Transylvanian Saxons in Moldavia during the Middle Ages
The history, settlement process, achievements, and legacy of the Transylvanian Saxons (or Siebenbürger Sachsen as they are known in German), a predominantly ethnic German group which has been living in Transylvania since the mid 12th century onwards, are well known, but, perhaps their medieval history in the two neighbouring Romanian principalities of Wallachia and Moldavia are not that well known (as they should equally be, in my humble opinion). The Transylvanian Saxons established a thriving civilisation in Transylvania during the Middle Ages but, at the same time, they played an important historical role in Wallachia and Moldavia as well, particularly in the foundation of several former capitals of these two Romanian principalities. This article will therefore focus on the history, achievements, and contributions of the bygone Transylvanian Saxon (German) community in the Principality of Moldavia.
The flag of the Principality of Moldavia. Image source: Wikimedia Commons
German presence in the highlands of the Principality of Moldavia (or Țara de Sus a Moldovei as it is known in Romanian; later on during the late 18th century a significant part of this Moldavian territory became known as ‘Bukowina‘, i.e. the land of the beech trees, and was integrated in the Habsburg Empire and, later on, in Austria-Hungary, namely in the Cisleithanian or Austrian-ruled part of the dual monarchy) is attested beginning in at least the 13th century, along with the advent of the Teutonic Knights in the region. Regional historian Victor Prelicz (from Siret/Sereth) who lived in the 19th century in Austrian-ruled Bukovina wrote that the Teutonic Knights built a citadel on one of the hills near Siret (namely on Sasca hill). This citadel was built between the years 1211 and 1225. He also considered that the Seat Fortress of Suceava (known in German as Suczawa) and the citadel of Neamț (Niamtz in German) were also built by the same Teutonic Knights. This citadel was not a big one, accommodating a garrison of 50 to maximum 100 knights, according to Victor Prelicz. Prelicz also wrote that the Teutonic Knights also built an additional fortress in the proximity of Cernăuți/Czernowitz/Chernivtsi, a city nowadays situated in northern Bukovina, in Ukraine. Additionally, two important Bukovina German historians who wrote about the history of the Germans in Moldavia are Raimund Friedrich Kaindl and Hugo Weczerka.
Detailed map depicting German settlements in Transylvania (and, to a lesser extent, in the northern part of the Principality of Moldavia) during the Middle Ages (more specifically during the Ostsiedlung or the German eastward settlement/expansion process which took place in Central and Eastern Europe throughout the High Middle Ages). Image source: Atlas zur Geschichte der deutschen Ostsiedlung, Bielefeld-Berlin-Hannover 1958, the author of the map is Wilfried Krallert via Wikimedia Commons (cropped)
It is also well known that the first capital of the Principality of Moldavia, Baia (or Stadt Molde respectively Moldenmarkt as it is known in German) was founded by Transylvanian Saxons (although the Germans who contributed to its foundation could’ve been Germans from neighbouring Galicia as well). In this regard, please see the following historical meme below.
Well… it could’ve been either Transylvanian Saxons or Galician Germans who contributed to the foundation of the first capital of Moldavia, namely Baia, nowadays situated in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. Frankly speaking, I don’t know for certain (100%), but it is very likely that they were Transylvanian Saxons rather than Galician Germans. Image source: www.imgflip.com
As per my relatively modest historical research via the internet thus far, I was able to find out the fact that the Transylvanian Saxons also helped establish other capitals of Moldavia during the Middle Ages (more specifically Siret, the second one after Baia) and Suceava (the third one, after Siret). It is very likely that the Transylvanian Saxons who settled in Suceava (a relatively small community of merchants and craftsmen) stemmed from Bistritz/Nösen and its proximity (to me, it makes perfect sense geographically given the fact that this area is the closest one of all settled by Transylvanian Saxons during the Middle Ages to the highlands of Moldavia and, respectively, to nowadays Bukovina and the town of Suceava itself as well). Transylvanian Saxons also lived in the beautiful and picturesque mountainous town of Câmpulung Moldovenesc. Their economic contributions were very important in the development of the town of Suceava (and its transition from rural status to urban status) for example as an important and thriving commercial town, situated on trade routes at the crossroads of the Kingdom of Poland and the Kingdom of Hungary back in the Middle Ages.
According to a paper by Dr. Sophie A. Welsch, Germans entered the territory of the Principality of Moldavia beginning in the 13th century, concomitantly with the dissolution of the Cuman-Tatar Empire (or Cumania, as it is more simply known). They settled on the territory of present-day Suceava County, northeastern Romania for economic and military reasons (e.g. for mining and trade purposes as well as to strengthen extra-Carpathian positions of the Kingdom of Hungary against invading forces stemming from Asia). They were of Catholic faith and were referred to as in Latin documents of the Hungarians as ‘hospites terrae nostrae‘ (i.e. guests of our land). They influenced the local architecture, bringing Gothic elements for example in the construction of some churches.
Furthermore, the medieval towns of Suceava, Câmpulung Moldovenesc, and Siret operated under the Magdeburg Law (known in Latin as Jus Saxonicum Magdeburgense and in German as Das Magdeburger Recht), Siret being the eldest urban settlement of Bukovina and the first of the aforementioned urban centres to adopt and implement this type of eastern German city law (Stadtrecht).
Aside from the region which was subsequently known as Bukovina (or the northernmost highlands of the Principality of Moldavia), Germans also settled in Târgu Neamț, in contemporary Neamț County. According to Transylvanian Saxon historian Dr. Michael Kroner, other Moldavian cities were ‘German foundations’ as well, namely: Piatra-Neamț, Adjud or (Târgu) Trotuș. There is also a commune in Western Moldavia known as Sascut (i.e. a clear reference towards Transylvanian Saxons). Transylvanian Saxons are also mentioned in Cotnari in 1633 by an Italian traveler by the name Niccoló Barsi (so well after the end of the Middle Ages). A numerous community of Germans also settled in Hârlău. Germans also settled in Huși, Iași, or Roman. Few Saxons decided to settle in Lăpușna as well. Transylvanian Saxons helped introduce grapevines in Moldavia and worked in viticulture.
Moreover, back in the Middle Ages, the cities established by Transylvanian Saxons in Transylvania (e.g. Cluj-Napoca/Klausenburg, Sibiu/Hermannstadt or Brasov/Kronstadt) traded with Moldavia. Nonetheless, given the fact that they were not a large ethnic group, the had been gradually assimilated into the Romanian majority throughout the passage of time (as well as assimilated in the Hungarian sub-group of the Tschangos as the Middle Ages came to an end in Moldavia).
Documentation sources and external links:
- Magdeburg Law – historic cities on www.magdeburg-law.com
- Die wirtschaftlichen Leistungen der Siebenbürger Sachsen (i.e. The Economic Achievements of the Transylvanian Saxons) by Dr. Michael Kroner on www.siebenbuerger.de (in German/Hochdeutsch)
- Germani bucovineni on www.wikipedia.org (in Romanian)
- Geschichte der Deutschen in den Karpathenländern by Raimund Friedrich Kaindl (via Internet Archive in German/Hochdeutsch)
- Oraşele din Ţările Române în Evul Mediu: sfârşitul secolului al XIII-lea – începutul secolului al XVI-lea by Laurențiu Rădvan (on Academia.edu in Romanian)