Transylvanian Border (Siebenbürgen)
The Székely military Border
The Széklers or Székels (Hun. Székely, Lat. Siculi), were a Transylvanian people of Ugro-Finnic
origins, similar to the Magyars, about 450.000 fellows who colonized the area between Kronstadt (south) and Maros-Vasarhely
- Gyergö St Miklos (north). A legend told they were sent there by St. Ladislaus in order to watch the Border against Muslims.
The name Szčkel would come from szék (chair – siege or the equivalent of the German word Stuhl of the Transylvanian
Saxons). The hungarian Székely, therefore, would only mean “Border sentinel”.
The Székely were considered the finest warriors of medieval Transylvania. They were part of
the Unio Trium Nationum ("Union of Three Nations") [20], a coalition of the three Transylvanian Estates, the other two nations being the (also predominantly
Hungarian) nobility and the “Saxon” (that is, ethnic German) burghers. These three nations ruled Transylvania,
usually in harmony though sometimes in conflict with one another.
Their origin has been much debated; it is, however, now generally accepted that they are true
Hungarians (or at least the descendants of a Magyarized Turkic peoples), transplanted there to guard the frontier, their name
meaning simply “frontier guards”. Their organization was of the Turkic type, and they are probably of Turkic stock.
There is historical evidence that the Székely were part of the Avar confederation during the so-called Dark Ages, but this
does not mean that they are ethnically Avar. By the 11th century they had adopted the Hungarian language.
The Sun and Moon are the symbols of the Székely, and are used in the coat of arms of Transylvania
and on the Romanian national coat of arms. The Sun and Moon symbols represented proto-Hungarian gods. After the Hungarians
became Christians in the 11th century, the importance of these icons became purely visual and symbolic. Their original religious
significance was lost.
In 1762, Empress Maria Theresa decided to set up border troops on the frontier of Transylvania,
based on the Military Frontier system already in place on the Ottoman border area. Mostly Romanians were recruited in the
Southern Carpathians (Fogaras area) and Székelys in the Eastern Carpathians. The drafting was organised partly on voluntary,
partly on compulsory basis, and resulted in conflicts in many places, especially in Székely Land. The Székelys requested that
instead of the imperial officers, they have their own leaders according to the traditions, and that they are not ordered to
go in action abroad.
As the negotiations failed with the army, Székelys openly protested and some of the Seats contacted
each other to start co-ordinated actions. As the drafting was only partly successful, the chief officer responsible for the
recruitment gave up his plans and ordered that the so far distributed weapons are returned by the Székelys. They, however,
gave back only part of the equipment and kept the rifles as a compensation for the weapons confiscated after the Rákóczi Uprising.
The next, already violent attempt by the imperial officers to recruit Székely border soldiers
culminated in a tragic event, the Mádéfalva Massacre, commemorated until today. In December 1763, the men sought refuge from
drafting in the mountains, at Mádéfalva (Romanian: Siculeni), some of them equipped with weapons. On 7 January, 1764, an army
unit of 1300 soldiers, with two cannons, attacked the peaceful crowd and massacred hundreds of them. The drafting in Székely
Land was quickly and easily completed after these events. Border troops were set up in every Seat except for Udvarhely and
Maros Seat.
After the Mádéfalva Massacre, many Székelys crossed the Carpathians and escaped to Moldova.
Those who stayed in the Moldavian Voivodate, became one of the subgroups of Csángó people. Others moved to the Bukovina Region
and founded their final settlements with the help of General András Hadik. This group retained their traditions and are regarded
to as the Székelys of Bukovina.
The Military Frontier Organisation put an end to the autonomy of the Székely Nation in some
respects. The self governance of the settlements was seriously hurt by the border guard commanders. They interfered with the
election of judges, the local agriculture and schooling, also with the every-day life of the Székely guards. Property transactions
or weddings could be done only with the permission of the officers. In local communities, however, many of the traditions
were kept, the Székely pride and their strong desire for freedom remained. They organised their own life, set rules for the
building of roads and bridges, also for the election of their leaders and jury members. (Most of these issues were decided
by landlords in the noble counties.) The ancient system of redistributing common lands was still a practice by the end of
the 18th century, but ceased to exist in a couple of decades.
Szekely Military Border Regiment n. 14 [21]
Grenzregiment n. 14 Szekler n. 1 Csikszereda
Organized in 1762
– disbanded in 1851
|
Depot Kader HQ |
Csíkszereda |
|
Commander oberst |
baron Michael Markant von Blankenschwert |
|
Bonaventura von Roscher |
|
Oberstleutnant |
Bonaventura von Roscher |
|
Majors |
Stephan Arady de Kajal |
|
Mathias Betzmann – Johann
Földvary |
|
1810 Staff |
Bonaventura von Roscher |
|
Oberstleutnant |
Stephan Arady de Kajal |
History: Miercurea-Ciuc (Hungarian: Csíkszereda, German: Szeklerburg) is the county seat
of Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. The town is situated
on the banks of the river Olt, at the foot of the Nagysomlyó Mountain (1033m).
Facts: the companies recruited at:
1. Fel Csik (Plăiesii de Sus); 2. Kozmás
(Cozmeni); 3. Csik-Szent-Imre (Sântimbru); 4. Csik-Szent-György (Ciucsângeorgiu); 5. Várdótfalva (Sumuleu Ciuc); 6. Szépviz
(Frumoasa); 7. Rákos (Racu); 8. Csik-Szent-Tamás (Tomesti); 9. Újfalu (Suseni); 10. Szent-Miklós (Gheorghieni); 11. Al-Falu
(Joseni); 12. Ditró (Ditrău).
1809 (only one combined battalion) Recruit. Distr.: areas of Csik, Gyergyö, Part
of the counties Maros and Aranyos. [22]
- it began the campaign with the Brig. Branovatzky, Div. Schauroth, VII Corps archduke Ferdinand
remaining with the twin Combined Szekler battalion n.2 along the whole campaign in Poland.
Szekely Military Border Regiment n. 15
Grenzregiment n. 15 Siebenbürgisches-Romänen
(Transylvania) or 2nd Szekler Kézdivásárhely
Organized in 1762 – disbanded in 1851
|
Depot Kader HQ |
Kézdivásárhely |
|
Commander oberst |
Johann von Grammont |
|
Anton von Divecky |
|
Oberstleutnant |
Anton von Divecky |
|
Majors |
chevalier Josef Widemann |
|
Theodor von Riebel – Angel
Kapschermet |
|
1810 Staff |
Anton von Divecky |
|
Oberstleutnant |
chevalier Josef Widemann |
History: Târgu Secuiesc (Hungarian: Kézdivásárhely; German: Szekler Neumarkt;
Latin: Neoforum Siculorum) is a city in Covasna county, Transylvania, Romania. The town was first mentioned in 1407 as Torjawasara,
meaning in Hungarian “Torja Market”. Originally, the Hungarian name Kézdivásárhely was also used in Romanian in
the form Chezdi-Osorheiu, but this was altered to Tîrgu Secuiesc (now spelled Târgu Secuiesc).
Facts: it recruited this companies: 1. Bölön
(Belin); 2. Barót (Baraolt); 3. Telegdi-Batzon (BăŃani); 4. Sepsi-Szent-György (Sfântu Gheorghe); 5. Uzon (Ozun);
6. Zágon (Zagon); 7. Dálnok (Dalnic); 8. Zabola (Zăbala); 9. Felsö-Tsernaton (Cernatu de Sus); 10. Kézdi-Vásárhely (Târgu
Secuiesc); 11. Beretzk (Brezcu); 12. Polyán (Poian).
1809. (only one combined battalion) Recruit. Distr.: areas of counties
Háromszék and Údvarhély (Barocz) [23]
- it began the campaign with the Brig. Branovatzky, Div. Schauroth, VII Corps archduke Ferdinand
remaining with the twin Combined Szekler battalion n.1 along the whole campaign in Poland.
The Wallachians (Romanians) [24]
The name Wallachia, generally not used by Romanians themselves (but present in some contexts as Valahia or Vlahia), is derived
from the ethnonym Valach, a word used originally by Germanic peoples to designate their Romance-speaking neighbours, or foreigners
in general, and subsequently taken over by Slavic-speakers to refer to Romanians, with variants such as Vlach, Blach, Bloc,
Bloh, Boloh.
In effect the Military Wallachian Border was that of the Transylvania area in which there were
no Szekelys. The Transylvania (Romanian: Ardeal; Hungarian: Erdély; German: Siebenbürgen) is a historical region in the central
part of Romania, at the time on the Ottoman Border.
The Habsburgs acquired the territory shortly after the Battle of Vienna in 1683. The Habsburgs,
however, probably recognized the Hungarian sovereignty over Transylvania (it is not certain), while the Transylvanians recognized
the sovereignty of the Habsburg emperor Leopold I (1687), and the region was officially attached to the Habsburg Empire, separated
in all but name from Habsburg controlled Hungary and subjected to the direct rule of the emperor's governors. The Kuruc Rebellion
(1703-1711) separated Transylvania from the Austrian lands; However, Habsburg sovereignty was again recognized by Transylvania's
diet in the Peace of Szatmar (1711), in which the country's privileges were confirmed.
While Royal and Ottoman Hungary were reunited to form the (Habsburg) Kingdom of Hungary, Transylvania
was not included, but remained a separate entity. The principality's representative body was the diet; it did not meet between
1761 and 1790. The Austrian authorities, with some success, interfered in the appointment of officials, with the result of
Catholics often given preferential treatment.
Transylvania had a capital of it's own - Kolozsvar (Cluj, Klausenburg), a diet of it's own dominated
by the Hungarian nobility and the often German representatives of the cities. Although Transylvania granted freedom of religion,
a clear distinction was made between Accepted Confessions - Lutheranism, Calvinism, Catholicism - and Tolerated Confessions/Religions
(Orthodox Christianity : the Vlachs, and Judaism). The Vlachs (Romanians), which probably formed the population majority,
were not represented on Transylvania's diet.
The border regions of Transylvania were placed under military administration (Militärgrenze).
Alba Iulia was fortified 1715-1738.
The mission of the establishment of new regiments was given on 5 July 1761 to the austrian cavalry
general, Adolf Nicholas Buccow. According to the draft prepared by Buccow, October 13,1761, the Aulic Council decided to disband
the frontier guards and their organization, for a good effectiveness and minimum military expenditure along the border of
Transylvania, Banat and Bukovina.
General Buccow proposed in this occasion, the establishment of a "border militia" composed
of two infantry Romanian regiments, each comprising 3000 troops, two regiments of Szekler infantry, a regiment of Romanian
"dragons" (cavalry) and one of Székely “Hussar”, each with 1000 riders. Transylvanian border-guard numbers (by
these units) was estimated to reach 17000 troops. Border militarization started
in 1761 reaching a self-going organization by the year 1766, when Empress Maria Theresa sanctioned a military Status of the
border regiments, composed of 84 articles.
Apart from guarding the border and to fight
under the banner of Habsburg, Romanian border soldiers also had the responsibility of making health cordons (quarantine),
to stop entry of cholera patients in the provinces of the Empire, and emigration over the Carpathians mountains of discontented
subjects.
Of an entire Regiment (3708 soldiers) worked as summer guards a total of 908 border soldiers,
while winter guards were reduced to 695. Each company was entrusted to guard a well delimited area of the border. Guarding
the border was done in fixed postations, pickets or cordons, but also with patrols in different periods, depending on the
importance of the watched route.
Transylvanian Military Border Regiment n. 16 or 1st Wallachian
Grenzregiment
n. 16 Siebenbürgisches- 1st Walachen.
Organized in 1762 – disbanded in 1851
|
Depot Kader HQ |
Orlath |
|
Commander oberst |
Franz Auftieffern von Eulenburg |
|
Carl Leibinger |
|
Oberstleutnant |
Carl Leibinger |
|
Majors |
Michael Sotterius von Landsberg |
|
Lorenz Pettenek |
|
1810 Staff |
Carl Leibinger |
|
Oberstleutnant |
?? |
History: In 1766 the Romanian border regiment based
in Orlat was formed under direct supervision of General Ziskovic. The slogan worn by the regimental battle flag from
Orlat is almost forgotten, it was "Viribus Unitis" (united powers).
Facts: the 12 companies of the Orlath regiment were:
1. Rakosd (Răcăstia);
2. Hátszeg (Hateg); 3. Zajkány (Zeicani);
4. Kudzsir (Cugir); 5. Sima (Jina); 6.
Orláth (Orlat) - Véstény (Veştem) - Felsö-Porumbak (Porumbacu de Sus); 7. Rákovitza
(Racovita); 8. Alsó-Vist (Vistea); 9. Vajda-Rétse
(Recea); 10. Mardsina (Mărgineni); 11. Ohaba;
12. Dumbravita (Tantari).
Recr.Dist.: near the north part of the Carpathian
mts. (districts of the Hunyadi county, expecially in the Hátszeg valley, in the Fogaras district of the free Wallachia (Romanen),
borderlands Boern and Puskas from Rotenthurm till the Bodzaer Paß [25]
1809: (only one combined battalion of six comp.)
- before Aspern: - it began with 1 Combined battalion with Brig. Branovatzky, Div.
Schauroth, VII Corps archduke Ferdinand. After April 1st the two Wallachian battalion (1st Rgt. and 2nd Rgt. Combined battalions
under colonel Auftieffern) were in the autonomous avant-garde brigade GM Mohr with order to advance till Radom. They
were at the Raszyn battle and then in Warsaw. The first battalion (major Kreitter) was detached to Radzymin; the 2nd battalion
marched with its commander. The two battalions fought at Grochow and then, April 29, crossed the Vistula at Gora defending
the bridgehead. After the withdrawal, colonel Auftieffern and the 1st battalion were detached to defend Sandomir and Zamosc.
On May 15 the Mohr Brig. with the 2nd battalion attcked the bridgehead of Thorn. On May 18 they abandoned Sandomir.
On May 20 the Poles attacked Zamosc, where stood 3 comp. of the rgt. The regiment there
lost 571 men, made prisoners, and the battalion commandr major von Pettenek. Now the 3 remaining comp. of the 1st Batt. were
at the Gorcyze clash. On June 15 the 3 comp. returned on the Vistula left bank under Brig. GM Trautenberg and then withdrew
till the armistice.
Transylvanian Military Border Regiment n. 17 or 2nd Wallachian
Grenzregiment n. 17 Siebenbürgisches-
2nd Walachen.
Organized in 1762 – disbanded in 1851
|
Depot Kader HQ |
Nasaud (Naszod) |
|
Commander oberst |
Franz Grätze |
|
Ignaz Lenk von Trauenfeld |
|
Oberstleutnant |
Franz Grätze - Ignaz Lenk von Trauenfeld |
|
Majors |
Peter Mehesi de Kis-Bun |
|
Johann Kreitter |
|
1810 Staff |
Ignaz Lenk von Trauenfeld |
|
Oberstleutnant |
Johann Kreitter |
Command HQ: till 1786 Orasul Bistrita became the county civil seat of area Bistriţa-Năsăud.
History: Austro-Hungarian Empress, Maria Tereza, assigner to this Border regiment the areas
of the Rodna valley, Şieului valley and Someşului valley. The battle flag of the 2nd Regiment of the Nasaud
Romanian border wear the slogan "rediviva Romanian Virtus (resurrected Romanian Virtue).
Facts: it recruited these companies: 1. Monor (Monor); 2. Nagy-Falu (Măriselu); 3. Borgó-Prund
(Prundu-Bîrgăului); 4. Borgó-Zsoszány (Josenii Bârgăului); 5. Rodna (Rodna); 6. Szint-Zsorzu (Sângeorz Băi);
7. Folre (Feldru); 8. Rebrisora (Rebrisoara); 9. Naszeud (Năsăud); 10. Tyelts (Telciu); 11. Zagra (Zagra); 12. Makód
(Mocod).
1809. (one combined battalion of six companies) Recr.Dist.: Kolos and Doboka counties,
Bistritz and Borgoer Districts in the northeastern Transylvania. [26]
