The Transylvanian Saxon University (, , , ) was an official governing body of the Transylvanian Saxon community in

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 ...

during the

Late Middle Ages The late Middle Ages or late medieval period was the Periodization, period of History of Europe, European history lasting from 1300 to 1500 AD. The late Middle Ages followed the High Middle Ages and preceded the onset of the early modern period ( ...

up until the late

Modern Age The modern era or the modern period is considered the current historical period of human history. It was originally applied to the history of Europe and Western history for events that came after the Middle Ages, often from around the year 1500 ...

. The Saxon University was led by the Saxon Count (, ). The Saxon University () was constituted at the royal order of

Hungarian King This is a list of Hungarian monarchs; it includes the Grand Prince of the Hungarians, grand princes (895–1000) and the King of Hungary, kings and ruling queens of Hungary (1000–1918). The Principality of Hungary, Hungarian Grand Principality ...

Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus (; ; ; ; ; ) was King of Hungary and King of Croatia, Croatia from 1458 to 1490, as Matthias I. He is often given the epithet "the Just". After conducting several military campaigns, he was elected King of Bohemia in 1469 and ...

in 1486. From 1486 up until 1876, the Saxon University worked as a self-governing (or autonomous) administrative body of the Saxon ethnicity in the Principality of Transylvania and then in the Grand Principality of Transylvania (from 1765 onwards). From 1876 up until the year of its dissolution in 1937, the Saxon University became and functioned as a foundation of the Transylvanian Saxons, thereby coordinating the activity of their schools and

Evangelical Lutheran Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched ...

churches (i.e. subordinated to the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession) in the process.

Name

The name can be quite problematic at first glance given the fact that it does not refer to a university per se but it rather signifies a medieval

estate of the realm The estates of the realm, or three estates, were the broad orders of social hierarchy used in Christendom (Christian Europe) from the Middle Ages to early modern Europe. Different systems for dividing society members into estates developed and ...

based on ethnic criterion, ascribing the entire ethnicity of Transylvanian Saxons who lived in Transylvania starting with the Middle Ages, then part 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 ...

Historical background

The Transylvanian Saxon University encompassed the seven seats of the Saxons (i.e. Sieben Stühle) in Transylvania (all under the high seat of Sibiu/Hermannstadt known as ''Hermannstädter Hauptstuhl''), the later two seats of Șeica () and

Mediaș Mediaș (; , , Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Medwesch''/''Medveš''/''Medwisch'', ) is the second largest municipiu, town and municipality in Sibiu County, Transylvania, central Romania. Geography Mediaș is located in ...

() as well as the two districts of

Brașov Brașov (, , ; , also ''Brasau''; ; ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Kruhnen'') is a city in Transylvania, Romania and the county seat (i.e. administrative centre) of Brașov County. According to the 2021 Romanian census, ...

and

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 ...

, all of them previously inhabited by a significant Transylvanian Saxon population (an ethnic German group which was part of the larger

Ostsiedlung (, ) is the term for the Early Middle Ages, early medieval and High Middle Ages, high medieval migration of Germanic peoples and Germanisation of the areas populated by Slavs, Slavic, Balts, Baltic and Uralic languages, Uralic peoples; the ...

process in

Central and Eastern Europe Central and Eastern Europe is a geopolitical term encompassing the countries in Baltic region, Northeast Europe (primarily the Baltic states, Baltics), Central Europe (primarily the Visegrád Group), Eastern Europe, and Southeast Europe (primaril ...

) since the

High Middle Ages The High Middle Ages, or High Medieval Period, was the periodization, period of European history between and ; it was preceded by the Early Middle Ages and followed by the Late Middle Ages, which ended according to historiographical convention ...

up until the 20th century. Following its creation during medieval times, the Saxons in Transylvania became a 'political nation' alongside the

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

and the Szeklers in Transylvania, obtaining thus the right of political representation within the Diet of Transylvania (). Former Sibiu/Hermannstadt mayor Thomas Altemberger received the rights of the Transylvanian Saxon University from King

(reinforcing what was previously stipulated within the Diploma Andreanum) for all Saxons living in Transylvania (i.e. ''universorum Saxonum nostrorum partium regni nostri Transsilvanorum''). During the early part of the 19th century, more specifically in 1821, the seat of the Transylvanian Saxon University was moved to the Hecht house in Sibiu/Hermannstadt (which previously served as the town's mint house in the 15th century). During the mid-19th century, the Transylvanian Saxon University conferred more rights to the Romanian ethnic majority in Transylvania, thereby managing to offer

Romanians Romanians (, ; dated Endonym and exonym, exonym ''Vlachs'') are a Romance languages, Romance-speaking ethnic group and nation native to Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. Sharing a Culture of Romania, ...

equal rights and status as those of the Saxons in the Saxon-administered lands across Transylvania.

Gallery

File:Zwei-Stühle-Siegel-1492.jpg, Historical seal of Zwei Stühle (i.e. Two Seats) File:Mediasch-Siegel-1549.jpg, Historical seal of Mediaș () File:Hungary 13th cent.png, Map depicting the local autonomies in the

during the 13th century (blue grey denotes Transylvanian Saxon autonomous medieval seats/territories). File:AşezareaSaşilorTransilvania.PNG, Romanian-language map depicting the total territorial extent of the Saxon lands/seats in southern, south-eastern, and north-eastern Transylvania. File:7 Stühle-Landkarte.svg, Detailed and bilingual Romanian-German map depicting the Transylvanian Saxon seats and historical lands in Transylvania.

Notes

References

{{reflist German diaspora in Europe Culture of Transylvania Transylvanian Saxon people History of Transylvania Legal history of Hungary Medieval law Hungarian-German people Ethnic groups in Romania

Name

Historical background

Gallery

See also

Notes

References