Unio Trium Nationum
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Unio Trium Nationum (Latin for "Union of the Three Nations"; also known as Fraterna Unio - "Brotherly Union") was a pact of mutual aid formed in 1438 by three Estates of Transylvania: the (largely Hungarian) nobility, the Saxon (ie German) burghers, and the Szeklers (who had a special status within the Kingdom of Hungary).
The Union was formed after the suppression of the Bobâlna revolt of 1437 by the Estates. The revolt was triggered by an attempt by the Bishop of Transylvania to collect unpaid taxes. Although the revolt was led by a Hungarian petty noble - Anthony Budai Nagy - it was a coalition of various elements of Transylvanian society: both Hungarian and Romanian serfs and the burghers of Cluj (Kolozsvár, Klausenburg). They declared themselves as the Estate of Hungarians and Romanians (Universitas Hungarorum et Valachorum).
The Union ensured that the serfs continued to be excluded from the political and social life of Transylvania, although they made up the majority of the population. The position of the Transylvanian Romanians, the vast majority of whom were serfs, was particularly critical, since the Unio Trium Nationum tacitly excluded the former Estate of Romanians (Universitas Valachorum) from the Union, hence from every form of political and social participation. They were only considered a "tolerated" nation, this status being kept until after World War I.
