Most folk rarely even leave their town of birth – and sensibly so, given how dangerous travel can be. But sometimes, some people may be invited to a place so distant and foreign that curiosity gets the better of them.
Such was the case with German settlers in Transylvania. They came to these lands invited by King Geza II of Hungary. They were tasked with defending the kingdom's borders against foreign invaders, and those who settled near the northern border became miners.
Of course, all of them had to pay proper taxes, but apart from that, they could do as they pleased. They were allowed to speak their own language, build their own houses of worship, and so on and so forth.
They also brought with them (among other things) the tradition of building fortified churches, which proved very useful over the years. Their mark on the region is easily visible – for example, in the names of Svartrau's districts.