Tradition and Modernity

In Transylvania's cultural history, the period stretching from the Treaty of Westphalia to the Szatmár Agreement shows uncommon complexity. At least superficially, it is marked by a jumble of contradictory developments.

Over the decades that saw only brief moments of respite from wars and sundry military campaigns, some great creative works were born. The era of political consolidation was marked by sharp domestic conflicts; subsequently, the frequent and sudden changes in the locus of political power served to destroy the work of generations and, ultimately, to stifle all creative initiative. Still, in the century of Descartes and Newton, when rationalism began to revolutionize European science and culture, Transylvania not only nurtured its traditions but also showed great receptiveness to intellectual innovation.

It is in this period, which was one of unprecedentedly lively interaction between the diverse cultures of Hungarians, Romanians, and Saxons, that a distinctively Transylvanian culture acquired lasting shape. The different ethnic groups, languages, religions, and social strata underwent a process of integration. This was also the time when Moslem influence extended to a considerable part of Transylvania and turned Várad into a distinctive cultural center. For a century and a half, the Turks and their Islamic culture prevailed just beyond Transylvania's shifting borders. The Spanish, Czech, German, and French generals who expelled them brought to the region the spirit of the great courts of Europe, including that of the Habsburgs. Thanks to Vienna's encouragement, Greek Orthodox {2-438.} culture sank new roots in the Catholic world. Meanwhile, both the Roman Catholic Church, which was once again gaining ground, and the Protestant Churches sought to modernize their appeal by reconciling religious traditions with the rationalistic demands of the age.

Transylvania had preserved its cultural links with Europe even during the era of Ottoman predominance. When the balance of power shifted in the region, it was drawn closer to Vienna; at the same time, its long-standing cultural links with universities in the socially more advanced countries of Europe grew weaker, as did its links with the Hungarian kingdom. A new pattern emerged around the turn of the 18th century: many Transylvanians reached royal Hungary not directly, but by way of western Europe's cities and universities.