“In our own way”: tradition and transmission among later-generation Transylvanian Saxons in Canada

This thesis examines the motivations and directions of Transylvanian Saxon folklore transmission among later-generation immigrant members of the Transylvanian Saxon community in Aylmer, Ontario. Interviews, participant observation, and attendance at cultural performances and events inform this ethnographic study that applies performance theory to explore the concepts of nostalgia, authenticity, and tradition and their roles within a small diasporic organization. Additionally, the author investigates her own position as a third-generation Transylvanian Saxon and leader within the community. The thesis begins with background information leading to the author’s participation and research in the community, followed by introductions to the study’s participants. Transylvanian Saxon heritage and migration narratives are applied as a framework for presenting the group’s history and participants’ expression of nostalgia for an unknown Heimat or homeland. Next, a case study of a homecoming event in Germany illustrates the varying degrees of engagement with costume authenticity between different Saxon groups. Then, recorded folklore is presented as a key component to transmission in small immigrant communities where cultural practices are passed down, passed on, and passed back between members. Finally, contemporary material culture is presented in a case study demonstrating how nostalgia, authenticity and tradition are being creatively interpreted among later-generation Saxons and non-Saxons.