Ditrau

 

 

The székely commune was organised in "tizesek". In the 16th and 17th century the "tizesek" were local organisations, which had limited authority in the economic-military life of the commune. They had the plough-lands, fields and pastures in their possession. Their main duty was the assurance of 10 soldiers. The "tizes" community made the decision of who to send to the front, this fact was one of the székely freedom's basic principles. In the 17th century the majority of the population was formed by the free peasants. Gradually appeared the craftsmen, merchants and the intellectuals.

1643 in the Gheorgheni basin 97 families dealt with craft and trade, and there also were mercenaries and  intellectuals.

 

On the diet of 1562 in Sighişoara -the villeins- people who lived on other people's field were declared feudal tenants; 1566 János Zsigmond, prince of Transylvania, gave the former freedmen as feudal tenants to the székely leaders. At that time came 57 families under the dependence of Lázár István in Lăzarea. Some settlements of the basin were situated in a favourable geographical position and were economically important. In the 17th century several Armenian families settled here. Most of them came from Moldova, escaping from the Tatars. 1614 the rate between the aboriginal inhabitants and immigrants in Ditrău was the following: the total number of the families was 52, among which 44 were native families and 8 immigrant families.

 

While at the end of the 16th century the székely people's rise in social, individual, legal position was rare, in the first 6 decades of the 17th century this process has changed, and led to a radical change of the society. 1654 there were 12 noble families in Ditrău.

 

The plaque epidemic and the aggravations because of the participation in the Kuruc revolution made the living more difficult. 1744 the tax burdens assessed by the goverment-general obliged the commune to pay 836 Rhenish forints. 1750 the society of Ditrău was subdivided as follows: 2 noble families, 153 freedmen, 31 feudal tenants, 11 villeins, 28 families classified into other categories. At that time the total population was made up of 225 families. 1773 according to the registry 356 family heads and 840 male children were kept in evidence, which equals 2400 inhabitants, by 1910 there were 6151 persons, and by 1930 6785 persons. The political transformation after 1945 brought significant changes in the social structure of the commune. The nationalisation,the collectivisation and the forced industrialisation led to the fact, that yesterday's peasant became industrial proletarian. Neither Ditrău was avoided by this process. This process battered down the age-long traditions of the commune, disregarded the written and unwrittem laws, and brought moral disruption.

By the reign of Ulászló II the situation of the Székely people has changed, at the end of the 15th century they suffered a lot under the cruelty of the voivode of Transylvania, Báthory István. But they passed through the heaviest trials under the reign of Szapolyai János. This led to the uprising of the people in 1562. But the revenge of the winning prince was dreadful. 

 

 The period after 1562 was a tragic turning point in history of the Székely people. Bethlen Gábor and Rákoczy György endeavoured to restrain by mass liberation the process of turning to villeinage. 1575 they have risen up again to regain their ancient rights.

 

At the end of the 17th century the autonomy of Transylvania ended. The Austrian domination had become stable. Gheorgheni was occupied by the Kaiser's soldiers. The Székely people joined the Kuruc Movement led by Rákoczy Ferenc. By the end of 1703 almost the whole Székely land was on the side of the Kuruc people.

In the war of independence from 1848-1849 Ditrău assured one field officer (Puskás Ferenc major), 3 officers, 15 under-officers, and 117 honvéd (Hungarian soldiers).

 

The mountains didn't protect the people from epidemics. The plaque epidemic in 1633, which made its influence felt in every region of Transylvania, had a large number of victims in the valley of Mureş. In Gheorgheni 800 person died of it. The epidemic plaque in 1646 reduced the population in Gheorgheni with 448 families. People tried to stop the growing of the epidemic by quarantines. The government-general has sent to Gheorgheni doctor Ioannis Carolus Lampert. He was the first specialist in the region. 1883 the cholera epidemic devastated in Ciuc county. This disease threatened the basin of Gheorgheni in 1889, 1893 and in 1910. The cholera moved from there after 1910. Its place was occupied by diphteria, typhus, measles, and the dysentery. the proximity of the forests and beasts to the settlements guided often to Rabies with fatal outcome. The 1928 Spanish influenza neither kept clear the basin of Gheorgheni.

 

At the beginning of the 19th century weekly markets were kept on all Tuesdays in the village. In more villages, among which in Ditrău, became a custom, that the carpenters put wooden houses together onto a wisp in their yards. Beside the ancient occupations a newer industry, demanding skills already was booming. The millers's association advertises the beginnings of the guilds already. Gradually some side jobs are promoted main occupation, which means the spark of citifying. the smithcraft is mentioned among the oldest occupations, from which the first memorandum originates from 1602. In 1820 two smith were found in Ditrău.

In the 19th century many people undertook the foundation of forges. The forge in Orotva was founded in 1847 by Fülöp András, and he himself led it. This forge operated even in the 1870 years.

 

 In 1910 the agricultural possessions in Ditrău show the following standing: landowner of more than 100-acres were 7, between 10 and 100-acres were 332, under 10-acres were 534. 86 persons worked as agricultural servant, and 460 as agricultural worker.

The Second World War redrew the borders, and brought significant economical and social changes in the commune. The agrarian reform of 1945, which was carried into execution only in 1946, abolished the large estate and gave lad to the poor peasants. This state didn't last for a long time. The folk council took over the commune's control from 1950 and led it according to the socialist norms dictated by the central power.

 

 

    * The Szent Katalin baroque Roman Catholic Church was built in the 17th century, its tower was built in 1653, 1712 it was upswept. The church was rebuilt between 1746 and 1757.

    * Beside it stands the Neo-Gothic Church, which is 75 m high and it was built between 1908 and 1913. It is the second highest two-steepled church in Romania.

    * In the region can be found bluish, hard as granite rocks, which were named from the commune ditroit.

 

 

    * Here was born in 1844 Puskás Tivadar, the inventor of the telephonograph.

    * Here was born in 1876 Siklódi Lőrinc, sculptor. 

    * Here was born in 1886 Vendl Aladár, geologist.

    * Here was born in 1888 Csiby Andor, local historian.

    * Here was born in 1890 Vendl Mária mineralogist, naturalist.

    * Here was born in 1927 Tarisznyás Márton, ethnographer. 

 

 

 

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