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[[Image:Flag of Szekely Land.svg|thumb|210px|The flag of Székely Land voted by the [[Szekler National Council]].]]
[[Image:Flag of Szekely Land.svg|thumb|210px|The flag of Székely Land voted by the [[Szekler National Council]].]]


The '''Székely''' (pronounced {{IPA-hu|ˈseːkɛj|}}) '''Land''' or '''Szeklerland'''<ref name="Minahan">James Minahan, [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Zu5GpDby9H0C&pg=PA1810&dq=Encyclopedia+of+the+stateless+nations.+4.+S+-+Z+Szeklers&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KYW3UdeBPMLYPYO2gVA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Encyclopedia%20of%20the%20stateless%20nations.%204.%20S%20-%20Z%20Szeklers&f=false Encyclopedia of the stateless nations. 4. S - Z], Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002, p. 1810</ref> ({{lang-hu|Székelyföld}}; {{lang-ro|Ţinutul Secuiesc}}; {{lang-de|Szeklerland}}; {{lang-la|Terra Siculorum}}) is a historic and ethnographic area in [[Romania]], inhabited mainly by the [[Székelys]], a subgroup of the [[Hungarian people]]<ref>Sherrill Stroschein, [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SC5B3NXPiU4C&pg=PP1&dq=Ethnic+Struggle,+Coexistence,+and+Democratization+in+Eastern+Europe&hl=en&sa=X&ei=U024UYrsFcbuOdyOgAg&ved=0CDMQ6AEwAA Ethnic Struggle, Coexistence, and Democratization in Eastern Europe], Cambridge University Press, 2012, p. 210 Cited: "Székely, a Hungarian sub-group that is concentrated in the mountainous Hungarian enclave"</ref><ref>{{cite book |title= Protestantism and politics in eastern Europe and Russia: the communist and postcommunist eras|last=Ramet |first=Sabrina P. |authorlink= |coauthors= |year=1992 |volume=3|publisher=[[Duke University Press]] |location= |isbn=<!--0-8223-1241-7,--> 9780822312413|page=160 |pages= |url= http://books.google.com/books?id=O4GGgAmzl3gC&pg=PA160&lpg=PA160&dq=%22+subgroup+of+the+Hungarian+people%22&source=bl&ots=YhrN5qBKi3&sig=5-gfSElwcIlLXFyHWxDMmRd1SDI&hl=ro&ei=bkT9S9DMB4issAa3p9SfCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22%20subgroup%20of%20the%20Hungarian%20people%22&f=false|accessdate=|quote=...the Szekler community, now regarded as a subgroup of the Hungarian people.}}</ref> from eastern [[Transylvania]]. Its territory is roughly {{convert|16,943|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name="Minahan"/>
The '''Székely''' (pronounced {{IPA-hu|ˈseːkɛj|}}) '''Land''' or '''Szeklerland'''<ref name="Minahan">James Minahan, [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=Zu5GpDby9H0C&pg=PA1810&dq=Encyclopedia+of+the+stateless+nations.+4.+S+-+Z+Szeklers&hl=en&sa=X&ei=KYW3UdeBPMLYPYO2gVA&ved=0CDQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Encyclopedia%20of%20the%20stateless%20nations.%204.%20S%20-%20Z%20Szeklers&f=false Encyclopedia of the stateless nations. 4. S - Z], Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002, p. 1810</ref> ({{lang-hu|Székelyföld}}; {{lang-ro|Ţinutul Secuiesc}}; {{lang-de|Szeklerland}}; {{lang-la|Terra Siculorum}}) is a historic and ethnographic area in [[Romania]], inhabited mainly by the [[Székelys]], a subgroup of the [[Hungarian people]]<ref>Sherrill Stroschein, [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SC5B3NXPiU4C&pg=PP1&dq=Ethnigroup+of+the+Hungarian+people%22&source=bl&ots=YhrN5qBKi3&sig=5-gfSElwcIlLXFyHWxDMmRd1SDI&hl=ro&ei=bkT9S9DMB4issAa3p9SfCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22%20subgroup%20of%20the%20Hungarian%20people%22&f=false|accessdate=|quote=...the Szekler community, now regarded as a subgroup of the Hungarian people.}}</ref> from eastern [[Transylvania]]. Its territory is roughly {{convert|16,943|km2|sqmi}}.<ref name="Minahan"/>


The Székelys live in the valleys and hills of the [[Eastern Carpathian Mountains]], corresponding to the present-day [[Harghita]], [[Covasna County|Covasna]], and parts of [[Mureş County|Mureş]] Counties in [[Romania]]. In 2002 the estimated ethnic composition of Székely Land consisted of Hungarians (61%), Romanians (33%), [[Germans]] (3%) and [[Romani people|Roma]] (3%).<ref name="Minahan"/> The area forms a [[Hungarian people|Hungarian]] [[Enclave_and_exclave#Ethnic_enclaves|ethnic enclave]] within present-day [[Romania]]. Its cultural center is the city of [[Târgu Mureș]], the largest settlement in the region.<ref name="Minahan"/>
The Székelys live in the valleys and hills of the [[Eastern Carpathian Mountains]], corresponding to the present-day [[Harghita]], [[Covasna County|Covasna]], and parts of [[Mureş County|Mureş]] Counties in [[Romania]]. In 2002 the estimated ethnic composition of Székely Land consisted of Hungarians (61%), Romanians (33%), [[Germans]] (3%) and [[Romani people|Roma]] (3%).<ref name="Minahan"/> The area forms a [[Hungarian people|Hungarian]] [[Enclave_and_exclave#Ethnic_enclaves|ethnic enclave]] within present-day [[Romania]]. Its cultural center is the city of [[Târgu Mureș]], the largest settlement in the region.<ref name="Minahan"/>
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Originally, the name ''Székely Land'' denoted an [[History of the Székely people|autonomous region]] within [[Transylvania]]. It existed as a legal entity from medieval times until the [[Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}, when the Székely and [[Transylvanian Saxons|Saxon]] [[Seat (territorial-administrative unit)|Seat]]s were dissolved and replaced by the [[Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)#Modernised counties (1867–1918)|county system]].
Originally, the name ''Székely Land'' denoted an [[History of the Székely people|autonomous region]] within [[Transylvania]]. It existed as a legal entity from medieval times until the [[Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867]]{{Citation needed|date=July 2013}}, when the Székely and [[Transylvanian Saxons|Saxon]] [[Seat (territorial-administrative unit)|Seat]]s were dissolved and replaced by the [[Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)#Modernised counties (1867–1918)|county system]].


Along with Transylvania, Székely Land became a part of Romania in 1920, in accordance with the [[Treaty of Trianon]] signed on 4 June 1920 at the Grand Trianon Palace in Versailles, France. In August 1940, as a consequence of the [[Second Vienna Award]], the Székely Land was ceded back to [[Hungary]], under [[Third Reich]] auspices. It was returned to Romania by the [[Paris Peace Treaties, 1947|peace treaties]] signed after World War II at Paris, in 1947.

Under the name [[Magyar Autonomous Region]], with Târgu-Mureş as capital,<ref>[http://adatbank.transindex.ro/regio/kisebbsegkutatas/pdf/V_fej_04_Bottoni.pdf]</ref> parts of Székely Land enjoyed a certain level of autonomy between 8 September 1952 and 16 February 1968.
There are [[Székely autonomy initiatives|territorial autonomy initiatives]] aim to obtain self-governance for this region within Romania.

==Population==
{{main|Székelys}}
[[Image:Szekely Land issues.svg|thumb|250px|Szekely Land as envisaged by the autonomy supporters]]
[[Image:Szekely Land issues.svg|thumb|250px|Szekely Land as envisaged by the autonomy supporters]]


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{{see also|History of the Székely people|Hungarians in Romania}}
{{see also|History of the Székely people|Hungarians in Romania}}


⚫
[[Image:Székely village.jpg|thumb|In 1876, a [[Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Hungary|general administrative reform]] abolished all the autonomous areas in the Kingdom of Hungary and created a unified system of counties. As a result, the autonomy of the Székely Land came to an end as well. Four counties were created in its place: [[Udvarhely]], [[Háromszék]], [[Csík]], and [[Maros-Torda]]. (Only half of the territory of [[Maros-Torda]] originally belonged to Székely Land.) The isolated [[Aranyosszék]] became a district of [[Torda-Aranyos]] county.
[[Image:Székely village.jpg|thumb|left|300px|A Székely village in [[Covasna County]], with the [[Southern Carpathians]] in the background]]

Ancient Hungarian legends suggest a connection between the Székely people and Attila's Huns, but the origins of the Székely people are widely debated. The Székely Seats were the traditional self-governing territorial units of the Transylvanian Székelys during medieval times. (Saxons were also organised in Seats.) The Seats were not part of the traditional Hungarian county system, and their inhabitants enjoyed a higher level of freedom (especially until the 18th century) than those living in the counties.
From the 12th and 13th centuries until 1876, the Székely Land enjoyed a considerable but varying amount of autonomy, first as a part of the [[Kingdom of Hungary]], then inside the [[Transylvania|Principality of Transylvania]], and finally as a part of the [[Habsburg Monarchy|Habsburg Empire]]. The autonomy was largely due to the military service the Székely provided until the beginning of the 18th century. The medieval Székely Land was an alliance of the seven autonomous Székely [[Seat (territorial-administrative unit)|Seats]] of ''Udvarhely'', ''Csík'', ''Maros'', ''Sepsi'', ''Kézdi'', ''Orbai'' and ''[[Aranyosszék|Aranyos]]''. The number of seats later decreased to five, when ''Sepsi'', ''Kézdi'' and ''Orbai'' Seats were united into one territorial unit called ''Háromszék'' (literally ''Three Seats'').

The main seat was Udvarhely Seat, which was also called the Principal Seat ({{lang-la|Capitalis Sedes}})<ref>[http://books.google.ro/books?id=QIW2AAAAIAAJ&q=principal+'capitalis+sedes)+Odorhei82.+Este+cea+dintfi+subliniere+a+locului+%C5%9Fi+rolului+scaunului+Odorhei+cu+statut+de+scaun+principal.&dq=principal+'capitalis+sedes)+Odorhei82.+Este+cea+dintfi+subliniere+a+locului+%C5%9Fi+rolului+scaunului+Odorhei+cu+statut+de+scaun+principal.&hl=ro&sa=X&ei=TMS5UZfzEqT_4QS5xYCgDA&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA]</ref> At [[Szekelyudvarhely]] (Odorheiu Secuiesc) were held many national assemblies of the Székelys<ref>[http://www.google.com/search?q=%22capitalis+sedes%22&btnG=C%C4%83utare+de+c%C4%83r%C5%A3i&tbm=bks&tbo=1&hl=ro#hl=ro&tbm=bks&sclient=psy-ab&q=%22Sz%C3%A9kelyudvarhely%2C+an+ancient+settlement%2C+is+the+mother-town+of+the+Sz%C3%A9kely+people%2C+seat+of+the+earlier+Udvarhelysz%C3%A9k+along+the+river+Nagy-Kukullifi.+Many+Sz%C3%A9kely+national+assemblies+were+held+here%22&oq=%22Sz%C3%A9kelyudvarhely%2C+an+ancient+settlement%2C+is+the+mother-town+of+the+Sz%C3%A9kely+people%2C+seat+of+the+earlier+Udvarhelysz%C3%A9k+along+the+river+Nagy-Kukullifi.+Many+Sz%C3%A9kely+national+assemblies+were+held+here%22&gs_l=serp.3...67210.69697.6.70039.3.3.0.0.0.0.0.0..0.0...0.3...1c.1.17.psy-ab.WcUgAPdVoas&pbx=1&fp=fd4e6becb3f1e211&biw=930&bih=593&bav=on.2,or.r_qf.&cad=b&sei=IcO5UdnmOueN7QbI64GwBA]</ref> A known exception is the 1554 assembly, which took place at Marosvásáhrely (Târgu Mureș) <ref>http://mek.oszk.hu/03100/03187/03187.pdf</ref>

⚫
As a result of the [[Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867]], [[Transylvania]] became again part of the Kingdom of Hungary within [[Austria-Hungary]] and ceased to exist as a separate legal or administrative entity. In 1876, a [[Administrative divisions of the Kingdom of Hungary|general administrative reform]] abolished all the autonomous areas in the Kingdom of Hungary and created a unified system of counties. As a result, the autonomy of the Székely Land came to an end as well. Four counties were created in its place: [[Udvarhely]], [[Háromszék]], [[Csík]], and [[Maros-Torda]]. (Only half of the territory of [[Maros-Torda]] originally belonged to Székely Land.) The isolated [[Aranyosszék]] became a district of [[Torda-Aranyos]] county.


In December 1918, in the wake of the [[World War I|First World War]], Romanian delegates from throughout Transylvania [[Union of Transylvania with Romania|voted to join the Kingdom of Romania]]; this move was internationally recognized in the 1920 [[Treaty of Trianon]]. The Romanian language officially replaced Hungarian in the Székely Land, but Székely county boundaries were preserved, and Székely districts were able to elect their own officials at local level and to preserve Hungarian-language education.
In December 1918, in the wake of the [[World War I|First World War]], Romanian delegates from throughout Transylvania [[Union of Transylvania with Romania|voted to join the Kingdom of Romania]]; this move was internationally recognized in the 1920 [[Treaty of Trianon]]. The Romanian language officially replaced Hungarian in the Székely Land, but Székely county boundaries were preserved, and Székely districts were able to elect their own officials at local level and to preserve Hungarian-language education.

Revision as of 20:16, 27 October 2013

The historical Székely seats on the map of present-day Romania
Historical flag of Székely Land
The flag of Székely Land voted by the Szekler National Council.

The Székely (pronounced [ˈseːkɛj]) Land or Szeklerland[1] (Hungarian: Székelyföld; Romanian: Ţinutul Secuiesc; German: Szeklerland; Latin: Terra Siculorum) is a historic and ethnographic area in Romania, inhabited mainly by the Székelys, a subgroup of the Hungarian people[2] from eastern Transylvania. Its territory is roughly 16,943 square kilometres (6,542 sq mi).[1]

The Székelys live in the valleys and hills of the Eastern Carpathian Mountains, corresponding to the present-day Harghita, Covasna, and parts of Mureş Counties in Romania. In 2002 the estimated ethnic composition of Székely Land consisted of Hungarians (61%), Romanians (33%), Germans (3%) and Roma (3%).[1] The area forms a Hungarian ethnic enclave within present-day Romania. Its cultural center is the city of Târgu Mureș, the largest settlement in the region.[1]

Originally, the name Székely Land denoted an autonomous region within Transylvania. It existed as a legal entity from medieval times until the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867[citation needed], when the Székely and Saxon Seats were dissolved and replaced by the county system.

Szekely Land as envisaged by the autonomy supporters

The area of the region is of about 13,000 km2. The population of the Székely Land (according to the 2002 census) is 809,000, 612,043 of them Hungarians, accounting for 75.65% of the total.[3] The Hungarians represent 59% of the populations of Harghita, Covasna and Mureș counties. The percentage of Hungarians is higher in Harghita and Covasna (84.8% and 73.58% respectively), and lower in Mureș County, not all of which falls inside the traditional region (37.82%).

Geography

See also: List of Székely settlements

Important centers of the Székely Land are Târgu-Mureş (Marosvásárhely), Miercurea Ciuc (Csíkszereda), Sfântu Gheorghe (Sepsiszentgyörgy), and Odorheiu Secuiesc (Székelyudvarhely).

History

See also: History of the Székely people and Hungarians in Romania

[[Image:Székely village.jpg|thumb|In 1876, a general administrative reform abolished all the autonomous areas in the Kingdom of Hungary and created a unified system of counties. As a result, the autonomy of the Székely Land came to an end as well. Four counties were created in its place: Udvarhely, Háromszék, Csík, and Maros-Torda. (Only half of the territory of Maros-Torda originally belonged to Székely Land.) The isolated Aranyosszék became a district of Torda-Aranyos county.

In December 1918, in the wake of the First World War, Romanian delegates from throughout Transylvania voted to join the Kingdom of Romania; this move was internationally recognized in the 1920 Treaty of Trianon. The Romanian language officially replaced Hungarian in the Székely Land, but Székely county boundaries were preserved, and Székely districts were able to elect their own officials at local level and to preserve Hungarian-language education.

In 1940, Romania was forced to cede Northern Transylvania to Hungary in the Second Vienna Award; this territory included most of the historical Székely areas. Hungarian authorities subsequently restored the pre-Trianon structure with slight modifications.

  • Traditional Székely Land (19th century)
    Traditional Székely Land (19th century)
  • Earlier Hungarian autonomous provinces
    Earlier Hungarian autonomous provinces
  • Present-day counties of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș within Romania
    Present-day counties of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș within Romania

Autonomy

Following the territory's return to Romania after World War II, a Magyar Autonomous Region was created in 1952, which encompassed most of the land inhabited by the Székely. This region lasted until 1968 when the administrative reform divided Romania into the current counties. Roughly speaking, present-day Harghita County encompasses the former Udvarhely and Csík, the latter including Gyergyószék; Covasna County covers more or less the territory of the former Háromszék; and what was once Maros-Torda is mostly part of present-day Mureş County. The former Aranyosszék is today divided between Cluj and Alba Counties.

After the fall of communism, many[who?] hoped that the former Magyar Autonomous Region, abolished by the Ceauşescu regime, would soon be restored again. This has not happened; however, there are Székely autonomy initiatives[4][5] and further efforts from Székely organisations to reach a higher level of self-governance for the Székely Land within Romania.

On 2 February 2009, Romanian President Traian Băsescu met the Hungarian President László Sólyom in Budapest and discussed the issues of minority rights and regional autonomy. Băsescu affirmed "The Hungarian minority will never be given territorial autonomy".[6]

  • Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureş based on the 1992 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
    Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureş based on the 1992 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
  • Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureş based on the 2002 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
    Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureş based on the 2002 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
  • Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș based on the 2011 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority
    Ethnic map of Harghita, Covasna, and Mureș based on the 2011 data, showing areas with Hungarian majority

Constitutional issues

Article 1 of the Romanian Constitution defines the country as a "sovereign, independent, unitary and indivisible national state." It has often been argued that, as a result of this provision, any ethnic-based territorial autonomy, including that of the Székely Land, would be unconstitutional.

Tourist attractions

[[File:Nagyajtai unitarius templom.JPG|thumb|right|Fortified church of Aita Mare.]]

Notes

  1. ^ a b c d James Minahan, Encyclopedia of the stateless nations. 4. S - Z, Greenwood Publishing Group, 2002, p. 1810
  2. ^ Sherrill Stroschein, [http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=SC5B3NXPiU4C&pg=PP1&dq=Ethnigroup+of+the+Hungarian+people%22&source=bl&ots=YhrN5qBKi3&sig=5-gfSElwcIlLXFyHWxDMmRd1SDI&hl=ro&ei=bkT9S9DMB4issAa3p9SfCA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CBQQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=%22%20subgroup%20of%20the%20Hungarian%20people%22&f=false%7Caccessdate=%7Cquote=...the Szekler community, now regarded as a subgroup of the Hungarian people.}}
  3. ^ http://www.sznt.ro/en/?option=com_content&view=article&id=210
  4. ^ Kulish, Nicholas (2008-04-07). "Kosovo's Actions Hearten a Hungarian Enclave". The New York Times. Retrieved 2008-04-08. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  5. ^ Manifesto of the Szekely Assembly
  6. ^ http://www.budapesttimes.hu/2013/03/18/world-protests-back-szekely-autonomy/

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Székely Land.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Székely fortified churches in Transylvania.
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