Captain Ilie Birt from Brasov: ideas and ways of action to preserve Romanian identity in 18th century Transylvania

Romanians in Transylvania used the connection to the Austrian Empire during the 18th century to promote their national identity through the Greek-Catholic Church. The Greek-Catholic Romanian intellectuals of the Enlightenment come to mind when it comes to the preservation of the Romanian national identity in Transylvania, but other means were taken into considerations by the Romanians who maintained the GreekOrthodox confessions. In the following article we will analyze the methods employed by the Greek-Orthodox Romanians of Brașov in order to preserve their national identity when confronted by the Saxon authorities of the city.