Walachia (Romania)
Walachia (Wallachia, Valahia, Vlahia) is the southern part of Romania between the Carpathian Mountains and the Danube; its capital is Bucharest; the population is Greek Orthodox. In the 18th century it was a principality under Turkish suzerainty. In Anabaptist history it has significance only for the years 1767-1770, when Hutterites fled from Transylvania and tried to establish a new Bruderhof in Walachia, hoping for more toleration in Turkish than in Hapsburg lands. In November 1767 they settled first at a place called Choregirle, south of Bucharest, but since much sickness occurred (typhoid fever), they moved in 1768 to Presetchain in a fertile area also near Bucharest. But the great Russo-Turkish War of 1768-1774 brought unbelievable hardships upon the brotherhood. Johannes Waldner, the writer of the Klein-Geschichtbuch, who was in that group, describes in great detail all the terrible experiences, plundering and brutal treatment by Turks and marauding Romanian troops. They lost a great part of their possessions, and finally had to flee into nearby woods to save their lives. Thereupon the brotherhood decided to leave this country. The commanding Russian general in Bucharest was kindly disposed to them and recommended that they look for permanent settlements in the Ukraine near Kiev, where religious toleration was granted. Thus they sold what was left of their houses and on 10 April 1770, began their long trek northward through Moldavia into the Ukraine. In spite of all their hardships the brotherhood remained intact and preserved its communal way of living; also its precious books and sermon notes were saved and taken along into their new settlements in the Ukraine.
Bibliography
Zieglschmid, A. J. F. Das Klein-Geschichtsbuch der Hutterischen Brüder. Philadelphia, PA: Carl Schurz Memorial Foundation, 1947: 303-319.
| Author(s) | Robert Friedmann |
|---|---|
| Date Published | 1959 |
Cite This Article
MLA style
Friedmann, Robert. "Walachia (Romania)." Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. 1959. Web. 25 Nov 2024. https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Walachia_(Romania)&oldid=69028.
APA style
Friedmann, Robert. (1959). Walachia (Romania). Global Anabaptist Mennonite Encyclopedia Online. Retrieved 25 November 2024, from https://gameo.org/index.php?title=Walachia_(Romania)&oldid=69028.
Adapted by permission of Herald Press, Harrisonburg, Virginia, from Mennonite Encyclopedia, Vol. 4, p. 1133. All rights reserved.
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