The Nösnerland (, also known as ''Nösnergau''; ro, Țara Năsăudului; hu, Beszterce vidéke) is a historic region of northeastern

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

in present-day

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

centered between the Bistrița and Mureș rivers. In today's administrative boundaries, it is located in southern Bistrița-Năsăud County and north-central Mureș County. Beginning in the 12th century and increasingly in the 13th–14th centuries, Hungarian kings invited

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

colonists (mainly from present-day

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

and the adjacent areas in western contemporary

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

) to settle in the then eastern lands of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

; these German settlers became collectively known as the Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen). The Saxons in the southeast settled in the Burzenland, while the settlers in the northeast established towns along the Bistrița and Mureș rivers beginning in the early 13th century. As the latter settlers' first major town in the area was Nösen on the Bistrița in 1206, the surrounding area became known as the Nösnerland. The largest cities of this region were Nösen, later known as Bistritz ( Bistrița in Romanian), in the north and Sächsisch-Regen (

Reghin Reghin (; hu, Szászrégen, or ; german: (Sächsisch) Regen) is a city A city is a human settlement of notable size.Goodall, B. (1987) ''The Penguin Dictionary of Human Geography''. London: Penguin.Kuper, A. and Kuper, J., eds (1996) ''The ...

in Romanian) in the south. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, after Romania switched sides to the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

as a result of King Michael's Coup of 23 August 1944, the German military ordered in September 1944 the evacuation of the German population from

Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania ( ro, Transilvania de Nord, hu, Észak-Erdély) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of ...

. After the Romanian Revolution and the fall of the Communist regime in 1989, additional Transylvanian Germans emigrated from their homeland to

Towns and villages

In each case, the modern

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditional ...

name is given first, followed by the historic

and Hungarian names. * Albeștii Bistriței (''Weißkirch bei Bistritz'', ''Kisfehéregyház'') * Arcalia (''Kallesdorf'', ''Árokalja'') *

Batoș Batoș ( hu, Bátos, Hungarian pronunciation: ; german: Botsch) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of four villages: Batoș, Dedrad (''Dedrád''; ''Zepling''), Goreni (''Dedrádszéplak''; ''Ungarisch Zepling'') an ...

(''Botsch'', ''Bátos'') * Bistrița (''Nösen / Bistritz'', ''Beszterce'') *

Budacu de Jos Budacu de Jos (german: Deutsch-Budak; hu, Szászbudak) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Budacu de Jos, Buduș (''Alsóbudak'';''Budesdorf''), Jelna (''Kiszsolna''; ''Senndorf''), Mo ...

(''Deutsch-Budak'', ''Szászbudak'') * Chiraleș (''Kyrieleis'', ''Kerlés'') * Corvinești (''Niederneudorf'', ''Kékesújfalu'') * Cușma (''Auen / Kuschma'', ''Kusma'') * Dedrad (''Deutsch-Zepling'', ''Dedrád'') *

Dipșa The Dipșa is a left tributary of the river Șieu in Romania. It flows into the Șieu near Chiraleș.Domnești (''Attelsdorf / Billak'', ''Bilak'') * Dorolea (''Kleinbistritz'', ''Aszubeszterce'') *

Dumitra Dumitra (german: Mettersdorf; hu, Nagydemeter) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Cepari, Dumitra and Tărpiu. Natives *Gerhard Poschner Gerhard Hans Poschner (born 23 Septemb ...

(''Mettersdorf'', ''Szentdemeter'') *

Dumitrița Dumitrița (german: Waltersdorf; hu, Kisdemeter) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and ...

(''Waltersdorf'', ''Kisdemeter'') * Ghinda (''Windau'', ''Vinda'') * Herina (''Mönchsdorf'', ''Harina'') *

Ideciu de Jos Ideciu de Jos ( hu, Alsóidecs, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Deleni (''Oroszidecs''), Ideciu de Jos and Ideciu de Sus (''Felsőidecs''). The route of the Via Tra ...

(''Niedereidisch'', ''Alsóidecs'') * Ideciu de Sus (''Obereidisch'', ''Felsőidecs'') * Jelna (''Senndorf'', '' Kiszsolna'') *

Lechința Lechința (german: Lechnitz; hu, Szászlekence) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bungard, Chiraleș, Lechința, Sângeorzu Nou, Sâniacob, Țigău, and Vermeș. Geography The c ...

(''Lechnitz'', ''Szászlekence'') * Livezile (''Jaad'', ''Jád'') * Logig (''Ludwigsdorf'', ''Ludvég'') *

Monariu Budacu de Jos (german: Deutsch-Budak; hu, Szászbudak) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of five villages: Budacu de Jos, Buduș (''Alsóbudak'';''Budesdorf''), Jelna (''Kiszsolna''; ''Senndorf''), Mo ...

(''Minarken'', ''Malomárka'') * Moruț (''Moritzdorf'', ''Aranyosmóric'') * Năsăud (''Nassod / Nußdorf'', ''Naszód'') * Orheiu Bistriţei (''Burghalle'', ''Óvárhely'') *

Petelea Petelea (german: Birk; hu, Petele, Hungarian pronunciation: ) is a commune in Mureș County, Transylvania, Romania that is composed of two villages: Habic (''Hétbükk'', meaning "Seven Beech Trees" in Hungarian) and Petelea. It has a population o ...

(''Birk'', ''Petele'') *

Petriș Petriș ( hu, Marospetres) is a commune in Arad County, Romania, is situated in the contact zone of Mureș Couloir with Metaliferi Mountains Metaliferi Mountains ( ro, Munții Metaliferi; hu, Erdélyi-érchegység), meaning Ore Mountains, ar ...

(''Petersdorf bei Bistritz'', ''Petres'') * Posmuș (''Paßbusch'', ''Paszmos'') *

(''Sächsisch-Regen'', ''Szászrégen'') * Sângeorzu Nou (''Sankt Georgen bei Lechnitz'', ''Szászszentgyörgy'') * Sâniacob (''Jakobsdorf bei Bitritz'', ''Szászszentjakab'') * Satu Nou (''Oberneudorf'', ''Felsőszászújfalu'') * Sigmir (''Schönbirk'', ''Szépnyír'') * Slătinița (''Pintak'', '' Pinták'') * Șieu (''Groß-Schogen'', ''Nagysajó'') *

Șieu-Măgheruș Șieu-Măgheruș ( hu, Sajómagyarós) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Arcalia (''Árokalja''), Chintelnic (''Kentelke''), Crainimăt (''Királynémeti''), Podirei (''Pogyerej''), ...

(''Ungersdorf'', ''Sajómagyarós'') * Tărpiu (''Treppen'', ''Szásztörpény'') *

Teaca Teaca (german: Tekendorf,Tekendorf in Nordsiebenbürgen : Ortsmonographie; Ilse Schliessleder-Fronius, 1989 hu, Teke) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the ...

(''Tekendorf'', ''Teke'') * Tonciu (''Tatsch'', ''Tacs'') *

Uila The Uila is a right tributary of the river Luț in Romania. It discharges into the Luț in Goreni. Its length is and its basin size is . References

Rivers of Romania Rivers of Mureș County {{Mureș-river-stub ...

(''Weilau'', ''Vajola'') * Unirea (''Wallendorf'', ''Aldorf'') *

Vermeș Vermeș ( hu, Krassóvermes) is a commune in Caraș-Severin County, western Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern ...

(''Wermesch'', ''Vermes'') * Viile Tecii (''Großeidau'', ''Kolozsnagyida'') * Viișoara (''Heidendorf'', ''Besenyő'')

External links

Map showing German settlements in Transylvania

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nosnerland Transylvanian Saxon communities Historical regions of Transylvania Bistrița-Năsăud County Mureș County

Towns and villages

See also

External links