JaredBozinko,Period1

Mrs.Galante,SpringTerm

TransylvaniaisaregionofRomaniawithalongpastandadiversemodern
culture.ItdoesnotpossessacompletelyRomanianpeople,butratherhasagroupof
RomanianswhohavebeenconstantlyexposedtoHungarian,Austrian,andGerman
culture.IthaslongbeenassociatedwiththefictionalvampireDracula,whowasbased
onarealliferulernamedVladTepes.GiventhemodernnicknameVladtheImpaler,
hemurderedthoseheconqueredbyimpalingthemverticallythroughtheirabdomens
andchests.Thisrichlyhistoricalland(whosenameliterallymeansbeyondthewoods)
possessesalongandcomplicatedhistory,spanningfromprehistorytotodayand
beyond.
Since1003,Transylvaniahasfacedalongsetofchangingrulers,startingthen
withHungarianforcesfromthenorth.Thenin1199,theleadingpositionoftheregion,
whichhadadoptedtheSlavictitlevoivode,becamerecognizedasanofficialregional
governorundertheHungariancrown.In1529,theOttomanEmpireoccupied
Transylvania,andaround1550,losingdependency,itslowlysplitfromtheempireand
becameasemiindependentstate.Thisstatehoodlastedofficiallyfrom1571until1711,
despitethefactitwastrulyagaincapturedin1691.
TheAustrianHabsburgDynastytookpowerinTransylvaniaslowly,from1683to
1691.TheygraduallycontrolledmoreandmoreofTransylvaniabydefeatingtheir
previousrulers,theOttomanEmpire.Then,theystartedforcingthenativestosignover
theirloyalty,takingextrameasurestoensurerebellionwasnotafeasibleoptionforthe
newlyconqueredTransylvanians.Eventually,theybeganinheritingtheirwayinto
Hungariansovereigntyandbecomingtheirrulers.In1711,Transylvanianprinceswere

substitutedforAustriangovernors.Overtime,TransylvaniabecamelessHungarianand
moreAustrianinrule.Finally,in1867,thetworuling,duelingempires(Hungaryand
Austria)cametoanagreement,whichreincorporatedTransylvaniaintotheKingdomof
Hungary.Fromthatagreementuntiltheearly1900s,Transylvaniacontinuedtoexist
undercompleteHungarianrule.
AfterWorldWar1,alargelossforAustriaHungary,aseriesofthreetreaties
reunitedTransylvaniawithRomaniaattheexpenseofHungary.Thefirst,theTreatyof
Versailles,whichendedthefirstWorldWarandstabilizedEuropeanborders.The
second,theTreatyofSaintGermain,officiallybrokeuptheaforementionedformer
HabsburgEmpire.Theultimatetreaty,theTreatyTrianon,gaveTransylvaniabackto
RomaniaandisconsideredthedefinitiverejoiningofTransylvaniaandRomania.
ThroughWorldWar2andthemodernage,ithasremainedthesame.
ThetowninTransylvaniamentionedin
Night
isSighet,knownasSighetu
Marmatieifrom1964andon.ItisanimportantdistinctlyJewishsettlementthatendured
until1944,principallybecauseitsinhabitantswerealldeportedtoAuschwitzshortly
after.Tothisday,ElieWieselshousecontinuestobeanimportantlandmark,opento
thepubliceveryday.Alonghisstreet,thereisaHolocaustremembrancemonument.
Today,TransylvaniaexistsdiverselyanduniquelyduetoitsHungarianand
Germaninfluences.ItalsohousessomeofthemostbeautifullypreservedSaxon
castlesandmedievalvillages.Geographically,itislocatedincentralRomania,
containingthecityofClujNapoca,itsunofficialcapital.Itisroughly40,000squaremiles
inareaandhasapopulationof7.309millionpeople.


Sources:
TheEditorsofEncyclopdiaBritannica,ed."TreatyofTrianon."Britannica.com.
EncyclopdiaBritannica,31Oct.2008.Web.26Mar.2016.
EliznikWebPages."Transylvania."RomaniaHistory.Eliznik2005,Feb.2008.Web.
26Mar.2016.
LonelyPlanet.IntroducingSighetuMarmaiei.SighetuMarmaiei,Romania.Lonely
Planet,2013.Web.27Mar.2016
Moore,Lisa.ElieWiesel:SurvivingtheHolocaust,SpeakingoutagainstGenocide.
BerkeleyHeights,NJ:Enslow,2005.Print.HolocaustHeroesandNaziCriminals.
RomaniaTourism."Transylvania."RomaniaExploretheCarpathianGarden.
RomaniaTourism.Web.26Mar.2016.