Czechs and Slovaks in Romania. Socio-onomastic aspects
Czechs and Slovaks in Romania. Socio-onomastic aspects

Summary/Abstract: During the interwar period, the Czech and Slovak minorities in Romania exceeded 50,000 people. However, over time, their numbers have steadily decreased, and ac¬cording to the latest census (2021), there are fewer than 12,000 individuals, most of them living in the western part of the country. The origins of these communities date back to the period of the Habsburg Empire (1823–1862), when through the migratio colonorum policy, the population from overpopulated regions was encouraged to relocate to sparsely inhabited territories to work in forestry, agriculture, and to guard the borders. In this study, I aim to approach, from a socio-onomastic perspective, the testimonies left by these two ethnic minorities, ranging from the names of the settlements founded upon their arrival (e.g., Bigăr, Gernik, Svatá Helena) to current street names bearing Czech and Slovak anthroponyms (Jan Hus Street) or oikonyms (Bratislava Street, Prague Street). I will also focus on the personalities commemorated in Romanian hodonymy, toponymy, and chrematonymy. Despite being few in number, the Czech and Slovak minorities have had prominent representatives in various fields and have made notable contributions to Romanian culture, art, and science. Nevertheless, upon analyzing the present-day public space, it is evident that Czech and Slovak names can be found in a much broader area, in regions that have no connection to these ethnic minorities, as a sign of the appreciation they enjoy in the Carpathian-Danubian-Pontic space. At the same time, the presence of multi-ethnic names reveals the openness of the majority population and local authorities towards diversity, and their respect for cultural and scientific values, regardless of their country of origin.

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