Elena Crinela Holom, Luminiţa Dumănescu, Daniela Mârza

Occupations and Social Class Transformations in Two Mining Areas in Transylvania (1850-1910)

Article Information

Pages: 5-24

DOI: https://doi.org/10.24193/RJPS.2023.2.01

Elena Crinela Holom

Babeş-Bolyai University, Centre for Population Studies, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, holom.elena@ubbcluj.ro

Luminiţa Dumănescu

Babeş-Bolyai University, Centre for Population Studies, Cluj-Napoca, Romania, luminita.dumanescu@ubbcluj.ro

Daniela Mârza

Romanian Academy, Centre for Transylvanian Studies Cluj-Napoca, Romania, daniela_marza@yahoo.com

Abstract. Between 1850 and 1914, Transylvania experienced a gradual but significant shift in its economy and society, transitioning towards modernization. This era was characterized by a notable change in occupational patterns, with a decrease in agricultural jobs and an increase in industrial, trade, transportation, and service sector. However, this transformation was uneven, with considerable variations even within the same industry. Utilizing data from the Historical Population Database of Transylvania (HPDT), this study explores the occupational and social structures of two salt mining settlements, Ocna Mureş and Ocna Dej, from 1850 to 1910. Historical analysis reveals that, despite their common mining background, these towns took different routes in modernization and development. Ocna Mureş, influenced significantly by financial investments and government policies, gradually became an industrial centre. Conversely, Ocna Dej remained relatively stagnant, preserving its combined industrial-agricultural nature. Additionally, post-1881, Ocna Mureş experienced a marked professionalisation in its social structure, largely due to Hungarian state subsidies, advancements in equipment, and foreign capital infusion. The study also found that in both towns, a substantial number of professionals and officials were Roman-Catholic and Calvinist, mirroring trends in the eastern regions of the former Austro-Hungarian Monarchy.

Keywords: Transylvania, second half of the 19th century, HPDT, salt mining, investments, social class changes

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