Székely Land
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The Székely Land
Székelys (or Szeklers) live in the valleys and hills of the
Originally, the name Székely Land denoted the territories of a number of
Along with Transylvania and eastern parts of
Under the name Magyar Autonomous Region, with Târgu-Mureș as capital,[11] parts of the Székely Land enjoyed a certain level of autonomy between 8 September 1952 and 16 February 1968.
There are territorial autonomy initiatives with the aim to obtain self-governance for this region within Romania.
Geography
The exact territory of the present-day Székely Land is not disputed. The boundaries of the historical Székely does not exist legally
History
The ancient period
Transylvania was populated by
Dacian culture presence in southeastern Transylvania is marked by discoveries such as the flagship hoard Sâncrăieni (Harghita county) or Dacian fortresses in Covasna county (Cetatea Zânelor) or Jigodin (Harghita county).
Dacian Kingdom led by Decebal the Romanian ancestors, was taken after two wars, in 106 AD by the Roman Empire under the emperor Trajan, who began organizing the new Roman province of Dacia. Southeastern Transylvania was included in the provinces of Dacia Porolissensis, Dacia Apulensis and Meuse and fortified with numerous camps such as those at Inlăceni ( Praetoria Augusta) and Sânpaul (Harghita county) Breţcu (Angustia) and Oltenia (Covasna county) or Brâncoveneşti and Călugăreni (Mureș county).
After the fall of
The medieval period
The territory of the Székely Land was part of the
Ancient Hungarian legends suggest a connection between the Székelys and Attila's Huns[
From the 12th and 13th centuries, the Székely Land enjoyed a considerable but varying amount of autonomy, first as a part of the
The main seat was Udvarhely seat, which was also called the Principal seat (
Modern era
Due to the Ottoman conquest Transylvania became a semi-independent polity. From the end of the 17th century, Transylvania became part of the Habsburg monarchy (later Austrian Empire), and governed by imperial governors.[15] In 1848 during the Hungarian revolution and freedom war it was declared the reunion of Hungary proper and Transylvania. The Austrian emperor incited the Romanians and Serbians living in Hungary and Transylvania against the Hungarians, promising them some kind of autonomy. In 1867, as a result of the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, Transylvania become again an integral part of the Kingdom of Hungary, within Austria-Hungary.
In 1876, a
In December 1918, in the wake of the
After 1930, the Romanian authorities began to Romanianize the Hungarian population of the Székely Land,[17] with the presence of minorities in political life being repressed.[18] The election of Hungarians was consistently nullified.[18] The place-names were subjected to Romanianization.[18] The minority languages were excised from official life and the local authorities were mostly led by appointed ethnic Romanians.[18]
In 1940, as a result of the Second Vienna Award, Northern Transylvania became part of Hungary again; this territory included most of the historical Székely areas. Hungarian authorities subsequently restored the pre-Trianon structure with slight modifications.[citation needed]
However, despite discrimination and many casualties, most of the community lived in relative safety until the March 1944
On 12 September 1944, the Second Vienna Award was voided by the Allied Commission through the Armistice Agreement with Romania, and the Romanian-Soviet forces seized the area in Autumn 1944; however, the Romanian administration was expelled from these territories in October due to the activities of the Romanian paramilitary groups created in the area to avenge the atrocities committed by the Hungarians against the Romanians during the Hungarian rule in Northern Transylvania.[21][22] For instance, the so-called Iuliu Maniu Guards terrorized the Székely villages, butchered the local Hungarians by axe and hatchet[1] and operated a death camp in Feldioara.[23][24][25] This paramilitary group was described as "a band of terrorist-chauvinistic criminals"[26] by the Soviets. The USSR let the Romanian authorities back to the area in March 1945,[21] and the Paris Peace Treaties officially returned Northern Transylvania to Romania.
Following the Northern Transylvania's return to Romania after
counties.Nicolae Ceaușescu came to power in 1965. For the next couple of decades, due to the Romanianization efforts, a large number[quantify] of ethnic Romanians settled in the Székely Land.[29] Those Székely Hungarians who possessed degrees were subjected to resettlement.[29] In March 1990, the city of Târgu Mureș witnessed violent clashes between ethnic Romanian and Hungarian groups.
After the fall of
On 4 June 2005, the Civic Forum of the Romanians of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș was founded in Miercurea Ciuc. It is an organization aimed at organizing the ethnic Romanian population in the counties that compose Székely Land.[32]
On 2 February 2009, Romanian President Traian Băsescu met the Hungarian President László Sólyom in Budapest and discussed the issues of minority rights and regional autonomy. Băsescu stated "The Hungarian minority will never be given territorial autonomy."[33]
In 2014, the
In 2016,
-
Traditional Székely Land (19th century)
-
Hungarian autonomous provinces under the Communist era
-
Present-day counties of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș within Romania
Constitutional issues
Article 1 of the Romanian Constitution defines the country as a "sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible national state." It has often been argued[by whom?] that, as a result of this provision, any ethnic-based territorial autonomy, including that of the Székely Land, would be unconstitutional.
The Supreme Council of National Defence of Romania declared that an autonomy of the so-called Székely Land would be unconstitutional.[37]
Population
In 2002 the estimated ethnic composition of the Székely Land (Mureș, Covasna and Harghita counties) consisted of Hungarians (66%), Romanians (29%), Germans (1%) and
The population of the historical Székely Land (according to the 2002 census) is 409,000, 312,043 of them Hungarians, accounting for 76.65% of the total.[39] The Hungarians represent 59% of the populations of Harghita, Covasna and Mureș counties. The percentage of Hungarians is higher in Harghita and Covasna (84.8% and 73.58% respectively), and lower in Mureș County, (38.82%).
According to the 2011 official census, 570,033 Hungarians (53.22%) live in the counties of Covasna, Harghita and Mureș (out of a total population of 1,071,890 inhabitants). In Mureș county the Romanians have a slight majority (52.6%), while in the counties of Covasna and Harghita, the Hungarians make up the majority (79.6% and 85.9%).[40][41] The 2011 census compared to the data of the previous census (2002) also shows that the Romanian ethnic ratio in the Székely Land has been decreasing (due to emigration).[42]
Târgu Mureș is the home for the largest community of Hungarians in Romania (60,669 in 2011), but the town itself has a Romanian majority (69,702 out of 134,290 inhabitants).[43]
Important centers of the Székely Land are Târgu-Mureș (Marosvásárhely), Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda), Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy), and Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely).
Romania according to ethnic group in Harghita, Covasna and Mureș (Censuses 1930–2021) Source: National Institute of Statistics - INS Romania[44] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Ethnic group | 1930 | 1956 | 1966 | 1977 | 1992 | 2002 | 2011 | 2021 | ||||||||||||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | Harghita | Covasna | Mureș | |||
Hungarians | % | 86.61 | 76.69 | 41.59 | 89.55 | 79.07 | 45.18 | 88.14 | 79.43 | 44.46 | 85.07 | 78.45 | 44.31 | 84.72 | 75.24 | 41.42 | 84.65 | 73.82 | 39.31 | 85.21 | 73.74 | 38.09 | 85.67 | 71.77 | 35.58 | |
Pop | 216,615 | 116,961 | 176,990 | 245,300 | 136,388 | 231,875 | 248,886 | 140,472 | 249,675 | 277,587 | 156,120 | 268,251 | 295,104 | 175,502 | 252,651 | 276,038 | 164,158 | 228,275 | 257,707 | 150,468 | 200,858 | 232,157 | 133,444 | 165,014 | ||
Total | % | 61.65 | 63.94 | 62.60 | 62.08 | 60.70 | 59.20 | 58.91 | 57.63 | |||||||||||||||||
Pop | 510,566 | 613,563 | 639,033 | 701,958 | 723,257 | 668,471 | 609,033 | 530,615 | ||||||||||||||||||
Romanians | % | 9.99 | 19.94 | 43.55 | 9.38 | 18.21 | 47.49 | 11.07 | 19.28 | 49.57 | 13.73 | 19.57 | 49.10 | 14.05 | 23.40 | 52.05 | 14.07 | 23.29 | 53.27 | 12.96 | 22.06 | 52.60 | 12.41 | 22.99 | 54.42 | |
Pop | 24,996 | 30,405 | 185,367 | 25,694 | 31,416 | 243,720 | 31,272 | 34,099 | 278,386 | 44,794 | 38,948 | 297,205 | 48,948 | 54,586 | 317,541 | 45,870 | 51,790 | 309,375 | 39,196 | 45,021 | 277,372 | 33,634 | 42,752 | 252,400 | ||
Total | % | 29.07 | 31.35 | 33.68 | 33.69 | 35.34 | 36.05 | 34.98 | 35.71 | |||||||||||||||||
Pop | 240,768 | 300,830 | 343,757 | 380,947 | 421,075 | 407,035 | 361,589 | 328,786 | ||||||||||||||||||
Romani | % | 1.08 | 2.02 | 4.10 | 0.55 | 2.00 | 2.69 | 0.49 | 0.83 | 2.03 | 0.99 | 1.77 | 3.31 | 1.10 | 1.13 | 5.70 | 1.18 | 2.69 | 6.96 | 1.76 | 4.05 | 8.90 | 1.82 | 5.11 | 9.68 | |
Pop | 2,702 | 3,080 | 17,444 | 1,514 | 3,450 | 13,804 | 1,390 | 1,465 | 11,402 | 3,228 | 3,522 | 20,019 | 3,827 | 2,641 | 34,798 | 3,835 | 5,973 | 40,425 | 5,326 | 8,267 | 46,947 | 4,928 | 9,507 | 44,880 | ||
Total | % | 2.80 | 1.96 | 1.40 | 2.37 | 3.46 | 4.45 | 5.86 | 6.44 | |||||||||||||||||
Pop | 23,226 | 18,768 | 14,257 | 26,769 | 41,266 | 50,233 | 60,540 | 59,315 |
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Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș based on the 1992 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
-
Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș based on the 2002 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
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Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș based on the 2011 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
Culture
Theatres and orchestras
- Târgu Mureș National Theatre is the continuator of the Székely Theater established in 1946 by Miklós Tompa; it has two language sections, Hungarian and Romanian
- Tamási Áron Theatre in Sfântu Gheorghe, established in 1948
- Ariel Theatre for Children and Youth in Târgu Mureș, established in 1949 (Hungarian and Romanian sections)
- Târgu Mureș State Philharmonic Orchestra, established in 1950
- Figura Stúdió Theatre in Gheorgheni (1990)
- Csíki Játékszín Municipal Theatre in Miercurea Ciuc (1998)
- Tomcsa Sándor Theatre in Odorheiu Secuiesc (1998)
Mass media
Public
- TVR Târgu Mureș(Hungarian and Romanian sections)
- Radio Târgu Mureș (Hungarian and Romanian sections)
Private
- Erdély TV (Târgu Mureș)
- Erdély FM (Târgu Mureș)
- Radio GaGa (Târgu Mureș)
- Sepsi Rádió (Sfântu Gheorghe)
- Siculus Rádió (Târgu Secuiesc)
Education
- Teleki Library in Târgu Mureș (1802)
- University of Medicine, Pharmacy, Science and Technology of Târgu Mureș(1945)
- Târgu Mureș University of Arts (1946)
- Sapientia University (2001) (in Târgu Mureș and Miercurea Ciuc)
The following is a list of the most known high schools of each city:
- Târgu-Mureş/Marosvásárhely: Bolyai Farkas, Unirea, Alexandru Papiu Ilirian[45]
- Sovata/Szováta:Domokos Kázmér[46]
- Odorheiu-Secuiesc/Székelyudvarhely: Tamási Áron, Benedek Elek [47]
- Cristuru-Secuiesc/Székelykeresztúr: Orbán Balázs[48]
- Miercurea Ciuc/Csíkszereda: Márton Áron, Octavian Goga[49]
- Gheorgheni/Gyergyószentmiklós: Salamon Ernő[50]
- Topliţa/Maroshévíz: O. C. Tăslăuanu[51]
- Sfântu-Gheorghe/Sepsiszentgyörgy: Székely Mikó, Mihai Viteazul, Mikes Kelemen[52]
- Târgu-Secuiesc/Kézdivásárhely: Nagy Mózes[53]
- Covasna/Kovászna: Kőrösi Csoma Sándor[54]
Those in italic have the Romanian language as their medium of instruction.
Sport
The Székely ice hockey team Sport Club of Csíkszereda, with mainly home trained, local players (Székelys), plays simultaneously in the Erste League (Hungarian League) and in the Romanian Ice Hockey Championship. Starting with the 2010/2011 season, the Sport Club ice hockey team participated at the championships under the name HSC Csíkszereda and that year it won its first Erste League title as well.
The team's main achievements so far: The Romanian Championship (fifteen times winner): 1949, 1952, 1957, 1960, 1963, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013. The Romanian Cup (ten times winner): 1950, 1952, 1995, 2001, 2003, 2006, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2014. Pannonian League (one-time winner): 2004. Erste League (one-time winner): 2011.[55]
The majority of the Romanian men's national ice hockey team consist of Székely players. The national team are ranked 28th in the 2010 IIHF World Rankings and currently compete in Division IIA.
The
Tourist attractions
- Székely fortified churches – more than 20 Székely villages count fortified churches
- Baroque church at Șumuleu Ciuc (Csíksomlyó), a major Roman Catholic pilgrimage site
- Rural tourism
- Hiking in the Carpathians
- Mofette, spas
- thermal baths
- Salt mines(treatment against allergy and asthma)
- Traditional Székely handicrafts (pottery, wood carving)
- Mikó Castle
- Kálnoky Castle
- Teleki Library
- Székely National Museum (Muzeul Național Secuiesc/Székely Nemzeti Múzeum), Sfântu Gheorghe/Sepsiszentgyörgy
- Székely Museum of Ciuc (Muzeul Secuiesc al Ciucului/Csíki Székely Múzeum), Miercurea-Ciuc/Csíkszereda
Image gallery
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Pottery shop inCorund/
Korond -
Mountains surrounding the Red Lake
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A typical Székely gate in Remetea/Gyergyóremete
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Decorated wooden weaving tool from the Székely Land
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Kürtőskalács, a local treat
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Salt-water lake in Sovata/Szováta
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Bretcu/Bereck
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Alexander Csoma de Kőrös' statue in Covasna/Kovászna
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Sacrifice cup – Csíkszentmihályi Sándor family
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Székely flag flying above the Hungarian Parliament Building, Budapest
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Demonstration in Budapest on the Székely Freedom Day
See also
- Hungarians in Romania
- Magyar Autonomous Region
- Csángó Land
- Partium
- Szekler National Council
- Székely himnusz
- Székely Land football team
Notes
- 1.^ "The Romanian hatred of Hungarians reminds us of the Croatian hatred of Serbs. Olteanu's method was to decapitate the men "by the use of axes" or impale them in front of their families" (Eric Markusen, David Kopf, The Holocaust and strategic bombing: genocide and total war in the twentieth century, Westview Press, 1995, p. 116)
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External links
- Székely Anthem
- Szeklerland Portal Archived 2016-04-22 at the Wayback Machine
- Szekler National Council Archived 2020-12-30 at the Wayback Machine
- The Population of Covasna and Harghita Counties. Aspects of Interethnic Co-Existence
- Kézdi.Infó Digital Community Service