Transylvanian Saxons

E58423
German ethnic group ethnic group

The Transylvanian Saxons are a German-speaking ethnic group historically settled in Transylvania (now part of Romania), known for their medieval fortified churches, distinct cultural traditions, and role as a privileged urban and rural community in the region from the 12th century onward.

Jump to: Surface forms Statements Referenced by

Observed surface forms (3)

Surface form Occurrences
Erdélyi szászok 1
Germans (Transylvanian Saxons) 1
Sași transilvăneni 1

Statements (66)

Predicate Object
instanceOf German ethnic group ⓘ
ethnic group ⓘ
arrivalCentury 12th century ⓘ
autonomousDistrict Königsboden (Royal Land) ⓘ
Saxon Seats ⓘ
charterDate 1224 ⓘ
charterName Andreanum ⓘ
culturalHeritage Germanic customs and festivals ⓘ
Saxon fortified farmsteads ⓘ
distinct folk costumes ⓘ
traditional Saxon architecture ⓘ
culturalOrganization Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania ⓘ
demographicTrend20thCentury population decline in Transylvania ⓘ
strong emigration to Germany ⓘ
emigrationDestination Austria ⓘ
Germany ⓘ
North America ⓘ
endonymGerman Siebenbürger Sachsen ⓘ
endonymHungarian Transylvanian Saxons self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Erdélyi szászok
endonymRomanian Transylvanian Saxons self-linksurface differs ⓘ
surface form: Sași transilvăneni
ethnicLanguage German ⓘ
ethnicMinorityStatus recognized minority in Romania ⓘ
fortifiedChurchRegion Burzenland ⓘ
Haferland ⓘ
Transylvanian Plateau ⓘ
Țara Bârsei ⓘ
Țara Secaselor ⓘ
grantedBy Hungarian kings ⓘ
historicalRole defense of southeastern border of Kingdom of Hungary ⓘ
development of crafts and guilds in Transylvania ⓘ
introduction of Western European urban law in Transylvania ⓘ
urban bourgeoisie in Transylvanian towns ⓘ
historicalRuler Austro-Hungarian Empire NERFINISHED ⓘ
Austrian Habsburg Monarchy ⓘ
surface form: Habsburg Monarchy

Kingdom of Hungary ⓘ
Kingdom of Romania ⓘ
knownFor crafts and trade ⓘ
distinct urban culture ⓘ
medieval fortified churches ⓘ
rural fortified villages ⓘ
self-governing communities ⓘ
walled towns ⓘ
languageFamily West Central German ⓘ
legalStatus autonomous community under royal charter ⓘ
privileged estate in medieval Transylvania ⓘ
mainUrbanCenters Bistrița ⓘ
Brașov ⓘ
Cluj (Klausenburg) historically ⓘ
Mediaș ⓘ
Sebeș ⓘ
Sibiu, Romania ⓘ
surface form: Sibiu

Sighișoara ⓘ
migrationOriginRegion Luxembourg region ⓘ
Moselle department ⓘ
surface form: Moselle region

Rhine Valley ⓘ
surface form: Rhine valley

Western Europe ⓘ
politicalRepresentationHistorical Transylvanian Diet ⓘ
primaryLanguageVariety Transylvanian Saxon dialect ⓘ
religionBeforeReformation Roman Catholicism ⓘ
religionHistoricalMajority Lutheranism ⓘ
religionMinority Calvinism ⓘ
Roman Catholicism ⓘ
settlementCountryHistorical Kingdom of Hungary ⓘ
settlementCountryModern Romania ⓘ
settlementRegion Transylvania ⓘ
UNESCOHeritageRelated Villages with fortified churches in Transylvania ⓘ

Referenced by (5)

Full triples — surface form annotated when it differs from this entity's canonical label.

Germans → diaspora → Transylvanian Saxons ⓘ
Transylvanian Saxons → endonymHungarian → Transylvanian Saxons self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Erdélyi szászok
Transylvanian Saxons → endonymRomanian → Transylvanian Saxons self-linksurface differs ⓘ
this entity surface form: Sași transilvăneni
Transylvania → ethnicGroup → Transylvanian Saxons ⓘ
this entity surface form: Germans (Transylvanian Saxons)
Banat Swabians → relatedEthnicGroup → Transylvanian Saxons ⓘ