The Transylvanian Saxons are a people of German ethnicity who settle in Transylvania (German: Siebenbürgen) from the twelfth century onwards.The colonization of Transylvania by Germans is begun by King Géza II of Hungary (1141–1162).

For decades, the main task of the German settler is to defend the southeastern border of the Kingdom of Hungary.

The colonization continues until the end of the thirteenth century.

Although the colonists come mostly from the western Holy Roman Empire and generally speak Franconian dialects, they are collectively known as Saxons because of Germans working for the Hungarian chancellery.

For much of their history, these Saxons hold a privileged status with the Hungarian nobles and Szeklers of Transylvania.After 1918, when following the Treaty of Trianon Transylvania becomes part of Romania, Transylvanian Saxons, together with other German-speaking groups in newly enlarged Romania (Banat Swabians, Sathmar Swabians, Bessarabia Germans, Dobrudja Germans, Bukovina Germans) beome part of the German minority in Romania.

The Transylvanian Saxon population has decreased since the Second World War.

Transylvanian Saxons started leaving Transylvania during and after the war, settling first in Austria, then especially in Germany.

The process of emigration continues during Communist rule in Romania, and the great majority of Transylvanian Saxons now live in Germany.

A sizable Transylvanian Saxon population also resides today in the United States, notably in Idaho, Ohio and Colorado and in Southern Ontario, Canada.

Very few still live in Romania, where at the last official census around sixty thousand Germans were registered, the number including also Banat Swabians and Sathmar Swabians.