The Romanian Fellow Townsmen

by Stefan Schmied
Translated by Gerald "Jerry" Thomas Boyle

      In 1767, Scheindorf had only Romanian inhabitants. These made room for the arrival of the Swabian settlers in the town, so that the new townspeople were alone by themselves for the next hundred years. Only in 1861 did Romanian families again settle in Scheindorf and they established a settlement separated from the Swabians. In other words, the town consisted of two parts, a large Swabian area and a smaller Romanian area. Between the two world wars, 250-300 Romanian citizens lived in the community. This number was about a quarter of the inhabitants.

      Until the end of World War I, the Romanian students, like the ethnic German students, were required to go to the Hungarian elementary school. After the change of government, the state arranged for them a school of their own. The first lesson in their native tongue was taught by their teacher Vladuti in a building once belonging to the count. After a few years, their own school building was erected. With Vladuti, as well as his successors, Tinca, Moldovan, and Ghimes, the German teachers had a good cooperative relationship.

      The church built by the Greek Catholics was blessed and officially opened on December 12, 1934. When the Greek Catholic bishop, Dr. Alexander Russu - a school colleague of Father Ettinger - established the Mariusi parish, the Romanian church in Scheindorf became part of that parish. Pastor Loan Fernea of Mariusi and Father Johann Ettinger always maintained a friendly relationship.

      It must be stated that the townspeople always worked together peacefully, without distinction of nationality or religion.