Past Epidemics in Transylvania (1830–1918) and Their Lessons for the Current Challenges
Past Epidemics in Transylvania (1830–1918) and Their Lessons for the Current Challenges

Summary/Abstract: The current Covid-19 pandemic has brought the past epidemics to our attention, as a source of valuable knowledge. This paper reviews the information available on epidemics in Transylvania in the modern era, underlining the need for an extended investigation of the related attitudes and behaviors displayed by the people. This research should follow two directions: the people’s representation of epidemics, how these were perceived, explained, integrated into daily life, with all their aspects (causes, methods of transmission, symptoms, treatments, attitudes towards doctors, towards the state authorities etc.); the demographic behaviors and aspects affected by epidemics: how soon and how often the lives lost were “compensated for” by the afflicted families (remarriage of widows and widowers, new births in families who lost children to epidemics); the correlation between contagion and social networks (extended family, godparents), the existence of mortality clusters in some families etc. Such research would provide useful insight into the struggle and resilience of a society plagued by infectious diseases.

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