
Râşnov is a town in Braşov County, Romania with a population of under 16,000.It is located at about 15 km from the city of Braşov and about the same distance from Bran, on the road that links Wallachia and Transylvania....
, Kreuzburg, and Kronstadt
Brasov
Brașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
, some of which were made of stone. The military order
Military order
A military order is a Christian society of knights that was founded for crusading, i.e. propagating or defending the faith , either in the Holy Land or against Islam or pagans in Europe...
was successful in reducing the threat of the nomadic Cumans. Germans already in Transylvania and volunteer settlers from the Holy Roman Empire
Holy Roman Empire
The Holy Roman Empire was a realm that existed from 962 to 1806 in Central Europe.It was ruled by the Holy Roman Emperor. Its character changed during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period, when the power of the emperor gradually weakened in favour of the princes...
developed farms and villages nearby to support the forts and settle the land. Whether the territory was already populated at the time is disputed. Some medieval sources indicate it was uninhabited, a view challenged by some scholars invoking archaeological and documentary evidence. Bountiful agricultural yields led to further colonization by German immigrants.
| Buzerland in Josephinische Landaufnahme, 1769–73 | |||
|---|---|---|---|
The Teutonic Knights disregarded the rights of the local bishopric, however, and angered Hungarian nobility which had claims on the region. Led by Béla
Béla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
, the heir to the throne, the nobility pressed the need to expel the knights upon King Andrew II after his return from the Fifth Crusade
Fifth Crusade
The Fifth Crusade was an attempt to reacquire Jerusalem and the rest of the Holy Land by first conquering the powerful Ayyubid state in Egypt....
. Grand Master Hermann von Salza
Hermann von Salza
Hermann von Salza was the fourth Grand Master of the Teutonic Knights, serving from 1210 to 1239...
attempted to loosen the Order's ties to the Hungarian crown by drawing closer to the Papacy. Andrew subsequently evicted the Order with his army in 1225, although Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III
Pope Honorius III , previously known as Cencio Savelli, was Pope from 1216 to 1227.-Early work:He was born in Rome as son of Aimerico...
protested to no effect. The confusing status of the Teutonic Knights within the Kingdom of Hungary led Hermann von Salza to insist upon autonomy before committing the military order to Prussia
Prussia (region)
Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe extending from the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the Masurian Lake District. It is now divided between Poland, Russia, and Lithuania...
.
Along with Germans, the kings of Hungary also settled Szeklers
Székely
The Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
and Pechenegs in the region during the 12th and 13th centuries. Archaeological evidence for the same period also suggests a Romanian population inhabiting the villages later known as Şcheii Braşovului, Satulung
Satulung
Satulung is a commune in Maramureş County, Romania. Its name, translated in English, means "The Long Village"...
, Baciu, Cernatu, and Turcheş (the former is today part of Braşov, while the latter four are today part of Săcele
Sacele
Săcele is a city in Braşov County, Romania, in the region of Transylvania, with a population of 29,915 inhabitants in 2002. It is practically adjacent to the city of Braşov, its city centre being situated 15 km away from downtown Braşov.-History:...
). In the second half of the 13th century the Romanian population is attested in two documents: in the region of Bran (1252) and Tohan (1294), while in the second half of the 15th century out of nine villages from the domain of Bran
Bran Castle
Bran Castle , situated near Bran and in the immediate vicinity of Braşov, is a national monument and landmark in Romania. The fortress is situated on the border between Transylvania and Wallachia, on DN73...
seven were Romanian (villae valachicales, Bleschdörfer) and only two German.
At the Conference of Lutsk
Lutsk
Lutsk is a city located by the Styr River in northwestern Ukraine. It is the administrative center of the Volyn Oblast and the administrative center of the surrounding Lutskyi Raion within the oblast...
in 1429, Sigismund
Sigismund, Holy Roman Emperor
Sigismund of Luxemburg KG was King of Hungary, of Croatia from 1387 to 1437, of Bohemia from 1419, and Holy Roman Emperor for four years from 1433 until 1437, the last Emperor of the House of Luxemburg. He was also King of Italy from 1431, and of Germany from 1411...
, Holy Roman Emperor
Holy Roman Emperor
The Holy Roman Emperor is a term used by historians to denote a medieval ruler who, as German King, had also received the title of "Emperor of the Romans" from the Pope...
and King of Hungary, suggested that the Teutonic Knights defend the region during the Ottoman wars in Europe
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
. Led by Claus von Redewitz, a detachment of knights from Prussia
Prussia (region)
Prussia is a historical region in Central Europe extending from the south-eastern coast of the Baltic Sea to the Masurian Lake District. It is now divided between Poland, Russia, and Lithuania...
was stationed in the Burzenland until half were killed during an Ottoman campaign in 1432.
20th century
Transylvanian Saxons remained in the Burzenland until the 20th century. Beginning in 1976, most of these Germans began to immigrate to West GermanyWest Germany
West Germany is the common English, but not official, name for the Federal Republic of Germany or FRG in the period between its creation in May 1949 to German reunification on 3 October 1990....
with the approval of the Communist Romanian regime
Communist Romania
Communist Romania was the period in Romanian history when that country was a Soviet-aligned communist state in the Eastern Bloc, with the dominant role of Romanian Communist Party enshrined in its successive constitutions...
.
Towns
 |
| View of part of the Burzenland from the peak of Postăvaru. Ghimbav Ghimbav Ghimbav is a town in Braşov County, Transylvania, central Romania. It is located in the centre of Romania, 5 miles west of Braşov.-History:The town was first mentioned in a letter written in 1420 by King Sigismund of Luxembourg... is on the right, while Codlea Codlea Codlea is a city in Braşov County, central Romania.-History:During the 13th century, the Teutonic Order built a fortress known as Schwarzburg near the "Măgura Codlei". The castle's name was first noted in 1265. The city of Codlea is believed to have been also founded by Germans... can be seen in the distance on Măgura Codlei. |
|---|
In each case, the modern Romanian
Romanian language
Romanian Romanian Romanian (or Daco-Romanian; obsolete spellings Rumanian, Roumanian; self-designation: română, limba română ("the Romanian language") or românește (lit. "in Romanian") is a Romance language spoken by around 24 to 28 million people, primarily in Romania and Moldova...
name is given first, followed by the historic German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
names.
- ApaţaApataApaţa is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Apaţa.At the 2002 census, 54.3% of inhabitants were Romanians, 40.7% Hungarians and 4.9% Roma. 37.8% were Evangelical Lutheran, 36.4% Pentecostal, 20.1% Romanian Orthodox and 2.4% had no religion.-Natives:*János...
(Geist, Apáca) - BodBod, BrasovBod is a commune in Braşov County, Romania with 3927 inhabitants . It is composed of two villages, Bod and Colonia Bod. At Bod there is one of Romania's largest sugar factories and a broadcasting transmitter for long- and medium-wave radio, the Bod Transmitter...
(Brenndorf, Botfalva) - Bran (Törzburg, Törcsvár)
- BraşovBrasovBrașov is a city in Romania and the capital of Brașov County.According to the last Romanian census, from 2002, there were 284,596 people living within the city of Brașov, making it the 8th most populated city in Romania....
(Kronstadt, Brassó) - CodleaCodleaCodlea is a city in Braşov County, central Romania.-History:During the 13th century, the Teutonic Order built a fortress known as Schwarzburg near the "Măgura Codlei". The castle's name was first noted in 1265. The city of Codlea is believed to have been also founded by Germans...
(Zeiden, Feketehalom) - CristianCristian, BrasovCristian is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of a single village, Cristian.At the 2002 census, 95.3% of inhabitants were Romanians, 2.9% Transylvanian Saxons and 1.8% Hungarians. 93.1% were Romanian Orthodox, 2.6% Lutheran, 1.7% Christian Evangelical, 0.8% Reformed and 0.5%...
(Neustadt, Keresztényfalva) - CrizbavCrizbav, BrasovCrizbav is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Crizbav and Cutuş....
(Krebsbach, Krizba) - DumbrăviţaDumbravita, BrasovDumbrăviţa is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Dumbrăviţa and Vlădeni.-References:...
(Tsintsari, Szunyogszek) - FeldioaraFeldioaraFeldioara is a Romanian commune located in Transylvania, very close to Braşov . It is composed of three villages: Colonia Reconstrucţia , Feldioara and Rotbav ....
(Marienburg, Földvár) - GhimbavGhimbavGhimbav is a town in Braşov County, Transylvania, central Romania. It is located in the centre of Romania, 5 miles west of Braşov.-History:The town was first mentioned in a letter written in 1420 by King Sigismund of Luxembourg...
(Weidenbach, Vidombák) - HălchiuHalchiuHălchiu is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of two villages, Hălchiu and Satu Nou....
(Heldsdorf, Höltövény) - HărmanHarman- Places :* Harman, Australian Capital Territory* Hărman, Romania* Harman, West Virginia* Harmans, Maryland* Harman, Virginia- Other uses :* Harman , 1-methyl-9H-b-carboline, one of the harmala alkaloids, a reversible inhibitor of MAO-A...
(Honigberg, Szászhermány) - Măieruş (Nußbach, Szászmagyarós)
- PrejmerPrejmerPrejmer is a commune in Braşov County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Lunca Câlnicului, Prejmer and Stupinii Prejmerului. Located 18 km northeast of Braşov, the Olt River passes through the commune.-History:...
(Tartlau, Prázsmar) - RâşnovRâsnovRâşnov is a town in Braşov County, Romania with a population of under 16,000.It is located at about 15 km from the city of Braşov and about the same distance from Bran, on the road that links Wallachia and Transylvania....
(Rosenau, Barcarozsnyó) - Rotbav (Rotbach, Szászveresmart)
- SăceleSaceleSăcele is a city in Braşov County, Romania, in the region of Transylvania, with a population of 29,915 inhabitants in 2002. It is practically adjacent to the city of Braşov, its city centre being situated 15 km away from downtown Braşov.-History:...
(Siebendörfer, Szecseleváros / Négyfalu) - SânpetruSânpetruSânpetru is a commune in Braşov County, Romania, located 5 km north of the county capital Braşov. It is composed of a single village, Sânpetru....
(Petersberg, Barcaszentpéter) - ŞercaiaSercaia, BrasovȘercaia is a commune in Brașov County, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Hălmeag , Șercaia and Vad .- Natives :* Augustin Bunea , priest and historian...
(Schirkanyen, Sárkány) - VulcanVulcan, BrasovVulcan is a commune in Braşov County in the centre of Romania, 16 km west of the county capital Braşov. It is composed of two villages, Colonia 1 Mai and Vulcan...
(Wolkendorf, Szászvolkány) - ZărneştiZarnestiZărnești is a town in Braşov County, Transylvania, Romania, with a population of 26,520. It administers one village, Tohanu Nou.It is located near the Piatra Craiului Mountains, which are part of the Southern Carpathians mountains range...
(Zernescht, Zernest)
External links
- Peasants and castles of the Burzenland
- Former coat of arms of the Burzenland
- Map showing German settlements in Transylvania
- German mountain names in Burzenland
- Romanian ethnographical areas
- Shooting the rooster - traditions of the Hungarian community from Ţara Bârsei
- http://www.brasovtravelguide.ro/en/brasov/events/junii-feast.php
