Dokumented Facts ...

land between the lower Danube and the Southern Carpathians, into which migrating Vlach herdsmen were previously allowed to settle. However, the Vlachs, being nomadic people, kept on roaming with their herds back and forth across the mountains. The CUMANS, another Scythian tribe, also related to the Hungarians, after not being able to invade the Carpathian Basin, established their country East of the Carpathians and ruled over Moldova and Vlachia until the invasion of the TARTARS (1250).

1222.

King Andras II gave the "Golden Bull", the first constitution, to the people of the Hungarian Kingdom, establishing the autonomous district system in "all the countries of the Holy Crown", and thereby granting self-government in Transylvania for the Magyar, German, and the special Szekely districts. The Szekelys, though they were also Magyars or Hungarians" enjoyed very special privileges as "border guards" since their early settling in the 10th century. The new royal decree only upheld and re-affirmed these privileges.

1234.

Pope Gregory IX sent a letter to Bela, Prince of Transylvania (later King Bela IV.( asking him "in the name of God" to grant asylum to "those poor Vlach refugees" who wished to escape the harsh rule of the Cumans.The asylum was granted, and the first three groups of Vlach immigrants entered Transylvania from the South, and were settled, under their own chieftans, in the Forgaras, Hunyad and Bansag districts, on specially designated mountain-pastures called in the royal documents as "Silva Vlachorum", Forest of the Vlachs. These Vlach immigrants, who received asylum within the Hungarian Kingdom, and others who followed later, became the ancestors of the Transylvanian Rumanians. Officially they were called VLACHS, from which the Hungarian name OLAH and the German name Wallach derived, in contradistinction to the Rumelians and later Rumanians who did not enter the Western culture-circle but stayed East and South of the Carpathians under Byzantine and later Slavic influence" finally evolving at the end of the nineteenth century into Rumania.

1241.

The Tartar invasion" led by Batu Khan, swept through Hungary. King Bela IV lost the battle of Mohi, and fled to Austria. After the Tartars left, the king returned in 1242, and began to rebuild the devastated country. Several districts, especially on the Great Hungarian Plain, were left without population, making it possible for Serbians, Vlachs and Slovaks to seep into some of these empty lands, and establish a few scattered settlements.

1247.

New Vlach refugees gained permission to enter the Hatszeg and the Maramaros districts in Transylvania.

1253.

Guillaume Rubruquis" French envoy to Bulgaria described the empire of

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Zar Michael Aszen as "reaching from the Danube river to Konstantinopel, including Vlachia in lhe lower Balkan Muuntains." Vlachia therefore still existed at that time on the Balkan, under Bulgarian domination, while those Vlachs who tried to move Northward by crossing the Danube, fell under the rule of the Cumans.

1290.

Three Hungarian landowners in the Transylvanian districts of Hunyad and Feher received permission from King Andras III to bring in some Vlach laborers "from South of the mountains."

1291.

The Assembly of Gyulafehervar recognized the Transylvanian Vlachs as a "nation"" with rights equal to other member nations under the Holy Crown.

1314.

After the downfall of Cumania, the Hungarian king Charles Robert incorporated two Vlach principalities (voievodines) "across the mountains" into the "lands of the Holy Crown". The two new principalities were named MOLDOVA and WALLACHIA.

1358.

Mark, royal archivist wrote in his chronicles concerning Transylvania: "lt is the richest part of the Hungarian Kingdom" where "Hungarian and Saxon (German) cities bloom with industry and commerce, while the fertile lands of Hungarian farmers produce good wine, fat cattle, and plenty of grain for bread. High upon the mountains Vlach herdsmen tend to their sheep, and bring down good tasting cheese to the market-places . "

1385.

A new influx of Vlach immigrants was settled into the Szilagy district, establishing ten villages on the royal estate of Aranyosmedgyes.

1443.

Under the leadership of Janos Hunyadi, Duke of Transylvania, the combined armies of Hungarian, Polish, Bosnian and Serbian Crusaders defeated the invading Turks, and Serbia was freed. A.B. Yolland writes in his book "History of Hungary" Chapter X, page 64: "Hungary was indeed fighting the battles of Christendom, and the admiration of the Christian World was lavished on her soldiers." (See Bibliography.)

1456.

Janos Hunyadi won a second victory over the Turks at Nandorfehervar (today known as Belgrade). In order to commemorate this decisive victory of Christianity over the Pagans, the Pope decreed that all church bells were to be rung from then on each day at noon, throughout the Christian world.

1458.

Mathias Corvinus, son of Janos Hunyadi, was elected king of Hungary. Under his rule Hungary again became one of the great powers of Europe. His birth-house in Kolozsvar (today Cluj-Napoca) was honored as a national shrine until the Rumanian occupation of Transylvania in 1919.

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1471.

The first book in the Hungarian language was printed by a Transylvanian Hungarian printer.

1505.

Vatican census estimated the total population of Hungary to be about four million souls, of which 77% were Hungarians, and the rest Germans, Croatians, Slovaks, Serbians and Vlachs. (In the same time the total population of England was four million also, while that of the Austrian Empire, including Bohemia and Silezia, five million, and that of France eight million.)

1516.

The first Protestant (Calvinist) congregation was established in Nagyenyed. (Today the Rumanians call it Aiud.) From here on Protestantism spread rapidly throughout Transylvania.

1526.

The invading Turks defeated the army of King Louis II in the tragic battle of Mohacs, where the king himself fell. Hungary was split up into three parts. While the central part was occupied by the Turks for 150 years, the Western section and the Northern section of the country fell into the hands of the Habsburgs, who claimed their right to the Holy Crown or Stephen's Crown on the female line, but refused to uphold the constitution for which the Crown was the symbol. Only the Eastern part, including Transylvania carried on the traditions of an independent Hungary "under freely elected Dukes" until 1690. Many historians refer to this era as the "Independent Transylvania", forgetting that in reality Transylvania was the only free part left of Hungary, a last fortress between the Habsburgs and the Turks, where the elected Dukes, exercising the office of the king, kept the peace by wisely balancing their diplomatic relations with both sides, according to the demands of necessity.

1545.

Gaspar Heltai published the complete Hungarian translation of the Bible in the city of Kolozsvar, which not only served as the Hungarian capital but also as the new cultural center. A few years later Tinodi Lantos Sebestyen published his famous "Chronicles in Verses."

1556.

The Hungarian Congress of Torda (today called Turda by the Rumanians) declared freedom of religion, stating in the new law that "everyone may follow the religion of his choice, and no one may interfere with persons professing any other faith." It was the first such law in the world.

1561.

The four Gospels of the New Testament were translated into the Vlach tongue, and published at the expense of the Hungarian landowner Miklos Forro of Brasso, thereby marking the birth of the Vlach (Rumanian) literature.

1568.

The Reverend Ferenc David established the Unitarian Church in

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Transylvania. Even today, though the Unitarian religion is widely spread all over the world, the center of the Church is still in Transylvania, where the Unitarian Bishop resides as the successor of the founder of the church, Ferenc David.

1570.

The duke Kristof Bathory established in Gyulafehervar the first Vlach printing shop in order that "culture may spread among those poor mountain-dwellers . "

1576.

The Transylvanian duke Stephen Bathory became king of Poland, creating a Polish-Hungarian alliance against the Habsburg empire.

1582.

The Hungarian nobleman Ferenc Geszthy financed the translation and publication of the OId Testament in the Vlach (Rumanian) language. 1586.

There were 18 Transylvanian Hungarian students enrolled at the Wittenberg University, and by 1640 more than 500 Transylvanians received diplomas from Wittenberg and Lynden. In the same time several world-famous scientists were teaching in Transylvanian colleges, such as Martin Opitz from Germany, John Alsted from England, Henry Bisterfeld and Isaac Basire from France.

1598.

There were 44 printing establishments working in Transylvania, producing up to this date 380 books, of which 18 were in German, 6 in Latin, 4 in Vlach, and the rest in the Hungarian language.

1600.

Michael, voievod of Wallachia, invaded Transylvania from the South, ravaging Hungarian towns and villages, until General Basta, commander of the Imperial forces of Rudolf Habsburg, defeated him. This was the first terrifying encounter of the defenseless Hungarian population with the cruel Vlach (Rumanian) savagery, of which they had to endure so much in later centuries.

1603.

Under Habsburg auspices, the military terrorism of General Basta devastated a large part of Transylvania by massacring entire villages in order to "exterminate all the Protestants."

1604.

Radu, Vlach voievod, received permission from Rudolf Habsburg to enter the country with his entire tribe and take possession of the devastated lands. However, the same year Duke Istvan Bocskay and his famous Szekely cavalry freed Transylvania as well as the Nortl1ern part of Hungary from the marauding Habsburg forces. Radu was ordered out of the country. Nevertheless, some of his people were allowed to remain, and build new Vlach (Rumanian) villages in the central region of Transylvania.

1658.

Census taken by the Jesuit Fathers showed the total population of

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Transylvania as 860,000 souls, of which about 240,000 were Vlachs.

1659.

A Tartar invasion from the East devastated the main Szamos-valley. 1664.

A new influx of Vlach immigrants entered from Moldova, brought in by Hungarian landowners to settle on the empty lands of the Szamos valley.

1690.

Emperor Luitpold Habsburg of Austria conquered Transylvania, abolished the Hungarian constitution, and turned the country into a province of Austria. The persecution of the Protestants began anew. Clergymen and schoolteachers were killed or tortured and sent to the galleys in the Mediterranian, where they died as slaves. With this, the last stronghold of the constitutional Hungarian Kingdom, Transylvania, fell into the clutches of Habsburg absolutism. All constitutional rights of the established nationalities as well as the established Protestant churches were revoked. One year later, Emperor Luitpold I officially terminated the Transylvanian principality and incorporated it as a province into the Austrian empire.

1698.

The Greek Catholic Church, known as "Uniate Church" was created through mutual agreement of Emperor and Pope. All Greek Orthodox congregations throughout the Empire were requested to join. Those who refused to join, were deprived of all contacts with their mother-church across the borders.

Prof. Haraszti writes in his book "The Ethnic History of Transylvania" (Danubian Press, 1971) on page 87: "The appearance of the Uniate Church, which was actually a handshake between Catholicism and Byzanthinism at the expense of Protestantism, represented an alliance between the Imperial conquerors and the Wallachian subjects against the Protestant Magyars. The "Divide et Impera" policy, which became a very typical Habsburg tactic in the nineteenth century, appeared for the first time in the eighteenth century in Transylvania, with this classic example.

J. Slavici, Rumanian historian writes in his book "Ardea1u1, Studiu Istoric", published in 1893: "The only cultural institution of the Rumanians ..." (meaning the Vlachs or Wallachians, since in the 17th and 18th centuries the word "Rumanian" had not yet been created) " ... was the Greek Orthodox Church, which stood under complete Balkan-Slavic influence. Even its official language was the Slavic. Thus the era of national consciousness began on1y when half of the Transylvanian Vlachs converted into the Greek Catholic religion, and our priests were able to study in Rome and Vienna." (pages 95-96)

Eugene M. Osterhaven writes on the same subject in his book "Transylvania, The Pathos of a Reformation Tradition" (Western Theological Seminary, Holland, Michigan, 1968) on page 18: "However, two thirds of the Transylvanian Rumanians resumed Orthodoxy by

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the mid-eighteenth century in spite of Habsburg attempts to keep them in the Roman fold."

C.A. Macartney states in "Hungary and Her Successors" (Oxford University Press, 1937) page 261: "The Wallachian mass lived with one foot in Hungary. Most of them were shepherds, whose periodical migration on the high mountains took them regularly across the frontiers. Most of the Transylvanian Wallachians saw Wallachia and Moldova as their real homeland, and even the agriculturalists decamped readily across the Carpathians if times were hard - just as they immigrated, as casually, when conditions were severe in Wallachia or Moldova."

1703.

Under the Duke Ferenc Rakoczi II the Hungarian people revolted against Habsburg oppression. During this famous war of liberty which lasted for eight years" many of the Vlach settlements, instigated by Habsburg agents, turned against their Hungarian hosts and neighbors, looting, burning" and massacring defenseless women and children.

1711.

The war of liberty against the Habsburgs ended in defeat. Thousands of Hungarians who fought for liberty were executed, imprisoned or deported to forced labor. Those who proved to be loyal to the Habsburg throne were rewarded by royal grants to the properties of those who were found in treason. Considerable landholdings were given this way, mostly in the central parts of Transylvania, to Vlachs who led the bloody raids against defenseless Hungarian towns and villages.

1718.

The last strip of Hungary, the Banat, was freed from the Turks. According to contemporary reports, in the entire territory, which supports today nearly one-million people, there were no more than about 700 persons to be found alive.

1719.

From Vlachia (or Wallachia) still under Turk domination, a steady stream of refugees began to migrate into the empty land of the Banat, as well as into other parts of Transylvania, where they were settled by special "Imperial decree" of the Emperor Charles III on lands confiscated from Hungarians for their participation in the liberty war.

1729.

Inocentius Micu Klein, Greek Catholic bishop, demanded for the Transylvanian Vlachs equal rights with other nationalities under the Crown. Emperor Charles III refused the demand on the grounds that "the Crown recognizes only subjects of different tongues and different religious denominations, not nationalities." Bishop Micu Klein was the first to use the word "RUMUN" instead of Vlach, and to claim LATIN origin. Until then the popular concept accepted the Slavic origin of the Vlachs, based on the use of the Slavic language in the Greek Orthodox Church as well as on the fact, established by several linguists (including Prof. Cihac, Rumanian linguist of the XX century) that 48% of the

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Rumanian language consisted of Slavic words and only 31% of the Latin.

1766.

Empress Maria Therezia, following the advice of her Transylvanian governor, extended the system of "Military Frontier Privileges", enjoyed previously only by the Szekely districts, to three Vlach districts also. This enabled Peter Aron, Bishop of the Greek Catholic Church, to establish from public funds the first Vlach highschool, and the first Vlach seminary.

1784.

The Transy1vanian Hungarian Assemb1y in Kolozsvar petitioned Emperor Joseph II to recognize the Vlachs as a "nation". Instead, the Emperor abolished even the rest of the Transylvanian constitution, dissolving the "three nation" concept. Two months later the "Vlach rebellion", led by Horia, Closka and Crisan, ignited the Central Mountain districts and the lower Maros valley.

Hugh Seton-Watson writes about it in his book "Eastern Europe" (Archon Books, England, 1962) on pages 59-60: "Rumanian historians are inclined today to treat this as a nationalist rising. But the movement was essentially a sociat revolt of the peasant masses against the structure of the feudalistic Monarchy. The rebellion brought unprecedented horror to Hungarian towns and villages. Drunk Vlachs ruthlessly tortured, maimed and murdered thousands of men, women and children. Well informed sources claimed that Horia, the master-mind of the rebellion, received instructions in Vienna from the Emperor himself, who wanted to punish the "rebellious Hungarians" for demanding the re-establishment of the Constitution and the Congress. Though the leaders of the rebellion were finally executed by the Austrian troops, the villages where the Hungarian population was killed out, were donated by special decree to the same Vlachs who did the killing. Another example of the Habsburg methods of playing one nationality group against the other."

1815.

The spirit of the French revolution penetrated the borders. The Hungarian Nationa1 Assembly, finally granted by a reluctant Emperor Francis I demanded among others the re-unification with Transylvania. The Emperor rejected the demand. C.A. Macartney writes of this era in his book "Hungary" (Edinburgh, University Press, 1962) on page 103:"The system of government in all of the Habsburg provinces was autocratic. The Transylvanian Diet was indeed convoked regularly, but it was so tightly packed with ex-officio members as to forfeit any claim to represent the people. The military administration was purely authoritarian. The democratic evolution of the Transylvanian Principality could not continue under Habsburg domination."

1822.

According to the officia1 (anti-Hungarian) census, conducted by Austrian administrative officials the total population of Transylvania proper was -1-,500,000 of which 250,000 were registered as Germans,

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-700-,000 as Rumanians and 550,000 as Hungarians. A later research, conducted by the newly established Hungarian Academy of Sciences in 1947, proved that about -100-,000 Hungarians who admitted mastering the German or the Rumanian languages also, were registered as Germans or Rumanians.

1847.

Both Houses of the Hungarian National Assemb1y passed unanimously the decision to reincorporate Transylvania into Hungary. However, negotiations with the Imperial Government on this subject became deadlocked.

1848.

The Hungarian Liberty War errupted under the leadership of Louis Kossuth. The Hungarian National Assembly proclaimed the Republic. Transylvania was re-united with the Mother-Land. The Transylvanian Assembly in Kolozsvar voted in favour of equal rights for the V1achs (Rumanians). (See: M. Ghyka "A Documented Chronology of Rumanian History" Blackwell, Oxford, 1941.)

In spite of this, the Transylvanian Vlachs again launched a well organized attack against Hungarian towns and villages, in support of the Habsburg forces. "These Wallachians committed such dreadful crimes against the elderly, women and children" wrote Mme. Lebergere, an eyewitness, whose memoirs were later published in Paris "that even the Austrians were ashamed at what was going on under their authority. The password was: total extermination of the Magyars!"

T. Karsa writes in "Remarks on the Daco-Roman theory", Toronto, 1964 page 4: "The Wallachian peasants totally exterminated the Hungarian popu1ation of Nagyenyed, Abrudbanya and Zalatna. They annihilated one half of the Hungarian population in the district of Hunyad."

1849.

In spite of all the odds the heroic armies of the Hungarian Repub1ic won every battle against the Imperial forces, until the new Emperor, the 16 years old Franz Joseph I called upon the Czar of Russia for aid. One hundred thousand Russian troops stormed into the Carpathian Basin, and the Liberty War was crushed. On October 6, thirteen Hungarian generals were executed in Arad. Thousands of others were imprisoned. An era of brutal terror and oppression descended upon the country, called the "Bach Age", referring to Baron Alexander Bach, Imperial Minister of Internal Affairs.

1858.

In the conference of Paris the powers of Europe decided to establish the "United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia" under separate but identical administrations.

These two territories were under Turk domination, ruled by Sultanappointed "hospodars", until 1829, when Russia received full control over them through the Treaty of Adrianople. The Czar became the Head of the Greek Orthodox Church and thereby the "Father of all

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Wallachians,". However in 1854 Russia was forced to evacuate the two provinces and Austrian forces took over, until the "United Principalities of Moldavia and Wallachia" were established at the Paris Conference.

1862.

Sultan Abdul Aziz allowed the fusion of the two Vlach or Wallach administrative bodies. The union of the two provinces became recognized under the new name of RUMELIA - later changed into RUMANIA.

1866.

With the approval of France and Germany (Napoleon III and Bismarc) the German Prince Charles of Hohenzollern-Siegmaringen was proclaimed king of Rumania, and a new independent country was born between Central Europe and the Balkan Peninsula.

1867.

Due to diplomatic pressure from without and the unique statesmanship of Ferenc Deak from within, emperor Franz Joseph I made peace with Hungary. Austria and Hungary became "equal partners" within the frame-work of the Austro-Hungarian dual monarchy. Constitutional parliamentary system was re-established. Transylvania again became re-united with Hungay. All "special national privileges were abolished, and the equality of all citizens proclaimed, irrespective of race, creed or language." (C.A. Macartney: Hungary and Her Successors, page 262.( The Constitution of Dec.21. 1867 was the masterpiece of liberal ideologists. It contained the complete catalogue of the basic human rights, limited the power of the government, introduced the responsibility of the cabinet, and contained directives concerning the equality of all nationalities. (Haraszti: Ethnic History of Transylvania, page 114. (The well known Rumanian scholar, Onisifor Ghibu writes in his book "Viata si organizatea bisericeasca si scolari in Transylvania" (1915): "As an autonomous body, the Rumanian Greek Oriental Church in Hungary and Transylvania, by virtue of the rights ensured in 1868, administers, directs and manages independently its own ecclesiastical and educational affairs and trust funds in every respect . .. school-inspectors have no authority over our schools . . . parents are free to send their children to the school of their choice. In all Rumanian schools in Hungary and Transylvania the language of instruction is exclusively Rumanian."

1883.

Fearing Russia, the Kingdom of Rumania enters into alliance with the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

1907.

Peasants in Moldavia rebel against the cruel treatment they have to endure from Rumanian officials. The insurrection was put down by military force and martial law proclaimed throughout the Rumanian kingdom.

1913.

Rumania declared war on Bulgaria, and took Northern Dobrudja by force.

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Dokumented Facts ...