Bulletin of “Carol I” National Defence University

THE ROLE OF INTERETHNIC COMMUNICATION IN THE INTERNAL STABILITY OF STATES AND THE AVOIDANCE OF EXTERNAL THREATS. A CASE STUDY ON THE SAXONS OF VALEA VIILOR (WURMLOCH) – COUNTY

Lucian BUCIU*

Abstract: In a context where mastering intercultural communication strategies and competences is a sine qua non of a diplomacy adapted to the current dynamic security environment, the internal stability of states plays a key role in defining and strengthening foreign policies. Most of the time, the cultural conflicts between the majority and the minority populations that co-exist in a country weaken not only the coherence of that country’s domestic policies, but also its security, which, internationally, results in a lack of credibility of the respective state. Thus, by analyzing how communication takes place within the Saxon community of Valea Viilor, with a focus on its traditions, this article sets out to emphasize that a first step towards a coherent foreign policy is the knowledge and acceptance of the ethnic minority’s culture by the majority population and permanent dialogue.

Keywords: security; interethnic communication; internal stability; Saxons; foreign policy.

In recent years, both the German- unforgettable mark on this land. It is one of the language newspapers published in : largest festivals dedicated to the cultural heritage Allgemeine Deutsche Zeitung, Banater Zeitung, of the .”2 Karpatenrundschau, and the TV programs In this context, the question arises more dedicated to the German minority, namely Akzente and more often as to how the German minority on TVR11, have increasingly spoken about the of has managed to survive 850 rich and fascinating culture of the Transylvanian years, since the earliest written evidence of their Saxons. A concrete example in this respect is the existence on the Romanian territory as a linguistic Haferland Week, which has always been organized enclave3: “The Transylvanian Saxons founded for five years by Michael Schmidt Foundation as a their first settlements in the mid-twelfth century festival meant to promote the values of the Saxon […]”4. Considering that this year we celebrate the community of Transylvania: The “Haferland 25th anniversary of the Friendship Treaty between Week” not only wants to attract Transylvanian Romania and Germany, the existence of the Saxons to come to their homeland every year, but German minority within the Romanian borders is a also the tourists who wish to discover the region strong argument of the close cooperation between and hear the story of a community which left an Romania and the Federal Republic of Germany in recognized domains: “[…] since its signature on 1 The Department for Interethnic Relationship (DIR) within 21st April 1992, our bilateral relations have known a the Romanian Government is a structure at the central level of public administration, through which interethnic dialogue very dynamic evolution in all the domains, thanks to is promoted. At the same time, DIR maintains permanent numerous private and state initiatives, in economy, communication with the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania, which supervises the publications mentioned in the 2 http://www.haferland.ro/saptamana-haferland/ (Consulted above mentioned TV program, as part of the active support on the 8th of May 2017). provided to the presence of the German minority in the public 3 It should be mentioned that the German spoken by the life of Romania. Saxons of Transylvania, known as Siebenbürgerisches Deutsch, is different from the Standard German, known as Deutsches Deutsch. *”Carol I” National Defence University 4 George Guțu, Abriß der Geschichte der rumäniendeutschen e-mail: [email protected] Literatur, Tipografia Universității din București, București, 1986, p. 2 (the author’s own translation from German language).

34 June, 2017 Bulletin of “Carol I” National Defence University culture, education, science, in all the social spheres, communication, is the main “weapon” to fight with a central role of the German minority as a external rivals whose aim is to destabilize the bridge between Germany and Romania.”5 state and weaken its security: internal stability, Thus, the close knowledge and acceptance of coherent internal policies and strong democratic the culture of a minority by the majority population values annihilate external threats. In order to is not only the expression of fostering interethnic have a strong domestic policy concerning ethnic dialogue as part of intercultural communication, minorities, the first important thing is to study but also a good opportunity to assert a strong and know how communication takes place domestic policy based on the respect of democratic within the respective ethnic community, that is, values, which gives the state stability and security. the most significant traditions and customs or, in Internationally, the internal stability confers other words, cultural knowledge. It is not only credibility and facilitates the achievement of the study of the language, of the purely linguistic the foreign policy, making the respective state a dimension of an ethnic minority that decodes trustworthy partner for the other states. Actually, communication, but also the attention given to according to Government Decision no. 111/2005 the cultural dimension of that minority: traditions, on the establishment and functioning of the customs, monuments, institutions. Department for Interethnic Relations, the main It should be stressed that communication within goal of the department is to develop and implement the Saxon community of Transylvania, in this strategies and policies intended to support the particular case the Saxons of Valea Viilor, is closely ethnic minorities of Romania: “[…] (it) elaborates linked to the aspects of daily life and, especially, to and submits strategies and policies for preserving, those traditions and customs that have been passed promoting and developing the ethnic identity of from one generation to another and scrupulously those individuals belonging to national minorities respected. In order to understand the culture of the […]”6. At the same time, it should be pointed out Saxons of Valea Viilor and, implicitly, the culture of that the interethnic dialogue developed at internal Transylvanian Saxons, it is essential to study some level totally reduces the chances of occurrence of of their most characteristic traditions and customs, ethnic nationalism. As a European Union member their representative monuments and institutions state, Romania aligns itself with the states whose which allow capturing communication in daily-life scientific and political discourse reflects a Western circumstances. vision and has to fight more than ever against Between orality and scripturality, Euroscepticism, demonstrating its internal stability communication within the Saxon community of by the respect of democratic values and the culture Valea Viilor occurs between emitters and receivers of ethnic minorities: “We spoke earlier […] about who share the awareness of their solid moral values the irreducible Manichaeism that both civic liberals and ancient customs, reflected in the survival and ethnic conservatives have fallen prey to. […] strategies they have developed over the centuries. Elie Kedourie protests against ethnic nationalism, The following paragraphs seek to emphasize, supposedly a privilege of the non-Western world starting from Wolfgang Knappe’s research, the most […].”7 significant aspects of the daily life of the Saxons of The interethnic dialogue developed Valea Viilor, thus perceiving the interdependence domestically between the majority population between communication and customs. On the and the ethnic minority, first manifested by the other hand, the intercultural spirit developed by the knowledge of the minority’s culture, then by Saxons can be seen in the friendship relations they 5 http://www.bukarest.diplo.de/Vertretung/bukarest/ro/seit- have established with the Szeklers, another minority en/ 00-Startseite/seite__25Jahre__freundschaftsvertrag2017. of Romania. The cooperation between the Saxons html (Consulted on the 9th of May 2017). and the Romanian majority is very good. This is 6 Hotărârea de Guvern nr. 111/ 2005 privind organizarea proved by the excellent integration of the Saxons și funcționarea Departamentului pentru Relații Interetnice, even in the towns and villages inhabited mostly Art. 2 (1) b. by ; most often, cultural conflicts have 7 Bogdan Ștefănescu, Patrii din cuvinte. O tropologie opposed the Hungarian minority and the Romanian a discursurilor identității naționale, București, Editura Univesității din București, 2015, p. 14. majority precisely because both sides lack the

June, 2017 35 Bulletin of “Carol I” National Defence University control of intercultural dialogue and the knowledge Saxons’ existence in Transylvania”11. Speaking of the other’s culture and daily habits. about the survival of the fortified church over the The description of several elements of the centuries, Roth states that the Evangelical Churches Saxon folk costume of Valea Viilor is the object of of Transylvania constitute a genuine cultural vast research conducted by Knappe and reflects the heritage. mentality of the local community. The traditional The father of the neighbourhood – another costume works as a cultural label and a self-image of tradition of the Saxon community of Valea the Saxons. Speaking about the history of the Saxon Viilor – best reflects the importance of internal sheepskin coat, the man’s in particular, the author communication within a minority population, emphasizes the Saxons’ pragmatism and inventive in this case the Transylvanian Saxons. It is at spirit: after long consultations and through effective this level that the Saxons’ social organization is communication and understanding, they concluded best perceived. The father of the neighbourhood that in order to obtain a woman’s sheepskin coat it has clearly defined tasks in the community he would be financially profitable to simply transform manages and he uses his communication skills in the man’s coat; thus, they modified “[…] the width mobilizing the Saxons to fulfill their civic duties: of the coat piece by piece”.8 “Within one or two years, the community elects its The fortified church as the axis mundi of the representative, the father of the neighbourhood. He Transylvanian Saxon community, analyzed in is helped by eight advisors, he praises but he also detail by Knappe, is a leitmotiv of the daily life. criticizes, […] he is the person everybody refers For the Saxons of Valea Viilor, this is not only a to for questions and urgent situations”12. He also religious symbol but also a historically meaningful sees to it that all the members of the community place, owing to its strategic position and its role maintains cleanliness both inside and outside their of defense against the Turkish threats. Both the property. Taxes also fell within his remit. central position of the fortified church and the So far, emphasis has been laid on the way scrupulous attention with which the Saxons of the Saxons of Valea Viilor communicate within Valea Viilor occupy the right place in the church their community, in close relation with ancient as prescribed by the ancient rules demonstrate their customs and daily aspects, but also with significant respect for the church service and the existence of a monuments. However, we should point out that the very well consolidated oral communication within Saxons master not only the cultural dimension of the community, which continues a centuries-old communication, but also the pragmatic one. The religious scripturality: “…(people) entered the moment the urban influence penetrated into the church according to ancient traditions: first the Saxon community of Valea Viilor is key in stressing children, then the young girls wearing headscarves, how quickly the Saxons adapt to the evolution of followed by the young women […]. The men were the society, their pragmatism being a proof of both the last to enter – as prescribed by the ancient order their mutual communicability and their mastery – full of dignity […]”9. The fortified church plays of well defined tactics of survival, even when the a double role: it is both a religious and a cultural ancient traditions are threatened by modernity: “A institution. The sheepskin coat worn by men at lot of fashion pieces were brought from the fair church and the priest’s garment emphasize the held in the neighbouring town and integrated into Saxons’ belonging to a community, to a “regional the local costume”13. This is why a lot of Saxons awareness”10 made up of ancient rules. The strong decided to “dress fashionably”14 and, thanks to the point of the fortified church would be the fact that Saxon inventive spirit and the “various personal it is perceived as “the most visible symbol of the creations”15 they succeeded in lending the ancient

8 Wolfgang Knappe, In Siebenbürgen. Speck im Turm oder 11 Konrad Gündisch, Siebenbürgen und die Siebenbürger Geschichten aus der Geschichte der Siebenbürger Sachsen, Sachsen, München, Editura Langen Müller, 1998, p. 260 (the Leipzig, Brockhaus, 1982, p. 113 (the author’s own translati- on from German language). author’s own translation from German language). 12 9 Ibidem, p. 114. W. Knappe, op. cit., p. 117. 13 10 Harald Roth, Kleine Geschichte Siebenbürgens, Köln, Ibidem, p. 115. 14 Editura Böhlau, 2012, p. 152 (the author’s own translation Ibidem, p. 115. from German language). 15 K. Gündisch, op. cit., p. 266.

36 June, 2017 Bulletin of “Carol I” National Defence University traditional costume an urban appearance: “In Valea 1. Civilization: a set of features that Viilor (Wurmloch), authenticity is still there, even characterize the intellectual, artistic, moral and today, when men wear their urban shirt under their material life of a country or society (Petit Larousse sheepskin coat, tucked in according to the urban Encyclopedic Dictionary). fashion […]”16. 2. Culture: the set of social, religious, Step by step, these urban influences have etc. structures, of the intellectual, artistic, etc. become a “mark of modernity and progress”17. manifestations that characterize a society (Petit This coexistence of ancient customs and urban Larousse Encyclopedic Dictionary). influences in the traditional costume actually It should be stressed that in the 19th century 18 reflects a kind of “strategies of coexistence” German, Kultur was a synonymous of Zivilisation. which the Saxons of Valea Viilor master without We should also emphasize that, according any doubt: their pragmatism is a proof that, within to Păuș, intercultural communication is not this community, communication is highly applied established among cultures but among individuals and internal cohesion is crucial in coping with who participate in different significant cultural external challenges and imposing credibility on systems. potential enemies. 3. Value(s): what a person or a thing is worth The folk costume of the Saxons in Valea Viilor, (Petit Larousse Dictionary). their fortified church and the way in which they relate 4. Collective identity: the capacity of a to it, as both a religious and a cultural institution, collectivity to recognize itself as a group; an the father of the neighbourhood as the Saxons’ attribute of the cohesion principle (ethnic, local, representative, the urban influences on the Saxon professional identity); a resource of life in a society, community are a few of the most characteristic and a resource of collective action (Larousse elements, not only of the Saxons of Valea Viilor, Dictionary of Sociology). but of all Transylvanian Saxons. One can thus 5. Nation: a human community, most often remark a strong internal communication within living on the same territory, with a more or less the community, which relies on the respect toward each other, toward the father of the neighbourhood strong historical, linguistic, religious, economic and toward the ancient traditions and customs. unity (Petit Larousse Dictionary). Tămaș’s Political The Saxons’ pragmatism and inventiveness, which Dictionary, to which Păuș makes reference, made them adapt their traditional costume to the stresses that nationality is sometimes obtained by urban influences, their integration, even in villages the granting of citizenship, not as a result of one’s inhabited mostly by Romanians, all this shows the national origin. Saxons’ openness to interethnic dialogue. 6. Ethnic group: a population that demarcates Since interethnic dialogue is an important itself by a common origin, common physical and component of intercultural communication, cultural features (race, language, culture, religion, being based, in its turn, on intercultural strategies history, economy) within geographical limits and techniques, this article, drawing on the (Tămaș S., Dicționarul Politic, pp. 108-109). observations made by Viorica-Aura Păuș in 7. Identity: the central dimension of an Comunicare interetnică și interculturală, considers individual’s self-concept, representing his/her that the mastery of the operational concepts in the generalized position in society and deriving from field ensures a deeper understanding of the role his/her belonging to social groups and categories. of interethnic dialogue in strengthening internal 8. Minority: a subgroup which forms less than stability and fighting external threats. Therefore, half of the population and, as a rule, is outnumbered we will provide below the definitions of the by at least another subgroup, not necessarily of relevant concepts, mentioning that, in some cases, the majority (Tămaș Sergiu, Dicționarul Politic, we omitted the details provided by the author, 1993). The concept of minority rights refers to precisely in order to have a direct view of the the set of legal standards (international public law respective notion. or international humanitarian law) concerning the 16 W. Knappe, op. cit., p. 115. rights of people who belong to national or ethnic, 17 Ibidem, p. 116. religious and linguistic minorities. 18 K. Gündisch, op. cit., p. 268.

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9. Multicultural society: different cultures in an increasingly dynamic security environment, and national, ethnic and religious groups who live promoting its national interests abroad. on the same territory but do not necessarily have mutual contacts. BIBLIOGRAPHY 10. Intercultural society: different cultures and national, ethnic and religious groups who live 1. Gündisch Konrad, Siebenbürgen und die on the same territory and have open relationships Siebenbürger Sachsen, München, Editura Langen of interaction, with exchanges and the mutual Müller, 1998. recognition of their respective life-styles and 2. Guțu George, Abriß der Geschichte der values. rumäniendeutschen Literatur, București, Tipografia 11. Intercultural education: involves a Universității din București, 1986. positive approach of differences. 3. Knappe Wolfgang, In Siebenbürgen. Speck To conclude, it should be said that, from this im Turm oder Geschichten aus der Geschichte der level of understanding and accepting the manner in Siebenbürger Sachsen, Leipzig, Brockhaus, 1982. which communication within the Saxon community 4. Păuș Viorica-Aura, Comunicare interetnică – as representatives of the German minority of și interculturală, București, Ars docendi UB, Romania – is organized and works, the majority 2010. Romanians having attributions in developing and 5. Roth Harald, Kleine Geschichte applying strategies for the protection of ethnic Siebenbürgens, Köln, Editura Böhlau, 2012. minorities should find the most appropriate formula 6. Ștefănescu Bogdan, Patrii din cuvinte. O to strengthen the interethnic dialogue, stability and tropologie a discursurilor identității naționale, cooperation at domestic level, and, internationally, Editura Universității, București, 2015. to support Romania’s status as a credible dialogue 7. Hotărârea de Guvern nr. 111/ 2005 privind partner. Internal stability, also conferred by the organizarea și funcționarea Departamentului interethnic dialogue, by the avoidance of cultural pentru Relații Interetnice. conflicts among the ethnic minority and the majority 8. http://www.bukarest.diplo.de/ population, reduces the risk of external threats and Vertretung/bukarest/ro/seiten/00-Startseite/ annihilates the possibility of weakening the state seite__25Jahre__freundschaftsvertrag2017.html security. All this facilitates the achievement of the 9. http://www.haferland.ro/saptamana- foreign policy and fights Euroscepticism. Thus, haferland/ the state is prepared to establish its own strategies

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