THE GERMANS FROM THE SOUTH OF BUCOVINA
1. Settlement, demographic situation and organization in the territory
Since the last two decades of the eighteenth century, ethnic Germans have played a special role in orienting Bucovina to the forms of Central European culture and civilization, holding here until 1918 the semi-official status of Kulturträger (“culture bearers”). From the point of view of their regions of origin, the German settlers from Bucovina were divided into 4 groups: Swabian settlers, from the southwestern German area; zippers (“Zipser”, from the Zips region, Slovakia); Germans from Bohemia („Deutschböhmer); Germans recruited from all regions of the Austrian monarchy (“burgerliche Einwanderer”).
The first German communities in Bucovina (those in Prelipcea and Sadagura) were founded before the annexation of Bucovina to the Austrian state (1760 and 1770). The most famous German colonies in Bucovina were established after 1775 in the localities of Bădeuţi, Cârlibaba, Frasin, Frătăuţi, Huta Veche, Huta Nouă, Iacobeni (the oldest German colony), Iţcani, Milişăuţi, Păltinoasa, Voievodeasa.
In 1900, 69,916 ethnic Germans already lived in Bucovina, their number reaching 73,073 in 1910, decreasing in 1919 to 68,075. Most of the Bucovinian Germans were repatriated to Germany by the German authorities in the autumn of 1940.
The 2011 census recorded that 699 ethnic Germans lived in Suceava County, of which 144 lived in Suceava. Most of them are civil servants and private entrepreneurs, a small number of whom are peasants and workers.
On December 28, 1989, the Democratic Forum of Germans in Romania was re-established, which has the following regional branches: Regional Forum “Banat”, Regional Forum “Bukowina”, Regional Forum “Transylvania”, Regional Forum “Northern Transylvania”, Regional Forum “Region Extracarpathian”.
The “Democratic Forum of Germans from Bucovina” (from Suceava County) was established in 1991, and is currently led by Antonia-Maria Gheorghiu. This regional organization includes 7 local organizations from the localities: Câmpulung Moldovenesc (president Monica Gheorghian), Cârlibaba (president Trudi Wiski), Frasin (president Josif Robert Stadler), Moldovița (president Maria Chiraș), Suceava (president Lidia Grămadă), Vatra Dornei (president Hermine Pal), Vatra Moldoviţei (president Wilhelmine Dumitraschevici).
In addition, in Suceava County, there is the HERE Bukowina Foundation led by Josef-Otto Exner and a German youth organization, the “German Youth Association from Bucovina”, led by Carmen Schley.
2. Customs (traditions)
Through their regional and local governing bodies, the Bucovinian Germans currently cultivate two types of traditions: religious and secular.
Religious traditions can be grouped into the following categories: Easter traditions, religious initiation and Christmas traditions.
Secular traditions mainly target two events: the organization of the Romanian-German International Literary Festival “Lectora”; celebrating the reunification of Germany.
2.1.Religious customs (traditions)
2.1.1. Easter traditions
The Germans initiated for the celebration of Easter (Germ. Ostern) a series of traditions that most European peoples have borrowed so far. That is why the Bucovina Germans celebrate Easter both in private and at special meetings organized for this purpose by the local branches of the German Democratic Forum.
The cycle of Easter holidays for the Bucovina Germans is opened by the Gründonnerstag (Holy Thursday, literally the Thursday of Lamentation), the day of the birth of Jesus Christ. Traditionalist Germans eat green vegetables on this day.
On Easter Saturday (Karsamstag), housewives prepare both a lamb-shaped cake and the famous Easter lamb (Osterlamm) – a religious tradition obviously taken from the Jews, present in the 21st century to most Romanian Orthodox.
On Easter Saturday, colored eggs or chocolate eggs are hidden in the yard or garden, brought, according to tradition, by the famous Osterhase (Easter Bunny). We mention that Der Osterhase was mentioned in Germany already at the end of the 16th century! The children have to find them the next day, being rewarded with small gifts. The presence of Easter chocolate eggs has now been taken over by many Romanian families.
The Easter fire (Osterfeuer), usually present in Romanians, is lit on the night of the resurrection, from Saturday to Sunday.
On Easter Sunday, the traditional family feast takes place, which does not lack Easter lamb and Easter (with cheese, chocolate or cream).
On Easter Monday, teenagers and men sprinkle perfume on ladies and gentlemen from well-known families, being treated with wine and cakes. This custom is also present in Bucovinian Poles or Hungarians. For Romanians, the tradition is present only in Banat and Transylvania.
2.1.2. Religious initiations
As with the Roman Catholic Poles and the Roman Catholic and Protestant Hungarians in Bucovina, these traditions include the first communion (at the age of 7, in the Roman Catholic church) and confirmation (at the age of 14, in the Evangelical or Lutheran church, of the Augustan confession).
The first communion takes place after the initiation of the children (by the priest) into the basic problems of the Christian religion (elementary notions regarding the Old and New Testaments, prayers, the importance of communion and the Christian life, etc.). Girls and boys are dressed in white and receive a small gift from godparents and parents.
Confirmation (followed by the first communion) takes place after an examination of the basic prayers and dogmas (Little Catechism) of the evangelical and Lutheran churches quite seriously. Adolescents are festively dressed and, after passing this exam, receive a Bible, become Konfirmanden and have the right to sit in church pews as adults.
2.1.3. Christmas traditions
On Christmas Eve, Heiliger Nikolaus (Saint Nicholas) is first celebrated on December 6, bringing gifts to obedient children or naughty ones (usually also found in Bucovinian Hungarians).
On December 24, 12 kinds of fasting dishes are prepared, their number referring to the 12 apostles. These dishes will be eaten at the last Christmas dinner. Usually it also exists in the Poles of Bucovina. At the same time, most of the fruit dishes are now being prepared, mainly based on pork, which will be eaten starting the next day.
Also on December 24, at the German Houses in Suceava County, as in private homes, the Christmas Tree (Weihnachtsbaum) is being prepared. We mention that this tradition is launched at the end of the 15th century in the Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation, being taken over from the second half of the 19th century in almost the whole Christian world.
That evening, carols are sung and carols are listened to (the famous Stille Nacht was first sung at Christmas 1818 in Oberndorf bei Salzburg, Austria) and Kriss Kringle (Santa Claus) offers gifts to children.
The German Democratic Forum in Câmpulung Moldovenesc organizes at the German House on December 24-25 the famous Krippen Spiel (scene with the Nativity of Jesus) and a festival of old German carols.
2.2. Cult traditions
The Suceava County Organization of the German International Forum organized until 2019 (May 23-30) the “Romanian-German Lectora International Literary Festival”, which then reached its seventh edition. Due to the pandemic, this event could not be organized for the time being.
On October 3, at the branches in Suceava County of the German Democratic Forum, a cultural event is organized in which the German Reunification Day is discussed (October 3, 1990).
3. German proverbs and stories
Surprisingly or not, some of the proverbs circulated in the circles of the Bucovina Germans, categorized as German proverbs in the specialized works consulted, are proverbs that are considered by the general public opinion Romanian proverbs. However, they also circulate in Romanian. Here are some illustrative examples in this regard.
1. Der Appetit kommt beim Essen (Lust comes eating).
2. Leicht gesagt, schwer getan (Easy to say, hard to do).
3. Lügen haben kurze Beine (The lie has short legs).
4. Wenn zwei sich streiten, freut sich der dritte (When two quarrel, the third wins).
5. Wer zuletzt lacht, lacht am besten (He who laughs at the end, laughs better).
