Székely Border Guard Memorial Centre

The Székely people held a unique position in the society of the Kingdom of Hungary: since the Middle Ages, they lived as a community enjoying collective noble rights and bound by military service on the eastern frontier of Transylvania. Their duty was to guard the border system and protect the eastern gates of the country – not as a professional army, but as a free community with their own leaders and internal legal system.

From the 18th century, especially under Maria Theresa and Joseph II, the Székely border guard officially became part of the Habsburg Monarchy's border defence system. This was when the Székely border guard regiments were established, such as the Székely Border Guard Infantry Regiment (1762). Although many protested against state intervention – the famous Siculicidium (1764) being a consequence of this – the role of the border guard ultimately shaped the organisation, education, religious, and economic life of Székely villages for a long time.

The Székely border guards participated in the Napoleonic Wars (e.g., the Battle of La Rothière), the Revolution of 1848–49, and even in the First and Second World Wars. Their history is therefore not only of local significance but is also an integral part of European military history.

The history of the Székely border guard connects collective identity with responsibility. The exhibition is not about warfare but about community order, self-organisation, and conscious national existence. This form of remembrance is not only focused on the past but also expresses a commitment to the future – something particularly important in today's rapidly changing global world, where regional roots and role models need to be reaffirmed.

The centre also serves an educational purpose: museum education sessions are held for school groups, and community events are also organised.