International Conference KNOWLEDGE-BASED ORGANIZATION Vol. XXVI No 3 2020

FAVORABILITY OF THE GEOGRAPHICAL ENVIRONMENT IN THE LOCATION OF THE SECOND BORDER FROM NĂSĂUD (1762), BISTRIȚA- NĂSĂUD COUNTY,

Lia-Maria CIOANCA

"Babeș-Bolyai" University, Cluj-Napoca, Romania [email protected]

Abstract: The political-military context of the time required finding an urgent solution to stop the mass emigration over the mountains, which decreased the productive and contributing population. Thus, the massive emigration of the Romanian population had to be stopped, the contact too close between the two sides of the Carpathians had to be broken and this permanent popular osmosis was deemed necessary to be established, the borders had to be better secured and under the relation of the economic exchanges, of the smuggling, of the customs regime, of the mercantilism practiced by the regime, it was absolutely necessary to prevent the penetration of the plagues from the East, which became endemic, decimating the population; this led to the establishment of border . In elaborating this study I used the qualitative method in order to interpret the historical events of the time, an important role in the research undertaken having direct observations made in the field to inventory strategically and militarily favorable geographical areas for the location of the Second Border Regiment, but also in order to evaluate the existing tourist resources, to capitalize on them by the inhabitants of the area and to have an impact on potential tourists. Following the study, I was able to see the beneficial role that the border regiment had on the belonging communes, as well as the positive impact on the community by implementing a much more advanced stage of development.

Keywords: political context, border regiment, militarization, recruiting area

1. The need to establish border regiments command of the province could only in the conditions of the politico-military oppose two infantry regiments and one context of the time cavalry regiment that existed at that time in Once in , the Austrians began Transylvania [6]. to organize this new province from a In such critical circumstances for the military point of view. Thus, the first border Empire, the establishment of border regiments were established at the end of the regiments in Transylvania was more than 17th century (1690) along the Tisza and necessary. The strengthening of the borders Mureș rivers, which marked the border of of the Empire, by setting up new regiments the Habsburg Empire. The organization of in southern and eastern Transylvania, the entire military border was achieved only enlarged that military cordon that started between 1760-1780, when, during the wars from the Adriatic Sea, passed through the with Prussia, the Habsburg Empire was Iron Gates, and now continues on the threatened by an attack from Russia, which Carpathian ridges reaching the area of had concluded a military convention with Galicia. This action with deep implications Prussia in 1762. In the event of a Russian in the socio-political life of the Grand attack in Transylvania, the military Principality of Transylvania, was initiated

DOI: 10.2478/kbo-2020-0118 © 2015. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 3.0 License.

79 by the Court of Vienna, during the third district is located on Mureş and Şieu and it decade of Empress Maria Theresa’s reign is suitable for winter crops. (1740-1780), and the establishment of There are gold ores, lead in the mines of border regiments, aimed both at Veche, salt, excellent construction strengthening the military border, and mill stone, finer and more viscous clay, improving the recruitment system, and at mineral springs at Rodna and Sângeorz. diminishing the power of the Hungarian The smallest part of the district gives nobility, as well as removing a large part of summer and winter wheat to the entire the territory and population of Transylvania border district, but also barley, oats, rye, from its domination [6]. rice, corn, millet, beans, lentils, potatoes, vegetables, fruits especially plums, then 2. Border regiments in Transylvania in flax, hemp, wood for construction, the 18th century carpentry and fire, also fodder and some 2.1. Favorability of the geographical herbs [1]. Animal production is very environment in the location of the important, especially small mountain Transylvanian military border horses, but resistant, horned, goats, many The district of the 2nd Romanian Regiment sheep, birds and wild animals, bears, was located in the North of the great wolves, foxes, lynx, birds of prey, including Principality of Transylvania and was the eagle. Năsăud had a square on the composed of two parts separated from each Someş river, it was the central headquarters, other by provinces. The largest part of the the headquarters of the colonel, of the district consisted of the districts of Năsăud, lieutenant colonel, of the second major, of Rodna and Borgo Prund and was bordered the episcopal vicar, there was a military to the North by Maramureş, the Duchy of institute for the two border regiments, a Bukovina and a small part of the gymnasium and a communal school. Rodna Principality of Moldova, to the South by the had a famous market in the Rodna Valley, it districts of Sächsisch Regen, Bistriţa and was the resort of a , it owned gold , and to West by Dej county, and and lead mines and a source of mineral the smaller part of the circle district of Şieu water; Sângeorz-Băi also had a source of Mare, which was limited only to the mineral water; Borgo Prund had a market, a community of the Şieu Mare district [1]. trivial German school, a paper mill, and The area was 68 square miles. The most was the headquarters of the second major; important rivers and streams of the at Borgo Suseni on the Bistriţa River, fine regiment are: the Someş river; the very fish- wool hats were made, there were salt rich stream of Sălăuţa; creek; the Ilva springs and a stone quarry [1]. brook, and Bistriţa river, on the Bârgăului 2.2. Brief history of the regiment, its valley . In the smallest part of the district formation and operation are the Mureş river, the Şieu and Luţu The Second Border Regiment from Năsăud rivers. Most of the District is surrounded in or the Second Infantry Regiment of the the West, North and East by the high Wallachian border guards no. 17 from mountains of the Carpathians, which are Năsăud (2nd Walachen known as the spurs of Rodna, Lăpuş and Grenzinfanterieregiment), named since Gheorgheni and which make the whole 1848 and Regiment II no. 17 Romanian district poor and very uncultivable, the border guards, was a military unit of the highest mountains being Tibleş, Ineu and Austrian army in Transylvania in the Heniu Mare. The most fruitful are the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, valleys and hills on the right bank of the consisting almost entirely of Romanians Someş, then on the Bârgăului valley at from these places [2]. Borgo Rus [1]. The smallest part of the

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The regiment was established on April 12, established together with the Romanian 1762 (according to some sources on April Dragon Regiment, recruited from the same 16, 1762), following an imperial decree area. In the third decade of Empress Maria issued by the Empress of Austria, Augusta Theresa's reign, the Vienna Court decided Maria Theresia, which provided for the to set up border regiments in Transylvania. establishment of "border militias", in On July 5, 1761, Cavalry General Adolf German Siebenbürgische Militärgrenze, Nikolaus von Buccow was commissioned established by the authorities imperial to carry out the mission, whose project was cordon sanitaire at the southern border of approved by the Empress on April 16, the Principality of Transylvania [2]. In 1762. The Border Guard Regiment was Transylvania, two regiments of Romanian organized into 12 companies, each based on border guards, two regiments of Szekler recruitment in well-established villages. border guards, a regiment of Romanian The recruitment area of the regiment had an dragons and a regiment of Szekler hussars area of 3,195 km2 on the current territory of were to be set up. The II Romanian Border Bistrița-Năsăud county [2]. Guard Regiment from Năsăud was

Figure 1: The disposition of the border regiments in Transylvania in 1817 [2]

The border guards' obligations were to represented. It bore the inscription of the defend the Transylvanian border in motto of the regiment: "Virtus Romana peacetime, including sanitary duties, in case Rediviva". This motto was also inscribed on of quarantine against infectious-contagious the flags of the regiment's , on the diseases (plague, cholera, etc.), and to flag of the Nasaud National Military participate in battles with the Austrian Institute and on all the official seals of the regular army during the war,wherever they regiment. Each company was entrusted would have been sent. The border guards with guarding a well-defined area of the were free, tax-free people in exchange for border. The border was guarded both at their military service. Enlistment in the fixed points, pickets or cordons, and by border guard regiments was conditioned by patrolling in shifts and at different times, the Austrians, at one point, by the depending on the importance of the route mandatory transition to the Greek Catholic [5]. In 1848, following the outbreak of the religion. The headquarters of the regimental Transylvanian revolution, the people of the commander was established in Năsăud. border district declared in Năsăud that they The Second Regiment (no. 17) Romanian remained loyal to the Emperor of Austria border guards from Năsăud had a flag on and that they would fight against the which the Austrian imperial eagle was Hungarian revolutionaries in Transylvania

81 and Hungary. A of the regiment memory today, the only ones that are still was attracted to Hungary by representatives functional being those from Coşbuc and of the Hungarian government, in an attempt [13]. to get it to join the Hungarian revolution, The first covered wooden bridge was built which failed. The other two battalions of 350 years ago in Năsăud and connected the regiment took part in the battles in Bistriţa over Someşul Mare. Then followed Transylvania against the Hungarian those from Ilva Mare, Ilva Mică, Beclean, revolutionary army. Almost throughout the Mocod, Salva, Nepos, and Wallachian Revolution in Transylvania, a Coşbuc, all in the area of the Romanian platoon of the regiment participated in the border regiment. defense of the fortress in Alba Iulia. In The bridge from Coşbuc, which crosses the 1851 all the border guards regiments from river Sălăuţa, was built in 1776, then rebuilt the Austrian army were disbanded, and with in 1937, after being severely affected by the them the Second Regiment (no. 17) rising waters of 1909. It is built of oak Romanian border guards from Năsăud. The wood and it was built by Italian border second Romanian Border Guard Regiment guards. . It is known as the "Bridge of no. 17 from Năsăud was later transformed Love" and it is unique in Transylvania, into Regiment no. 50 Caesarean-line being preserved in its natural state. This Infantry and moved to Alba-Iulia [5]. bridge had 14 "brothers" in Bistriţa-Năsăud County, but only one has passed the test of 3. Wooden bridges and their role in time: the wooden, pedestrian, Tyrolean facilitating communication bridge in Ilva Mare. Built of oak logs in Built out of the need for communication of 1829, the "Court Bridge" from Ilva Mare is the locals in the area, but also for the the first covered wooden bridge built on the facilitation of trade, the covered bridges in Ilva Valley [13]. the country of Năsăud have a special The ingenuity of this construction consists history and significance. They were built in in the fact that the whole structure, the 16th century, mostly from oak. including the connecting elements, is made Unfortunately, many of them are just a of wood.

Figure 2: "The Bridge of Love", Coşbuc [13] Figure 3: "The Court Bridge", Ilva Mare [13]

4. Tourist and cultural favors in the border guards' land

Figure 4: The Năsăud border museum [11]

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A visit to the Border Guard Land can under 5. Conclusions no circumstances exclude the Năsăud The border regiments were the first Border Guard Museum, as well as the Romanian military units constituted and George Coşbuc Memorial House, a organized according to the most modern museum located 15 km from Năsăud, the standards of the time. In this sense, the “Nest of Dreams” Museum in , a establishment of the Second Romanian tribute to the author Liviu Rebreanu, Livul Border Regiment, based in Năsăud, Rebreanu’s Memorial House of determined major changes for the 44 border Comparative Art from Sângeorz-Băi, communes in the area, which had a major “Dosul Gârciului” artistic village, Stâna din impact on the development of the local Putredu, Sângeorz-Băi spa resort, Ineu community. The establishment of the peak, the second highest peak in Rodna second Romanian Border Regiment, located Mountains, Lala Lake, the largest glacial in Năsăud, determined major changes for lake in , Cheilor Waterfall the 44 border communes in the area. -Cormaia Valley, Rodna Mountains The military regime that lasted almost 90 National Park [10]. years was, in some respects, a real boon for Traditions and customs are also sacredly Năsăud County, as foreign officers from preserved and passed on with great care to countries with a higher degree of future generations. The "Feast of civilization came to the area and began to Ancestors" Festival in the Border Land build roads, schools, and, obviously, remains a remarkable event, Transhumance wooden bridges, because the mountain in Nasaud and Rodna, with a historical waters are fast and would have withstood significance, social, heritage, but also only bridges with large openings and a bearing an emotional and identity meaning, small number of legs. Being covered, defining the mentality of a human group therefore more protected from the weather, modeled in conditions of personal freedom, the wooden bridges had a higher reliability. territorial autonomy and economic security These bridges could become a growing since the middle of the eighteenth century; tourist attraction, if more were invested in border status has instilled in individuals rehabilitation works, so as not to demolish self-awareness, group pride and confidence such symbolic constructions, true historical in individual and collective cultural monuments. Therefore, the Border Guard prosperity on a background of Land, located in a generous geographical organizational stability [15]. In addition to environment, has known over time to all this, it is worth mentioning the following preserve its traditional specificity, the aspect, the Sausages from the Border Land customs and culture of the ancestors being and the kneaded cheese made in Sângeorz- preserved and transmitted with sanctity to Băi are in the procedure of national the descendants. In the future, this land attestation at the Ministry of Agriculture, as could become an ideal destination for being traditional landmarks [13]. organizing thematic camps for students or in carrying out specialized practices for students.

References [1] Georgiță, M., Încă o istorie a regimentului de graniță de la Năsăud, Arhiva Someșană, seria a III-a, nr.3, pp. 417-437, 2004. [2] Gollner, C., Regimentele Grănicerești din Transilvania 1764-1851, București, Editura Militară, p. 65, p. 231, 1973. [3] Onofreiu, A., Bolovan, I., Contribuții documentare privind istoria regimentului grăniceresc năsăudean, București, Editura Enciclopedică, pp. 392-398, 2006.

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[4] Șotropa, V., Districtul grăniceresc năsăudean și locul său în lupta pentru progres social și libertatea națională a românilor din Transilvania, Cluj-Napoca, Editura , p. 294, 1975. [5] *** Enciclopedia României, Regimentele grănicerești din Transilvania 1764–1851, București, Editura Militară, p. 48, 1973. [6] http://www.armyacademy.ro/reviste [7] https://independent.academia.edu/RevistaBistritei [8] http://enciclopediaromaniei.ro/wiki/Regimentul_2 [9] https://ro.wikipedia.org [10] https://primariailvamare.ro [11] https://complexulmuzealbn.ro [12] http://arhiva.bistriteanu.ro [13] https://www.singeorzbai.com [14] https://lataifas.ro [15] http://www.antenasatelor.ro [16] https://crispedia.ro

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