Şcheii Braşovului

Just a few considerations for future research LB

Şcheii Braşovului (a Romanian quarter of the Middle Ages Kronstadt, later named
Brasov) has a Romanian origin as with majority of historians and philologists

Origin
First written attestation of the name Şcheii Brasovului appears in the charter of the King
Aron of Moldova from 1595. (Vasile Olteanu research published in the Origin of the
Brasov [1]). The Romanian authorities named it just Şcheii
• Vasile Olteanu’s research also proved that the origin of the quarter Şcheii is
Romanian and not Bulgarian
Sextil Puscariu in his book “Braşovul de altădată" (approx. translation “The Brasov from
before”):
• “Şcheii Brasovului had been a Slav colony, romanianized totally no later than
10th-11th century. Based on the proves brought by G. Kisch [2], when Saxon
colonized in 13th century, there weren’t Slavs who speak Slavonic, in the
territories where they settled”
• "Despite these facts, some historians maintain to connect the beginning of Şcheii
with the coming of these Bulgarians just because the name "Bulgarians" shouldn’t
be taken ethnically but geographically „
• Those who think Şcheii is the name given because of the (Bulgarians) laborers
who came by the time of building the Black Church in 1392 are committing an
anachronism”
• "Judging the evidences brought by G. Kisch, when Saxon colonists came in
Transylvania in 13th century there weren’t Slavs anymore in the places they
occupied"
In 1899, the historian Dimitrie Onciul in his History of Romanians [2] wrote about the
Romanians from Scheii Brasovului
• “Romanians didn’t consider themselves or the Slavs they lived together,
Bulgarians even though the foreigners called both of them Bulgarians. Those
Slavs had been assimilated and left a Slavic influence in Romanian language and
toponyms in Romania. “
Xenopol in his book, also proved that foreigners still wrongly called Transilvania as
Burgaria in 12th and 13th century when obviously its government was not Bulgarian-
Romanian anymore
• for the Romanian-Bulgarian Empire see also the History of the Byzantine Empire
by the Russian historian A. A. Vasiliev
Historian loan-Aurel Pop also talks like the majority of researchers and historians about a
Romanian ethnic population of Şcheii Brasovului (see his History of the Middle Ages
Transylvania: from the ethnogenesis of the Romanians until Michael The Great)
The attribute Bulgarus
The attribute Bulgarus / Bulgarian had been attached to the name Scheii by authorities,
that were foreigners of the Romanian language
V. Olteanu explains:
• The attribute “bulgarus", in the Magyar and Saxon documents is coming from the
reality of the Romanian Middle Ages, when the Church language was Slavonic
• Since the Orthodox culture that was coming from Byzantine Empire through
Bulgarian territory, Catholic authorities defined the Orthodox people with term
“bulgarus” the same way the Romanians from Muntenia province named the
Romanian from Transylvania "Hungarians".
• “The "bulgarus" attribute given to Romanians from Schei can be verified through
the older documents preserved now in the Magistrate Archive – Braşov where one
can see documents from 4th century with surnames like : Barbul, Radul, Stanciul
– Slavic names with the autochthonous end "ul" but also Şerb, Coman, Cătană,
Bârsan, Costea, Lungul – autochthonous names with the same attribute
"bulgarus".
• Moreover, the attribute "bulgarus" had been given to Saxons and Hungarians
when they lived in Scheii: Feder, Loczkoy, Haydo Laszlo etc.”

About the Tempea chronicle (that is just a copy of an initial chronicle) the above
mentioned researcher wrote there is “an obvious epenthesis added by later Brasov’s
authorities, after the chronicle time, in the purpose of the denying historical rights of the
Scheii inhabitants”
• The reason for wrongly naming Romanians as Bulgarians results also from the
book “Romanian from the Middle Ages written by D. Xenopol” [3]

Etymology of the “şcheii”

1) Initially, it had been started from Latin Sclavis (meaning Slavs) = Scheii because of
the Latin clavis (key) becoming "chei" (key)
• Yet, if there is not possible a phonological change from "s" to "ş" (as proved by
linguists in similar situations), it means sclavis could become "schei" but it could
not become "şcheii"
2) The scholar Vasile Parvan didn't agree with şcheii as a derivation from sclavis, either

3) The “şcheii” as with Romanian Dictionary of Archaic and Regional words ( Dicţionar
de arhaisme şi regionalisme, Gh. Bulgăr şi Gh. Constantinescu-Dobridor, Editura
Saeculum Vizual, Bucureşti, 2002 ) means
• 1. Gorge, narrow valley 2. Sacrum bones (of horses)

[1] Junii braşoveni şi troiţele lor din Şcheii Braşovului by Vasile Oltean Publisher Editura
Semne, 2000 ISBN 9736540820, 9789736540820
[2] ORIGINILE PRINCIPATELOR ROMANE DE DIMITRE ONCIUL BUCUREŞTI,
Ştab. de Arte Grafice “ELZEVIR” 1899 (it can be found on free domain)
[3] Les Roumains au moyen-age:une enigme historique par Alexandru Dimitrie Xenopol
(it can be found on free domain)