Székely Land

As Szekely (Hungarian Székely, Romanian Ţinutul Secuiesc or Secuime, latin Terra Siculorum ) is called, where the Székely, a Hungarian- speaking ethnic group settling, the area to the east of Transylvania in Romania.

Geography

The historical Székely Land is located in the eastern part of the Transylvanian Basin, within the Carpathian arch, partly in the Eastern Carpathians in the central part of Romania. The area includes the major part of today's Romanian counties of Harghita and Covasna, the middle part of the circle Mureş, smaller parts of the circles Alba and Cluj ( the villages of the former Szeklerstuhls Aranyos to the community Unirea ( Oberwinz ) ), as well as individual communities of the circles Neamţ ( Bicazu Ardelean, Bicaz Chei and Damuc ) and Bacau ( Ghimes - Făget ).

The cultural and political center of the Székely Land was formerly the city Székelyudvarhely ( Odorheiu Secuiesc ) west of Harghita Mountains. Other important places were Marosvásárhely ( Târgu Mureş ), Csíkszereda ( Miercurea Ciuc ) and Sepsiszentgyörgy ( Sfântu Gheorghe ). Today Targu Mures is considered the political, economic and cultural center of the Székely in Transylvania.

Population

In the circles Harghita, Covasna and Mureş lived in 2002 a total of about 1.13 million inhabitants; 670,000 of these were Hungary (about 59%, most of them Székely ) and 407,000 Romanians ( 36%). In the circles of Harghita and Covasna the proportion of Hungarian-speaking population was 84.6 % and 73.8 % in Mureş at 39.3%.

In 1910 lived in the same area about 777 340 inhabitants, of whom 542 400 were Hungarians (about 69 %, most of them Székely ) and 183,000 Romanians ( 23%). In the areas of the circles Harghita and Covasna the proportion of Hungarian-speaking population was 92.7 % and 87.4 %, in the area of the circle Mureş at 48.8 %.

History

In the medieval Kingdom of Hungary and the Principality or the Grand Duchy of Transylvania had the Szeklerstühle - judicial and local authorities in the Székely, who had emerged by the 14th century - a far-reaching autonomy (similar to the seven chairs of the Saxons on crown land ). By 1876 there were in the Székely Land (apart from temporary reclassifications ) chairs (Hungarian szék ):

• Maros ( Mures ) - capital Marosvásárhely
• Udvarhely ( Oderhellen ) - Székelyudvarhely main town, with limited autonomous branch chairs Keresztúr (cross) - the main town Székelykeresztúr
• Bardócz ( Bardotz ) - capital Bardócz (from the 17th century )

• Gyergyó ( Niklas market ) - the main town Gyergyószentmiklós
• Kászon - capital Kászonújfalu ( Neudorf )

• Sepsi - capital Sepsiszentgyörgy, with the partial chair Miklósvár ( Nickelsburg )
• Kézdi - capital Kézdivásárhely
• Orbai - capital of Covasna

After the Austro- Hungarian Compromise and the reintegration of Transylvania in the Kingdom of Hungary in 1867, the Szeklerstühle were disbanded and reorganized into counties, which they lost their autonomous status. Since the local government reform of the Transylvanian administrative units of 1876, the Székely land distributed to the counties:

• Maros - Torda with administrative headquarters Marosvásárhely
• Csík with administrative headquarters Csíkszereda
• Udvarhely with administrative headquarters Székelyudvarhely
• Háromszék with administrative headquarters Sepsiszentgyörgy
• Torda - Aranyos with administrative headquarters Torda

After the First World War, Transylvania was slammed together Székelyföld the 1920 Treaty of Trianon Romania. The county existed until 1925 more than Comitate under the Romanian name:

• Mureş - Turda with administrative headquarters Târgu Mureş
• Ciuc with Miercurea Ciuc administrative headquarters
• Odorhei with administrative headquarters Odorheiu Secuiesc
• Trei scaune with administrative headquarters Sfântu Gheorghe
• Turda - aries with administrative headquarters Turda

With the Second Vienna Award of 1940, Hungary was under German pressure, the northern part of Transylvania with Székelyföld again for 4 years back. 1944, the Székely Land was first occupied by the Red Army and the Romanians; Romania then took over again the government for these territories. In the Paris Peace Conference of 1946, the Hungarian- Romanian border from the pre-war period has been restored.

Between 1952 and 1968, the territory of the Soviet model an autonomous Hungarian province (Romanian Regiunea Autónoma Maghiară, Hungarian Magyar autonomous Tartomány ) within Romania dar. today consists of many of the local Székely desire again to call an autonomous province in life to the effective to protect rights of the Magyar minority. However, these plans are meeting the official Romanian side has largely rejected; it is feared that such autonomy could represent the territorial integrity of Romania in question.