Collection of nationality registers

Collection

Holding institution:: National Archives of Romania, Covasna county directorate

Holding institution (official language):: Serviciul judeţean Covasna al Arhivelor Naţionale Române

Scope and content:: The fonds comprises the files nationality registers of 75 localities in present-day Covasna county, namely from Aita Mare, Angheluș, Aninoasa, Araci, Arcuș, Ariușd, Baraolt, Barcani, Bățanii Mici, Bățanii Mari, Băcel, Belin, Beșineu, Biborțeni, Bita, Bodoc, Bodoș, Boroșneul Mare, Boroșneul Mic, Brateș, Brăduț, Calnic, Căpeni, Cernatul de Jos, Chichiș, Chiuruș, Comandău, Covasna, Dobârlău, Dobolii de Jos, Dobolii de Sus, Eresteghin, Filia, Fotoș, Ghidfalău, Hăghig, Herculian, Ilieni, Imeni, Întorsura Buzăului, Lemnia, Leț, Măghieruș, Mărtineni, Micfalău, Micloșoara, Moacșa, Ojdula, Ozun, Pachia, Pava, Păpăuți, Poian, Racoșul de Sus, Reci, Ruseni, Saciova, Sânzieni, Sfântu Gheorghe, Sântionlunca, Surcea, Tamașfalău, Tălișoara, Telechia, Turia, Țufalău, Valea Crișului, Valea Mare, Valea Scurtă, Valea Zălanului, Vama Buzăului, Vârghiș, Zagon, Zoltan and Târgu Secuiesc. These registers recorded the details of those inhabitants for each locality who managed to prove their Romanian nationality in accordance with the requirement of the Mârzescu law of nationality of 1924, revised in 1938 by the antisemitic Goga-Cuza government and again in 1945, registering the effects of the Holocaust. The nationality registers recorded local families with their dates of birth and residence.

Archival history:: The fonds was transferred to the Covasna county directorate of the Romanian National Archives where it was inventoried in 1970-1971.

Administrative/biographical history:: On 24 February 1924 the so-called Mârzescu law (named after its initiator, the secretary of the interior of the Romanian government) was adopted, which dealt with the acquisition and removal of Romanian nationality. In every locality in the newly annexed provinces of the Kingdom of Romania (Transylvania, Bukovina, Bessarabia) the mayor’s offices established such registers were recorded the details of those inhabitants who managed to prove their Romanian nationality. This made it possible for the authorities to refuse Romanian nationality to those members of the Jewish population who immigrated to Romania after the First World War, especially from Russia and Ukraine where there were frequent pogroms during the civil war. The registers were revised in 1938 by the antisemitic Goga-Cuza government, the revision resulting the loss of nationality rights for one third of the Jewish population of Transylvania. A third revision took place in 1945, registering the effects of the Holocaust.

Access points: locations:: Aita Mare; Angheluș; Araci; Arcuș; Ariușd; Băcel; Baraolt; Barcani; Bățanii Mari; Bățanii Mici; Belin; Biborțeni; Bita; Bodoc; Bodoș; Brăduț; Brateș; Calnic; Căpeni; Chichiș; Chiuruș; Comandău; Covasna; Dobârlău; Dobolii de Jos; Dobolii de Sus; Eresteghin; Filia; Fotoș; Ghidfalău; Hăghig; Herculian; Ilieni; Imeni; Întorsura Buzăului; Lemnia; Leț; Măghieruș; Mărtineni; Micfalău; Micloșoara; Moacșa; Ojdula; Ozun; Pachia; Păpăuți; Pava; Poian; Racoșul de Sus; Reci; Ruseni; Saciova; Sântionlunca; Sânzieni; Sfântu Gheorghe; Surcea; Tălișoara; Tamașfalău; Târgu Secuiesc; Telechia; Țufalău; Turia; Valea Crișului; Valea Mare; Valea Scurtă; Valea Zălanului; Vama Buzăului; Vârghiș; Zagon; Zoltan

System of arrangement:: The fonds is arranged into registers by locality. They list in alphabetical order the local families in 1924 and the changes which occurred in 1938 and 1945.

Finding aids:: Inventory no. 29, held by the Covasna county directorate of the Romanian National Archives.

Yerusha Network member:: Romanian Institute for the Research of National Minorities

Author of the description:: Tóth Levente, archivist - Protestant Theological Institute - 2018; Ladislau Gyémánt, emeritus professor - 2018