Siculeni
Encyclopedia
Siculeni is a commune
in Harghita County
, Romania
. It lies in the Székely Land
, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania
. It is composed of a single village, Siculeni. The Siculicidium
took place here.
(Hungarian) majority. According to the 2002 census it has a population of 6,906 of which 96.79% or 6,684 are Hungarian. In 2004, four villages broke off to form Ciceu
and Racu
Communes, and the remaining village has a population of 2,764.
The village was part of the Székely Land
region of the historical Transylvania
province.
Its Hungarian name was first recorded in 1567 in the form of Amadeffalwa (Amadé's village, but in 1602 the village is already mentioned by a shortened forms as Madéfalva which became the names of the village. The Romanian form of its name was Madefalău, the authorities re-named it for the current official name after 1919.
The Siculicidium
, or the Massacre at Madéfalva of January 7 1764 took place here. 200 Székely
were killed by Maria Theresa
's Habsburg
army as the local Székely
Hungarians refused to join as recruits the newly organized borderguard regiments. Following the massacre, a great number of Székely people began to flee the region crossing the Carpathian Mountains
into Bukovina
and Moldova
. The massacre's Latin
name is Siculicidium
traditionally written as SICVLICIDIVM which interestingly enough spells out the year 1764 in Roman Numerals
if one removes the S at the beginning. A monument in memory of the massacre was erected on October 8, 1905.
The village administratively belonged to Csíkszék district until the administrative reform of Transylvania in 1876, when it fell within the Csík County in the Kingdom of Hungary
. After the Treaty of Trianon
of 1920, the village became part of Romania
and fell within Ciuc County
during the interwar period. In 1940, the second Vienna Award
granted the Northern Transylvania
to Hungary and the villages were held by Hungary until 1944. After Soviet occupation, the Romanian administration returned and the village became officially part of Romania in 1947. Between 1952 and 1960, the commune fell within the Magyar Autonomous Region, between 1960 and 1968 the Mureş-Magyar Autonomous Region. In 1968, the province was abolished, and since then, the commune has been part of Harghita County.
The commune used to comprise several villages, but as from 2004 the village of Ciceu
(Csicsó) forms an independent commune with the village of Ciaracio (Csaracsó). The village of Racu
(Csíkrákos) along with the village of Satu Nou (Göröcsfalva) also forms an independent commune.
Communes of Romania
A commune is the lowest level of administrative subdivision in Romania. There are 2686 communes in Romania. The commune is the rural subdivision of a county .There is no clear restriction on the population of a commune, even though when a commune...
in Harghita County
Harghita County
Harghita is a county in the center of Romania, in eastern Transylvania, with the county seat at Miercurea-Ciuc.-Demographics:In 2002, it had a population of 326,222 and a population density of 52/km².*Hungarians- 85%...
, 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...
. It lies in the Székely Land
Székely Land
The Székely Land or Szekler Land refers to the territories inhabited mainly by the Székely, a Hungarian-speaking ethnic group from eastern Transylvania...
, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania
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...
. It is composed of a single village, Siculeni. The Siculicidium
Siculicidium
The Massacre at Madéfalva was a mass murder committed against Székelys by the Habsburg army in 1764, under Maria Theresa.-History:...
took place here.
Demographics
The commune has an absolute SzékelySzékely
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...
(Hungarian) majority. According to the 2002 census it has a population of 6,906 of which 96.79% or 6,684 are Hungarian. In 2004, four villages broke off to form Ciceu
Ciceu
Ciceu , or colloquially Csicsó, Hungarian pronunciation:) is a commune in Romania, located in Harghita County. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania...
and Racu
Racu
Racu is a commune in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania.- Component villages :The commune is composed of two villages:- History :...
Communes, and the remaining village has a population of 2,764.
History
Székely Land
The Székely Land or Szekler Land refers to the territories inhabited mainly by the Székely, a Hungarian-speaking ethnic group from eastern Transylvania...
region of the historical Transylvania
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...
province.
Its Hungarian name was first recorded in 1567 in the form of Amadeffalwa (Amadé's village, but in 1602 the village is already mentioned by a shortened forms as Madéfalva which became the names of the village. The Romanian form of its name was Madefalău, the authorities re-named it for the current official name after 1919.
The Siculicidium
Siculicidium
The Massacre at Madéfalva was a mass murder committed against Székelys by the Habsburg army in 1764, under Maria Theresa.-History:...
, or the Massacre at Madéfalva of January 7 1764 took place here. 200 Székely
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...
were killed by Maria Theresa
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
's Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
army as the local Székely
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...
Hungarians refused to join as recruits the newly organized borderguard regiments. Following the massacre, a great number of Székely people began to flee the region crossing the Carpathian Mountains
Carpathian 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...
into Bukovina
Bukovina
Bukovina is a historical region on the northern slopes of the northeastern Carpathian Mountains and the adjoining plains.-Name:The name Bukovina came into official use in 1775 with the region's annexation from the Principality of Moldavia to the possessions of the Habsburg Monarchy, which became...
and Moldova
Moldova
Moldova , officially the Republic of Moldova is a landlocked state in Eastern Europe, located between Romania to the West and Ukraine to the North, East and South. It declared itself an independent state with the same boundaries as the preceding Moldavian Soviet Socialist Republic in 1991, as part...
. The massacre's Latin
Latin
Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...
name is Siculicidium
Siculicidium
The Massacre at Madéfalva was a mass murder committed against Székelys by the Habsburg army in 1764, under Maria Theresa.-History:...
traditionally written as SICVLICIDIVM which interestingly enough spells out the year 1764 in Roman Numerals
Roman numerals
The numeral system of ancient Rome, or Roman numerals, uses combinations of letters from the Latin alphabet to signify values. The numbers 1 to 10 can be expressed in Roman numerals as:...
if one removes the S at the beginning. A monument in memory of the massacre was erected on October 8, 1905.
The village administratively belonged to Csíkszék district until the administrative reform of Transylvania in 1876, when it fell within the Csík County in 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...
. After the Treaty of Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
of 1920, the village became part of 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...
and fell within Ciuc County
Ciuc County
Ciuc County was a county in the Kingdom of Romania. Its capital was Miercurea Ciuc. Its name was derived from the former county of the Kingdom of Hungary, Csík.-Geography:...
during the interwar period. In 1940, the second Vienna Award
Second Vienna Award
The Second Vienna Award was the second of two Vienna Awards arbitrated by the Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. Rendered on August 30, 1940, it re-assigned the territory of Northern Transylvania from Romania to Hungary.-Prelude and historical background :After the World War I, the multi-ethnic...
granted the Northern Transylvania
Northern Transylvania
Northern Transylvania is a region of Transylvania, situated within the territory of Romania. The population is largely composed of both ethnic Romanians and Hungarians, and the region has been part of Romania since 1918 . During World War II, as a consequence of the territorial agreement known as...
to Hungary and the villages were held by Hungary until 1944. After Soviet occupation, the Romanian administration returned and the village became officially part of Romania in 1947. Between 1952 and 1960, the commune fell within the Magyar Autonomous Region, between 1960 and 1968 the Mureş-Magyar Autonomous Region. In 1968, the province was abolished, and since then, the commune has been part of Harghita County.
The commune used to comprise several villages, but as from 2004 the village of Ciceu
Ciceu
Ciceu , or colloquially Csicsó, Hungarian pronunciation:) is a commune in Romania, located in Harghita County. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania...
(Csicsó) forms an independent commune with the village of Ciaracio (Csaracsó). The village of Racu
Racu
Racu is a commune in Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania.- Component villages :The commune is composed of two villages:- History :...
(Csíkrákos) along with the village of Satu Nou (Göröcsfalva) also forms an independent commune.