The ‘Voices’ of Saxon Priests in Rural Communities. Testimonies from Transylvanian Memorial Books (Gedenkbücher) Post-1918

Abstract

The communities of the Transylvanian Saxons represented a distinct feature of the Transylvanian space and played a major role in the region’s socio-cultural and economic development. This community faced an enormous challenge following the end of the Great War, when Transylvania, formerly part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, was incorporated into Greater Romania (1918). This study employs a case analysis of four Saxon rural communities from Transylvania to reveal the ‘voices’ of some key social actors in village life, namely the priests. Their considerations, preserved in the so-called memorial books [Gedenkbücher] of the Lutheran parishes, provide valuable insights into the various events that affected the communities under their pastoral care. More specifically, this study investigates how the Saxons responded to the realities of the new state and the challenges posed by legislative changes, and how they adapted to the new political system. The research draws on data collected from Gedenkbücher spanning the first decade following the Great Union, specifically from the villages of Alţâna, Cârţa, Pianu de Jos, and Hamba, which were predominantly German at the time. Employing the case study methodology, this research examines the social, economic, and political dimensions of rural Saxon communities, with particular emphasis on the practices associated with the political integration of their members.