In the year 1885 the
political community and the Hungarian reformed church community celebrated the
100 year jubilee of their establishment. At this opportunity wrote at the
time teacher Bakai that during the rule "of the gloriously remembered" Josef II,
the settlement of the Hungarians in our Comitate was especially busy.
From the communities
of Kunhegyes and Tissa-Bura the destitute Hungarians of the Puszta-Feketity
settled here. Part of the Pradien, Kisch-Dobra, and Parastinac would be
granted to the Hotter. Later the Pusta Velity came with it. (Pradien,
like the Pusta, were meadowlands with grass that would not be farmed.)
The petition for
the purpose of the movement of the Hungarians from Kunhegyes can be
found in the National Archives in Budapest under number 3592/85.
They asked for the favors which the other colonists also received.
They wanted this to last. "The Kun-Hegyescher passengers of the
caal (Kameral-aerarisch) to the Pradium Feketity (Feketity Plains) moved
with the payment of 18 Rhine Guilders for the building of a house, the
necessary tools, the contributions, and fees for three years and what
could be used towards their meals for three years, stretched out as a
lasting substitute. 1785 on the 16th of March." signed by
Comite Brunsvik, Revay, Kempelen, Bacsak, Havor, and Settner.
Under number
4062/85 the settlement of 250 families from Kun-Hegyes would be allowed
on the Pradium Feketity in the (Batschker caal Bezirk). The
colonists were assured under number 3592/85 praying and promised favors
were kept. Under number 13,071/85 there were 198 families
registered from Tissa-Bura, Tissaders, Tissakalok, and Tissaabad.
They asked in
addition that if they were to move to the Pusta-Kula could they be
granted the favor to be completely tax-free for the next five to six
years. From the written report this was usual and should be done.
"Emperor Josef personally wrote on the petition, " I am pleased to take
the time to announce the success of the bureau. Josef e.h."
It is well known
also that the Feketitsch colonists came from the last named village,
that is probably why it was not full of Kun-Hegyesher families.
It was therefore
a planned settlement of 250 families, exactly as many as the German
villages. Each family received 18 Rhine Guilders, three to six
years burden free (they demanded no more!), as an interest-free loan,
enough grain for bread and seeds, and a house and barnyard with the
usual dimensions of farmland. The Hungarian reformed church
community demonstrated and all of the inhabitants were in a state of
unrest for a year because they believed that they should have been
settled in the favorable Pusta: Fekete-to (Pester Comitat, near
Kecskemet). Bakai wrote that this name could be found in the
settlement document but would be crossed out. It was probably from
Feketity Fekete-Hegy from which the settlers had something called 'Fekete'
at the time. Many settlers were not satisfied with that, feeling
betrayed they migrated back. As it came the transcript provided
the church community with information. In the first year after the
settlement a commissar came, examining the application of the farmlands
and it was apparent that many hardly
knew where there fields lay. The commissar moaned about this and
called them vagabonds. This made the noblemen indignant, offending
their honor. At noon they penetrated into the room of the
community cashbox and took the cashbox with them. They never came
again.
It
is noteworthy to establish that Kun-Hegyes was not the only place not to
succeed in recruiting enough families as was planned. It would
take another five, though smaller communities to achieve the needed
number of 250 families. For the reasons indicated the Hungarians
generally would not come here. Finally it seemed probable that for
the above reasons the gaps which originated with the Hungarians would be
filled, with the pull of the nobility, with Slovakians.
These
evangelical Slovakians merged with the Hungarians and until 1820 they
also went to the reformed church. The many non-Hungarian sounding
family names are from these evangelical Slovakians who stayed behind.
Their number can be estimated to be several hundred today. The virtue
of their Slovakian blood is certainly well received by the Hungarians.
The large and
beautiful Hungarian reformed church was built from 1800 to 1802 with a
belltower on it, which was similar to the one that can be seen on the
German reformed church today.
"Until 1820 the
political community and the church community were one in administration
and finances." Then came the Germans in ever greater numbers.
Bakai also said, "The diligence of the Germans did not exist without the
influence of the Hungarians." They slowly began to rival the
Swabians. Today, though, the surrounding area belongs to the
progressive Hungarians.
In 1868 the
church was renovated and a 38 meter higher tower was built. The
tower clock was purchased by the political community and again the
Swabians did the work.
In the year 1935
there were 3104 souls in the Hungarian reformed church community. In the
year 1925 it was still 3823.
1.) 1935 Protestant calendar.
Note:
Original includes a name registry.
[Published at
DVHH.org 2003 by Jody McKim Pharr]
