Toward a New Central Europe

THE SITUATION OF HUNGARIANS IN TRANSYLVANIA AND RUMANIA

Memorandum of the American Transylvanian Federation

The so-called Trianon Peace Treaty, forced upon Hungary on June 4, 1920, gave Transylvania - which was part of Hungary for 1,000 years - to Rumania, placing 1,750,000 Hungarians and 500,000 Germans under Rumanian sovereignty.

The rights of the Hungarians and Germans in Transylvania were guaranteed by the Paris Treaty of December 19, 1919, concluded between the Allied Powers and Rumania. The execution of the sections concerning the treatment of minorities left much to be desired up to 1940, while the whole of Transylvania belonged to Rumania.

In August 1940, the Vienna Arbitration which was requested by Rumania, returned to Hungary the northern half of Transylvania. Following the Second World War, the Allied Powers in the peace treaties with Hungary and Rumania placed this area again under Rumanian sovereignty. The rights of the Hungarian and German populations were guaranteed by the 1947 Paris Peace Treaty with Rumania in the following:

"Treaty of Peace with Romania by Allied and Associated Powers." Part I. Frontiers. Article 2. "The frontier between Rumania and Hungary as it existed on January 1938, is hereby restored." Part II. Political clauses. Section 1. Art. 3.

1.) Rumania shall take all measures necessary to secure to all persons under Rumanian jurisdiction,, without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion, the enjoyment of human rights and of the fundamental freedoms- including freedom of expres sion, of press and publication, of religious worship, of political opinion and of public meeting.

2.) Rumania further undertakes that the laws in force in Rumania shall not, either in their content or in their application, discrim inate or entail discrimination between persons of Rumanian

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nationality on the ground of their race, sex, language or religion, whether in reference to their persons, property,, business, pro fessional or financial interests, status, political or civil rights or any other matter."

The United Nations Resolution of December 1948 on Human Rights defined exactly the general and unalienable human rights.

On the basis of these international guarantees we request the safeguarding of human and minority rights of Hungarians in Transylvania

1.) Rumania must grant local autonomy to regions inhabited by Hungarian majorities and restore the original Hungarian Autonomous Region comprising the four "Sekel" counties. All officials assigned to regions populated by non-Rumanians should belong to the local majority or at least be fluent in speaking and writing the language of the respective local majority.

2.) Free and uninhibited use of the mother tongues of all minorities in all walks of life, including administration and judicial procedures, stores and factories, collective farms and co-operative organizations, railroads and post offices.

3.) Education in the mother tongue. The teaching staff of minority schools should belong to the respective ethnic groups, excepting instructors of Rumanian and possibly Russian languages.

The former independence of Hungarian schools presently incorporated into Rumanian institutions shall be restored under Hungarian teachers. The Hungarian Bolyai University of Cluj and the College of Medicine and Pharmacy at Targu-Mures shall be restored in their independent and Hungarian character.

Freedom of religious practices in minority languages, theological education and assignment of priests, ministers, and rabbis by their churches and synagogues without interference by the Rumanian authorities .

4.) Preservation of Hungarian cultural institutions and organizations. These should be under the direction of ethnic Hungarians and should employ Hungarians only.

The libraries and archives of Hungarian cultural and educational institutions which were expropriated and presently are in danger of slow destruction must be promptly restored to their rightful owners.

Existing or future cultural agreements should also cover the minorities, and student exchange programs should include persons from the minorities according to population ratios. The selection of students, doctors, and scientists should be left to the discretion of the corresponding minority institutions.

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Toward a New Central Europe