History of Maramureș facts for kids
Maramureș (pronounced Mah-rah-moo-resh) is a historic area in the northern part of Transylvania. It's located along the upper Tisa River. Today, the southern part of Maramureș is in Maramureș County in northern Romania. The northern part is in the Zakarpattia Oblast of western Ukraine.
Contents
- Ancient Times in Maramureș
- Early Middle Ages
- Maramureș in the Kingdom of Hungary (1241–1526)
- Maramureș Under Ottoman and Habsburg Influence (1526–1690)
- Habsburg Rule and Modernization (1690–1918)
- World War I and Border Changes (1918–1920)
- Maramureș in the 20th Century (1920–Present)
- More to Explore
- Maps
Ancient Times in Maramureș
.jpg)
People first lived in the Maramureș region a very long time ago, during the Stone Age. Scientists have found old tools and signs of early communities in the Iza Valley.
Even older traces, about 7,000 years old, show that people lived in half-underground houses near rivers in winter. In summer, they built huts above ground. They were hunter-gatherers, meaning they found their food by hunting animals and gathering plants. They used tools like chisels, bows, arrows, and harpoons. They also made pottery from clay.
Around 2000 BC, new groups of people, called Indo-Europeans, moved into the area. By the Bronze Age, Maramureș was settled, though not many people lived there because of the mountains. Discoveries from this time show that the early settlers were likely Geto-Dacian people. This region was part of the Kingdom of Dacia.
Celts and Dacians
Later, Thracian tribes, also known as Geto-Dacians, lived here. Around 300-200 BC, the Celts arrived, bringing new technologies, especially for working with metal. A large metalworking center was located near Maramureș. Many metal tools and even jewelry workshops have been found there.
However, the Celts and Dacians eventually became enemies. In the 1st century BC, the Dacians, led by King Burebista, defeated the Celts. The Dacians built their homes on high riverbanks, and salt from the town of Ocna Slatina was very important.
Roman Influence
In 107 AD, the [[Roman province of Dacia (106 - 271 AD).svg|thumb|left|Map of Roman Dacia (106-207 AD) showing areas where Costoboci and Free Dacians lived near Maramureș.]] Romans established a province nearby. Maramureș was right next to this Roman area. Roman coins have been found throughout the region, showing trade and connections. Even though the Roman government left after 168 years, Roman culture and language stayed with the local people, who became known as Daco-Romans and later became Christian.
Great Migrations
At the end of the 4th century, the Huns arrived. By the mid-5th century, the Huns, led by Attilla, had a powerful empire. After Attilla's death in 453 AD, his empire fell apart.
Later, different tribes like the Gepids and Slavs moved through Maramureș. The Slavs had a lasting impact because many of them settled there. By the end of the 7th century, the region was controlled by the Avars.
Early Middle Ages
Slavic people arrived in larger numbers in the 8th century. Some moved to the Balkans, but others stayed in the lands west of Maramureș. In the 9th century, Maramureș was bordered by Slavic lands and a small Slavic dukedom. To the south, it bordered the territory of Gelou, which was later conquered by the Hungarians. During this time, the Slavs slowly became Christian.
Hungarian Arrival
In 896, the Hungarians, led by Álmos, arrived through the Verecke Pass. They conquered nearby fortresses. By the 11th century, the Kingdom of Hungary expanded its borders into Transylvania, reaching the Carpathian mountains. This border area was often left empty to deter invaders.
Local Society and Free Peasants
The way society was organized in Maramureș during the Middle Ages was special. Many mountain villages had "free peasants" who owned their land. In Romanian-speaking areas, they were called nămeși, which meant they belonged to a small family clan. This term is still used today.
In the 12th century, King Géza II of Hungary invited Saxons (Germans) to settle in the region.
Between the 12th and 15th centuries, people from Maramureș also moved to other areas. The Romanian population sometimes mixed with new Slavic groups, influencing their culture.
Mongol Invasion
In March 1241, the Tatar-Mongols, led by Batu Khan, invaded through the mountains. They destroyed many towns and monasteries, killing a large part of the population. Hungarian villages in the valleys suffered the most. The Mongols destroyed towns like Teceu and Ocna Slatina. They left quickly in 1242 because their leader, the Great Khan, had died.
Maramureș in the Kingdom of Hungary (1241–1526)
After the Mongol invasion, the Hungarian king Béla IV invited grape growers and winemakers from Italy and Germany to resettle the destroyed areas.
Maramureș became an official county of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1303. Its territory reached the Carpathian Mountains. Before this, it was often described as an "uninhabited forest."
In the 13th century, some nearby counties were temporarily given to a Slavic principality but returned to Hungary in 1308.
Nobles and Moldavia
In the mid-14th century, nobles from Maramureș played a big role in forming the Moldavian Principality to the east of the Carpathians. They sent many knights to help. The first ruling family of Moldavia, the Mușatins, came from Maramureș.
One important noble was Bogdan of Cuhea. He tried to remove royal authority from Maramureș in 1342 and 1349. However, the Hungarian King Louis was a better diplomat and kept control.
Bogdan then moved his forces to Moldavia in 1359. There, he drove out other nobles who were loyal to the Hungarian king. King Louis then gave Bogdan's lands in Maramureș to these loyal nobles, making them rulers of the Vlachs (Romanians) but still vassals of the King. This helped establish Hungary's border along the Carpathians until World War I.
For over 30 years, these new rulers, Balc and Drag, helped Maramureș grow economically and culturally. They managed over 30 villages, including the important towns of Khust and Sighet and the salt mine at Slatina. Over time, the local nobility in Maramureș adopted the Hungarian language and married into Hungarian noble families.
Religious Center
In 1215, two monks founded the Monastery of the Saint Archangel Michael of Peri. In 1391, the Patriarch of Constantinople made this monastery a very important religious center. It had authority over eight counties, including Maramureș.
This monastery became the main cultural and religious center for northern Transylvania for over 300 years. Its monks wrote some of the oldest known texts in the Romanian language. It also became a printing center in the 17th century. Sadly, the monastery was burned down in 1703 during an uprising.
The village of Peri (Grushevo) is on the Tisza river, in what is now northern Maramureș.
Towns and Trade
Sighet, the capital of Maramureș, was first mentioned in 1326. In 1352, King Louis I gave Sighet special city rights. Other towns like Vyshkovo, Khust, Teceu, and Câmpulung also gained importance. Many different types of craftspeople lived in these towns, like masons, tailors, bakers, and goldsmiths.
By the end of the 15th century, Maramureș had 128 towns and villages. Historians estimate the population was between 30,000 and 60,000 people. Many villages were known for their free peasants.
Maramureș Under Ottoman and Habsburg Influence (1526–1690)
In 1526, Hungary was defeated by the Ottomans. Most of Hungary was taken over by the Ottomans. Transylvania, including Maramureș, became an independent principality under Ottoman rule from 1541. The Austrian Habsburgs also tried to take control of Transylvania.
Protestant Reformation
In the 16th century, new Christian movements like Lutheranism and Calvinistism became popular in Transylvania, especially among Hungarian nobles. In 1556, the Catholic Church in Sighet was taken over by Protestants. They also opened a school there.
The first Romanian language text was printed in 1544 by a Romanian Orthodox monk. This was a "Lutheran Catechism." The Protestant leaders sometimes tried to convert Romanian peasants from their Orthodox faith.
Maramureș was often protected from wars and uprisings because of its remote location. This period also saw the rise of haiduc movements, which were small groups that attacked the rich and helped the poor.
New Settlers
From the 16th century, with permission from the Hungarian nobles and Habsburgs, new groups of people from Galicia settled in the mountain regions. These included Lemki, Boiki, and Hutsuls. Ruthenians also gradually moved into northwest Maramureș.
In 1611, the Austrian Emperor allowed Sighet to have its own coat-of-arms, which featured an Aurochs' head.
Religious Changes and Conflicts
In the 17th century, the Romanian Orthodox Church of Transylvania was put under the control of the Calvinist Church. Calvinist leaders tried to convert Romanians from Orthodoxy to Calvinism. Many Romanian Church leaders who opposed this were persecuted or imprisoned.
In 1641, the Ruthenian Orthodox Bishop of Munkach converted to Catholicism. In 1646, many Ruthenian Orthodox priests joined the Catholic Church, forming the Ruthenian Greek-Catholic Church. This led to conflicts with the Protestant rulers.
Romanian bishops and monks in Maramureș tried to keep their Orthodox faith. They wanted to preserve their language, traditions, and religion, which connected them to neighboring Moldavia. A bishop named Iosif Stoica was elected in 1690. He strongly opposed joining the Roman Church. He was arrested and imprisoned, but he continued his work after being released. He was later made a saint by the Romanian Orthodox Church in 1992.
Economy and Life in the 17th Century
Maramureș became known for "girl fairs" where people met and married. The region was also famous for its wood and iron works. Towns like Vyshkovo, Teceu, and Khust grew. Cliff caves were used to heat mineral water, creating the first spas.
Habsburg Rule and Modernization (1690–1918)
In 1683, the Austrians defeated the Ottomans at Vienna. By 1690, they had conquered Transylvania and ended its independent status. In 1699, the Ottomans officially gave Transylvania to Austria.
Religious Union and Conflict
In Transylvania, Catholic and Protestant efforts to convert people led to clashes. The Hungarian nobility became more Hungarian in culture and adopted Calvinism. They formed a "Union of The Three Nations" with Catholic Szekelies and Lutheran Saxons. This group held all the power, leaving the Orthodox Romanians, who were the majority, with no representation.
Some Romanian Orthodox clergy decided to work with the Catholic Church, hoping to gain more rights. In 1697, a synod (church meeting) decided to unite with Rome. The idea was that Romanian clergy would get the same rights as Latin clergy, while keeping their traditions. This led to the formation of the Romanian Greek-Catholic Church.
However, this union caused more difficulties and conflicts. Many Romanians wanted to keep their traditional Orthodox faith. Bishops like Inocențiu Micu-Klein fought for the rights of all Romanians, not just the clergy. He pushed for an end to serfdom (a system where peasants were tied to the land) and for political rights for Romanians. He was exiled for his efforts.
In 1717, the Tatars invaded Maramureș again, plundering Sighet. They were defeated in a battle at Cavnic.
Economic Growth and Emigration
In the 18th century, Maramureș was known for exporting salt, fur, wine, and wooden crafts. It imported jewelry, carpets, fabric, and iron goods. Towns like Hust became important trade centers, hosting many annual fairs.
The 19th century brought more economic growth. Electricity, postal service, and telephones arrived by the end of the century.
Between 1870 and 1913, many people from Maramureș and nearby areas moved to the USA, Canada, and Australia, seeking better opportunities.
World War I and Border Changes (1918–1920)
At the end of World War I, the Austria-Hungary empire broke apart. Different groups decided which new countries they wanted to join.
On December 1, 1918, the Great National Assembly in Alba Iulia decided that southern Maramureș and Romanian villages from the north of the Tisza river would unite with Romania. The Transylvanian Saxons (ethnic Germans) also supported joining Romania.
In the northern part of Maramureș and other areas inhabited by Ruthenians, different "Councils" were formed. Some voted to join the new Hungarian Republic, others to join Ukraine-Russia. A "Hutsul Republic" was even declared in Yasinia. Eventually, a vote by American Ruthenians favored joining Czechoslovakia.
At the Treaty of Versailles conference, Czechoslovakia wanted the northern half of Maramureș to be part of Carpathian Ruthenia. Romania disagreed, as Romanians from the north of the Tisza river had also voted to join Romania.
After long talks, the Romanian army moved into Transylvania. In June 1919, the Romanian and Czechoslovak armies agreed on a temporary border. This left Maramureș under Romanian control until a final decision was made.
However, political changes in Romania led to a new government. This new government decided to withdraw Romanian troops to the Tisza river line. This gave the impression that Romania was giving up the territory north of the Tisza. On June 4, 1920, Romania signed the Treaty of Trianon, which set the border in northern Transylvania as it is today. This meant that northern Maramureș became part of Czechoslovakia.
Maramureș in the 20th Century (1920–Present)
After the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, Northern Maramureș became part of the Subcarpathian Rus region of Slovakia, which was part of Czechoslovakia.
World War II and Soviet Control
Before and during World War II, Hungary allied with Nazi Germany, hoping to get back territories it had lost. In 1938, Germany and Italy decided that parts of Slovakia and Subcarpathian-Ruthenia would go to Hungary. In 1939, Hungary invaded and annexed the rest of Subcarpathian-Ruthenia. The southern part of Maramureș was also occupied by Hungary between 1940 and 1944.
At the end of 1944, Russian troops occupied villages in Northern Maramureș. In November 1944, a "Congress of people's committees" was held, which led to the formal union of Trans-Carpathia with the Soviet Ukraine in June 1945. The Soviet administration changed many historic village names.
The Soviet policy of collectivization (forcing farmers to work on collective farms) met with resistance from locals. Some people were imprisoned or deported.
Even though the Soviets built the first university in Uzhhorod and a hydro-electric plant, their rule caused damage to the cultural and natural environment of the region.
After 1991
When the USSR fell apart in 1991, Ukraine became an independent country. Trans-Carpathia, including Northern Maramureș, has since been an administrative region (oblast) within Ukraine.
More to Explore
- Founding of Moldavia
- History of Transylvania
- Maramureș County
Maps
- Zoomable map 1990s
- Zoomable map 1990s
- Map 1918
