Transylvanian Landler

As Landler or Transylvanian Landler is called the Protestants. Reign of Charles VI and Maria Theresa in the period 1734-1756, including were deported from the Austrian heartland in the only area of the Habsburg monarchy in which Protestantism was tolerated, to Transylvania near the city of Sibiu.

Political background

Reformation and Counter- Reformation forces that exert a tremendous impact in the 16th, 17th and 18th century, and this not only in the ecclesiastical field. Power and religion were closely connected, sovereign power backed by religion. At least since the Peace of Augsburg of 1555, the denomination became an instrument of the developing regional absolutism.

For the first time in direct imperial Archbishopric of Salzburg led the application of the principle of Augsburg and of Osnabrück ( Peace of Westphalia 1648) " cuius regio, eius religio " for the expulsion of those who by faith in the country gentlemen could not be converted, and here the Protestants. 1684/85 exiled Prince Bishop Max Gandolf von Kuenburg inhabitants of his principality because of their faith, 1731/32 sales Leopold Anton von Firmian through his emigration patent supporters of Augsburgerischen denomination from its territory under the pretext that they were rebels. To this end, requested and received military support from Charles VI. , But which must have been clear that his kingdom by such evictions a considerable number proficient subjects, Sogn. " Kontribuenten ", hence taxpayers, to his most important rival, Friedrich Wilhelm I of Prussia, lost.

Despite this, drew attention to his daughter Maria Theresa, who in 1740 took over the rule in the Habsburg lands, some time after her accession to the question of the unity of faith of their subjects, and they decided to fight against Protestantism in order - at least in the Austrian hereditary lands - to ensure a homogeneous religious ( Roman Catholic ) population.

The Transmigration

The deportation of Protestants under Charles VI. from the Habsburg lands was euphemistically called " transmigration " and had its beginnings in the years 1734-1737.

There more than 800 people were deported to Transylvania, of which scarce 200 from Carinthia ( Buchinger ). The originating from the Salzkammergut " transmigrants " were settled in Southern Transylvania on the crown land. Since this area was severely depopulated by the Turkish wars and pestilence, were displaced from Upper Austria vacant farms in the communities Großpold in the undergrowth, and assigned in Großau and Neppendorf in Sibiu. The remaining Landler outside of these three villages assimilated quickly to the Transylvanian Saxons. Some families of the Landler ( Kleinsasser, Hofer, Waldner, Wurz and Glanzer ) closed around 1762 Anabaptist Hutterites to who emigrated to Russia and finally to North America later.

The country was economically severely damaged large tracts of land were devastated, depopulated whole villages. The proposed settlement in the depopulated villages of the Transylvanian Saxons first came across little enthusiasm for the local population, but gave himself up as soon as a very advantageous decision out.

1752-1756 were made more transmigration, during which more than 2,000 people from the so-called " Mooslandl ", the core region of Upper Austria (roughly equivalent to the area between Wels, Gmunden and Vöcklabruck ) and more than 1,100 of Inner Austria, ie from Carinthia and Styria, after Transylvania were deported. There, the population had risen again but in the meantime - including through the increased sedentarization of Romanians on the crown land - and there was hardly abandoned farms. It could be only those deportees settle in this late stage in the Saxon villages that had enough money. The others settled in cities, if they survived the first Notjahre.

For the settlement of transmigration, a large building complex was built in 1754 in the suburb of Sibiu was named the Theresianumgasse (similar to the Fuggerei in Augsburg). Before this building is a memorial to its founder Maria Theresa.

Special

In the Landler Neppendorf communities, Cristian and Großpold the newcomers did not mix with the local Transylvanian Saxons. So the Austrian- German dialect, the Landlerische, to this day has remained and is maintained in both the emigrated to Germany as well as of the few remaining in the country villages landlerischen learning.

In two communities in Großpold and Neppendorf, presented the Landler in time the majority of the German people.

The political representation of the Landler and the other German-speaking groups in present-day Romania, the DFDR ( Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania ). Your today 's most influential representatives in Transylvania is Bottesch Martin, the county council president of the circle Sibiu.