The Nösnerland (, also known as ''Nösnergau''; ro, Țara Năsăudului; hu, Beszterce vidéke) is a historic region of northeastern

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the A ...

in present-day

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central Europe, Central, Eastern Europe, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, S ...

centered between the

Bistrița (; german: link=no, Bistritz, archaic , Transylvanian Saxon: , hu, Beszterce) 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 approxima ...

and Mureș rivers. In today's administrative boundaries, it is located in southern

Bistrița-Năsăud County Bistrița-Năsăud () is a county (județ) of Romania, in Transylvania, with its capital city at Bistrița. Name In Hungarian, it is known as ''Beszterce-Naszód megye'', and in German as ''Kreis Bistritz-Nassod''. The name is identical with ...

and north-central

Mureș County Mureș County (, ro, Județul Mures, hu, Maros megye) is a county (''județ'') of Romania, in the historical region of Transylvania, with the administrative centre in Târgu Mureș. The county was established in 1968, after the administrative ...

. Beginning in the 12th century and increasingly in the 13th–14th centuries, Hungarian kings invited

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

colonists (mainly from present-day

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

and the adjacent areas in western contemporary

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwee ...

) to settle in the then eastern lands of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coronation of the Hungarian monarch, c ...

; these German settlers became collectively known as the

Transylvanian Saxons The Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen''; ro, Sași ardeleni, sași transilvăneni/transilvani; hu, Erdélyi szászok) are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania ( ...

(german: Siebenbürger Sachsen). The Saxons in the southeast settled in the

Burzenland Țara Bârsei, Burzenland () or Barcaság is a historic and ethnographic area in southeastern Transylvania, Romania with a mixed population of Romanians, Germans, and Hungarians. Geography The Burzenland lies within the Southern Carpathians m ...

, while the settlers in the northeast established towns along the Bistrița and Mureș rivers beginning in the early 13th century. As the latter settlers' first major town in the area was Nösen on the Bistrița in 1206, the surrounding area became known as the Nösnerland. The largest cities of this region were Nösen, later known as Bistritz (

in Romanian), in the north and Sächsisch-Regen ( Reghin in Romanian) in the south. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

, after Romania switched sides to the

Allies An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

as a result of

King Michael's Coup King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ti ...

of 23 August 1944, the German military ordered in September 1944 the evacuation of the German population from

Northern Transylvania Northern Transylvania ( ro, Transilvania de Nord, hu, Észak-Erdély) was the region of the Kingdom of Romania that during World War II, as a consequence of the August 1940 territorial agreement known as the Second Vienna Award, became part of ...

. After the

Romanian Revolution The Romanian Revolution ( ro, Revoluția Română), also known as the Christmas Revolution ( ro, Revoluția de Crăciun), was a period of violent civil unrest in Romania during December 1989 as a part of the Revolutions of 1989 that occurred ...

and the fall of the

Communist regime A communist state, also known as a Marxist–Leninist state, is a one-party state that is administered and governed by a communist party guided by Marxism–Leninism. Marxism–Leninism was the state ideology of the Soviet Union, the Cominte ...

in 1989, additional Transylvanian Germans emigrated from their homeland to

Towns and villages

In each case, the modern

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania ** Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language ***Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language **Romanian cuisine, traditiona ...

name is given first, followed by the historic

and Hungarian names. * Albeștii Bistriței (''Weißkirch bei Bistritz'', ''Kisfehéregyház'') * Arcalia (''Kallesdorf'', ''Árokalja'') * Batoș (''Botsch'', ''Bátos'') *

(''Nösen / Bistritz'', ''Beszterce'') * Budacu de Jos (''Deutsch-Budak'', ''Szászbudak'') * Chiraleș (''Kyrieleis'', ''Kerlés'') * Corvinești (''Niederneudorf'', ''Kékesújfalu'') * Cușma (''Auen / Kuschma'', ''Kusma'') * Dedrad (''Deutsch-Zepling'', ''Dedrád'') * Dipșa (''Dürrbach'', ''Dipse'') * Domnești (''Attelsdorf / Billak'', ''Bilak'') * Dorolea (''Kleinbistritz'', ''Aszubeszterce'') *

Dumitra Dumitra (german: Mettersdorf; hu, Nagydemeter) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders ...

(''Mettersdorf'', ''Szentdemeter'') * Dumitrița (''Waltersdorf'', ''Kisdemeter'') *

Ghinda Ghinda ( ti, ጊንዳዕ) is a town in the Northern Red Sea region of Eritrea. It is situated in the Ghinda Subregion, and lies between Asmara and Massawa. Overview Ghinda is a major fruit and vegetable growing area and a centre for Tigr ...

(''Windau'', ''Vinda'') * Herina (''Mönchsdorf'', ''Harina'') * Ideciu de Jos (''Niedereidisch'', ''Alsóidecs'') * Ideciu de Sus (''Obereidisch'', ''Felsőidecs'') * Jelna (''Senndorf'', '' Kiszsolna'') *

Lechința Lechința (german: Lechnitz; hu, Szászlekence) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania. It is composed of seven villages: Bungard, Chiraleș, Lechința, Sângeorzu Nou, Sâniacob, Țigău, and Vermeș. Geography The c ...

(''Lechnitz'', ''Szászlekence'') * Livezile (''Jaad'', ''Jád'') * Logig (''Ludwigsdorf'', ''Ludvég'') * Monariu (''Minarken'', ''Malomárka'') * Moruț (''Moritzdorf'', ''Aranyosmóric'') *

Năsăud Năsăud (; german: Nassod, ''Nußdorf''; hu, Naszód) is a town in Bistrița-Năsăud County in Romania located in the historical region of Transylvania. The town administers two villages, Liviu Rebreanu (until 1958 ''Prislop''; ''Priszlop'') a ...

(''Nassod / Nußdorf'', ''Naszód'') * Orheiu Bistriţei (''Burghalle'', ''Óvárhely'') * Petelea (''Birk'', ''Petele'') * Petriș (''Petersdorf bei Bistritz'', ''Petres'') * Posmuș (''Paßbusch'', ''Paszmos'') * Reghin (''Sächsisch-Regen'', ''Szászrégen'') * Sângeorzu Nou (''Sankt Georgen bei Lechnitz'', ''Szászszentgyörgy'') * Sâniacob (''Jakobsdorf bei Bitritz'', ''Szászszentjakab'') * Satu Nou (''Oberneudorf'', ''Felsőszászújfalu'') * Sigmir (''Schönbirk'', ''Szépnyír'') * Slătinița (''Pintak'', '' Pinták'') * Șieu (''Groß-Schogen'', ''Nagysajó'') * Șieu-Măgheruș (''Ungersdorf'', ''Sajómagyarós'') * Tărpiu (''Treppen'', ''Szásztörpény'') *

Teaca Teaca (german: Tekendorf,Tekendorf in Nordsiebenbürgen : Ortsmonographie; Ilse Schliessleder-Fronius, 1989 hu, Teke) is a commune in Bistrița-Năsăud County, Transylvania, Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the ...

(''Tekendorf'', ''Teke'') * Tonciu (''Tatsch'', ''Tacs'') * Uila (''Weilau'', ''Vajola'') * Unirea (''Wallendorf'', ''Aldorf'') * Vermeș (''Wermesch'', ''Vermes'') * Viile Tecii (''Großeidau'', ''Kolozsnagyida'') * Viișoara (''Heidendorf'', ''Besenyő'')

External links

Map showing German settlements in Transylvania

{{DEFAULTSORT:Nosnerland Transylvanian Saxon communities Historical regions of Transylvania Bistrița-Năsăud County Mureș County

Towns and villages

See also

External links