Andreas Mausolf

Many people may not realise that there is a real place called Transylvania. Others may know that it is located in present-day Romania, in the foothills of the Carpathian mountains. But few outside the region will know that Transylvania has a complex history, was originally part of Hungary and then the Austro-Hungarian Empire, and was settled between the 12th and 19th centuries by waves of immigrants from Germany, making the region known as Siebenbürger Saschsen (literally, "Seven-mountain Saxony").

I first got a hint of this history (as opposed to its fictional past) after reading Patrick Leigh Fermor's account of his walk across Europe, Between the Woods and the Water. So when I saw this book advertised by a Viennese bookshop, I knew I had to add it to my collection. It is an account of a narrow gauge railway through Transylvania, though the use throughout of the German place names (other than in contemporary accounts) rather detaches the reader from the sense of place. (For clarity: Schäßburg = Sighisoara; Agnetheln = Agnita; Hermannstadt = Sibiu. There is a gazetteer provided with place names in German, Hungarian and Romanian.)

Other than the fact of the line's existence, its history is fairly unremarkable; much of the interest arises from the changes in administration, firstly away from a purely local undertaking to a part of the wider Hungarian railway network; then the transfer to Romania after the end of the First World War; and finally the changes wrought by the fall of the Ceausescu regime in 1989. In the 21st century, the region's attraction to tourists has inspired efforts to bring the line back into use as a heritage railway, aided by enthusiasts from across Europe.

The book is well produced and the photography, especially the recent material, is of a good quality. It is marred a little by not having a good map of the whole line until page 34, and nothing that sets the line in its wider geographical context. but that is a minor complaint and there is unlikely to be better or more accessible books on this subject any time soon. If you have any interest at all in this region or its railways, this book should be sought out.… (mais)