Historical records reveal the bitter truth about 17th-century Transylvania's climate
For roughly five centuries from about 1300, Europe experienced periods of unusually cold weather and extreme conditions collectively known as the Little Ice Age. Transylvania, a historical region in modern-day Romania, was also affected, but information about just how severe things were had been scattered in old town records, church logs, travelogs and administrative and monastic diaries.
A study published in PLOS Climate reveals that 17th-century Transylvania experienced 55 exceptionally harsh winters, with 36 of those occurrences happening between 1645 and 1700. Researchers from the University of Oradea, Romania, combed through hundreds of centuries-old documents, including town records, church logs, travelogues, and administrative and monastic diaries, to compile this historical climate reconstruction.
The records indicate that unusually wet conditions were reported more frequently than droughts during this period, although both forms of extreme weather were observed. However, climate extremes were not the only factors exacerbating the hardships faced by Transylvanian communities. The study also highlights how these climatic conditions compounded existing pressures, such as wars and political instability, leading to crop failures, soaring food prices, widespread hunger, and increased susceptibility to diseases like the plague.
According to the researchers, potential contributors to the regional cooling during the Little Ice Age, a period of unusually cold weather that spanned roughly five centuries, included low solar activity, volcanic eruptions, and shifting wind currents. However, they were unable to determine the extent to which each factor influenced the climate in Transylvania.
Thus, climatic anomalies should be viewed as additional stressors that could exacerbate pre-existing pressures rather than as the sole causes of famine, epidemics, or broader societal disruption.
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