The German population in Romania has a long history. The German ethical group in the country dates back to the Middle Ages. There are seven different German speaking minorities in Romania with each having their own history.
In this blog post I want to focus on the German community in Transylvania. The Landler and Saxon Germans home. In the 17th century Austrian protestants were transmigrated to Romania. Over the centuries they preserved their culture and traditions far away from its original home.
Although most of the German speaking people have left Transylvania nowadays, there are still some living in Romania. This blog post, offers you a glimpse into the lives of the Landlers in Transylvania today and share how Romanians perceive them through real-life stories.
From my previous blog post about Austrian Protestants’ life in Transylvania and the search for home you already got an idea of how life for Landler looked back then. And how life is for those who returned to their rightful home.
A lot has changed since the late 90s. Once Neppendorf counted 4.000 German speaking people; nowadays it’s only 130. Whereas back in the days marrying a person from a neighbouring village was a big deal, nowadays the Romanian and German population is more mixed.
For instance the German speaking school in Neppendorf had to close. Now there is only one in Hermannstadt, which is solely intact because Romanians go there. Let’s have look at the Landler who stayed in Neppendorf:
Landler Life in Transylvania then and now
Renate Köber told me about her history and life in the German speaking community. She lives with her husband and two adult kids in Neppendorf.
Her ancestors are from Bad Goisern and Styria. Their farm is the Styria farm in Neppendorf. Her sister immigrated to Bad Goisern in 1990 and her brother to Germany. Renate couldn’t decide. She had her job at the church and her life in Transylvania was fine. So she and her family stayed.
Back in the day, before the migration to Germany, the German-speaking school in Neppendorf hosted many community events. Singing traditional songs, doing plays and connecting with each other. Although it was spoken German in the schools, in the breaks the kids would talk their dialects. Either Landler or Saxon. Nowadays it is different, since the German speaking school In Hermanstadt is mixed, the dialects are disappearing. Also Renate doesn’t talk dialect with her kids, although they do understand it. But had a lack of opportunity to speak it. Slowly the culture of preservation is disappearing but at some point the culture is still held high.
For instance the so-called Maiblasen. On the 1st of May musicians go through the streets and play music, most of the time a brass band. It’s a celebration of the beginning of spring and as well as the sense of community. Nowadays Romanians use the notes of the Landler and play their songs. Also on Mothers day traditional songs are sung in the protestant church.
Additionally, there is a small handicraft circle for being creative or for having coffee and chat.
The preservation of culture over generations
Until 1990 families in Neppendorf lived closely together. At least three generations, sometimes four lived under one roof. This and that the German speaking people have built their own community outside of their original homes explains the well preserved culture.
Grandparents looked after the small kids and the “adult kids” looked after their grandparents. There were no retirement homes. Even an elderly couple without children were cared for. One of their relatives came to live with them on the farm.
That is an additional reason why so many people left Neppendorf. Because initially the young people left around 1990, seeking a better future for their kids. With time children brought their parents or grandparents to their new home. For elderly people it was their care system.
The generation who left Neppendorf have closed with this chapter. But the next generation is curious and want to see Neppendorf, the home of their ancestors. They are looking for the roots. Also a lot of Saxtons or Landler spend their summers in Transylvania. Or in some rare cases they even return. Like Angelika Beer who also grew up in Neppendorf.
Returning to Transylvania
Interestingly some Landler were keen to leave Romania for good. But others have returned again. So did Angelika Beer.
Angelika Beer lives in Malmkrog. A village at the end of the valley, lays in a beautiful hill landscape and with a church that has frescoes from the late 14. Century. Initially Beer comes from Peer, her ancestors were evangelists from Bad Goisern and Carinthia. Angelika grew up in Neppendorf. In 1991 she left Transylvania with her family to Germany. At this point she was 9 years old.
In autumn 2019, she came back to help out in the church. She did her practical preparation for the pastorate duty in Neppendorf. She liked it so much that she became a pastor in Transylvania. Now she is responsible for 9 churches. Her daily responsibilities are offers for children, organisations of baptisms, wedding ceremonies, funerals or home visits. Angelika also offers tourists tours through the church and get together for food.
Angelika has her roots in Transylvania and she feels connected with Romania in a special way. At the church she feels a alifeness in which she wants to be part of. She especially appreciates the friendliness, the beautiful nature and architecture. Additionally, she also points out the natural multilingualism, the cuisine and the rich cultural heritage (although there is also enough dark history connected with the Second World War and the communist period).
Angelika feels at home in Transylvania.
Identity is a colorful patchwork quilt
Angelika Beer
Growing up as a Romanian in between the German minority
Cătălin Mureșan runs a travel agency called Siebenbürgen Reisen. He doesn’t only organise trips to Transylvania but also other regions of Romania. Cătălin went to a German school in Mediasch (Mediaș), where he grew up. Only a few Saxtons were left who went with him in school.
He describes Transylvania as a mix of European Culture and a bit of a Balkan ease. Nature has rich biodiversity. You find there hills as well as an alpine region. The ethical variety is not as huge as 100 years ago but still present.
In general Romanians think it’s a shame that so many German speakers have left their country. Romanians have a rather positive association towards the German minority. That has historical reasons. During the 19th century, Romanians and Saxons, especially the Landler, were on the same side of the barricade when the Magyars, who ruled the eastern part of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, tried to force other peoples to adopt their way of life. Moreover, the Saxons were not nobles who had Romanians as serfs.
Cătălin recommends visiting Neppendorf and Grossau if you want to learn more about the Landler. As well as Hermannstadt and Kronstadt. In Transylvania you can also find villages with fortified churches, eight of them UNESCO World Heritage Sites. There you can learn more about the Saxons.
I hope this blog post gave you a glimpse into the Landlers life in Transylvania and made you curious to visit the region or learn more about Landler history.
The author of the blog
Lisi is an adventurous, mostly solo traveler from Austria. She likes to travel slowly, discover underrated countries/regions, and of course, learn about cultures. She has been traveling the world and creating travel content since 2016. With a degree in tourism management and a passion for travel and cultures, she wants to tell stories that inspire her readers and help them travel more consciously.
