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Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
(i.e. mostly present-day
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat is the historical town ...
), northeastern Romania as well as diaspora in Canada and the United States , languages = German
(with a series of
German dialects German dialects are the various traditional local varieties of the German language. Though varied by region, those of the southern half of Germany beneath the Benrath line are dominated by the geographical spread of the High German consonant ...
as well)
, religions =
Roman Catholicism The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwide . It is am ...
and Evangelical Lutheranism , related_groups = Germans and Austrians , footnotes = The Bukovina Germans (german: Bukowinadeutsche or ''Buchenlanddeutsche'') are a German
ethnic group An ethnic group or an ethnicity is a grouping of people who identify with each other on the basis of shared attributes that distinguish them from other groups. Those attributes can include common sets of traditions, ancestry, language, history, ...
which settled in
Bukovina Bukovinagerman: Bukowina or ; hu, Bukovina; pl, Bukowina; ro, Bucovina; uk, Буковина, ; see also other languages. is a historical region, variously described as part of either Central or Eastern Europe (or both).Klaus Peter BergerT ...
, a historical region situated at the crossroads of
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
and Eastern Europe. Their main demographic presence lasted from the last quarter of the 18th century, when Bukovina was
annexed Annexation (Latin ''ad'', to, and ''nexus'', joining), in international law, is the forcible acquisition of one state's territory by another state, usually following military occupation of the territory. It is generally held to be an illegal act ...
by the Habsburg Empire, until 1940, when nearly all Bukovina Germans (almost 100,000 people) were resettled into either Nazi Germany or Nazi-occupied regions in Central-Eastern Europe as a part of the ''
Heim ins Reich The ''Heim ins Reich'' (; meaning "back home to the Reich") was a foreign policy pursued by Adolf Hitler before and during World War II, beginning in 1938. The aim of Hitler's initiative was to convince all ''Volksdeutsche'' (ethnic Germans) wh ...
'' national socialist population transfer policy. According to the 1910 Imperial Austrian census (which recorded inhabitants by language), the Bukovina Germans represented an ethnic minority accounting for approximately 21.2% of the multi-ethnic population of the
Duchy of Bukovina The Duchy of Bukovina (german: Herzogtum Bukowina; ro, Ducatul Bucovinei; uk, Герцогство Буковина) was a constituent land of the Austrian Empire from 1849 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary from 1867 until 191 ...
(german: Herzogtum Bukowina). Of those 21.2%, a large proportion was represented by German-speaking Jews. By excluding the Jews, however, the Germans in Bukovina constituted a minority of about 73,000 people (or 9.2%). Subsequently, in absolute numbers, 75,533 ethnic Germans (or about 9% of the population) were registered in Bukovina when it was still part of the Kingdom of Romania (as per the Romanian population census of 1930). Historically, some of them developed their own dialect over the course of several hundred years which they called 'Buchenländisch', while others speak a series of other distinct
German dialects German dialects are the various traditional local varieties of the German language. Though varied by region, those of the southern half of Germany beneath the Benrath line are dominated by the geographical spread of the High German consonant ...
, depending on their region of origin. After the end of World War II, several thousand ethnic Germans still remained in southern Bukovina (according to an estimate 7,500), but many of them emigrated to West Germany before the fall of communism in Romania in 1989. In addition, few resettled Germans returned as well. To this day, sparse and very small rural and urban communities of Germans (a few dozen to hundred persons) still reside in southern Bukovina (i.e.,
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat is the historical town ...
in Romania) and are politically represented by the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (FDGR/DFDR). Lastly, another interesting aspect on the German presence in Bukovina is the fact that the historical/geographic region as a whole has been previously sometimes labeled as '
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
of the East'.


History


Initial settlement during the Middle Ages (13th century to 14th century)

),
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat is the historical town ...
, northeastern Romania. Ethnic Germans known as Transylvanian Saxons (who were mainly craftsmen and merchants stemming from present-day Luxembourg and Rhine-
Moselle The Moselle ( , ; german: Mosel ; lb, Musel ) is a river that rises in the Vosges mountains and flows through north-eastern France and Luxembourg to western Germany. It is a bank (geography), left bank tributary of the Rhine, which it jo ...
areas of Western Europe), had sparsely settled in the western mountainous regions of the Principality of Moldavia over the course of the late medieval
Ostsiedlung (, literally "East-settling") is the term for the Early Medieval and High Medieval migration-period when ethnic Germans moved into the territories in the eastern part of Francia, East Francia, and the Holy Roman Empire (that Germans had al ...
migration (which, in this particular case, took place throughout the 13th and 14th centuries). These settlers encouraged trade and urban development. Additionally, they founded (and were also briefly in charge under the title of
Schultheiß In medieval Germany, the ''Schultheiß'' () was the head of a municipality (akin to today's office of mayor), a ''Vogt'' or an executive official of the ruler. As official (''villicus'') it was his duty to order his assigned village or county (' ...
) of some notable medieval settlements such as Baia (german: Stadt Molde or Moldenmarkt), the first capital of the Principality of Moldavia, or Târgu Neamț (german: Niamtz). Subsequently, most of them had been gradually assimilated in these local cultures by the dominant ethnic group of Romanians.


Under the Habsburgs and within the Austrian Empire (1774–1918)

Following the Russo-Turkish War, in 1774–75 the
Habsburg monarchy The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
annexed northwestern Moldavia which was predominantly inhabited by Romanians (as many as 85 percent), with smaller numbers of Ukrainians (including Hutsuls and Ruthenians), Armenians,
Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, who share a common history, culture, the Polish language and are identified with the country of Poland in Ce ...
, and Jews. Keith Hitchins. ''The Romanians 1774-1866.'' Oxford: Clarendon Press (1996), pp. 226 Since then, the region has been known as Bukovina (german: Bukowina or Buchenland). From 1774 to 1786, the settlement of German craftsmen and farmers in existing villages increased. The settlers included Zipser Germans from the Zips region of Upper Hungary (today mostly Slovakia),
Banat Swabians The Banat Swabians are an ethnic German population in the former Kingdom of Hungary in Central-Southeast Europe, part of the Danube Swabians. They emigrated in the 18th century to what was then the Austrian Empire's Banat of Temeswar province, la ...
from Banat, and ethnic Germans from
Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...
(more specifically Evangelical Lutheran
Protestants Protestantism is a branch of Christianity that follows the theological tenets of the Protestant Reformation, a movement that began seeking to reform the Catholic Church from within in the 16th century against what its followers perceived to b ...
), but also immigrants from the Rhenish Palatinate, the Baden and Hesse principalities, as well as from impoverished regions of the Bohemian Forest (german: Böhmerwald). Thus, four distinct German linguistic groups were represented as follows: * Austrian High German (''Österreichisches Hochdeutsch'') was spoken in urban centres like Cernăuți (''Czernowitz''), Rădăuți (''Radautz''), Suceava (''Suczawa''),
Gura Humorului Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the hist ...
(''Gura Humora''), Câmpulung (Kimpolung), and Siret (''Sereth''); * Bohemian- Bavarian German (''Deutschböhmisch'' or ''Böhmerwäldisch'') was spoken by woodsmen in Huta Veche (''Althütte''),
Crăsnișoara Nouă Chudei ( uk, Чудей; ro, Ciudei) is a village in Chernivtsi Raion, Chernivtsi Oblast, Ukraine. It hosts the administration of Chudei rural hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. Until 18 July 2020, Chudei belonged to Storozhynets Raion ...
(''Neuhütte''),
Gura Putnei Putna (german: Kloster-Putna) is a commune in Suceava County, in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of two villages, namely Gura Putnei (german: Karlsberg) and Putna. The Putna Monastery, Putna River, and the ...
(''Karlsberg''), Voievodeasa (''Fürstenthal''),
Vadu Negrilesei Stulpicani (german: Stulpikany or Sztulpikany) is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of five villages, namely: Gemenea, Negrileasa, Slătioara, Stulpicani, and Vadu Negrilesei. Politics and local ...
(''Schwarzthal''), Poiana Micului (''Buchenhain''), Dealu Ederii (''Lichtenberg''), Bori (early colony in Gura Humorului), and Clit (''Glitt''); *
Palatine Rhine Franconian Palatine German (Standard German: , endonym: ) is a group of Rhine Franconian dialects spoken in the Upper Rhine Valley, roughly in the area between Zweibrücken, Kaiserslautern, Alzey, Worms, Ludwigshafen am Rhein, Mannheim, Odenwald, Heidel ...
(''Pfälzisch'') and
Swabian German Swabian (german: Schwäbisch ) is one of the dialect groups of Alemannic German that belong to the High German dialect continuum. It is mainly spoken in Swabia, which is located in central and southeastern Baden-Württemberg (including its capita ...
(''Schwäbisch'') was spoken in farming villages like Arbore (''Arbora''), Bădeuți (''Deutsch Badeutz''), Frătăuții Vechi (''Alt Fratautz''), Frătăuții Noi (''Neu Fratautz''), Ilișești (''Illischestie''),
Ițcani Ițcani (german: link=no, Itzkany) is a neighbourhood of Suceava, the county seat town ( ro, oraș reședință de județ) of Suceava County ( ro, Județul Suceava) in the Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Bukovina ( ro, Bucov ...
(''Itzkany''),
Satu Mare Satu Mare (; hu, Szatmárnémeti ; german: Sathmar; yi, סאטמאר or ) is a city with a population of 102,400 (2011). It is the capital of Satu Mare County, Romania, as well as the centre of the Satu Mare metropolitan area. It lies in the ...
(''Deutsch Satulmare'') and Tereblecea (''Tereblestie''); * Zipser German (''Zipserisch'') was spoken by mine workers and their descendants in Cârlibaba (''Mariensee'' or ''Ludwigsdorf''), Iacobeni (''Jakobeny''),
Stulpicani Stulpicani (german: Stulpikany or Sztulpikany) is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of five villages, namely: Gemenea, Negrileasa, Slătioara, Stulpicani, and Vadu Negrilesei. Politics and local ...
(''Stulpikany''), and elsewhere. During the 19th century, the developing German middle class comprised much of the intellectual and political elite of the region; the language of official business and education was predominantly German, particularly among the upper classes. Population growth and a shortage of land led to the establishment of daughter settlements in
Galicia Galicia may refer to: Geographic regions * Galicia (Spain), a region and autonomous community of northwestern Spain ** Gallaecia, a Roman province ** The post-Roman Kingdom of the Suebi, also called the Kingdom of Gallaecia ** The medieval King ...
,
Bessarabia Bessarabia (; Gagauz: ''Besarabiya''; Romanian: ''Basarabia''; Ukrainian: ''Бессара́бія'') is a historical region in Eastern Europe, bounded by the Dniester river on the east and the Prut river on the west. About two thirds of Be ...
, and Dobruja. ) , image2 = Biserica evanghelica din Arbore3.jpg , width2 = 150 , caption2 = Former Evangelical Lutheran church (now Orthodox) in Arbore (german: Arbora) After 1840, a shortage of land caused the decline into poverty of the German rural lower classes; in the late 19th century parts of the German rural population alongside a few Romanians emigrated to the Americas, mainly to the United States (most notably to
Ellis Ellis is a surname of Welsh and English origin. Retrieved 21 January 2014 An independent French origin of the surname is said to derive from the phrase fleur-de-lis. Surname A *Abe Ellis (Stargate), a fictional character in the TV series '' ...
and Hays, both located in Kansas) but also to Canada. Between 1849 and 1851, and from 1863 to 1918, the
Duchy of Bukovina The Duchy of Bukovina (german: Herzogtum Bukowina; ro, Ducatul Bucovinei; uk, Герцогство Буковина) was a constituent land of the Austrian Empire from 1849 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary from 1867 until 191 ...
became an independent
crown land Crown land (sometimes spelled crownland), also known as royal domain, is a territorial area belonging to the monarch, who personifies the Crown. It is the equivalent of an entailed estate and passes with the monarchy, being inseparable from it. ...
within the Austrian Empire (see also:
Cisleithania Cisleithania, also ''Zisleithanien'' sl, Cislajtanija hu, Ciszlajtánia cs, Předlitavsko sk, Predlitavsko pl, Przedlitawia sh-Cyrl-Latn, Цислајтанија, Cislajtanija ro, Cisleithania uk, Цислейтанія, Tsysleitaniia it, Cislei ...
). However, at this time, in comparison with other Austrian crown lands, Bukovina remained a relatively underdeveloped region on the periphery of the realm, primarily supplying raw materials. This did not prevent it from being called ' he
Switzerland ). Swiss law does not designate a ''capital'' as such, but the federal parliament and government are installed in Bern, while other federal institutions, such as the federal courts, are in other cities (Bellinzona, Lausanne, Luzern, Neuchâtel ...
of the
Orient The Orient is a term for the East in relation to Europe, traditionally comprising anything belonging to the Eastern world. It is the antonym of ''Occident'', the Western World. In English, it is largely a metonym for, and coterminous with, the c ...
' (i.e., of Eastern Europe) or 'Europe in miniature', due to its ethnic and cultural diversity spread over such a small territory. The Franz-Josephs-Universität (Francisco-Josephina) in Cernăuți (''Czernowitz'') was founded in 1875, then the easternmost German-speaking university. In 1910–11, the Bukovinian Reconciliation (a political agreement between the peoples of Bukovina and their political representatives in the Landtag assembly on the question of autonomous regional administration) took place between the representatives of the nationalities. During the first round of the 20th century, local German-language literature flourished through the writings of Rose Ausländer, Alfred Kittner, Alfred Margul Sperber, or
Paul Celan Paul Celan (; ; 23 November 1920 – c. 20 April 1970) was a Romanian-born German-language poet and translator. He was born as Paul Antschel to a Jewish family in Cernăuți (German: Czernowitz), in the then Kingdom of Romania (now Chernivtsi, U ...
. Other notable German writers of Bukovina include mixed Ukrainian-German intellectuals Ludwig Adolf Staufe-Simiginowicz and
Olha Kobylianska Olha Yulianivna Kobylianska ( uk, Ольга Юліанівна Кобилянська; 27 November 1863 Gura Humorului, Bukovina, Austro-Hungary - 21 March 1942 Cernăuți, Cernăuți County, Romania) was a Ukrainian modernist writer and ...
(who was also remotely related to renowned German poet Zacharias Werner). File:Chernivtsi - Чернівці 1.jpg, Cernăuți (german: Czernowitz) town hall, 1905 File:Palatul Administrativ din Suceava19.jpg, Suceava (german: Suczawa) town hall (nowadays administrative palace), early 20th century File:Biserica romano-catolica din Gura Humorului11.jpg, Roman Catholic church in
Gura Humorului Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the hist ...
(german: Gura Humora), early 20th century File:Jakobeny (BildID 15716697).jpg, View of Iacobeni (german: Jakobeny), a Zipser German village, early 20th century File:Vatra Dornei 1.jpg, Bilingual German-Romanian postcard from Vatra Dornei (german: Dorna-Watra), early 20th century File:Biserica Adormirea Maicii Domnului din Ilisesti.jpg, Former Evangelical Lutheran (now Orthodox) church in Ilișești (german: llischestie)


Early 20th century and Kingdom of Romania (1918–1939)

From 1918 to 1919, following the end of World War I and the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Bukovina became part of the Kingdom of Romania. At the
General Congress of Bukovina The General Congress of Bukovina ( ro, Congresul General al Bucovinei) was a self-proclaimed representative body created in the aftermath of the Romanian military intervention in Bukovina, which proclaimed the union of the region with the Kingdo ...
held on November 28, 1918, the political representatives of the Bukovina Germans voted and supported the union of Bukovina with the Romanian kingdom, alongside the Romanian and Polish representatives. From 1933 up until 1940, some German societies and organizations opposed the
propaganda Propaganda is communication that is primarily used to influence or persuade an audience to further an agenda, which may not be objective and may be selectively presenting facts to encourage a particular synthesis or perception, or using loaded ...
of the Third Reich and the National Socialist-aligned so-called 'Reformation Movement'. Beginning in 1938 however, due to the poor economic situation and powerful National Socialist propaganda, a pro-Third Reich mentality developed within the Bukovina German community. Because of this, many increased their preparedness for evacuation.


Outbreak of World War II and Heim ins Reich (1939–1941)

When Nazi Germany signed the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact with the Soviet Union in 1939 (just before the outbreak of World War II), the fate (unknown to those affected) of the Germans in Bukovina was sealed. In a secret supplementary protocol, it was agreed (among other points) that the northern part of Bukovina would be annexed by the Soviet Union under a territorial re-organization in
Central Central is an adjective usually referring to being in the center of some place or (mathematical) object. Central may also refer to: Directions and generalised locations * Central Africa, a region in the centre of Africa continent, also known as ...
- Eastern Europe, with the German sub-populations therein undergoing compulsory resettlement to other future Nazi-occupied territories. Under this military partitive accord, the Soviet Union occupied northern Romania in 1940. Consequently, the Third Reich resettled nearly the entire German population of Bukovina (about 96,000 ethnic Germans) to, most notably, Nazi-occupied Poland, where the incoming evacuees were frequently compensated with expropriated farms. From 1941 to 1944, Bukovina was almost entirely Romanian-populated. Additionally, most of the Jewish population ( 30% of the regional population as a whole) were murdered by the Third Reich in collaboration with fascist Romania under Marshal
Ion Antonescu Ion Antonescu (; ; – 1 June 1946) was a Romanian military officer and marshal who presided over two successive wartime dictatorships as Prime Minister and ''Conducător'' during most of World War II. A Romanian Army career officer who made ...
during the Holocaust.


Resettlement in the wake of World War II (1945–1947)

In 1944–45, as the Russian front moved closer to the Kingdom of Romania, the Bukovina Germans who were forcefully settled in Polish areas (like the remaining German population), fled westward or wherever they could manage. Some remained in what was to be East Germany while others went to Austria. In 1945, during the last year of war, the 7,500 or so remaining Germans in Bukovina were evacuated to Germany, ending (except for a relatively feeble number of persons) a significant German presence in Bukovina, Romania after 1940. During the postwar era, the Bukovina Germans, as other 'homeland refugees' (known as ''Volksdeutche'' in German), assimilated into the Federal Republic, Austria, or the German Democratic Republic (german: Deutsche Demokratische Republik, i.e. East Germany). Nonetheless, small numbers of ethnic Germans (along with their families) returned to Romania after the resettlement plan failed, most notably the Zipser Germans, but also some Bukovina Germans.


After World War II and life under communist Romania (1945–1989)

After the end of World War II, the German community of Bukovina declined dramatically in numbers, with only several thousand ethnic Germans still residing in
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat is the historical town ...
(german: Kreis Suczawa) and a few waves of returning expelled Bukovina Germans re-settling the county. As with the rest of the German community in Bukovina (and Romania for that matter), they were constantly harassed by and under the surveillance of the Securitatea (the approximate equivalent or counterpart of
Stasi The Ministry for State Security, commonly known as the (),An abbreviation of . was the Intelligence agency, state security service of the East Germany from 1950 to 1990. The Stasi's function was similar to the KGB, serving as a means of maint ...
in East Germany), the secret police in
communist Romania The Socialist Republic of Romania ( ro, Republica Socialistă România, RSR) was a Marxism–Leninism, Marxist–Leninist One-party state, one-party socialist state that existed officially in Romania from 1947 to 1989. From 1947 to 1965, the s ...
, as recorded for the first time in their logs in October 1956. The documents of the Romanian communist secret police showcased the fact that many remaining Bukovina Germans expressed their interest to flee the country and immigrate to West Germany. Furthermore, only a few of them had been suspected on the grounds of anti-national sentiment alongside some Ukrainians, as shown by the same reports of the communist Romanian secret police. In the meantime, mixed Romanian-German families formed in this part of Romania as well, as they have formed prior to the end of World War II and the rise of communism as well. However, after 1989, very few Bukovina Germans (including those from mixed families) remained in the county of Suceava, most of them immigrating to West Germany. Nevertheless, some of them return almost on a yearly basis in their ancestral towns of Bukovina.


In contemporary Romania (1989–present)

During the early
21st century The 21st (twenty-first) century is the current century in the ''Anno Domini'' era or Common Era, under the Gregorian calendar. It began on 1 January 2001 ( MMI) and will end on 31 December 2100 ( MMC). Marking the beginning of the 21st centur ...
, the German community of Bukovina had dwindled dramatically and is currently on the verge of extinction. Nowadays, according to an estimate, the German community in Suceava County represents 0.3% of the total population of the county. Most of the rural settlements inhabited by the Bukovina Germans are totally or almost totally devoid of any ethnic Germans still left there and most of their historical heritage (i.e. churches and houses) were given to the local Romanian communities free of charge after most of the Bukovina Germans departed during World War II. Some of the towns and municipalities of Suceava County, most notably the county seat Suceava, are still home to a larger community of native ethnic Germans compared to the countryside which had been nearly completely deserted by the Bukovina Germans in the wake of World War II and after the fall of the
Iron Curtain The Iron Curtain was the political boundary dividing Europe into two separate areas from the end of World War II in 1945 until the end of the Cold War in 1991. The term symbolizes the efforts by the Soviet Union (USSR) to block itself and its s ...
. Nevertheless, the local branches of FDGR/DFDR in
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat is the historical town ...
are still functional and many local
German culture The culture of Germany has been shaped by major intellectual and popular currents in Europe, both religious and secular. Historically, Germany has been called ''Das Land der Dichter und Denker'' (the country of poets and thinkers). German cultu ...
-based festivals (akin to ''Haferland week'' of the Transylvanian Saxons) have been held thus far, with numerous members of the Bukovina German diaspora returning home on their occasion, especially in the town of Suceava (german: Suczawa). Furthermore, Germany is also the second most important economic partner and foreign investor of Suceava County, as reported by the prefect of the county in 2021.


Demographics

According to the Austrian census of 1869, there were approximately 40,000 ethnic Germans recorded from a total population of Bukovina of over 500,000 inhabitants. The
1930 Romanian census This article presents the demographic history of Romania through census results. See Demographics of Romania for a more detailed overview of the country's present-day demographics. The 1930 census was the only one to cover Greater Romania. Censuse ...
recorded 75,000 ethnic Germans in Bukovina. According to another source, namely an article of the Romanian Academy from 2019, there were 76,000 ethnic Germans in Bukovina in 1930 and 44% of them lived in urban settlements. Overall, the Bukovina Germans made up 12.46% of the total population of the interwar
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat is the historical town ...
at that time. As it was during Austrian times, the two largest numbers of German urban dwellers were to be found in Cernăuți (german: Czernowitz) (the largest town of Bukovina in Romanian royal times as well) and in Suceava (german: Suczawa). Other large urban German communities were also present in Rădăuți (german: Radautz),
Gura Humorului Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the hist ...
(german: Gura Humora), and
Câmpulung Moldovenesc Câmpulung Moldovenesc (; formerly spelled ''Cîmpulung Moldovenesc'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. Câmpulung Moldovenesc is the fourth largest urban settlement in the c ...
(german: Kimpolung). In rural settlements, the Germans from Bukovina were still more present, especially in the south and south-west of the region, towards the
Carpathian Mountains The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains at . The range stretches ...
and the Bistrița river valley, where most Zipser Germans had previously settled. Generally, the Bukovina Germans used to be the dominant ethnic group in several towns in Bukovina throughout the 19th century and early 20th century. After the union of Bukovina with the Kingdom of Romania, for which both all German and Polish representatives in the parliament of the region (previously under Austrian rulership) voted for, the number of urban German dwellers slowly but steadily decreased in the towns yet still remained strong in the countryside, in many waldhufendorfs (i.e. forest villages) which they helped develop. On the verge of World War II, the vast majority Bukovina Germans were re-settled by Nazi Germany to areas occupied by it in Eastern-Central Europe. After the end of the war, few of these Germans decided to come back. During Communism in Romania, the German community in Bukovina numbered a few thousand and most of them eventually emigrated to West Germany prior to 1989 or to unified Germany after the Romanian Revolution of 1989, leaving a very small number of ethnic Germans still living in Suceava County. According to the
2011 Romanian census The 2011 Romanian census was a census held in Romania between 20 and 31 October 2011. It was performed by some 120,000 census takers in around 101,000 statistic sectors throughout the country established by the National Institute of Statistics (IN ...
, the German minority in southern Bukovina makes up only 0.11% of the total population (including Zipsers and smaller numbers of Regat Germans in Fălticeni). Consequently, the rural and urban settlements of Suceava County, where small German communities still live to this day, are the following ones (according to the 2011 Romanian census): * Suceava (german: Suczawa): 0.18% * Rădăuți (german: Radautz): 0.27% * Gura Humorului (german: Gura Humora): 0.52% * Câmpulung Moldovenesc (german: Kimpolung): 0.25% * Fălticeni (german: Foltischeni): 0.02% * Mănăstirea Humorului (german: Humora Kloster): 1% * Vatra Moldoviței (german: Watra): 0.25% * Cârlibaba (german: Ludwigsdorf/Mariensee): 5.06% * Solca (german: Solka): 0.63% * Siret (german: Sereth): 0.42% * Vatra Dornei (german: Dorna-Watra): 0.23%


Organisations

The political representation of the Bukovina Germans (and of all other German-speaking groups in contemporary Romania) is the DFDR/FDGR (german: Demokratisches Forum der Deutschen in Rumänien, ro, Forumul Democrat al Germanilor din România) which has a local branch operating in
Suceava County Suceava County () is a county ('' ro, județ'') of Romania. Most of its territory lies in the southern part of the historical region of Bukovina, while the remainder forms part of Western Moldavia proper. The county seat is the historical town ...
with headquarters in the town of Suceava (german: Suczawa). The regional president of FDGR/DFDR Bucovina/Buchenland is Josef-Otto Exner, who is also in charge of the ACI Bukowina Stiftung, a cultural foundation aiming to enhance ties between Romania and Germany. After World War II, the Bukovina Germans who settled in West Germany founded the ''
Landsmannschaft der Buchenlanddeutschen The Landsmannschaft der Buchenlanddeutschen (i.e. "Territorial Association of Bukovina Germans" or "Homeland Association of Bukovina Germans") was an organization of German refugees expelled from their homes in Bukovina and Bessarabia after Worl ...
im Bundesrepublik Deutschland'' (Homeland Association of the Bukovina Germans in the Federal Republic of Germany). Others, who decided to settle in Austria, founded the ''Landsmannschaft der Buchenlanddeutschen in Österreich'' (Homeland Association of the Bukovina Germans in the Federal Republic of Austria).


Gallery

File:Hausschild Bukowina.JPG, Academische Landsmannschaft Bukowina File:HerrenGasse 830.jpg, The German House in Cernăuți (german: Czernowitz) built in 1910 File:Німецький Народний дім.jpg, The German House in Cernăuți (german: Czernowitz) by night File:Chern-Panorama2.jpg, Cernăuți (german: Czernowitz) town centre File:Chern teatr.jpg, The theatre in Cernăuți (german: Czernowitz) File:Biserica romano-catolica din Gura Humorului2.jpg,
Gura Humorului Gura Humorului (; Hebrew and Yiddish: גורה חומורולוי - ''Gure Humuruluei'' or גורא הומאָרא - ''Gura Humora''; German and Polish: ''Gura Humora'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the hist ...
(german: Gura Humora) File:Biserica romano-catolica din Campulung Moldovenesc.jpg,
Câmpulung Moldovenesc Câmpulung Moldovenesc (; formerly spelled ''Cîmpulung Moldovenesc'') is a town in Suceava County, northeastern Romania. It is situated in the historical region of Bukovina. Câmpulung Moldovenesc is the fourth largest urban settlement in the c ...
(german: Kimpolung) File:Biserica Naşterea Sfintei Fecioare Maria din Rădăuţi.jpg, Rădăuți (german: Radautz) File:Arcoiris Vatra Dornei.jpg, Vatra Dornei (german: Dorna-Watra) File:Biserica Nasterea Sf. Fecioare Maria din Siret2.jpg, Siret (german: Sereth) File:Centrul orașului Frasin (4).jpg, Frasin (german: Frassin/Fraßin) File:Kirlibaba.jpg, Cârlibaba (german: Ludwigsdorf/Mariensee) File:The town of Solca.jpg, Solca (german: Solka) File:RO SV Iacobeni (34).JPG, Iacobeni (german: Jakobeny) File:RO SV Iacobeni (46).JPG, Iacobeni (german: Jakobeny) File:Biserica romano-catolica din Mitocu Dragomirnei4.jpg, The Roman Catholic church in
Mitocu Dragomirnei Mitocu Dragomirnei (german: Mitoka Dragomirna) is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of four villages: namely Dragomirna, Lipoveni (formerly ''Socolinți''), Mitocași, and Mitocu Dragomirnei. The ...
(german: Mitoka Dragomirna) File:Romania Putna Biserica Coborârea Duhului Sfânt din Putna.jpg, Roman Catholic church at
Gura Putnei Putna (german: Kloster-Putna) is a commune in Suceava County, in the historical region of Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of two villages, namely Gura Putnei (german: Karlsberg) and Putna. The Putna Monastery, Putna River, and the ...
(german: Karlsberg) File:RO SV Pojorata (3).JPG, Pojorâta (german: Pozoritta) File:Biserica romano-catolica din Prisaca Dornei1.jpg, Prisaca Dornei (german: Eisenau) File:Biserica Adormirea Maicii Domnului din Ilisesti5.jpg, Ilișești (german: Ilischestie) File:The Roman Catholic church in Stulpicani in winter.jpg, The Roman Catholic church in
Stulpicani Stulpicani (german: Stulpikany or Sztulpikany) is a commune located in Suceava County, Bukovina, northeastern Romania. It is composed of five villages, namely: Gemenea, Negrileasa, Slătioara, Stulpicani, and Vadu Negrilesei. Politics and local ...
(german: Stulpikany) File:Biserica romano-catolica din Vama.jpg, The Roman Catholic church in Vama (german: Wama) File:Biserica romano-catolica din Paltinoasa.jpg, The Roman Catholic church in Păltinoasa (german: Paltinossa) File:Biserica romano-catolica din Bainet.jpg, The Roman Catholic church in Baineț (german: Baincze)


Notable people

*
Elisabeth Axmann Elisabeth Axmann (Siret, 19 June 1926 – Cologne, 21 April 2015) was a Romanian writer, art and literature critic. She spent her childhood in Bukovina, Moldavia and Transylvania. Axmann moved to Germany in 1977. Selected works * ''Spiegelufer. ...
, writer *
Olha Kobylianska Olha Yulianivna Kobylianska ( uk, Ольга Юліанівна Кобилянська; 27 November 1863 Gura Humorului, Bukovina, Austro-Hungary - 21 March 1942 Cernăuți, Cernăuți County, Romania) was a Ukrainian modernist writer and ...
(partly Bukovina German), writer *
Otto Babiasch Otto Babiasch (born 21 March 1937 in Baineț, Romania) is a German former boxer who won the bronze medal at the 1961 European Amateur Boxing Championships in the flyweight category, representing East Germany. He competed for the SC Dynamo B ...
, Olympic boxer *
Viktor Pestek The name Victor or Viktor may refer to: * Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname Arts and entertainment Film * ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film * ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
, Auschwitz guard who helped a prisoner escape, for which he was executed in 1944 *
Alfred Kuzmany __NOTOC__ Alfred Kuzmany (born 24 October 1893 in Dorna-Watra, Bukovina, Austria-Hungary–4 October 1961) was a general in the Wehrmacht of Nazi Germany during World War II. He was a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. Awards and ...
, Nazi general * Eduard Neumann, Luftwaffe officer * Stefan Baretzki, Auschwitz guard who murdered more than 8,000 people *
Ewald Burian Ewald Burian (12 July 1896 – 3 November 1981) was a highly decorated Oberst in the Wehrmacht during World War II. He was also a recipient of the Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross. The Knight's Cross of the Iron Cross was awarded to recognise ...
, military officer * Franz Des Loges, former mayor of Suceava *
Alfred Eisenbeisser Alfred Eisenbeisser ( ro, Alfred "Fredi" Fieraru) (7 April 1908 in Cernăuţi, Austria-Hungary (now in Ukraine) - 1 July 1991 in Berlin, Germany) was a Romanian football player and figure skater of German ethnicity. As a footballer, he played ...
, professional footballer *
Stefan Hantel Stefan Hantel, better known by his stage name Shantel (born 2 March 1968), is a German DJ and producer based in Frankfurt. He is known for his work with Romani brass orchestras, DJing and remixing traditional Balkan music with electronic beat ...
(partly Bukovina German), musician * Anton Keschmann, politician in the Imperial Austrian Parliament * Roman Neumayer, inductee into German Ice Hockey Hall of Fame * George Ostafi, abstract painter *
Francisc Rainer Francisc Iosif Rainer (December 28, 1874 – August 4, 1944) was an Austro-Hungarian-born Romanian pathologist, physiologist and anthropologist. From an immigrant family, he earned early recognition for his experimental work in anatomy, and help ...
, physiologist and anthropologist * Ludovic Iosif Urban Rudescu, biologist * Gregor von Rezzori (partly Bukovina German), writer *
Roman Sondermajer Colonel Dr. Roman Sondermajer CMG ( Serbian: ) (28 February 1861– 30 January 1923) was a Royal Serbian Army physician who served as Chief Surgeon of the Royal Serbian Army, Chief Surgeon and Director of the Military Hospital and Chief of the ...
(partly Bukovina German), physician, surgeon, and associate professor * Constantin Schumacher (partly German), professional footballer * Ludwig Adolf Staufe-Simiginowicz (partly Bukovina German), poet and educator * Joseph Weber, Roman Catholic prelate * Lothar Würzel, journalist, linguist, and politician *
Hugo Weczerka Hugo or HUGO may refer to: Arts and entertainment * ''Hugo'' (film), a 2011 film directed by Martin Scorsese * Hugo Award, a science fiction and fantasy award named after Hugo Gernsback * Hugo (franchise), a children's media franchise based on a ...
, regional historian * Erich Beck, researcher and academician, Doctor Honoris Causa of Ștefan cel Mare University of Suceava


See also

* List of governors of Bukovina *
List of Landeshauptmann of Bukovina {{Short description, none This list outlines the Landeshauptmen of the Crownland Duchy of Bukovina at the time of the reign of the Habsburg Empire. Landeshauptmann of Bucovina * Eugenie Hacman (1861–1862)Klagenfurter Zeitung Nr. 294, vom Di ...
* Jahn Cernăuți * Vorwärts * Bukovina Society Headquarters and Museum * Zipser Germans * Transylvanian Saxons *
Banat Swabians The Banat Swabians are an ethnic German population in the former Kingdom of Hungary in Central-Southeast Europe, part of the Danube Swabians. They emigrated in the 18th century to what was then the Austrian Empire's Banat of Temeswar province, la ...
* Bessarabia Germans * Dobrujan Germans


Notes


References


External links


Bukovina Society of the Americas
a website of the Bukovina German community from the Midwestern United States, more specifically from Kansas
Das Mädchen aus dem Wald
a compilation of German fairytales, songs, and local history from Rădăuți area by Claus Stephani


Further reading

* ''Povești din folclorul germanilor din România'' by Roland Schenn, Corint publishing house, 2014 (in Romanian) {{Authority control * Germans Ethnic German groups in Romania Romanian people of German descent Ukrainian people of German descent