Hungarian Autonomous Region
The new administrative division of Romania after the communist takeover was modified in 1952, under direct pressure from Moscow, and the Hungarian Autonomous Region (Regiunea Autonomă Maghiară, HAR) was created as one of the 18 Romanian provinces. Although one of the Soviet proposals would have added Cluj to the HAR, it was eventually formed only from the historical Szeklerland, as stipulated in the new constitution adopted on 24 September 1952 (“In the Romanian People’s Republic, administrative-territorial autonomy is ensured to the Hungarian population in the Szekler raions, where they form a compact mass.”). The centre of the 13 500 km2 MAT was Târgu Mures, which at that time still had a Hungarian majority of almost 75%. The HAR comprised nine districts, with a population of 731 000 people, according to the 1956 census, of which 77% declared themselves to be of Hungarian nationality (the rest were mainly divided between the Romanian, German and Jewish ethnic categories). The composition of the HAR leadership reflected the ethnic conditions of the region: for example, 76% of the members of the Regional Committee were Hungarians, 22% Romanians and 2% Jews, Lajos Csupor was appointed first secretary and Paul Bugyi was appointed chairman of the People’s Council