Transylvanian Landler

The Landler or Transylvanian Landler (German: Siebenbürger Landler) were Protestants, who were deported from Austria to Transylvania near Hermannstadt (Sibiu) from 1734 to 1756 under Emperor Charles VI and Empress Maria Theresa.

Detail of a church window in Hermannstadt dedicated to the memory of the Austrian Protestants.

Since Transylvania had been depopulated by the Turkish wars and the plague, the 634 expelled Upper Austrians were given vacant farms to work. Some of the Landler who were deported from Carinthia in 1755 joined the Hutterites in Transylvania.

In 1770, under Empress Maria Theresa, around 3,000 more Upper Austrians found a home in the same territory with what were essentially worse conditions attached.

The Landler's German dialect is still maintained and is spoken by both those who moved to Germany, as well as the few Landler left behind in their former villages of Neppendorf (Romanian: Turnișor), Großau (Romanian: Cristian), and Großpold (Romanian: Apoldu de Sus).

Like the other German-speaking ethnic groups in Romania, the Landler are represented politically by the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania (DFDR/FDGR).

See also

References
  • Erich Buchinger: Die "Landler" in Siebenbürgen. R. Oldenburg Verlag, München, 1980
  • Martin Bottesch, Franz Grieshofer, Wilfried Schabus: Die Siebenbürgischen Landler. Eine Spurensicherung., Böhlau-Verlag, Wien, 2002; ISBN 3-205-99415-9
  • Dieter Knall: Aus der Heimat gedrängt – Letzte Zwangsumsiedlungen steirischer Protestanten nach Siebenbürgen unter Maria Theresia, Selbstverl. d. Histor. Landeskommission für Steiermark, Graz; 2002; 343 S.; ISBN 3-901251-25-1
  • Landler, Vergessene altösterreichische Tracht in Siebenbürgen von Lore-Lotte Hassfurther (Hrsg.)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.