Saturday, August 9, 2025

NEW SERIES : HUNGARIAN CEMETERIES : READING DEATH RECORDS, GENEALOGY RESEARCH IN HUNGARY #1

Hello my readers!  

I've decided to post genealogy research tips interspersed with some reportage on cemeteries in Hungary and the history of burials. We'll explore a bit together and it's my hope that by the end of this series, you will know much more about this subject.

This icon of an casket being pulled to the cemetery by horse and special cart will stand for the tag Hungary Death Records - Gen Tips, and when you click on that tag, it will bring up all the posts in the series.

In recent months I've made the most of using church death records to go back one more generation when the paper trail available for birth/baptism and marriages is not enough. I've written about using "house number" studies, before, and that has certainly been part of my personal research too. It was a labor of love to spend very many hours culling the death records for two villages that referred me to yet another, as the land was split among sons and some tenant farmers eventually inherited plots. I put together family groups and looked for the common ancestors among them, hoping there would be a reference or remark on one of the younger children's marriages that would help me identify who was whose father - and thus the father of the oldest child as well.

Of course, it would be interesting to take a trip to those villages and find tombstones that clearly identify some of the people on my charts. If they still stand or ever existed.

Are cemeteries in Hungary much different than American?

If you're an American, your notions about cemeteries may be about the cemetery your family uses, or perhaps the ones in your area, some which may not have markers, or simply small flat stones to identify the graves. Or maybe you know of a military cemetery in which the troops all have the same marker. I know of a cemetery in Santa Cruz where the single people were buried separately from the married, and where a small spot was for the Chinese.

Grave yards in Hungary in modern times have followed a rather predictable path that American grave yards have. People were buried on their own farmstead or where they fell in conflict. People were buried around a church. Or in a graveyard in which members were of a specific religion. As population increased and room around the church ran out, there was a movement into "park" settings, in which monuments could be larger and artistic. The public were encouraged to spend some time and stroll around to enjoy the scenery, even if they personally did not have any family buried there. 

But what is different is the history of The States and that of Hungary, for unlike Hungary, we have not had World War I or World War II, on our land, nor have we been punished for World War II involvement by loosing two thirds of our country's land. Yes, we did have wars, including the Civil War, in which many fell in battle, but you know that was not the same as the Holocaust. 

These days...

I have mixed feelings about tombstone projects. I believe that respecting the privacy of the dead is also about respecting the privacy of the living. Genealogy is about the past, our HERITAGE, and those connected to the dead who are alive should have their privacy respected.

Maybe the information doesn't feel so sensitive until you begin to see what I consider violations, such as people being allowed to put actual death certificates up to match the tombstone which give cause of death and more. I was outraged when I saw that being done at a popular tombstone search site. I'm feeling that cemeteries and burials - the whole funeral business - is becoming outrageous in costs.

So many people today are choosing cremation because the whole funeral business in the United States is financially burdensome and cremation is less expensive. There is also that some cemeteries actually consider the burial space you "bought" to be a rental and, when no family member can be located or afford to re-rent, have been known to "move" (loose) bodies.

A few years ago I had the death certificate of a woman who died in 1920 in the U.S. in hand and called the cemetery identified on it. The person I spoke with denied she was buried there and even suggested that the family might have "tried to do the right thing" by showing up with shovels in the night and putting her into the earth themselves. !!!  Then there was talk about how the place had been flooded and an old employee would have to be asked since maybe he would know where the grave was. When I said I had the death certificate and was calling to know where the grave was because some relatives from Texas wanted to pay respects, there was silence. I was requested to send the death certificate...  And the same man tried to suggest that when the grave was found, a new marker be put on it, which would cost $20,000... I could not believe what I was hearing.

So my genealogy quest hit into a sales spiel. I sent the death certificate (which mentioned the name of the undertaker, a business that was still in business into the 1970's) as well as the cemetery) and never heard back...

Oh how I felt for that woman who had been buried there, who had died at 26 of cancer, after having given birth to two children and who was likely quite sick when she gave birth to the second one. I wondered when last anyone had visited the grave. But perhaps visiting graves is not something people do much, not even on Memorial Day. Perhaps even those graves with expensive tombstones or markers go unvisited.  Do cemetery employees notice which graves have been "attended" by family?  I think they do.

To me, $20,000 on a tombstone is ridiculous. That's better spent on someone's college education.  And so I do not anticipate burial or a tombstone for myself.

But back to genealogy. I also have a sort of reverence for the people who came before me and who I would not know about if it were not for the research. I always research around the person, so I can better understand the kind of life they must have lead, and with that, the kind of life span and death. The priests in the villages were very busy people. I showed copies of a death register from the early 1800's to a friend who is an anti-vaxer and said "This is a testimonial to the need for childhood vaccines."

C 2025  Magyar-American BlogSpot  All Rights Reserved including Internet and International Rights.   This genealogy series can be brought up using the tag Hungary Death Records - Gen Tips

Tuesday, July 22, 2025

BE A TOURIST IN YOUR OWN TOWN

In this blog, I suggest many places in the country of Hungary that are quite wonderful to visit.  I realize though that many of you have no money left after you pay your rent or mortgage especially, for travel outside the country.  

May I encourage you to consider your own town or area as the perfect vacation spot by playing the tourist there?  Or simply staying closer to home by taking a few long weekends?

I do think we need new sights and sounds and experiences to keep us bright and lively. Have you explored the history and culture of your area? Gone to every museum? Historical sight? 

I live in an area right now where the Parks and Recreation people are behind a great number of movies in the park and other activities aimed to keep children entertained. There are also cultural festivals ongoing though I'll admit lately I don't want to be out in the heat. Still, there are many places that I went once long ago that have probably changed in all that time, that could reengage my interest.

When is the last time you went to a public swimming pool?

Took a long walk in nature?  An arboretum?

Had a cookout or picnic?  Tried a new recipe?

Toured a historical site?

Seen some of your relatives?

Gone fishing?

May I suggest one day out and the next day in so that you can rest between adventures?


C 2025 Magyar American - BlogSpot  


Saturday, July 5, 2025

WONDERFUL HUNGARY SERIES

In PAGES I have a list of the many places in Hungary that are interesting to visit. I'm going to print the list here too, and suggest that if you want to read more about any of these places, you can bring the post up using the search feature or the tags.  On a Google Blogger, clicking on the tag below brings up all posts with that tag.

THIS IS A LIST OF PLACES COVERED IN THE SERIES


Click on the label Wonderful-Hungary to get to the entire series on this theme.


2020

#1 CSESZNEKI VAR CASTLE :  WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY  
posted 21 July 2020

 #2 THE CAVE BATH OF MISKOLCTAPOLCA: WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY
posted 24 July 2020

 #3  BOKOD FLOATING HOUSES : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY
posted 29 July 2020

 #4 ENERGY LINES and HEALING STONES IN HUNGARY : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 10 August 2020

2021

 #5 CELEBRATE FARSANG in MOHACS : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY
posted 5 January 2021

#6 SZAMOS CHOCOLATE MUSEUM in BUDAPEST : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 10 Feb 2021

 #7 THE WORLD TREE IN GODOLLO HUNGARY : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY
posted 10 April 2021

 #8 THE VALLEY OF THE BEAUTIFUL WOMAN in EGER REGION  : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 14 June 2021

 #9 HEVIZ : SWIM IN WORLDS SECOND? LARGEST MAGICAL THERMAL LAKE : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 17 July 2021

 #10 A SCULPTURE MUSEUM THAT REQUIRES YOU TO LOOK THROUGH A MICROSCOPE : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 22 September 2021

2022

 #11 AN ODORLESS SALT LAKE INLAND : LAKE SZELID : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 14 May 2022

 #12 THE BEST ZOO IN EUROPE : NYIREGYHAZA ZOO : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY (PIGMY HIPPOS BREEDING!) posted 11 July 2022

 #13 PANNONHALMA ARCH-ABBY : OVER 1000 YEARS OLD - SAINT MARTIN   :  WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 9 August 2022

#14 FOLK LIFE PRESERVED at  SKANZEN OPEN AIR MUSEUM - SZENTENDRE : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 7 September 2022

WORLD PEACE GONG in GODOLLA HUNGARY : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY #15 posted 29 December 2022

2023

 #16 CAVERNS OF AGGTELEK NATIONAL PARK : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY
posted 23 February 2023

 #17 PECS CHRISTIAN CRYPTS IN ONE OF HUNGARY'S MOST BEAUTIFUL CITIES :  WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted  2 April 2023

 #18 BUKKABRANY VILLAGE MUMMIFIED FOREST : BUKK NATIONAL PARK :  WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY  posted 24 June 2023

 #19 THE ISEUM : A TEMPLE TO GODDESS ISIS  - ARCHAEOLOGY  - THE ROMANS IN HUNGARY : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY  posted 22 July 2023

 #20 HEREND MANUFACTORY : SEE THE MUSEUM - TAKE A TOUR OR A CLASS!  HEREND HUNGARY : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 4 November  2023

 #21 HUNGARIAN NATIONAL MUSEUM : LET'S LOOK AT CURRENT EXHIBITS : A COUNTRY FOR WOMEN VIRTUAL TOUR : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 5 December 2023

2024

 #22 LAKE FERTO / NEUSIDEL - A BIOSPHERE RESERVE : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 27 April 2024

#23 CASTLE FUZER BUILT DURING THE OTTOMAN WARS  : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 15 May 2024

#24 SAINT ELIZABETH'S CATHEDRAL IN KASSA/ KOSICE  : MEDIEVAL EUROPE : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 15 June 2024

#25 SZEGED : THE THIRD LARGEST CITY AND ART- NOUVEAU ARCHITECTURE and PUPPETRY MAKES IT UNIQUE : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 25 July 2024

#26 CAVE DIVING UNDER BUDAPEST : MOLNAR JANOS CAVE SYSTEM : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 19 October 2024

2025

#27 ROWBOAT THROUGH TAPOLCA CAVERN LAKE : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY posted 18 January 2025 

#28 KIRALY KASTELY : ROYAL PALACE OF GODOLLO (GRASSZALKOVICH.)
posted 17 May 2025


IF YOU HAVE ANY SUGGESTIONS, PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!

Saturday, June 21, 2025

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!

Wednesday, June 4, 2025

BIG NOSE KATE and DOC HOLLIDAY and the AMERICAN WILD WILD WEST : MARY KATHERINE HORONY CUMMIINGS WAS DOC HOLLIDAY'S LONG TIME COMPANION

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Big_Nose_Kate


Mary Katherine Horony Cummings

Most people don't think of Hungarians as integral to American History or having much to do with it until the Industrial Age but there were some ... I don't know how I came across this Wikipedia site, but I found it all very interesting. She was the only woman Doc Holliday had a relationship with... and it's all tied into Wyatt Earp as well as the Gunfight at OK Corral! 

Friday, May 30, 2025

PALACE IN GODOLLO HUNGARY



A painting from 1869 representing the palace from Godollo, Hungary. Photo by Sandor Brodsky.


 

Tuesday, May 20, 2025

MARISKA HARGITAY REVEALS SHE IS NOT MICKEY HARGITAYS BIOLOGICAL DAUGHTER AND....

SHE WILL REMAIN HERE AT MAGYAR-AMERICAN AS OF HUNGARIAN-AMERICAN ANCESTRY.  She is more than an honorary member of our tribe!

Saturday, May 17, 2025

GODOLLO CASTLE ( GRASSZALKOVICH CASTLE) : LARGEST BAROQUE CASTLE IN HUNGARY : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY #29

 

KIRALY KASTELY HU : ROYAL PALACE OF GODOLLO (GRASSZALKOVICH CASTLE)

This is one of many day trips from Budapest

As a note the term "Castle" in Hungary does not mean a fortressed residence.  In general it means a large estate or house.

At each link you will get a short start paragraph and in English an "I'll read it" button that takes you to the longer article.  This is the largest Baroque castle in Hungary and it figures into the story of King Franz Jozef and his wife Queen Elizabeth.

Excerpt:  On MAY 11, 1867, Erzsebet saw the Godollo castle for the first time as a coronation gift. The oath he took at the coronation ceremony in 1867 obliged Ferenc Jozsef I to stay in Hungary regularly.  According to this, the Hungarian government wanted to please the Royal couple by building rural residences suitable for relaxation net to the Buda castle, which is considered the political center.  of these, only Godollo was realized..... The baroque castle with the largest floor area in Hungary was built in the 18th century.  It was built in the middle of the 20th century by one of the country's most prestigious lords, Antal I. Gassalkovich (1694-1771)...

Go to the link to keep reading.


Excerpt: The Via Habsburg, a Cultural Route certified by the Council of Europe, now has a Hungarian location.  As the initiation ceremony of the Royal Palace of Gödöllő, one of the most beautiful baroque buildings of Hungary, took place on 13 October 2023. ...  here might not be other palace or historical building in Hungary that the public associates with the Habsburgs as much as the Royal Palace of Gödöllő, and there are several reasons for this:

A Hungarian nobleman Antal Grassalkovich, an important ally of Maria Theresa, had the grand palace built in the mid-18th century.  Their relationship was not only a political relationship but also a mutual deep sympathy that later turned into a friendship. Therefore, the Queen of Hungary paid a visit to the palace in 1751, which was her easternmost visit. ...


Click on the label Wonderful-Hungary to bring up all posts on this theme.

Thursday, May 15, 2025

Saturday, May 10, 2025

XPAT LOOP : TAKE A LOOK EVEN IF YOU DON'T PLAN TO LIVE IN HUNGARY!

XPATLOOP.COM 

This is a VERY commercial site, but I decided to post a link to it anyway, knowing that I do not necessarily recommend the businesses advertising on it, because there is some good free information of interest to those who may be tourists now but considering residency in Hungary, in particular Budapest.

Christmas markets, charity events, rental cars, INTERVIEWS.....  

Saturday, May 3, 2025

INTERNET ARCHIVE and the IVAN NAGY CLASSICS ON HUNGARIAN NOBILITY - GENEALOGY

 This post is in addition to the Hungartian Genealogy Posts which are tagged Gen Tips  - Hungarian Nobility in the Family.

Internet Archive is an non-profit organization founded in 1886 by Brewster Kahle.  Thousands of books have been digitalized and are free to access and that includes books of interest to genealogists and historians.

Of great interest to us are the IVAN NAGY authored books on the Hungarian Nobility, which are classic references. Over the years I've found some of these books at various libraries, but Internet Archive now has the best collection.

The books provide information by SURNAME and sometimes include family lineage charts, and mention locations.

Thursday, May 1, 2025

MAY FANTASY


 Where do the apple blossoms bloom in January?

Wednesday, April 16, 2025

APRIL 16TH IS THE DAY THAT HOLOCAUST REMEMBRANCE TAKES PLACE IN HUNGARY

ABOUT HUNGARY BLOG : ARTICLE ON HUNGARY HOLOCAUST DAY 

Excerpt:  The day falls of April 16th because on that day in 1944 the Hungarian Holocaust began with the process of sending Hungarian Jews to ghettos.  The Day of Remembrance was established in 2001 by the First Orban Government - along with the Hungarian Holocaust Museum - and has been observed every year since.

The 1941 census showed a Hungarian Jewish population of 725,000.  Two-thirds of them died as a result of forced labor, deportations, and genocide.  The Jewish communities in the countryside were completely destroyed; only about 100,000 of those living in Budapest survived.  Historians estimate that between 5,000 and 70,000 Hungarian Roma also lost their lives in concentration camps as victims of the Holocaust.

 

Saturday, April 12, 2025

SHOES RIVER MOMUMENT : INTERNATIONAL HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL DAY IS JANUARY 27th EACH YEAR BUT HUNGARY HAS IT'S OWN DAY : WONDERFUL PLACES IN HUNGARY #30

YAD VASHEM : SHOES ON THE DANUBE PROMINADE BUDAPEST HOLOCAUST MEMORIAL

Excerpt: If you look more closely, you see that the shoes are rusted, made or iron and set into the concrete of the embankment.  They are a memorial and a monument to the Hungarian Jews who, in the winter of 1944-1945, were shot on the banks of the Danube River by members of the Arrow Cross Party. Known as "The Shoes on the Danube Promenade:, the memorial was conceptualized by film director Can Togay, and was created by Today, together with the sculptor Gyula Pauer. It was installed on the Pest bank of the Danube River in Budapest in 2005. At three separate places on the memorial, cast iron signs read in Hungarian, English, and Hebrew: "To the memory of victims shot into the Danube by Arrow Cross militiamen in 1944-1945."


image from Pixabay__ red__koral__ph

Although the Holocaust and Wars are not "wonderful"  this is part of a series about places to go and see in Hungary, many which have historical significance.  To bring up other posts in this series, click on the tag Wonderful-Hungary.





Thursday, March 27, 2025

HUNGARIAN SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS - BOSTON HUNGARIAN CLUB


BOSTON HUNGARIAN CLUB   HUNGARIAN SOCIETY OF MASSACHUSETTS

The Hungarian Society of Massachusetts, Inc., is a community of individuals of Hungarian descent, and those with an interest in Hungarian culture who, without regard to political or religious affiliation, and in accordance with their talents, opportunities and interests, support the Society and take part in its activities.

Our Mission and Goals

    Foster and impart our Hungarian language, culture, identity and traditions to our descendants and to interested individuals through programs, meetings and gatherings;
    Propagate Hungarian culture in as many American circles as possible, thereby developing and maintaining strong ties between Americans and Hungarians
    Support one another as we build and sustain our lives in America
    Cultivate and nurture ties with Hungary and Hungarian émigrés around the world
    Provide moral, spiritual and occasional financial support for Hungarian causes.

Saturday, March 15, 2025

FUN LEARNING WITH HUNGARICANA #6 : LIBRARY COLLECTIONS : GOING FAR BACK INTO THE FOUNDING OF HUNGARY AS A NATION : BIBLE FROM 1533


The collections in the Hungaricana library links are also useful for historical and family history and genealogy research. Remember though that these are mostly BOOKS that have been preserved.  

LIBRARY HUNGARY - ARPAD ERA

Árpádkori okmánytár = Archives of the Árpád period



Museum publications
Archival publications
Archival documents 
Medieval documents 
Library documents
Local newspapers and history 
School yearbooks 
Old Hungarian Library 
Special collections 
Lutheran collection 
Catholic collection 
Calvinist collection 
Unitarian collections 
Jewish collection 
Diaspora collections

NOT SURPRISING IS THAT THERE IS A BIBLE COLLECTION.  

In the Roman Catholic collection, let's look at this link LIBRARY HUNGARICANA RMK 1.# BIBLIA UJSZOVETSEG
TITLE  

Hungarian Genealogy and History Tips in this series can be viewed together by clicking on the tab Hungaricana Fun

C 2025 Magyar-American BlogSpot All Rights including International Rights and Internet Rights are claimed.



Saturday, March 8, 2025

FUN LEARNING WITH HUNGARICANA #5 : DYNAMIC BUDAPEST TIME MACHINE : LAND REGISTRIES, CITY DIRECTORIES, and SO MUCH MORE FOR HISTORY AND FAMILY GENEALOGY RESEARCH!

This aspect of Hungaricana is truly dynamic. There is just so much to explore.  You can use maps to see how the city transformed, find out who died in the 1956 Hungarian revolution, look at land ownership registers

HUNGARICANA BUDAPEST TIME MACHINE START PAGE

 "The Time Machine is ideal for deep research as well as relaxation."

You will have to play a bit with this aspect of the Hungaricana databases. but for the purposes of this blog, we will look at what is available about a particular lot:

HUNGARICANIA : LOT 24008 1056 BUDAPESTHelyrajziSzam/24008/.

You see there is information as far back as year 1688 about this property. There is a topography map and a map of present day Budapest, showing the eateries and that this property on Iranyi Street is about a three block walk to the Danube.



I encourage you to click on a whole lot of links and find your way around the TIME MACHINE...

If you are not Hungarian speaking, you will probably need the Translator to understand what the links hold.

Hungarian Genealogy and History Tips in this series can be viewed together by clicking on the tab Hungaricana Fun

C 2025 Magyar-American BlogSpot All Rights including International Rights and Internet Rights are claimed.

Thursday, March 6, 2025

FUN LEARNING WITH HUNGARICANA #4 : FOLK MUSIC TO LISTEN TO BY REGION : PECS - TOLNA SAMPLING

The Folk Music Collection of the HAS-RCH Institute for Musicology is behind this aspect of Hungaricana databases. There are more than 90 musical dialects on a map...

TITLE Kiskertembe szedik a virágot, én is szakítok róla

TRANSLATION 
They pick the flowers in my little garden, and I get rid of them too


THERE ARE SO MANY RECORDINGS TO SAMPLE! So many singers!
The collection includes images of the covers of albums, copies of phonograph and gramophone records from the Museum of Ethnography made between 1896 through the 1950's, and the Zoltan Kodaly manuscript melody collection compiled between 1905 and 1958.  (Sheet music.)

Hungarian Genealogy and History Tips in this series can be viewed together by clicking on the tab Pro Tip Hungaricana Fun

C 2025 Magyar-American BlogSpot All Rights including International Rights and Internet Rights are claimed.


Monday, March 3, 2025

FUN LEARNING WITH HUNGARICANA #3 : PICTURE and POSTCARD GALLERY - CASTLE FUZER

GALLERY HUNGARICANA  That's the start page!  Run the name of a place, a person, or a thing...

Over 40 pictures or postcards come up when doing this search using the term Fuzer. They come from the following sources: Fortepan,  National Szechenyi Library, Institute for Musicology (RCA), and The Zemplen Museum.

Using Fuzer up came these images: GALLERY HUNGARICANA HUNGARY : Search word FUZER

Click on the image and you will be taken to more information about it, including where it is located or which person or institution contributed it to Hungaricana.

GALLERY HUNGARICANA GROF KAROLYI LASZLO 


Gróf Károlyi László birtokán fekvő fuzeri (Abaúj m.) várromok

TRANSLATION : Füzéri (Abaúj m.) castle ruins on the property of László Count Károlyi

It also says that this was published through a book store in Satorujuhely and was taken by an amateur photographer.

Hungarian Genealogy and History Tips in this series can be viewed together by clicking on the tab Pro Tip Hungaricana Fun


C 2025 Magyar-American BlogSpot All Rights including International Rights and Internet Rights are claimed.

Friday, February 28, 2025

FUN LEARNING WITH HUNGARICANA : URBARIUM #2 : CENSUS/ INVENTORY OF LIKAVA SAINT SOPHIA CASTLE IN LIPTO COUNTY - AN INVENTORY CIRCA 1674

URBARIUM means census but it also means count or inventory.  Therefore, in this category you won't just find a count of people, but also possessions.

For this example, we will be linking to the following link which is found in the Hungaricana - Archives - Urbarium category: 

Archives Hungaricana Urbarium Lipto Search Castle  

The year on this archival document is 1674.

IN LATIN and then HUNGARIAN IT SAYS: 

Inventarium

A likavai vár és birtokbeli tartozékai inventariuma, melyet Schultz György, Turanszky Gábor, Haassaeus Fülöp és Rady László kamarai megbízottak vettek fel a fenti napi, rózsahegyi kelettel.

(NB! A leltár érdekessége az, hogy – eltérően a kor és a kamara szokásától – először a leltározott tárgyat nevezi meg, s utána sorolja fel, hogy ebből az adott tárgybólhol, mennyi van. Ez tárgyi szempontból áttekinthetővé s lényegesen rövidebbé is teszi az inventariumot.)

TRANSLATION TO ENGLISH (You can find the extensiveHungarian at the link.)
INVENTORY

The inventory of the Likava castel and its belongings, which was taken by chamber commissioners Gyorgy Schultz, Gabor Turanszky, Fulop Haassaeus and Laszlo Rady, with the above daily east from Rossahegy. (NOTE! The interesting thing about the inventory is that - unlike the customs of the age and the chamber - it first names the item being inventoried and then lists where and how much of this particular item it has. This makes the inventory clear and significantly shorter.) My remark: daily east means about a day's travel by horseback from Rossahegy.(Rossenberg). Notice the Germans into Hungary here with both the name Gyorgy Schultz and the place name Rossenberg. Also the castle is named after Saint Sophia, who's Greek Orthodox. It turns out Saint Sophia was a member of the Royal Family of Hungary. Also Fulup Haassaeus, who appears on the last page with his seal, along with the others, as Phillip Jacob Haas, may have been Jewish.
Saint Zsofia Castle in Likava.

First the inventory examines the grain crops: wheat, barley, double wheat (It also notes the Slovak name of the double wheat "Polovina," oats, millet, and then flour (measured in lukna and korec.) Then: construction materials: “Tegulae cauae pro lectis circiter No 30 – Asseres teneus No 50, Crassiores No 24 – Asseres ex rubro ligno No 21” = Caucus tiles for beds about 30, Thin planks 50, Thicker planks, 24, Red wood planks, 21. Then: flank bacon, smoked pork loin and head, shoulder blades skin bundle (by number of pieces), honey (in a barrel), a cup measure.  - Various animal skins (cow, sheep, calf, old goat, goat skins, finally in general "pelles elaboratae" = worked skins by number of pieces. Then cheese curds (in a jar), cheese (by the number of pieces), butter (in a box.) Afterwards: wine (in barrels), empty barrels, icces half and quarter-iccces measures made of wood.  Wooden ? also in the cellar: sauerkraut (in barrels.) - Salt (in glaze), flour boxes (by number of pieces) - Stones for construction ("Lapides quadratae" - according to the number of pieces; deposited; in several places of the castle.

Hollowed out pumpkin. Iron bars. Furnaces (both in the new castle and the old castle).  My note is that this must refer to the castle that existed there before 1674. Iron doors and windows (same: according to location and number of pieces) Then - Tables, chairs, window frames, stools, locks, pans.  Carriages, cabinets, auger, grape press, tubs - Flax sheaves  Board cutting saw. Large drills suitable for drilling wooden pipes.

Carriages, cabinets, auger, grape press, tubs. - Flax sheaves. – Board cutting saw. – Large drills suitable for drilling wooden pipes. "Libra." (NB!  The location is only very briefly defined everywhere:  "In novo Castello."  "In area Inferior: - etc.  So as I mentioned above, the emphasis is on the objects in the inventory, and not where they are.) - Furnace stone plinths ("Pedes lapidea pro appondendis fornacibus"), water barrels ("Urnae aquaticae:) hen cages - Then there will be allodial sheep and goat herds grazing on two larger mountain pastures (old and young sheep, old and young rams, old goats, young goats, old and young goats - according to number.

Then flows the Liskofalva allodium : Cereals (rye, barley, spelt, oats - in husks.) - After, the numerous livestock of the same place (dairy cows, pea cows, barren cows, old sheep, young sheep, plow oxen - "Arabiles Boues" - five - four - three - and two year old bulls.  Also "Vaccae inutiles, nullius valoris, one piece, as well as : "Graudida juuenca No1, Juuencula anni No 2" otherwise" young, one-year-old bulls; pigs, boars, piglets, geese, hens with a rooster)

Agricultural tools, tools, in the same allodium: plows (completely equipped), hay cart, with all accessories, yokes for oxen, a chain of 60 links.  

Smaller and larger jugs, pewter spitting dish, water barrel with iron tires. (NB!  After each group is finished, the doors and windows of the buildings visited are listed one by one, briefly stating whether the door and window structure in question is made of iron, and if it is a door or gate, what kind of lock it has. For these he names the building - e.g. "portae ad Horrea" but sometimes he doesn't...

(continued)

This inventory reveals that the castle was depending on farming and animal husbandry, which may have supplied the residents of the castle.  Let's do some more research....

Who was Saint Sophia of Hungary? 

There were three castles in Lipto. This one is in ruins but you can visit it:


Excerpt:  The Castle was referred to for the first time in 1315. Its construction started with the intention to have a guarding point over the passage across the river Váh and the trade route from the Váh Basin to Orava and further to Poland.

The Castle owners, the noble family of Hunyady, gradually reconstructed and widened the core of the Castle and built the part called the lower Castle in the second half of the 15th century. In the second half of the 17th century, the Thökölys' eventually finished the entire fortification system though it was of no use as it did not prevent the disaster at the beginning of the 18th century when the retreating troops of František Rákoczi completely pulled down the Castle in 1707.


Hungarian Genealogy and History Tips in this series can be viewed together by clicking on the tab Pro Tip Hungaricana Fun


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Tuesday, February 25, 2025

FUN LEARNING WITH HUNGARICANA #1 : CHARTERS : A WILL in ABAUJ CIRCA YEAR 1438

What does the term "Charter" mean? Modern definitionA charter is a legal document granted to an individual or corporation. It outlines the purpose and structure for the creation of a colony, city, or organization, as well as the rights each organization will have. 

Charters in the National Archives of Hungary, or found through the databases of Hungaricana, are decisions made by the King or other authorities such as Princes, Nobles, land-owners/ Barons (including churches), or local authorities, about property rights, and may include information about grants, repossessions, and who is who. They also document wills, such as the one we will look at here.

Charters may not apply to your family or personal research, but it can be some fun to look into them anyway to see if any of the places your ancestors lived are included in the Hungaricana databases. It can be thrilling to find someone with your surname mentioned in a very old Charter, even if you'll never be able to prove they are related to you. With these Charters you can get a feel for the way of life and mentality of a time and place. 

The Charters are from pre-printing press days when a scribe had the specialized skills of writing and reading. Nobles often remained illiterate and allowed the scribe - a servant - to do his work. Religious people - priests, monks, nuns - were more learned than most people, who were unable to read or write. As a note, sometimes just being able to handwrite your name was considered literate. Instead of a handwritten signature, some people, including notaries, used wax seals, often with the family heraldry, to indicate their presence or approval.

Using the Google (or another translator) can be extremely helpful when you don't know the Hungarian language. This is because the old, handwritten Hungarian (which might differ from more current Hungarian) of the Charters can be difficult but HUNGARICANA's modern language abstracts are sometimes close to word for word. You can go to the original document (some of which are in tatters, other pristine) and see if there is more information if intrigued by the abstract.

In the example below, we also encounter Latin of the early Medieval period.

Let's take a look!

I chose to search for Gonc (In Abauj County) because the now small settlement, which got bypassed when the railroad was built, was once an important  "hustle-bustle" administrative center in Hungary and many Charters were entered there.  

TITLE and TRANSLATION THAT WILL COME UP IN HUNGARICANA

DIPLOMATIKAI LEVÉLTÁR (Q szekció) • Kincstári levéltárból (E) • MKA, Acta Paulinorum (Q 312) • 13191


THE DATE ON THIS CHARTER IS May 22,1438 (!)

Diplomatic Archive section Q  From the treasury archive (E)  MKA, acta Paulinorum (Q312) / 13191

Issuers of the charter Mihály gönci plébános
Mihály alesperes
György telkibányai plébános
Antal deruskai plébános   (de Ruskai indicates the settlement Goncruszka a few miles from Gonc.)

TRANSLATION : Milahly is the parish priest from Gonc (which today is named Saint Emerics) and he is a deputy. Gyorgy is a parish priest from Telkibanya (which is a settlement around the mountain from Gonc.) Antal is a parish priest from Deruska. (Goncruska)

végrendelet - this is a will

ABSTRACT TEXT
The parish priests of Mihaly Gonc, Gyorgy Telkibanya and Anta Deruska prove that GYORGY CUPRAR, citizen of Telkibanya, bequeathed his vineyard and mill, which grinds various products and wood, to SZUZ MARIA, monestary in Gonc.  (MONESTARY OF THE VIRGIN MARY) Fragment of three green imprinted seals. (These are the official wax seals of the three priests.)
 ....

ABSTACT TEXT CONTINUES:

Parish priest and deacon Mihaly of Gwnch (Gonc), parish priest Gyorgy of Telkybania, and parish priest Antal of Ruska testify that on the Monday before the feast of the Ascension of the Lord (May 19) in the parish priest Mihaly's house (dota), citizen GYORGY CUPRAR of Telkibania appeared before them and made a will to leave the village of Chechuz in the territory of Telkibania with all its benefits, with the exception of one plot of land, which he will keep for himself during his lifetime, to the monastery of the Virgin Mary near Gwnch, also to this monastery he leaves his vineyard in Sancho on the Chater Mountain with the stipulation that the monks of the monetary cultivate the vineyard and give him half the yield of the vineyard as long as he lives. At the head of the village and the vineyard should say a mas de quinque vulneribus Christi.(Translation from Latin: Mass of the Five Wounds of Christ) every day, with the exception of Saturday, and a mas de assuncione Maria viginis glorios (Mass of the Glorious Assumption of Mary). He also leaves the mill for grinding cereals and pulses located in the territory of Telkybania to the monastery, with the stipulation that as long as he, his wife and her sister are alive, they will use the mill, and only after their death will it be fully transferred to the monastery.

GO TO THIS LINK TO SEE THE ORIGINAL including the three seals of the priests.

We know that in the 1400's the village may have been called or written GWNCH so I also searched for Chater Mountain and also the village Chechuz - none of which are coming up on the Internet...  Maybe you can find them?

Hungarian Genealogy and History Tips in this series can be viewed together by clicking on the tab Hungaricana Fun

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Saturday, February 22, 2025

FUN LEARNING WITH HUNGARICANA : INTRODUCTION TO A HUNGARIAN HISTORY AND GENEALOGY SERIES

Hungarian Genealogy and History Tips in this series can be viewed together by clicking on the tab Pro Tip Hungaricana Fun

COMING UP!  I ENCOURAGE YOU TO FOLLOW MY LEAD AND EXERCIZE YOUR RESEARCH SKILLS!

You may not speak the language and many Hungarian-Americans do not. But you can still use the Hungaricana databases fairly well. Some truly amazing archival documents have been preserved. 

Here's the link to the main page: https://www.hungaricana.hu/en/ of the Hungaricana CULTURAL HERITAGE PORTOL.

Excerpt:  The purpose of the Hungaricana project is to share Hungarian cultural heritage including contents that have never been accessible before. Our goal is to create an environment where everyone, whether professional or amateur, can explore Hungary's, or even their own history and culture in a clean and efficient way.

READY?

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