Satele din Transilvania în contextul crizei complexe de la începutul secolului al XVII-lea (Domeniul Almașu Mare la 1603)
The Villages of Transylvania in the Context of the Complex Crisis at the Beginning of the 17th Century (Almașu Mare domain in 1603)

Summary/Abstract: From the first years of the 17th century, the succession of the Knights of the Apocalypse was foretold on the territory of Transylvania. The impact of war, famine, epidemics and epizootics was devastating for the inhabitants. The population of the cities was decimated and even the inhabitants of the villages did not have a better fate, as can be seen from the data of the land records of the Almașu Mare noble domain from 1603. The population dropped dramatically due to deaths, but also because many left due to war, famine and pestilence. Among the remaining inhabitants, the number of widows has increased, coming to represent over 40% of heads of families (Almașu Mare). Poverty took over the villages. The profile of household livestock has changed, and cattle have almost disappeared. This study traces the demo-economic recovery up to 1652. The data show the demo-economic progress until 1625, the restoration of some settlements and the economic development of households. Population growth received another blow in the second half of the fifth decade due to the wave of epidemics that swept over the principality, this fact being described by documents from 1652. Historical sources from the years 1603-1652 capture the devastating impact of natural and political calamities on Transylvanian rural communities, as well as the people’s effort for economic and demographic recovery. The worry and fear of war and plague is obvious in most of the texts that are preserved by nowadays.

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