Saturday, April 11, 2026

1950 CENSUS FINDER - MORSE AND WEINTRAUB : HUNGARIAN-AMERICAN GENEALOGY

STEVE MORSE ORG 1950 CENSUS UNIFIED FINDER 

Of course, this census finder may help anyone of any ethnic or racial identity searching for ancestors who might appear on the United States 1950 Federal census, but those of you who come to MAGYAR-AMERICAN for genealogy, may find this especially helpful.

The 1950 census as it appears on the National Archives site is simply not easy to navigate and yes, in some places the handwriting isn't great so the spellings are not correct. The NARA site used artificial intelligence to interpret the handwritten! Trying to figure our just how a surname is misspelled can be a waste of time and make you feel crazy! 

(I will include this link on my sidebar that is simply full of wonderful links!)


HERE IS THE LINK TO THE NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF THE UNITED STATES 1950 CENSUS START PAGE : https://1950census.archives.gov/




FUN WITH HUNGARICANA #7 : THE LIBRI REGII in HUNGARICANA : WHAT'S INSIDE?

This post continues on the exploration of the Hungariacana databases.
Please note that there are extensive collections that are not uploaded onto databases. ***


NATIONAL ARCHIVES OF HUNGARY - HUNGARICANA - DATABASES - LIBRII REGII



Let's start with what "Librii Regii" means. This are Latin for "Royal Books" just as Királyi Könyvek, is Hungarian for "Royal Books" as well. But they are casually referred to as King's Books.

The collection contains 67 volumes of official records from the Hungarian Chancellery, documenting important state documents issued by the Kings of Hungary and Austria-Hungary between years 1527 and 1867. (So that includes Queen Maria Theresa's time on the throne.) Patents of nobility are just part of this collection. There are also wills, the ownership and transfer of ownership of land (a principal aspect of wealth), as well as many other aspects of royal decrees (laws, policies, and rules). *** However, you may need to ask an archivist at the National Archives of Hungary for some help, unless you can make your way through the Latin handwriting.


When you go to the link you will see a number of images (start pages) and the numbers below them indicate the DATES that are covered.

There are some images that are PRESS PRINTED IN LATIN.
There are some images that are handwritten in LATIN.
And there are some of these in HUNGARIAN.


BECAUSE SOME IMPORTANCE WAS GIVEN TO THESE DOCUMENTS, many were made with an attention to readability and neatness - beauty.


I'm going to link to a book of heraldry - family crests - coat of arms.  These are for the TITLED NOBILITY OF AN ERA and this book has over ONE THOUSAND PAGES. THIS BOOK IS FOR THE YEARS 1901- 1909.


HUNGARICANA ARCHIVES : BOOK IMAGE 71.1 KIRALYI KONYVEK  This is the cover image but you can SEE the artistic representations of each coat of arms.  The very first one has a crow holding an envelope in its mouth.  

YOU WILL ALSO SEE THAT THREE GREEN HILLS ARE PRESENT IN MANY OF THESE COAT OF ARMS...

This motif is so common in Hungarian arms, and I've not found a definitive reason why.  I venture that these indicate the Carpathian mountains and the story of how the tribal people who were seeking a homeland followed a White Stag through. Without reading the information given, I cannot say that this also indicates that the original members of the family were part of that adventure.

You will also see arms with swords. These indicate that the person battled or persevered over the Ottoman Turks who were in control of Hungarian lands for centuries - depending on locations - 

LINK TO MAJOR ARPAD HUNGARICANA - ROYAL BOOK - MAJOR ARPAD image 0082

This particular book may be of interest also because there are a good number of GERMAN SURNAMES included, including some who are listed as Medicinae Doctor (M.D.): Literally "Teacher of Medicine".  However, just as we call PhD educated people "Doctor", the use of this term may be honorary.

Interested in learning more about these databases.  See my past posts.  They will all come up if you click on the label  Pro Tip Hungaricana Fun

Monday, April 6, 2026

DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR HUNGARIAN SURNAME MEANS? DO YOU PRONOUNCE IT CORRECTLY?

Many people - including me - go for years not knowing what their Hungarian surname translates to.  Sometimes changes in spelling by ancestors makes it a little different. There are versions that are "Germanic" if not German, Slovak, etc.

It is also not uncommon for Americans with Hungarian surnames to go through life with the surname pronounced in some other-that-Hungarian-way.

I would like to hear from you on this subject!







Friday, March 27, 2026

CROWS MAY BE SMARTER THAN A SEVEN YEAR OLD HUMAN


Excerpt from YouTube station reYOUniverse...

How crows revealed Archimedes' principle. Why crows have been painstakingly taking revenge on a resident of India for many years. What do crows prefer - cash or bank cards? And how come that with a brain the size of a hazelnut crows are smarter than many monkeys? 

***
I like to post pictures of crows and crow information from time to time, not only because I've been fascinated watching these birds, but because they are associated with the Magyars on certain family crests...

***
Varjú (pronounced: vahr-yoo) is Hungarian for the English word crow.


Tuesday, March 10, 2026

COAT OF ARMS : THE SWORD : THE TURKS


Many heraldic coat of arms for ancient Hungarian families include a hand with a sword such as in this more fanciful artwork. The icon indicates the family may have risen to noble status through defeating the Turks.

Saturday, March 7, 2026

THE ENEMY AT THE GATE by ANDREW WHEATCROFT on THE SIEGE OF VIENNA IN 1683

HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

I have a confession to make.  I didn't read this book cover to cover as I usually do before posting. But I can say that all the positive reviews are right. It really is riveting!  I just had one interruption after another as I tried to read it and I think this book takes some deep concentration to grasp the details of battles and all the various historical characters.  But, just because this isn't the best time for me to read it, doesn't mean you can't.  I think it's one for the shelf of anyone interested in the history of Hungary and thereabouts.

Author Wheatcroft assures us that both sides claimed victories and both war-craft and heroism are emphasized.  It is rich with descriptions of the Ottoman's tent-cities, the taking of slaves - those from Royal Hungary were especially prized. This battle was a pivotal one because, after it, the Ottoman Turks were not able to further expand their empire into Europe.  It was the first time that the Holy Roman Empire (Holy Roman Emperor Leopold I) and the Polish Lithuanian Commonweath, under the command of King John III Sobieski together went against the Ottoman Turks (Grand Vizier Merzifonlu Kara Mustafa Pasha)and their empire.  To this day, when someone tells me that they consider the Poles and the Hungarians to be 'friends' I know that idea comes from their collaboration in war.

***
As you may have seen, some of the earliest heraldic crests that identify noble families have images of success against the Turks. The armies that went against the Turks were quite outnumbered. There was tremendous sacrifice of life.  It was a war for dominance, but not just for land, but also for religion. 

I am so weary of violence, destruction, war, on this planet. Maybe it's simply a fact of life on earth and will never end. Like plagues have, the loss of men who went to war dramatically allowed the marriage or remarriage between classes of people and inheritance.

C 2026 Magyar American BlogSpot  Book Recommendation  
All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights






 

Saturday, February 14, 2026

VALENTINES


Yes, I made this crafty little heart... 

C 2025 Magyar American

 

Wednesday, February 4, 2026

BENCH (What does it say?)

 


THE LOVE OF OUR MOTHER AND FATHER IS IN US?
THE LOVE OF OUR MOTHER OF GOD IS IN US?

HUNGARIAN SPEAKERS!  LEAVE A COMMENT!