The Golden Bull of 1224, also known as the Diploma Andreanum, or Der Goldener Freibrief der Siebenbürger Sachsen, was issued by King Andrew II of Hungary, granting provisional autonomy to colonial Germans residing in the region of Transylvania of the Kingdom of Hungary, more specifically the area of Hermannstadt. Their mercantile prowess made them valuable to the economic vitality of the region, and they would remain in the region until their expulsion by the soviets in 1946.