The Nösnerland (, also known as ''Nösnergau''; ; ) is a historic region of northeastern

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

in present-day

Romania Romania is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern and Southeast Europe. It borders Ukraine to the north and east, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Bulgaria to the south, Moldova to ...

centered between the

Bistrița (; , archaic , Transylvanian Saxon: , ) is the capital city of Bistrița-Năsăud County, in northern Transylvania, Romania. It is situated on the Bistrița River. The city has a population of 78,877 inhabitants as of 2021 and administers s ...

and Mureș rivers. In today's administrative boundaries, it is located in southern

Bistrița-Năsăud County Bistrița-Năsăud () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Bistrița. Name In Hungarian language, Hungarian, it is known as ''Beszterce-Naszód megye'', and in German language, German as ''Kreis Bistritz-N ...

and north-central

Mureș County Mureș County (, , ) is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in the Historical regions of Romania, historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș. The county was established in 1968, after the administrative reor ...

History

Beginning in the 12th century and increasingly in the 13th–14th centuries, Hungarian kings invited

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

colonists (mainly from present-day

Luxembourg Luxembourg, officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, is a landlocked country in Western Europe. It is bordered by Belgium to the west and north, Germany to the east, and France on the south. Its capital and most populous city, Luxembour ...

and the adjacent areas in western contemporary

Germany Germany, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It lies between the Baltic Sea and the North Sea to the north and the Alps to the south. Its sixteen States of Germany, constituent states have a total popu ...

) 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 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

; these German settlers became collectively known as the

Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen'' or simply ''Soxen'', singularly ''Sox'' or ''Soax''; Transylvanian Landler dialect, Transylvanian Landler: ''Soxn'' or ''Soxisch''; ; seldom ''sa ...

(). 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 (

in Romanian), in the north and Sächsisch-Regen (

Reghin Reghin (; , or ; ; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Reen'') is a city in Mureș County, Transylvania, central Romania, on the Mureș River. As of 2021, it had a population of 29,742, making it the second biggest city of the Mureș county, just behind th ...

in Romanian) in the south. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, 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 an explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are calle ...

as a result of

King Michael's Coup King is a royal title given to a male monarch. A king is an absolute monarch if he holds unrestricted governmental power or exercises full sovereignty over a nation. Conversely, he is a constitutional monarch if his power is restrained by ...

of 23 August 1944, the German military ordered in September 1944 the evacuation of the German population from

Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania (, ) 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 the Kingdom of Hungary (1920-1946), Kingdom ...

. After the

Romanian Revolution The Romanian revolution () was a period of violent Civil disorder, civil unrest in Socialist Republic of Romania, Romania during December 1989 as a part of the revolutions of 1989 that occurred in several countries around the world, primarily ...

and the fall of the

Communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state in which the totality of the power belongs to a party adhering to some form of Marxism–Leninism, a branch of the communist ideology. Marxism–Leninism was ...

in 1989, additional Transylvanian Germans emigrated from their homeland to

Towns and villages

In each case, the modern Romanian name is given first, followed by the historic

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

(''Nösen / Bistritz'', ''Beszterce'') * Budacu de Jos (''Deutsch-Budak'', ''Szászbudak'') * Chiraleș (''Kyrieleis'', ''Kerlés'') * Corvinești (''Niederneudorf'', ''Kékesújfalu'') * Cușma (''Auen / Kuschma'', ''Kusma'') * Dedrad (''Deutsch-Zepling'', ''Dedrád'') * Dipșa (''Dürrbach'', ''Dipse'') * Domnești (''Attelsdorf / Billak'', ''Bilak'') * Dorolea (''Kleinbistritz'', ''Aszubeszterce'') *

Dumitra Dumitra (; ) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of three villages: Cepari (''Tschippendorf''; ''Csépán''), Dumitra, and Tărpiu (''Treppen''; ''Szásztörpény''). The commune is situated on the Tra ...

(''Mettersdorf'', ''Szentdemeter'') * Dumitrița (''Waltersdorf'', ''Kisdemeter'') * Ghinda (''Windau'', ''Vinda'') * Herina (''Mönchsdorf'', ''Harina'') * Ideciu de Jos (''Niedereidisch'', ''Alsóidecs'') * Ideciu de Sus (''Obereidisch'', ''Felsőidecs'') * Jelna (''Senndorf'', '' Kiszsolna'') *

Lechința Lechința (; ) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bungard (''Baumgarten bei Bistritz''; ''Szászbongárd''), Chiraleș (''Kyrieleis''; ''Kerlés''), Lechința, Sângeorzu Nou (''Sank ...

(''Lechnitz'', ''Szászlekence'') * Livezile (''Jaad'', ''Jád'') * Logig (''Ludwigsdorf'', ''Ludvég'') * Monariu (''Minarken'', ''Malomárka'') * Moruț (''Moritzdorf'', ''Aranyosmóric'') * Năsăud (''Nußdorf / Nassod'', ''Naszód'') * Orheiu Bistriţei (''Burghalle'', ''Óvárhely'') * Petelea (''Birk'', ''Petele'') * Petriș (''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 () is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Arcalia (''Árokalja''), Chintelnic (''Kentelke''), Crainimăt (''Királynémeti''), Podirei (''Pogyerej''), Sărățel (''Szere ...

(''Ungersdorf'', ''Sajómagyarós'') * Tărpiu (''Treppen'', ''Szásztörpény'') * Teaca (''Tekendorf'', ''Teke'') * Tonciu (''Tatsch'', ''Tacs'') * Uila (''Weilau'', ''Vajola'') * Unirea (''Wallendorf'', ''Aldorf'') * Vermeș (''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

History

Towns and villages

See also

External links