Beyond Nationalism and State Authorities: Voices of the Moți Colonists from the Carei Area

Abstract

Following the creation of Greater Romania and the Hungarian–Romanian War in 1919, the Romanian state decided to colonize the new Hungarian–Romanian border with ethnic Romanians. Among other ethnic Romanians from the Apuseni Mountains and Maramureș, the authorities considered the Moți the most suitable settlers. This article examines this process by focusing on the Moți colonies in the Carei region, situated in northwestern Romania. In contrast to most research on the topic, which has relied exclusively on written sources from archives and newspapers, examining colonization from the perspective of state authorities, this article explores the topic from the perspective of the settlers themselves. Drawing on oral histories with the Moţi, it examines the challenges they faced in adapting to their new environment, their relationships with other ethnic groups, and their negotiations with state authorities. By analyzing oral sources alongside official and elite sources, it provides a more nuanced portrait of colonization that showcases the voices of ordinary people.