NationMaster - Encyclopedia: Hungarian minority in Romania

The Hungarian minority of Romania is the largest ethnic minority in Romania, consisting of 1,431,807 people and making up 6.6% of the total population, according to the 2002 census. Image File history File links Hungarians_Romania2. ... Image File history File links Hungarians_Romania2. ...

For historic reasons, most ethnic Hungarians of Romania live in what is today known as Transylvania, where they make up about 19% of the population.^[1] This area that includes the historic regions of Banat, Crişana and Maramureş. Hungarians form a large majority of the population in the counties of Harghita and Covasna, and a large percentage in Mureş (39.3%), Satu Mare (35.22%), Bihor (25.91%), Sălaj (23.07%), Cluj (17.4%) and Arad (10.70%) counties. This article is about the Hungarian ethnic group. ... This article is about the region in Romania. ... Location of Banat in Europe Map of the Banat region with largest cities shown The Banat (Romanian: Banat, Serbian: Ð‘Ð°Ð½Ð°Ñ‚ or Banat, Hungarian: BÃ¡nÃ¡t or BÃ¡nsÃ¡g, German: Banat, Slovak: BanÃ¡t, Bulgarian: Ð‘Ð°Ð½Ð°Ñ‚) is a geographical and historical region of Central Europe currently divided between three countries: the... CriÅŸana is a region of west Romania, near the border with Hungary, named after the three CriÅŸ rivers that flow through it. ... Map of Romania with MaramureÅŸ region highlighted The MaramureÅŸ region (Hungarian: MÃ¡ramaros; Latin: Marmatia; Ukrainian: ÐœÐ°Ñ€Ð¼Ð°Ñ€Ð¾Ñ‰Ð¸Ð½Ð°, MarmaroÅ¡Äyna) is in the north of Romania, north of Transylvania along the Tisza River. ... Facts Development region: Centru Historic region: Transylvania Capital city: Miercurea-Ciuc Population: â€¢ As of 2002: â€¢ Population density: 326,222 52/kmÂ² Area: 6,639 kmÂ² Codes: â€¢ Car numbers â€¢ ISO 3166-2:RO HR RO-HR Telephone code: (+40) x66 (1) Web: County Council Prefecture 1. ... Administrative map of Romania with Covasna county highlighted Covasna (Hungarian: Kovászna) is a county (Judeţ) in Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Sfântu Gheorghe/Sepsiszentgörgy (population: 67,108), known in Hungarian as Sepsiszentgyörgy. ... MureÅŸ (Hungarian: Maros) is a Romanian county (JudeÅ£) in Transylvania, with the capital city at TÃ¢rgu MureÅŸ, (population: 165,835). ... Satu Mare (Hungarian: SzatmÃ¡r) is a county (judeÅ£) in North-Western Romania, in the North of Transylvania region - between MaramureÅŸ region and CriÅŸana region, with its capital city at Satu Mare (population: 130,573). ... Bihor (IPA: ), in Hungarian: Bihar (IPA: ), is a county (judeÅ£) of Romania, in CriÅŸana, with capital city at Oradea. ... SÄƒlaj (Hungarian: SzilÃ¡gy) is a county (judeÅ£) in North-Western Romania, in the Transylvania region, with the capital city at ZalÄƒu (population: 71,580). ... Cluj may refer to Cluj County, Romania Cluj-Napoca, county seat of Cluj County, named Cluj until 1974 Category: ... Facts Development region: Vest Historic region: Transylvania Population: â€¢ As of 2002: â€¢ Population density: 461,791 60/kmÂ² Area: 7,754 kmÂ² Codes: â€¢ Car numbers â€¢ ISO 3166-2:RO AR RO-AR Telephone code: (+40) x57 (1) Web: County Council Prefecture 1. ...

History

Historical background

The first Magyar presence on the present-day territory of Romania and Moldova was recorded in what became Moldavia, were settlements were established in the 8th-9th centuries, when the nomadic tribes of briefly settled in that area (see Etelköz). The last remains of early Magyar presence in that area vanished during the Mongol invasion of Europe. Political dominance over the region, regained during the first decades of the 14th century, was reflected in an toponyms of likely Hungarian origin - Bacău - Bákó, Suceava - Szűcsvár, the Moldovan Orhei - Örhely, etc.). A Roman Catholic Hungarian community was settled in Moldavia during and after the period, on the Siret and Trotuş valleys (see also Cotnari); a possible consequence of this presence was the emergence of the Csángó community. This is an article about the history of Transylvania // Ancient History: Transylvania as the heartland of the Dacian state Dacian Kingdom, during the rule of Burebista, 82 BC Herodotus gives an account of the Agathyrsi, who lived in Transylvania during the 5th century BC. A kingdom of Dacia was in... For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ... Communities of nomadic people move from place to place, rather than settling down in one location. ... The EtelkÃ¶z or Atelkuzu was an area settled by the Magyars from the mid-9th century to circa 895 CE when they were driven west by the Pechenegs and occupied the Carpathian Basin. ... The Mongol invasions of Europe were centered in their destruction of the Ruthenian states, especially Kiev, under the leadership of Subutai. ... To meet Wikipedias quality standards, this article or section may require cleanup. ... Hungarian (magyar nyelv ) is a Finno-Ugric language (more specifically an Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. ... County BacÄƒu County Status County capital Mayor Romeo Stavarache, National Liberal Party, since 2004 Area 41 kmÂ² Population (2002) 175,500 181,144 - National Institute of statistics, July 1, 2004 Density 5133 inh/kmÂ² Geographical coordinates Web site http://www. ... Location of Suceava Coordinates: , Country County Status County capital Government - Mayor Ion Lungu (National Liberal Party) Area - County capital 52 kmÂ² (20. ... County Raionul Orhei Status County capital Mayor Ion Åžarban Population (2004) 25,680 Density ? inh/kmÂ² Geographical coordinates 47Â°23â€² N 28Â°49â€² E Web site ? Orhei (Yiddish: Uriv - ××•×¨×™×°, Russian Orgeyev - ÐžÑ€Ð³ÐµÐµÐ²) is a town and an administrative region of Moldova with a population of 25,680. ... The Roman Catholic Church in Romania is part of the worldwide Roman Catholic Church, under the spiritual leadership of the Pope and curia in Rome. ... The Siret River is a river that rises from the Carpathians in the Northern Bukovina region of the Ukraine, flows southward into Romania for 470 km before it joins Danube. ... TrotuÅŸ is river in the East of Romania that rises from the Ciuc Mountains in the Eastern Carpathians and joins the Siret River after passing through ComÄƒneÅŸti and OneÅŸti in BacÄƒu County. ... Cotnari is a village and the center of the eponymous commune in IaÅŸi County, Romania, in the informal region of Moldova; the commune also includes the village of CÃ¢rjoaia. ... Approximate area in eastern Romania inhabited by CsÃ¡ngÃ³s The CsÃ¡ngÃ³ (Romanian: CeangÄƒu, plural CeangÄƒi) are an ethnic group of Roman Catholic faith, some speaking a Hungarian dialect and some Romanian. ...

After the Magyar tribes invaded the Pannonian basin (in 896), they also conquered Transylvania in the 11th century; the latter which became an autonomous province under the rule of either a prince from the ruling, Árpád dynasty or a member of the nobility of the Hungarian Kingdom until the Ottoman victory over Hungary in the Battle of Mohács (1526). Position of the Roman province of Pannonia Pannonia is an ancient country bounded north and east by the Danube, conterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. ... Events The Bulgarians, under Simeon I, defeat the Byzantine Empire at Bulgarophygon. ... This article is about the region in Romania. ... The Arpads or ÃrpÃ¡ds (Hungarian: ÃrpÃ¡dok, Slovak: ArpÃ¡dovci, Croatian: ArpadoviÄ‡i) was a dynasty ruling in historic Hungary from the late 9th century to 1301 (with some interruptions, e. ... This article deals with some titles of the nobility and royalty in the Kingdom of Hungary. ... Ottoman redirects here. ... // Combatants Ottoman Empire Kingdom of Hungary Commanders Suleiman I Louis II of Hungary â€ PÃ¡l Tomori â€ GyÃ¶rgy ZÃ¡polya Strength ~ 100,000 supported by 10,000 to 20,000 irregulars 160 to 300 cannons ~ 25,000 to 28,000 53 cannons (85 initial) John ZÃ¡polyas 8,000...

After the conflict, Hungary became divided into three parts: Royal Hungary came to be ruled by the Habsburg Monarchy, conquered Hungary became part of the Ottoman Empire, while Transylvania became an autonomous principality under Ottoman influence, ruled mostly by Hungarian Princes. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (967x519, 384 KB)Map showing the distribution of Magyars inside Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1911. ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (967x519, 384 KB)Map showing the distribution of Magyars inside Austro-Hungarian Empire in 1911. ... This article or section does not cite its references or sources. ... Consequences of the Battle of MohÃ¡cs, and the conquest of Buda in 1541 by the Ottomans: the Kingdom is partitioned. ... The Habsburg Monarchy, often called Austrian Monarchy or simply Austria, are the territories ruled by the Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg, and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine, between 1526 and 1867/1918. ... A principality is a monarchical feudatory or sovereign state, ruled or reigned over by a Monarch with the title of prince or princess (a synonym is princedom) or (in the widest sense) a Monarch with another title within the generic use of the term prince. ... List of rulers of Transylvania, from the first mention of a ruler in the tenth century, until 1867. ...

By the 18th century, the Habsburg Monarchy had conquered most of the former Hungarian part of the Ottoman Empire. After the independence war of Francis II Rákóczi failed to emancipate in Hungary in 1711, Habsburg control over Transylvania could be consolidated, and the princes of Transylvania were replaced with Austrian governors. During the Hungarian revolution of 1848 the union of Transylvania with Hungary was proclaimed by the Transylvanian Diet; this claim was, however, not supported by Romanians and Saxons of Transylvania, whose political representatives became involved in an armed conflict with the Honvédség. After the revolution's defeat 1849, Transylvania was again subject to direct control from Vienna. With the Ausgleich of 1867 Transylvania became part of the refounded Hungarian Kingdom within the Astro-Hungarian Empire. Francis II RÃ¡kÃ³czi Francis II RÃ¡kÃ³czi (Borsi, March 27, 1676 - Rodosto, Ottoman Empire, April 8, 1735) was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince (fejedelem) of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. ... 1711 (MDCCXI) was a common year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar (or a common year starting on Monday of the 11-day slower Julian calendar). ... The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 was one of many revolutions that year and closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. ... The Transylvanian Saxons (German: ; Hungarian: ; Romanian: ) are a people of German origin who settled in Transylvania (German: ) from the 12th century onwards. ... The HonvÃ©dsÃ©g (lit. ... For other uses, see Vienna (disambiguation). ... The German term Ausgleich (Hungarian kiegyezÃ©s) refers to the compromise or composition of February 1867 that established the Dual Monarchy of Austria-Hungary, which was signed by Franz Joseph of Austria and a Hungarian delegation led by Ferenc DeÃ¡k. ... Map of the Austro-Hungarian Empire: the lighter green shows Hungary proper and the darker green shows autonomous Croatia-Slavonia within Hungary. ... Austria-Hungary, also known as the Dual monarchy (or: the k. ...

Although mostly controlled by Hungarians during the last millennium, Transylvania had been a multi-ethnic region with Hungarian, Romanian and Saxon inhabitants since medieval times. In spite of Magyarization policies of the Hungarian government by the end of the 19th century, ethnic Romanians were in the majority. This article does not cite its references or sources. ...

After 1918

The interwar period

On December 1, 1918, a large assembly of Romanians of Transylvania met at Alba Iulia and called for a union with Romania, promising minority rights for all ethnic groups. The Romanians, who formed a majority of the population, were also joined by Saxons. In response, the Hungarian General Assembly of Cluj reaffirmed the loyalty of Transylvanian Hungarians to Hungary on December 22, 1918. The National Assembly in Alba Iulia (December 1, 1918) Union of Transylvania with Romania was declared on December 1 [O.S. November 18] 1918. ... is the 335th day of the year (336th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ... Alba Iulia (Hungarian: Gyulafeh r, German: Karlsburg) is a city in Alba county, Transylvania, Romania with a population of 66,369, located on the Mureş river. ... is the 356th day of the year (357th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1918 (MCMXVIII) was a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar (see link for calendar) or a common year starting on Wednesday of the Julian calendar. ...

Following WWI, with a disintegrated Austrian-Hungarian army and revolutions taking place in Budapest, Hungary could not resist the Romanian armed forces acting on behalf of the winning Entente powers, and gradually lost territories, including Transylvania, during 1918-1919. In 1919, the intervention of the Romanian army put an end to the intentions of the Communist government of Béla Kun to re-capture Transylvania. The Triple Entente was the alliance formed in 1907 between the United Kingdom, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente. ... BÃ©la Kun BÃ©la Kun (born BÃ©la Kohn) (February 20, 1886, in SzilÃ¡gycseh, today Cehu Silvaniei, Transylvania, Romania, died August 29, 1938 in the Soviet Union) was a Hungarian Communist politician, who ruled Hungary for a brief period in 1919. ...

The Romanian intention of unifying Transylvania with the Kingdom of Romania was supported by the Entente powers. In 1920, the unification was ratified, and border lines were finalised by the Treaty of Trianon. As a result, the more than 1.5 million-strong Hungarian minority of Transylvania found itself becoming a minority group within Romania. The same event was seen by ethnic Romanians in Transylvania as a liberation from their former minority status within the Kingdom of Hungary. From 1859 to 1877, Romania evolved from a personal union of two vassal principalities (Moldavia and Wallachia) under a single prince to a full-fledged independent kingdom with a Hohenzollern monarchy. ... The negotiations on June 4, 1920. ... This article does not cite any references or sources. ...

About 197,000 Transylvanian Hungarians fled to Hungary between 1918 and 1922,^[2] and a further 169,000 emigrated over the remainder of the interwar period.^[3] In 1921, the Popular Hungarian Party and National Hungarian Party were formed, which later will fuse to form the Hungarian Party of Romania.

The new regime's objective became to effectively Romanianize Transylvania in a social-political fashion, after centuries of Hungarian rule. The regime's goal was to create a Romanian middle and upper class that would assume power in all fields. The Hungarian language was expunged from official life, and all place-names were Romanianized.^[3] In the land reform undertaken in 1921, Transylvanian nobles (most of them ethnic Hungarians) were dispossessed of large domains, and the land was given to the peasants that worked it (the majority of whom were ethnic Romanians). The move changed the ethnic distribution of land ownership.

The Magyar population complained about the insufficiency of schools in their language and the pressure to send their children to Romanian language schools. In the private economy the commanding position of Hungarian, Jewish and Saxon was somewhat eroded, as the government tried to improve the relative position of the Romanian enterprise with preferential measures. Higher education was completely Romanianized, except for a chair of Hungarian Literature at the University of Cluj. On the other hand, the minority's cultural activities met with little official hindrance.^[3]

World War II

In 1940, the joint German/Italian Second Vienna Award gave back Northern Transylvania to Hungary, which held it until 1944. The award was intended to partly compensate Hungary for the territories lost with the Trianon Treaty, and ensure its continued loyalty towards Germany and Italy. However, it was again simply a re-drawing of national borders in a multi-ethnic region, without providing a real solution. Historian Keith Hitchins^[4] summarizes the situation created by the award: The Second Vienna Award was the second of two Vienna Awards. ... Read carefully- a chauvinist bias included! Romania with Northern Transylvania highlighted in yellow Northern Transylvania is a part of Transylvania which, after separation from Hungary in 1920 by the Trianon (Versailles) Treaty, was awarded by Germany and Italy to Hungary in line with the Vienna Awards of 1940. ... The negotiations on June 4, 1920. ...

During this period, some members of the Hungarian minority participated in discriminating policies and harassment against the Romanian population. There were also atrocities by Romanians in 1944,^[5]^[6] leading to a chaotic situation until the Petru Groza government took control of it in 1945. Petru Groza (December 7, 1884 - January 7, 1958) was a Romanian politician, best know as Prime Minister of the first Communist Party-dominated governments under Soviet occupation during the early stages of the Communist regime in Romania. ...

When World War II ended, another ca. 150,000 Hungarians sought refuge in Hungary.^{[citation needed]} Combatants Allied powers: China France Great Britain Soviet Union United States and others Axis powers: Germany Italy Japan and others Commanders Chiang Kai-shek Charles de Gaulle Winston Churchill Joseph Stalin Franklin Roosevelt Adolf Hitler Benito Mussolini Hideki TÅjÅ Casualties Military dead: 17,000,000 Civilian dead: 33,000...

After World War II

After the war, in 1952, a Hungarian Autonomous Province was created in Romania by the communist authorities. The region was dissolved in 1968, when a new administrative organization (the one still in place) was applied. map of Hungarian Autonomous Province map of Hungarian Autonomous Province Hungarian Autonomous Province was autonomous region in the Romanian Peoples Republic between 1952 and 1968. ...

The early communist party of Romania heavily relied on non-Romanian elements, among which were many Hungarians (many of whom were of Jewish origin). Under the first decades of Communist power, the situation of the Hungarian minority improved: a few Hungarian newspapers and theaters were created, etc.

Merging of Hungarian schools with Romanian ones began in 1959 and was completed in the mid-1980s. Teaching staff were progressively Romanianized in the wake of this consolidation, so that the proportion of Magyar children educated in their mother tongue steadily declined. In 1959, the Magyar University of Cluj was merged with the Romanian one to become an almost exclusively Romanian language institution; the event was marked by the suicide of several Magyar professors. Ethnic Hungarians were progressively excluded from the administrative apparatus of the regime, the officer corps, and economic management. In the 1980s even Magyar educational and cultural studies became headed by ethnic Romanians.^[3]

Once Ceauşescu came to power, emphasis was put on nationalism, and the situation of the Hungarian minority worsened. Education in history became focused on the Romanian history of Transylvania and omitted the role played by Hungarians. Bennett Kovrig summarizes the situation in his study Partitioned Nation: Hungarian Minorities in Central Europe:

The regime discriminated ethnic minorities. Few members of these minorities were co-opted in party structures and administration, and many were stripped of their functions. However, mere expulsion was not the main objective of the regime. For instance, West Germany and Israel were obliged to pay a per capita ransom for the Ceauşescu regime to accept the emigration of Germans and Jews (however, the Jewish and German communities were rapidly depleted by emigration). Hungary didn't have the money nor the political will to follow suit.^[3] In literature, Organic unity is a concept founded by the philosopher, Plato. ... The term minority rights embodies two separate concepts: first, normal individual rights as applied to members of racial, ethnic, class, religious or sexual minorities, and second, collective rights accorded to minority groups. ...

The minority situation after 1990

In the aftermath of the Romanian Revolution of 1989, the inter-ethnic relations of Transylvania worsened. Ethnic-based political parties were constituted by both the Hungarians, which formed the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, and by the Romanian Transylvanians, who formed the Romanian National Unity Party. Ethnic conflicts, however, never occurred on a significant scale, even though some violent clashes, such as the Târgu Mureş events of 1990, did take place shortly after the fall of Ceauşescu regime. Image File history File links Download high resolution version (814x543, 77 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Hungarian minority in Romania ... Image File history File links Download high resolution version (814x543, 77 KB) File links The following pages link to this file: Hungarian minority in Romania ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (674x617, 27 KB)Ethnic map of the 3 counties in Romania (self made) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Image File history File links Download high-resolution version (674x617, 27 KB)Ethnic map of the 3 counties in Romania (self made) I, the creator of this work, hereby release it into the public domain. ... Combatants Securitate and other loyalist forces Anti-CeauÅŸescu protesters, discontented Communist party members, Romanian Army defectors Commanders Nicolae CeauÅŸescuâ€ Various independent leaders Casualties 1,104 deaths The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of riots and fighting in late December of 1989 that overthrew the... The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Hungarian: RomÃ¡niai Magyar Demokrata SzÃ¶vetsÃ©g, RMDSZ; Romanian: Uniunea DemocratÄƒ MaghiarÄƒ din RomÃ¢nia, UDMR) is a Romanian political alliance, effectively (though not officially) a party, representing ethnic Hungarians in Romania. ... The Romanian National Unity Party (Partidul Unităţii Naţionale a Românilor, PUNR) is a political party in Romania without parliamentary representation. ... TÃ¢rgu MureÅŸ (MarosvÃ¡sÃ¡rhely in Hungarian) is a city in Romania with population that is 50. ... Combatants Securitate and other loyalist forces Anti-CeauÅŸescu protesters, discontented Communist party members, Romanian Army defectors Commanders Nicolae CeauÅŸescuâ€ Various independent leaders Casualties 1,104 deaths The Romanian Revolution of 1989 was a week-long series of riots and fighting in late December of 1989 that overthrew the...

In 1995, a basic treaty on the relations between Hungary and Romania was signed. In the treaty, Hungary renounced all territorial claims to Transylvania and Romania reiterated its respect for the rights of its minorities. Relations between the two countries were transformed as Romania moved to join Hungary as a full EU member. A number of Hungarian-speaking border towns which for decades were cut off from Hungary now have virtually free movement via new border-crossings.

Since November 1996 the situation of the Hungarian minority has improved following an election which brought about a government coalition that included the Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) as a partner. Since 1996, the UDMR has been a member or supporter of every governmental coalition, including the present Justice and Truth Alliance. Political agreements have brought the gradual implementation of major advances in the official status of the Hungarian language in all localities where it is spoken by more than 20% of the population. The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Hungarian: RomÃ¡niai Magyar Demokrata SzÃ¶vetsÃ©g, RMDSZ; Romanian: Uniunea DemocratÄƒ MaghiarÄƒ din RomÃ¢nia, UDMR) is a Romanian political alliance, effectively (though not officially) a party, representing ethnic Hungarians in Romania. ... Justice and Truth (in Romanian Dreptate ÅŸi AdevÄƒr, or D.A. for short) is a political alliance comprising two political parties in Romania: the centre-right liberal National Liberal Party (PNL) and the centre-left reformist Democratic Party (PD). ...

While Hungarian newspapers, books, other publications and even broadcasting hours on public television have existed in Romania even during the Ceauşescu regime, their number and diversity has steadily and significantly increased after the 1989 revolution. The same is true for the number of elementary schools, high-schools, colleges and universities teaching in Hungarian, as well as for cultural institutions such as Hungarian theaters and opera houses funded by the Romanian state. Nicolae CeauÅŸescu (IPA , in English, sometimes (and erroneously) ) (January 26, 1918â€“December 25, 1989) was the leader of Romania from 1965 until December 1989, when a revolution and coup removed him from power. ...

Still, the ethnic rights of the minority have so far not reached the level desired by this community. There is a movement by Hungarians both for an increase in autonomy and distinct cultural development. Initiatives proposed by various Hungarian political organisations include the creation of an autonomous region in the Székelyföld, roughly corresponding to the territory of the former Hungarian Autonomous Province, and the re-establishment of an independent state-funded Hungarian-language university. Harghita, Covasna, and Mures counties within Romania SzÃ©kelyfÃ¶ld (means Szekler Land in Hungarian; Romanian: Å¢inutul Secuiesc, Latin: Terra Siculorum) is used today in a cultural-ethnographical sense, i. ... map of Hungarian Autonomous Province map of Hungarian Autonomous Province Hungarian Autonomous Province was autonomous region in the Romanian Peoples Republic between 1952 and 1968. ...

Politics

The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania (UDMR) is the major representative of Hungarians in Romania, and is a member of the Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization. The aim of the UDMR is to achieve local government, cultural and territorial autonomy and the right to self‐determination for Hungarians. UDMR is a member of the European Democrat Union (EDU) and an associated member of the European People's Party (EPP). The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Hungarian: RomÃ¡niai Magyar Demokrata SzÃ¶vetsÃ©g, RMDSZ; Romanian: Uniunea DemocratÄƒ MaghiarÄƒ din RomÃ¢nia, UDMR) is a Romanian political alliance, effectively (though not officially) a party, representing ethnic Hungarians in Romania. ... The Unrepresented Nations and Peoples Organization (UNPO) is a democratic, international organization. ...

In the 2004 legislative elections, UDMR gained 10 seats in the Romanian Senate, or 6.23% of the total vote, and 22 seats in the Chamber of Deputies (6.17% of the total vote). In 1996, UDMR became part of the National Democratic Convention coalition government, holding two ministerial portfolios in the cabinet. The party is also part of the current coalition government (2004-2008), where it holds four ministerial portfolios. Romania's vice-premier, Béla Markó, is also a member of the party. The Romanian legislative election of 2004 was held on November 28, 2004. ... Coat of Arms of The Senate of Romania The Senate of Romania (Romanian: Senat) is the upper house in Romanias bicameral parliament. ... Type Lower house President (Speaker) Bogdan Olteanu, PNL, since 2006 Number of members 332 Political groups (as of 2006 elections) PSD, PNL, PD, PRM, UDMR, PC, National minorities, Independents Meeting place Palace of the Parliament, Bucharest Web site www. ... Headline text BÃ©la MarkÃ³ (born September 8, 1951) is a Romanian writer and politician of Hungarian ethnicity. ...

(to be written about autonomy of the Székely Land movement) Harghita, Covasna, and MureÅŸ counties within Romania Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and MureÅŸ (1992 data) SzÃ©kely Land (Hungarian: SzÃ©kelyfÃ¶ld; Romanian: Å¢inutul Secuiesc, Latin: Terra Siculorum) is used today in a cultural-ethnographical sense to refer to the territories inhabited by the SzÃ©kelys, a Hungarian minority...

Autonomous SzÃ©kely Land in the medieval Hungarian Kingdom (in blue) The SzÃ©kely Land is one of the largest European regions with a significant minority ethnic group. ...

Subgroups

Székely

The Székely people are Hungarians who mainly live in an area known as Székelyföld (Ţinutul Secuiesc in Romanian), and who maintain a different set of traditions and different identity from that of other Hungarians in Romania. Based on the latest Romanian statistics, there are approximately 670,000 Székely. The SzÃ©kely or Szeklers (Hungarian: , Romanian: , German: ) ( sÃ©k-ei in pronunciation ) are a Hungarian ethnic group mostly living in Transylvania in Romania, with a significant population also living in Vojvodina, Serbia. ... Harghita, Covasna, and Mures counties within Romania SzÃ©kelyfÃ¶ld (means Szekler Land in Hungarian; Romanian: Å¢inutul Secuiesc, Latin: Terra Siculorum) is used today in a cultural-ethnographical sense, i. ... A tradition is a story or a custom that is memorized and passed down from generation to generation, originally without the need for a writing system. ...

Csángó

The Csángó (Romanian: Ceangău, pl. Ceangăi) are people of Roman Catholic faith, some speaking a Hungarian dialect and some Romanian. They live mainly in the Bacău County, Moldavia region. The Hungarian speaking Csángó settled there between the 13th and 15th centuries and are the only Hungarians living to the east of the Carpathians. They are in fact one of the oldest groups of Hungarian settlers in the whole of Romania. The ethnic background of Csángó/Ceangăi is nevertheless disputed, since, due to its active connections to the neighboring Polish kingdom and to the Papal States, Roman Catholic faith persisted in Moldavia throughout medieval times, long after Vlachs living in other Romanian provinces, closer to the Bulgarian Empire, had been completely converted to Orthodox Christianity. Along with marked cultural and ethnolinguistic differences between Hungarian-speaking and Romanian-speaking Csángó/Ceangăi, this historical background explains why some Csángó/Ceangăi claim having Hungarian while others Romanian ancestry. Csángó's have been subject to many violations of basic minority rights: Hungarian-language schools have been closed down over time, their political rights have been suppressed and they have even been subject to slow, forced nationalisation by various Romanian governments over the years. Approximate area in eastern Romania inhabited by CsÃ¡ngÃ³s The CsÃ¡ngÃ³ (Romanian: CeangÄƒu, plural CeangÄƒi) are an ethnic group of Roman Catholic faith, some speaking a Hungarian dialect and some Romanian. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... BacÄƒu (Hungarian: BÃ¡kÃ³) is a county (judeÅ£) in the center-east of Romania, in the Moldova region, with its capital city at BacÄƒu. ... For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ... Satellite image of the Carpathians. ... Over the past millennium, the territory ruled by Poland has shifted and varied greatly. ... Coat of arms Map of the Papal States; the reddish area was annexed to the Kingdom of Italy in 1860, the rest (grey) in 1870. ... The Roman Catholic Church, most often spoken of simply as the Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with over one billion members. ... For other uses of Moldavia or Moldova, see Moldova (disambiguation). ... Vlachs (also called Vallachians, Wallachians, Wlachs, Wallachs, Olahs or Ulahs, Macedonian: Ð’Ð»Ð°ÑÐ¸ Vlasi, Greek: , Albanian: VllehÃ«, Turkish: , Ukrainian: , Polish: ) is a blanket term covering several modern Latin peoples (linguistic) descending from the Latinised population in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. ... First Bulgarian Empire Second Bulgarian Empire This is a disambiguation page: a list of articles associated with the same title. ... Separate articles treat Eastern Orthodox Christianity and Orthodox Judaism. ... Topics in Christianity Movements Â· Denominations Â· Other religions Ecumenism Â· Preaching Â· Prayer Music Â· Liturgy Â· Calendar Symbols Â· Art Â· Criticism Important figures Apostle Paul Â· Church Fathers Constantine Â· Athanasius Â· Augustine Anselm Â· Aquinas Â· Palamas Â· Luther Calvin Â· Wesley Arius Â· Marcion of Sinope Archbishop of Canterbury Â· Catholic Pope Coptic Pope Â· Ecumenical Patriarch Christianity Portal This box: Christianity is...

Culture

Owing to its multicultural roots, Transylvania has a very diverse culture, in which Hungarians left probably the most distinctive mark. There is a vast network of Hungarian theaters, more than 200 years old and still functioning, and some of them, like those from Cluj-Napoca, Târgu-Mureş and Timişoara have international reputation. The number of Hungarian social and cultural organizations in Romania has greatly increased after the fall of communism, with more than 300 being documented a few years ago. There are also several puppet theatres. Professional Hungarian dancing in Romania is represented by the Maros Folk Ensemble (formerly State Szekler Ensemble) in Târgu-Mureş (Marosvásárhely in Hungarian), the Hargita Ensemble, and the Pipacsok Dance Ensemble. Other amateur popular theaters are also very important in preserving the cultural traditions. Map of Romania showing Cluj_Napoca Cluj_Napoca (Hungarian: Kolozsvár, German: Klausenburg, Latin: Claudiopolis), the seat of Cluj county, is one of the most important academic, cultural and industrial centers in Romania. ... For other uses of MureÅŸ, see MureÅŸ (disambiguation). ... County Status County Capital Mayor Gheorghe Ciuhandu, Christian-Democratic Peoples Party, since 1996 Area 129. ...

While in the past the import of books was hindered, now there are many bookstores selling books written in Hungarian. The two public wide-coverage TV stations broadcast several Hungarian programs with good audiences also from Romanians. This relative scarcity is partially compensated by private Hungarian-language television and radio stations, like DUNA-TV which is targeted for the Hungarian minorities outside Hungary, particularly Transylvania. A new TV station entitled "Transylvania" is scheduled to start soon, the project is funded mostly by Hungary but also by Romania and EU and other private associations. There are currently around 60 Hungarian-language press publications receiving state support from the Romanian Government. While their numbers dropped as a consequence of economic liberalisation and competition, there are many others private funded by different Hungarian organizations. The Székely Region has many touristic facilities that attract Hungarian and other foreign tourists. Duna TV or Duna TelevÃziÃ³ is one of two state-owned public television companies in Hungary. ... Harghita, Covasna, and MureÅŸ counties within Romania Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and MureÅŸ (1992 data) SzÃ©kely Land (Hungarian: SzÃ©kelyfÃ¶ld; Romanian: Å¢inutul Secuiesc, Latin: Terra Siculorum) is used today in a cultural-ethnographical sense to refer to the territories inhabited by the SzÃ©kelys, a Hungarian minority...

Education

According to Romania's minority rights law, Hungarians have the right to education in their native language, including as a medium of instruction, in localities where they make up more than 20% of the population. Medium of instruction is the language that is used in teaching. ...

According to the official data of the 1992 Romanian census, 98% of the total ethnic Hungarian population over the age of 12 has had some schooling (primary, secondary or tertiary), ranking them fourth among ethnic groups in Romania and higher than the national average of 95.3%. On the other hand, the ratio of Hungarians graduating from higher education is lower than the national average. The reasons are diverse, including a lack of enough native-language lecturers, particularly in areas without a significant proportion of Hungarians.

At Babeş-Bolyai University Cluj-Napoca, the largest state-funded tertiary education institution in Transylvania, more than 30% of courses are held in the Hungarian language. There is currently a proposal by local Hungarians, supported by the Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania, to separate the Hungarian-language department from the institution, and form a new, Hungarian-only Bolyai University. The former Bolyai University was disbanded in 1956 by Romanian Communist authorities and united with the Romanian Babeş University to form the multilingual Babeş-Bolyai University that continues to exist today. The BabeÅŸ-Bolyai University (UBB - Universitatea BabeÅŸ-Bolyai), Cluj-Napoca, Romania, is the largest university in the country. ... Hungarian (magyar nyelv ) is a Finno-Ugric language (more specifically an Ugric language) unrelated to most other languages in Europe. ... The Democratic Union of Hungarians in Romania, (also Democratic Alliance of Hungarians in Romania; Romanian: Uniunea DemocratÄƒ MaghiarÄƒ din RomÃ¢nia, UDMR; Hungarian: RomÃ¡niai Magyar Demokrata SzÃ¶vetsÃ©g, RMDSZ) is a Romanian political alliance, effectively (though not officially) a party, representing ethnic Hungarians in Romania. ... Anthem Zdrobite cÄƒtuÅŸe (1947 - 1953) Te slÄƒvim RomÃ¢nie (1953 - 1968) Trei Culori (1968-1989) Capital Bucharest Language(s) Romanian Government Socialist republic Head of State - 1947â€“1965 Gheorghe Gheorghiu-Dej - 1965-1989 Nicolae CeauÅŸescu Legislature Marea Adunare NaÅ£ionalÇŽ Historical era Cold War - Monarchy abolished...

Identity

Ethnic Hungarians in Transylvania have mixed opinions about their identity. Many of them tend to define themselves as being Hungarian, Transylvanian and Romanian at the same time, and there is even a sense of pride about this fact. Many Hungarians living in Transylvania were disconcerted when referendum held in Hungary in 2004 on the issue of giving dual-citizenship to ethnic Hungarians living abroad failed to receive enough electoral attendance and the vote was uncertain. Some of them complain that when they are in Hungary, they are perceived as half-Romanians, and are considered as having differences in language and behaviour. However, a large proportion of Transylvanian Hungarians currently work or study in Hungary, usually on a temporary basis. After 1996, Hungarian-Romanian economic relations boomed, and Hungary is now one of the major investors in Romania, with many cross-border firms employing both Romanians and Hungarians.

Historically, the Székely people considered themselves an ethnic group distinct from Hungarians^{[citation needed]} in Transylvania, even though they now identify mainly as Hungarians. The SzÃ©kely or Szeklers (Hungarian: , Romanian: , German: ) ( sÃ©k-ei in pronunciation ) are a Hungarian ethnic group mostly living in Transylvania in Romania, with a significant population also living in Vojvodina, Serbia. ...

Population

Nationwide

Transylvania only

By county

Another 16,089 ethnic Hungarians live in the other counties of Romania, (primarily in Bucharest) where they make up less than 0.1% of the total population. Facts Development region: Centru Historic region: Transylvania Capital city: Miercurea-Ciuc Population: â€¢ As of 2002: â€¢ Population density: 326,222 52/kmÂ² Area: 6,639 kmÂ² Codes: â€¢ Car numbers â€¢ ISO 3166-2:RO HR RO-HR Telephone code: (+40) x66 (1) Web: County Council Prefecture 1. ... Administrative map of Romania with Covasna county highlighted Covasna (Hungarian: Kovászna) is a county (Judeţ) in Romania, in Transylvania, with the capital city at Sfântu Gheorghe/Sepsiszentgörgy (population: 67,108), known in Hungarian as Sepsiszentgyörgy. ... MureÅŸ (Hungarian: Maros) is a Romanian county (JudeÅ£) in Transylvania, with the capital city at TÃ¢rgu MureÅŸ, (population: 165,835). ... Satu Mare (Hungarian: SzatmÃ¡r) is a county (judeÅ£) in North-Western Romania, in the North of Transylvania region - between MaramureÅŸ region and CriÅŸana region, with its capital city at Satu Mare (population: 130,573). ... Bihor (IPA: ), in Hungarian: Bihar (IPA: ), is a county (judeÅ£) of Romania, in CriÅŸana, with capital city at Oradea. ... SÄƒlaj (Hungarian: SzilÃ¡gy) is a county (judeÅ£) in North-Western Romania, in the Transylvania region, with the capital city at ZalÄƒu (population: 71,580). ... Facts Development region: Nord-Vest Historic region: Transylvania Capital city: Cluj-Napoca Population: â€¢ As of 2002: â€¢ Population density: 702,755 105/kmÂ² Area: 6,674 kmÂ² Codes: â€¢ Car numbers â€¢ ISO 3166-2:RO CJ RO-CJ Telephone code: (+40) x64 (1) Web: County Council Prefecture 1. ... Facts Development region: Vest Historic region: Transylvania Population: â€¢ As of 2002: â€¢ Population density: 461,791 60/kmÂ² Area: 7,754 kmÂ² Codes: â€¢ Car numbers â€¢ ISO 3166-2:RO AR RO-AR Telephone code: (+40) x57 (1) Web: County Council Prefecture 1. ... Facts Development region: Nord-Vest Historic region: Transylvania Capital city: Baia Mare Population: â€¢ As of 2002: â€¢ Population density: 510,110 81/kmÂ² Area: 6,304 kmÂ² Codes: â€¢ Car numbers â€¢ ISO 3166-2:RO MM RO-MM Telephone code: (+40) x62 (1) Web: County Council Prefecture 1. ... Facts Development region: Centru Historic region: Transylvania Capital city: BraÅŸov Population: â€¢ As of 2002: â€¢ Population density: 589,028 110/kmÂ² Area: 5,363 kmÂ² Codes: â€¢ Car numbers â€¢ ISO 3166-2:RO BV RO-BV Telephone code: (+40) x68 (1) Web: County Council Prefecture 1. ... For other uses of TimiÅŸ, see TimiÅŸ (disambiguation). ... BistriÅ£a-NÄƒsÄƒud (Hungarian: Beszterce-NaszÃ³d) is a county (judeÅ£) in the North of Romania, in the Transylvania region, with the capital city at BistriÅ£a (population: 87,169). ... ... Hunedoara (Hungarian: Hunyad) is a county (JudeÅ£) in Western Romania, in South-Western Transylvania, with the capital city at Deva (population: 77,259). ... Sibiu (IPA: ; Hungarian: Szeben) is a county (judeÅ£) in the center of Romania, in Transylvania region, with the capital city Sibiu (population: 170,038). ... Nickname: Motto: Patria si Dreptul Meu (My Country and My Right) Location of Bucharest within Romania (in red) Coordinates: , Country County Founded 1459 (first official record) Government - Mayor Adriean Videanu Area - City 228 kmÂ² (88 sq mi) - Metro 238 kmÂ² (91. ... Map of Romania with CaraÅŸ-Severin highlighted CaraÅŸ-Severin is a county in southwestern Romania. ... BacÄƒu (Hungarian: BÃ¡kÃ³) is a county (judeÅ£) in the center-east of Romania, in the Moldova region, with its capital city at BacÄƒu. ...

Notes

^ Minorities in Europe - Hungarians in Romania
^ Raffay Ernő: A vajdaságoktól a birodalomig-Az újkori Románia története = From voivodates to the empire-History of modern Romania, JATE Kiadó, Szeged, 1989, pages 155-156)
^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f Kovrig, Bennett (2000) ‘Partitioned nation: Hungarian minorities in Central Europe’, in: Michael Mandelbaum (ed.), The new European Diasporas: national minorities and conflict in Eastern Europe, New York: Council on Foreign Relations Press, pp. 19-80.
^ Hitchins, Keith (1994) Rumania: 1866-1947 (Oxford History of Modern Europe). Oxford University Press.
^ http://www.hungarian-history.hu/lib/feher/feher.pdf Atrocities against Hungarians in the Autumn of 1944 (in Transylvania, Romania)
^ http://www.loyno.edu/history/journal/1994-5/Popham.htm The Hungarians in Transylvania: Victims of Romanian Nationalism
^ Hungarian Government Office for Minorities Abroad

The Council on Foreign Relations (CFR) is an influential and independent, nonpartisan foreign policy membership organization founded in 1921 and based at 58 East 68th Street (corner Park Avenue) in New York City, with an additional office in Washington, D.C. Through its membership, meetings, and studies, it has been...

References

Encyclopedia > Hungarian minority in Romania

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