The Zipser Germans or Zipsers (german: Zipser, ro, Țipțeri, hu, Cipszer) are a

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 ...

-speaking (specifically

Zipser German Zipser German (German: Zipserisch, Zipserdeutsch, Hungarian: ''szepességi szász nyelv'' or ''cipszer nyelv'') is a Germanic dialect which developed in the Upper Zips region of what is now Slovakia among people who settled there from central G ...

-speaking) sub-ethnic group which developed in the

Szepes County Szepes ( sk, Spiš; la, Scepusium, pl, Spisz, german: link=no, Zips) was an administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary, called Scepusium before the late 19th century. Its territory today lies in northeastern Slovakia, with a very small are ...

(german: Zips; sk, Spiš) of Upper Hungary—today mostly

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

—as that region was settled by people from present-day central Germany during the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history that lasted from AD 1000 to 1300. The High Middle Ages were preceded by the Early Middle Ages and were followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended ...

, more specifically beginning in the

13th century The 13th century was the century which lasted from January 1, 1201 ( MCCI) through December 31, 1300 ( MCCC) in accordance with the Julian calendar. The Mongol Empire was founded by Genghis Khan, which stretched from Eastern Asia to Eastern Eu ...

.Karl Julius Schröer, ''Die deutschen Mundarten des ungrischen Berglandes'' (1864) Beginning in at least the 18th century, many members of the ethnic group migrated to southern

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 ...

,Oskar Hadbawnik, ''Die Zipser in der Bukowina'' (1968) discusses the Zipserfest held in Jakobeny in 1936 to commemorate 150 years since the Zipsers migrated to Jakobeny in 1786.І. Я. Яцюк, ''Тернопільський національний педагогічний університет ім. Володимира Гнатюка'', ''Наукові записки. Серія “Філологічна”'', ''УДК 81’282.4:811.112.2(477)'': ''Lexikalische Besonderheiten Deutscher Dialekte in Galizien und der Bukowina'': “Die Siedler in den ursprünglichen Bergwerksgemeinden im Südwesten der Bukowina sprachen Zipserisch und zwar Gründlerisch, wie es in der Unterzips gesprochen wurde. Dabei wurde im Anlaut wie ausgesprochen: Werke – berka, weh – be, Schwester – schbesta. Anlautendes wurde zu Brot – prot, Brücke – prik.” Maramureș, and

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 ...

(today in Romania). Former Slovak President

Rudolf Schuster Rudolf Schuster (born 4 January 1934) is a Slovak politician, who served as the second president of Slovakia from 1999 to 2004. He was elected on 29 May 1999 and inaugurated on 15 June. In the presidential elections of April 2004, in which he sou ...

is partly

. The Zipser Germans can therefore be equated with the ''Germans of Slovakia'' (german: Slowakeideutsche) and are part of the broader group of Carpathian Germans (german: Karpatendeutsche), having chiefly been referred to as such along with the Germans of Carpathian Ruthenia since the end of World War II onwards.

Medieval history

), depicting it during its peak in the

16th century The 16th century begins with the Julian year 1501 ( MDI) and ends with either the Julian or the Gregorian year 1600 ( MDC) (depending on the reckoning used; the Gregorian calendar introduced a lapse of 10 days in October 1582). The 16th cent ...

, one of the best preserved medieval castles in

Central Europe Central Europe is an area of Europe between Western Europe and Eastern Europe, based on a common historical, social and cultural identity. The Thirty Years' War (1618–1648) between Catholicism and Protestantism significantly shaped the area' ...

. , image2 = Spišská kapitula and Spiš castle, Slovakia.jpg , width2 = 150 , caption2 =

Spišská Kapitula Spišská Kapitula (german: Zipser Kapitel, hu, Szepeshely or Szepesi Káptalan) (both meaning the "Spiš Chapter house") is an exceptionally well-preserved ecclesiastical town on the outskirts of Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia, and overlooking ...

(german: Zipser Kapitel) and

Spiš Castle The ruins of Spiš Castle ( sk, Spišský hrad, ; hu, Szepesi vár; pl, Zamek Spiski; german: Zipser Burg) in eastern Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhr ...

(german: Zipser Burg), as seen in winter. Kremnica 1729 Rothenfels

German settlers (closely related to the

Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen''; ro, Sași ardeleni, sași transilvăneni/transilvani; hu, Erdélyi szászok) are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania ( ...

) were invited to settle in present-day Slovakia, then the soon to become

(german: Komitat Zips) of Upper Hungary in 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 Stephe ...

, beginning in the 13th century. As in the cases of other historical regions from Central and Eastern Europe, this migration of German settlers at the invitation of local kings (known as

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 alr ...

in German historiography) from Central-Eastern Europe had the main goal to enrich the local medieval communities with more trade and urbanization. In the particular case of present-day Slovakia, these German settlers stemmed from central-western present-day

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG),, is a country in Central Europe. It is the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany lies between the Baltic and North Sea to the north and the Alps to the sou ...

as well as from neighbouring

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 land ...

. In the passing of time, as in the case of other local communities in Central-Eastern Europe colonized with ethnic Germans during the Middle Ages, these newly arrived German settlers became the dominant class and the majority ethnic group in the towns and villages they had founded. They eventually became collectively known as Zipser Germans given that they helped develop Szepes County. As in the case of the

in Transylvania (another Central-Eastern European historical region which previously belonged to the medieval Kingdom of Hungary), the Zipser Germans founded imposing castles and fortified settlements.

Modern Age history

During the

Modern Age The term modern period or modern era (sometimes also called modern history or modern times) is the period of history that succeeds the Middle Ages (which ended approximately 1500 AD). This terminology is a historical periodization that is applie ...

, as it was the case of other ethnic German groups from non-native German Central and Eastern European countries, the population of Zipser Germans gradually declined. Zipser German populations were still significant in several parts of central Slovakia, but not as significant as they once were during the Middle Ages (both in absolute numbers and in status).

20th century and contemporary history

During and after

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 World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, most Zipsers evacuated or were expelled to

West Germany West Germany is the colloquial term used to indicate the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG; german: Bundesrepublik Deutschland , BRD) between its formation on 23 May 1949 and the German reunification through the accession of East Germany on 3 O ...

. A community of speakers remains in the Zips town of

Chmeľnica Chmeľnica (german: Hopgarten, hu, Komlóskert, pl, Chmielnica) is a village and municipality in Stará Ľubovňa District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia. The village is traditionally inhabited by Carpathian Germans. History The vill ...

(german: Hopgarten) (their distinctive dialect is called 'Outzäpsersch', german: Altzipserisch, literally german: Old Zipserish), and others remain in Romania where they and other German-speaking groups are currently represented by the

Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania The Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (german: Demokratisches Forum der Deutschen in Rumänien, DFDR; ro, Forumul Democrat al Germanilor din România, FDGR; in short or ) is a political party (legally recognized as an association of public ...

(FDGR/DFDR). Some notable localities in southern Bukovina (contemporary

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 tow ...

) previously inhabited by a significant number of Zipser Germans include Iacobeni (german: Jakobeny), Cârlibaba (german: Mariensee/Ludwigsdorf), and Fundu Moldovei (german: Louisenthal). To this day, sparse Zipser German communities still reside in southern Bukovina and northern Transylvania, in Maramureș/

Maramureș County Maramureș County () is a county (județ) in Romania, in the Maramureș region. The county seat is Baia Mare. Name In Hungarian it is known as ''Máramaros megye'', in Ukrainian as Мараморо́щина, in German as ''Kreis Marmarosc ...

more specifically, where they are also politically represented to a lesser extent after the latest Romanian locations. Nonetheless, most of the remaining Zipser Germans in Romania live in Maramureș, northern Transylvania. Therefore, the main localities still populated by Zipser Germans in Maramureș County according to the 2011 Romanian census are the following ones, both urban settlements (a town and a municipality): * Vișeu de Sus (german: Oberwischau) *

Baia Mare Baia Mare ( , ; hu, Nagybánya; german: Frauenbach or Groß-Neustadt; la, Rivulus Dominarum) is a municipality along the Săsar River, in northwestern Romania; it is the capital of Maramureș County. The city lies in the region of Maramure� ...

(german: Frauendorf or Groß-Neustadt)

Gallery

File:Levoča (2).jpg,

Levoča Levoča (; hu, Lőcse; rue, Левоча) is a town in the Prešov Region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,700. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Gothic church with the highest wooden altar in the wor ...

(german: Leutschau) File:Banská Bystrica - Barbakán - Mestský hrad v Banskej Bystrici 006.jpg,

Banská Bystrica Banská Bystrica (, also known by other alternative names) is a middle-sized town in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica M ...

barbican (german: Neusohl) File:SK-Hopgarten-04.jpg,

(german: Hopgarten) in Slovakia File:CulHer14Slovakia328.JPG, Spišské Podhradie (german: Kirchdrauf) File:Spišské Podhradie a hrad.jpg, Spišské Podhradie (german: Kirchdrauf) File:Spišská Belá, kostol a múzeum.jpg,

Spišská Belá Spišská Belá (german: Zipser Bela; hu, Szepesbéla; pl, Biała Spiska) is a town in the Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region in Spiš in northern Slovakia. Prior to World War I, it was in Szepes county in the Kingdom of Hungary. History ...

(german: Zipser Bela) File:Spišská Belá, kostol a zvonica.jpg,

(german: Zipser Bela) File:Szepesváralja - Castle-2.jpg, Spišské Podhradie (german: Kirchdrauf) File:Zipser Kapitel - cathedral.jpg, The Roman Catholic cathedral at Spišské Podhradie (german: Kirchdrauf) File:SK-Zipser Burg-24.jpg, Overview of Spišský hrad (german: Zipser Burg): Spišské Podhradie (german: Kirchdrauf) and Spišská Kapitula (german: Zipser Kapitel) File:Spišská Kapitula-Zipser Kapitel 3.jpg,

(german: Zipser Kapitel) File:Spisska nova ves...castle.jpg,

(german: Zipser Burg) File:Kirlibaba.jpg, Cârlibaba (german: Mariensee/Ludwigsdorf) in Suceava County, northeastern Romania File:Fundu Moldovei town hall.jpg, Fundu Moldovei (german: Luisenthal) in Suceava County, northeastern Romania File:RO SV Iacobeni (46).JPG, Iacobeni (german: Jakobeny) in Suceava County, northeastern Romania File:RO SV Pojorata (2).JPG, Pojorâta (german: Pozoritta) in Suceava County, northeastern Romania File:Biserica romano-catolica din Prisaca Dornei5.jpg, Prisaca Dornei (german: Eisenau) in Suceava County, northeastern Romania File:Viseul de SusMM (7).JPG, Vișeu de Sus (german: Oberwischau) in Maramureș County, northern Romania

Medieval history

Modern Age history

20th century and contemporary history

Gallery

See also

References

Further reading