Karcag


Year of the Cumans 2009.
 The town of Karcag
in the year of the World Meeting of the Cumans
The tribunal alliance originating from Inner Asia arrived to the East-European steppe in the middle of
the 11th century. Russian records from 1071 place them on the borders of the Kiev Principality; in 1078
they appeared as allies of the rebelling besenyos near the Lower Danube, in the territory of the Byz-
antine Empire. In their 150-year European history there are a lot of wars with Byzantium and the
Russian principalities, some of which involved Hungary as well. As of 1095, Cumans continuously
fought wars with shifting success against the Russian principalities neighbouring their territory from
the north. In the year 1203 they occupied Kiev, but in 1219, already as allies of the Russians, they
picked up arms against Hungary. In 1223 another Russian-Cuman alliance was established, this time
against the Mongolians. In this year, the allied forces were defeated in the battle fought near the
river Kalka.
They came to Hungary in 1091 for the first time, but László the 1st defeated them at the river Temes
and successfully forced them back also during their second attack. According to the historians, these
two defeats contributed to the fact that the subsequent major Cuman campaigns avoided the Hungar-
ian Kingdom for a long time. On the other hand, Cumans living in the Havasalföld regularly raided
Transylvania, so in 1211 András II resettled the German Knight Order to the Barcaság. The knights suc-
cessfully defended the country, but as a result of their strives to become independent, the king ex-
pulsed them in 1224.
After being defeated by the Mongolians in the year 1223, part of the Cumans moved to west. The
Cumans orienting toward west friendly received the missionaries sent among them. As a result of the
operation of the Dominican friars, the Cuman sovereign Barc accepted Christianity in 1227, and the
Cuman tribes living west to the Dnieper accepted the empery of the Hungarian king. (From this time
the titles of the Hungarian emperor also include “King of the Cumans”) In order to continue the mis-
sionary work and manage the church service among the christened Cumans, archbishop of Esztergom,
Róbert established the Cuman bishopship in Milkó. Fifteen years after the battle lost near Kalka, the
western attack of the Mongolians started. After occupying the Russian cities, the army of khan Batu
moved against the Cumans, and following another defeat, Kötöny (Kuthen), sovereign of the Cumans
living in the East-European steppes requested asylum in the territory of the Hungarian Kingdom. Be-
cause of the danger of the Mongolian attack, but also his internal policy objectives, Béla the IV granted
asylum to Kötöny and his people. According to the chronicles, in Easter of 1239 some 40 thousand Cu-
man families arrived to the territory of Hungary.
The Cumans settled in the middle of the country, which later led to severe conflicts. Conflicts be-
tween the nomadic Cumans wandering with their “endless bunches of animals” and causing damages
to the goods of the farmers everywhere and the already settled Hungarians shortly became constant.
By the spring of 1241, when the Mongolian attack started, the situation stretched to breaking-point,
which led to an armed conflict and to murdering Kötöny and his family in Pest. After the death of their
ruler, the Cumans left the country killing and destroying. Consequences of the Tatar Raid are well
known.
Thanks to King Béla the IV managing the rebuilding of the country, in the mid 1240’s the Cumans
returned to Hungary, where they were settled in the plains of Tiszántúl, Duna–Tisza köze and Dunántúl
Fejér county. In the 13th century the region inhabited by the Cumans spread from the Middle Tisza
Region to the river Temes, hence the origin of the name Nagykunság, which today occupies a smaller
territory in the Tiszántúl.


Karcag – 2009
 From the beginning, the Cumans were granted privileges. They organised independent, presuma-
bly clan-based Cuman administrative units, so-called “chairs”. In the Middle Tisza Region, the Kolbaz-
chair – the later Nagykun District, today’s Nagykunság – was formed from the territory of the clan Olas
(‘Unite!’) by the end of the 14th century.
By the end of the 15th century, the Cumans were transformed into Christian farmers, and by that
time they probably spoke both languages, or most of them became Hungarian. The only continuous
Cuman monument found in Hungary – a Cuman paternoster written down in the mid 18th century – led
researchers to the conclusion that in the 16th century, when reformation started in Hungary, part of
them still spoke their original language.
Cumans presumably disappeared from the bigger part of the Tiszántúl after the battle at the Lake
Hód, and the remaining groups merged into the Hungarian population inhabiting the area. Only the
Kolbász-chair in the Middle Tisza Region – also referred to “officially” as Cumania Maior or Nagykun-
ság as of the middle of 16th century – inhabited by the tribe (or clan) Olas survived the 150 years of the
“Occupation”.
Built into a settlement from a nomadic camp, Karcagújszállás first appears among the privileged
villages of Kolbász-chair in the year 1506. When first mentioned, it was already a settlement litigating
for its borders and astutely expanding them. The settlement was presumably transformed into a village
in the mid 16th century. According to scientist Gyula Németh (originating from Karcag), the Cuman
word Karcag – or its original form “karszak” – referring to the founding head of the clan and means
“corsak” (steppe fox).
The suffix “újszállás” (‘new settlement’) attached to the word “kun” (‘Cuman’), accompanying it
until the end of the 19th century presumably refers to a winter settlement transformed into a village,
and not necessarily to its reconstruction, although this meaning became relevant on several occasions,
because during the 17th century – in 1617-18, 1672, 1695 and 1711 – it was rebuilt by the inhabitants
from its ruins. The village was depopulated and rebuilt four times. Being the most resourceful settle-
ment of the neighbourhood, it received not only the population of the neighbouring Cuman villages,
but also acquired their lands, and eventually – after further expanding its borders – by the end of the
19th century it became the fourth largest town (67. 300 kh) of the country after Hajdúböszörmény,
Debrecen and Hódmezôvásárhely.
The century full of woes and hardship completed the assimilation of the Cumans. The Cuman popu-
lation – probably speaking both languages at that time – retiring to a fully Hungarian environment was
each time populated with a large number of new-comers, and by the end of the 17th century, the
original Cuman language were replaced by the Hungarian language. Today, the language of the Cu-
mans living in Hungary is only preserved in a few vague monuments, the “Cuman paternoster” and a
few almost unrecognisable verses. A number of geographical names originating from the Cuman lan-
guage have been preserved, such as Bengecseg (‘heritage”), Orgonda (‘meadow hill’), the Cuman and
Hungarian Tarattyó (‘diverging river’), Érbuga (Er-buga = ‘heroic bull’), Táskond ( ‘place of flood’,
flood-basin).
Some of the ancient family names are also of Cuman origin: Csôreg (‘soldier’), a Kangur, Kocskor,
Karacs (‘blackish’), Kecse. There are several other words in the Hungarian language considered to be of
Cuman origin: boza = drink fermented from millet, komondor, balta, kalauz, daku = frock, árkány =
headrope, buzogány, bicska, csôdör, tôzeg, bögöly etc.
We mentioned earlier the privileges granted to the Cumans in the 13th century and preserved while
they were royal subjects. According to their privileges, the communities living in the Cuman chairs were
subjects of the crown, their main judge and magistrate was the palatine to whom they paid 3000 gold
bullions a year (since Béla the IV). Verdicts in the cases they’d brought to the court were made by their


Karcag – 2009
 own judges (and not for example the court-baron), their disputes with others living in the county were
resolved by palatine, who also appointed their supreme captains. They elected their own magistrates
and the priests of their congregations. They didn’t pay port and customs dues. In exchange they had to
serve as soldiers, but in the 15th century they already had to pay to the royal treasury products, animals
and money.
The villages used their villages themselves; there were no landlords, so no manors were established,
which means that the people living here bought off statute-labour.
After the end of the “Occupation”, the ordeal of the Jász and the Cuman people continued, as their
privileges were lost. In spring 1702, the Court sold all three districts to the German Knight Order. The
lairdship of the three districts were taken over from the knights in 1731 by the Pest House of Invalids.
As a result of the cooperation between the Jász and the Cuman people, and the material strength of
their communities, in 1744-45 they were able to utilise the chance offering itself, and to officially buy
off their old freedom on May 6th 1745 by paying more than half a million Rhenish florins and by arming
and sending to camp a thousand horse-soldiers.
During the lairdship of the House of Invalids, on September 10th 1734, Karcag became a market-
town as a result of the permission to organise fairs. At that time it bought off its borders as everlasting
property for 43 200 Rhenish florins. Settlements of Jászság, Kiskunság and Nagykunság all celebrated
the 250th anniversary of the redemption. The Cuman Memorial Site was inaugurated in the summer of
1995 as a tribute to the Cuman ancestors, the redemption ad the former Nagykun District, on the Kis-
Hegyesbori Hill, in the ambit of Karcag near the main road Nr. 4.
As the most populous settlement of the Nagykunság, Karcag became the centre of the district and
the residence of the office of the Nagykun supreme captain for twenty five years. Later, during the
counter-reformation, following all kinds of offences and conflicts, the district offices were moved from
the Calvinist Karcag to Kunszentmárton inhabited by Catholics. The most populous market-town of the
Nagykunság could regain its status as administrative centre only in the 1850’s, when it was designated
as the centre of the newly established “Karcag imperial and royal district”. After the restitution of the
old administrative organisation, it actually had become the centre of the Nagykun District, until it
broke up and merged into Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County in 1876. It must be noted that the nagykun
people opposing the county tooth and nail also wanted to have the centre of an independent county
here. It wasn’t their fault that it could not be achieved.
The centre of the town is the huge main square established in 1825, which functioned as a market-
place until the end of the 1960’s. The City Hall, the shops of the Greek traders, the butchery and the inn
was located near the main square. When increasing its territory in 1825, they planned to organise win-
ter fairs here. The first Artesian well was established here on the 400-meter long square in 1893. The
square was paved and canalised in 1903-1904. Today, the city centre is decorated with a carefully main-
tained nice park, the dominating building of which is the Calvinist church.
In the place of the Calvinist church there has been a church since the beginning of the 17th
century. It is also a known fact that in 1633 a tower was added to the building erected around 1618,
and in 1636 a bell was cast for the tower in Eperjes, and later it was surrounded by walls. The small
church living through difficult times and serving the Calvinist congregation for almost one and a half
century was about to collapse in 1743. The people of Karcag were about to start building a new
“church”, despite the fact that building churches was prohibited for the reformed confessions. The ini-
tiative resulted in a huge scandal. The construction was halted and the bishop of Eger was assigned to
conduct an investigation of the case involving even the offices in Vienna. Magistrate of Karcag headed
to bribe the officials of the imperial capital with full carts, and achieved the diminishment of the pun-
ishment and the continuation of the construction with huge breads from Debrecen, twists, honey-cakes


Karcag – 2009
and turtles for the dining tables of the lords. The building erected as a result stood for fifty years. When
its walls and arches were dangerously fractured in the 1790’s, the congregation started another con-
struction. The present church was built between 1793 and 1797, based on the design of and by Károly
Rabl. Despite the major renovation in 1875 and several smaller ones carried out since, the building has
not undergone significant changes. Major reconstructions were carried out in the tower, from the
balcony of which a fire guard was monitoring the town.
In 1866, a substantial couple had donated a pipe-organ to the church, which was further improved
in 1906, thanks to a considerable donation. The latest renovation of the building, the pipe-organ and
the tower-clock of the Calvinist congregation was carried out in several steps between 1989 and 2006.
Church of the Catholic community built between 1771 and 1774 was also located on the main
square until the year 1901. With the increase of the Catholic congregation, a new, bigger building was
erected (designed by István Wind) instead of the small old church. A statue of Saint István was erected
on the southern side of the church.
For the Catholic inhabitants of the town parcels were granted in 1770-71 on the right side of the
Debrecen (today: Dózsa György) street, in the eastern part of the town. At the same time, the Szôlôs
Hill located near the road was also given to their disposal. The Catholics established their first cemetery
here, and in 1850-52 they built a way of cross to the funeral bell standing on the hill. From that time
forward, the name of the old Cuman hill was Kálvária hill. The stations, the statue and the belfry were
renovated in 1993.
The elegant hall of the local tradesmen was built in 1903 in the place of the old Catholic church, in
the entry of today’s Bajcsy-Zsilinszky street to the main square. Near the Trade corporation we can find
the building of the Nimród Bio-hotel, Bio-restaurant and Bio-store completed in 2008.
There is a nice park between the Calvinist church and the Bajcsy- Zsilinszky street. Its story began in
1884, when the leader of the Karcag courthouse ordered the convicts to plant trees around the court-
house building. Building of the park later continued based on the plans of landscape-gardener Gábor
Fogarasi, and the fresh and green park located near the muddy and dusty marketplace quickly became
popular. It was named Kossuth square in 1892, and later the entire city centre was named after Kos-
suth. Parallel to the construction of the City Hall (1910-1912), landscape-gardener from Timisoara, Fer-
enc Niemetz established its final form. The statue of Lajos Kossuth was erected here in 1906, the monu-
ment to the heroes of WWI in 1938, and the monument to the heroes of WWII in 1992. The series of
the statues is closed by the country flag built in 1935, then dismantled then erected again in 1996. The
bronze statue of the academician Gyula Németh (born in Karcag) and the Victoria Well symbolising the
urbanisation and reconstructed in 2001 are located in the east side of the square, in the pedestrian
precinct.
The oldest public statue of the town was erected by the nagykun towns near the Calvinist church
around 1808-1809, in the memory of the visit of Palatine József to Karcag on July 16-17th 1805. Its site
was marked with a grey granite column by the City Protection Association in 1997.
There are two other churches in the vicinity of Kossuth square. The Greek orthodox church was built
by the local Greek traders in the honour of Saint György around 1795-1798. The small congregation
does not exist anymore, but this nice old building was renovated both inside and outside in 1991.
The Israelite community of Karcag had been established in 1854, and in a few decades it developed
into a large community. The synagogue located in the Kertész József street was sanctified in 1899. By
the year 2000, the size of the community considerable decreased, but they renovated the church in the
1990’s.
The first references of the school operated in Karcag are from the middle of the 16th century, but
the first known written note is from 1676. Following the reconstruction in 1711, after the century of


Karcag – 2009
 wars, there are records about the school for the girls and the school for the boys. The nice old building
behind the Calvinist church (Kálvin street 2.) was built between 1813-1818 as a school for boys. Today
it is the building of the Calvinist Primary School. The Central school for girls was built in 1895 opposite
to the school for boys (Kálvin street 5.), where – since the introduction of the co-education – the lower
graders continue their studies. The tiered building near it is the former “farm-college”, where the pri-
mary school pupils of the farms surrounding the town until the end of the 1960’s were accommodated
for the school-year. The farms do not exist anymore; the building is now the home of a local govern-
ment office and the college of the Gábor Áron High School.
The four-class high school grew out from the primary school in the 1850’s, which by 1908 – due to
the support of the citizens of Karcag – developed into an eight-class institution granting a GCE decree.
The building located in entry of Madarasi street to the main square was built in 1894-95 on the parcel
donated by the city. Between 1948 and 2008 it operated as a state-owned secondary school. As of Sep-
tember 2009 it will be returned to the Calvinist congregation. For the state-owned institution a new
and modern building will be built in the territory of the Szentannai Sámuel Agricultural Secondary
School. The predecessor of the agricultural secondary school was the farmer school founded in 1899
(also with the support of the city). The principal of the school – after whom it is named – was a pioneer
of the domestic saline soil improvement. History of the third secondary school of Karcag goes back to
1890, when the industrial training school was organised. The Vocational School and College carrying
the name of István Varró is located in the Varró street.
There are two other primary schools located near the museum in the Kálvin street. The primary
school located under Kálvin street 9 was named after Mihály Kováts (1724-1779), a hussar officer born
in Karcag, colonel of the Pulaski-legion, killed in the American war of independence, during the siege
of Charleston. Mihály Kováts was commanded to the Prussian battlefield as one of the hussars of Jász-
kunság organised in connection with the redemption. That’s where his several decades of military ca-
reer taking him to the American army fighting for their freedom and independence. The memory of
the soldier respected as a hero in the United States of America was first came to the fore in the 1930’s,
then in 1978, in connection with the celebrations related to the return of the Crown. A memorial tablet
was placed on the wall of the building identified as his birthplace in Karcag. After the house had been
dismantled, a memorial site was established in the intersection of Bocskai street and Liliom street. In
the honour of the death of the colonel (May 11th), the school carrying his name and the Mihály Kováts
Fellowship Association every year organise educational and sports contests and exhibition.
The school under József Attila street 1, and the Nagykun Museum are named after István Györffy
(1884-1939), professor of ethnography born in Karcag, also referred to as “the scientist of the Hungar-
ian people”. István Györffy conducted scientific research near the Kunság, in the Hajdúság, among
Matyos, Hungarians living in the valley of the Fekete Körös and Moldovan csangos, but he also reached
Asia Minor as a member of an expedition. He published a number of ethnographic and historic works
addressing the Kunság, the Cumans and Karcag. His work, the Chronicle of the Nagykunság has been
popular since its publication in 1922. In addition, his merit is that he directed the attention of his col-
leagues, students and friends to the Nagykunság and the ethnographic and historic research of the
Cumans. He conducted the first scheduled excavations near the town, and the establishment of collec-
tion of the Nagykun Museum is also the result of his encouragement.
The Nagykun Museum carrying the name of István Györffy is located in the classicist house under
Kálvin street 4. The material collected by curate András Joó in 1906 was destroyed during World War II,
its collection was restarted in 1951. It was a big leap, when in 1968 the Kálmán country-seat formerly
used as a hospital became available, and was granted to the disposition of the museum. The permanent
exhibition dedicated to the economy of the Nagykunság, the Chronicle of Nagykunság was opened


Karcag – 2009
here in the year 1973. In 2000, the exhibition was transformed into a historical and ethnographic exhi-
bition named Centuries of the Cumans. The other permanent exhibition introduces the work of István
Györffy. The Museum Park surrounded by tilted iron fence houses the famous gastronomic event, the
Karcag sheep cooking contest organised every year in the last weekend of June. The museum has two
additional exhibition sites (and permanent exhibitions). The Nagykunság country house is located un-
der Jókai street 16, where the visitor can familiarise with the typical furniture of a farmhouse of the
end of 19th and the beginning of 20th century, as well as the everyday life of the Cumans. The exhibition
to the work of the Kossuth Award holder Sándor Kántor (1894-1989), master of pottery known through-
out Europe is established in another nice old Cuman living house. The Kántor pottery established in the
1930’s is located under Bethlen Gábor street 10. Today, the heirs of Kántor work in it.
During the introduction of the buildings of the main square one could notice that due to the less
durable construction materials generally used in the past, today’s architectural monuments were built
around the end of 18th and the beginning of 19th century. The classicistic building of the Morgó restau-
rant recalls the old times, the memories of outlaws and pandours. Today it is located in the junction of
three streets (József Attila – Baross – Arany János), but its predecessor had been built on the edge of
the town, and was subsequently surrounded by the city. The foundation of the current building was
laid down around 1810. During the last two hundred years it was reconstructed several times, but until
recently it was operated as a restaurant. There was also a legend that a tunnel leads from its basement
to the other famous hideaway of the outlaws, to the Ágota Inn located in the edge of the town and
the county.
It worth taking a look to the former country road taking to the Ágota Inn. When the weather is dry
enough, we can walk to the river Hortobágy and the Ágota Bridge. Prior to the regulation of the river
Tisza, the landscape was pinned by brooks and streams, and a number of bridges helped the travellers.
Tired of the permanent repairs of the wooden bridges, in 1805-1809, the Nagykun District erected a
sturdy stone bridge on the most relevant brook Zádor. Legend says that the lime used to conglutinate
the stones was hydrated using bird eggs collected in the huge reed-plots, which made it that strong.
The Zádor Bridge – just as its brother in Hortobágy – was built on nine arches, but a huge flood swept
four of it. Following the regulation of the river Tisza, the waters dried up, and after the construction
of the Szolnok-Debrecen railway line in 1857, the traffic of the road was also diminished. Today, the
bridge is a monument, a memory of the history of transport and landscape. The field Zádor-lapos forms
part of the Hortobágy nature reserve. A similar protected natural reserve can also be found in the west
side of the ambit of Karcag. The Bócsai field used to be part of the former János Kara swamp. After the
regulation of the rivers the swamp disappeared, and in the 1950’s a storage basin was established in its
deepest section. This huge water surface – the region of the Kecseri Lake – was declared a protected
area in 1989. Southern gate of the Hortobágy National Park is on the Vágóhíd street, opposite to the
Windmill. The building furnished as the farm houses of the Nagykunság houses an exhibition introduc-
ing the flora and fauna of the preserved areas.
Third verse of the Hymn also reveals that not only large-scale stock-farming was pursued in the area
Kunság, but also cereal was harvested by the Cumans, which was considered as a special Hungarian
product already in the first half of the 19th century. The lands produced corn of excellent quality rich in
gluten, and famous bread and milk-loaf was produced from the flour of the Cuman corn. These prod-
ucts – together with the honey-cake – were highly valued and sought for in the fairs of Debrecen and
other towns. The corn was milled in the dry mills of the town; in the second half of the 19th century
sixty one such mills were registered. More advanced – and more spectacular – windmills appeared as of
the 1840’s, but were superseded in the same century by the steam mills producing at industrial rate and
in higher quality. Erstwhile, dozens of windmills were in operation, but only one has remained. Today,


Karcag – 2009
 the windmill of Gál Ferenc - Gál Szabó Lászlóné - Deák György (Vágóhíd street) is a monument of the
industrial history and of the professional skills of the wind-millers. The Kövesdaráló Exhibition Site and
the mill history exhibition established in 2008 – and still under development – introduces the work of
the millers and the mill industry of Karcag.
There are also areas in the ambit of Karcag, where corn or other agricultural products can hardly be
produced. The improvement of such saline soils and plant improvement are the main tasks of the Re-
search Institution established in 1947 (official name: Karcag Institution of the Centre of Agricultural
Sciences under the Debrecen University). During the past decades, associates of the institution not only
have carried out scientific work of international reputation, but also established a rare park around the
central building. This little arboretum is the home of a number of rare plants.
The depth of the ground hides treasures as well, just think about the reserves of gas and medicinal
waters explored in 1928 in the ambit of Karcag that has acquired European fame to Berekfürdô, which
has become and independent village and the seventh Cuman settlement. In the 1950’s explorations
were carried out in Karcag, as well. During the past two decades, the city lido built afterwards were
supplied with an indoor swimming pool, show-pool, camping for tents and caravans, bungalows, and
apartments, and a rheumatologic department started its operation next to the lido. Development of
the promising spa complex will continue in 2009.
The Nagykun Millennium Monument (2001) is located near the spa, in the former marketplace. The
two-figure equestrian statue portrays the meeting of the king Béla the IV and the Cuman sovereign
Kötöny arriving to the country border in 1239, thus reminding us to the occupation of the homeland
by the Cumans arriving on the “people’s country road” and transformed into Hungarians.
The city of Karcag awaits its guests with Cuman hospitality also in 2009, the year of the Cumans!


Karcag – 2009
 3

6 7
5

1.) Nimrod Bio Hotel and Bio Restaurant 2.) Kossuth’s statue
3.) The Country Flag 4.) Town Hall 5.) The Reformed Church

6.) Gábor Áron Grammar School, the Secondary School of Health Studies and Students’ Hostel 7.) Victoria Well
 2 3

4
5

6 7

10 1.) Catholic Church 2.) The Bust of Saint Stephen

3.) Gábor Áron Grammar School 4.) Synagogue 5.) The Reformed Church
Karcag – 2009
6.) Orthodox Greek Church 7.) Nagykun Reformed Church Elementary School
 2

1
3
4

6
5

1.) The Bronze Statue of István Györffy

2.) The relief of Sándor Szûcs 3.) The Statue of Gyula Németh 4.) The relief of István Varró
11
5.) István Györffy Great Cumanian Museum 6.) István Mándoky Kongur’s relief
 3
2
1

6 7
5

12 1.) Cumanian Farmhouse 2.) The exhibition in the Pottery House

3.) La Maison de l’Artisanat 4.) The exhibition in the Pottery House 5.) Museum of Pharmacy
Karcag – 2009
and Medical History 6.) The Cemetery Caretaker’s House (partly underground) 7.) Mill with Millstones
 3
2
1

6
4

1.) The relief of Mihály Kováts

2.) The Memorial Place to Mihály Kováts 3.) The Memorial Place to the Martyrs of Arad
13
4.) Great Cumanian Millennium Monument 5.) Heroes of the First World War 6.) Cumanian Pieta
 2

4
3

5 6

14 1.) Windmill 2.) The Cumanian Memorial Place

3.) Reception House 4.) The Cumanian Memorial Place
Karcag – 2009
5.) Kálvária Hill 6.) Zádor Bridge
 15
Karcag – 2009
16
Karcag – 2009
 Our twin towns
Székelykeresztúr

Bácskossuthfalva

Szepsi

Krosno
Schwarzheide Odrzańskie
Longueau
Longueau
Szepsi
Karcag
Székelykeresztúr
Bácskossuthfalva
Schwarzheide

Krosno Odrzańskie

17
Karcag – 2009
 Székelykeresztúr
The town of Székelykeresztúr is located in Transylvania, in the southwest region of Udvarhely county, in the
valley of Nagyküküllô, between the creeks Gagy and Fehérnyikó, at an altitude of 390-395 meters, close to
the Héjasfalva-Székelyudvarhely branch railway line and the asphalted county road DJ 122. The territory of
the town is 5000 hectares, its population is 10 600 people.
The region is beneficial for farming, due to the climate rich in sunshine and the wide valley of the river;
this area was adequate for the primitive man to settle down here.
The town and its vicinity have been populated for approximately 7000 years; the archaeological research-
es revealed the existence of a number of ancient cultures; their ancestors presumably arrived here in the 11th
century. The settlement was first mentioned in writing in 1332 as Sancta Crux (Holy Cross). Later it was men-
tioned in Hungarian as Kereszt Úr (Lord Cross), because of the personification of the Holy Cross. On the Jé-
zuskiáltó Hill elevating above the town, a cross was erected in the memory of the 144 local victims of World
War I. It is known from Catholic
church records that in 1829, the
“restitution of the old wooden
cross” on the Jézuskiáltó Hill was
requested. This means that the hill
has marked with a cross for at
least 200 years, but it is probably
much older.
Due to the large number of
jigger-makers, the settlement also
went by the name Szitáskeresztúr
(Jigger Holy Cross); it was officially
named Székelykeresztúr in the
middle of the 19th century, after it
had been united with the neigh-
bouring villages of Imafalva,
Keresztútfalva, Fiafalva and Bet-
falva. But the prefix “székely”
(szekler) was first used already in
1548. The reason this prefix was added to the name of the settlement was that a total of 42 settlements in
the historic Hungary carries the name of the Holy Cross (Keresztúr).
It was mentioned as a market-town (oppidum) already in 1495; at that time it was already the centre of
the independent Keresztúr-szék, and later the centre of the Keresztúr fiúszék. In 1559, Queen Isabella grant-
ed a charter to the town, which was later acknowledged by all sovereigns of Transylvania. The right to organ-
ise fairs was granted to the town as of 1590. All these privileges made possible further development towards
urbanisation. The spirit of reformation was given a positive reception here; after 1548 the population joined
to the Unitarian church founded in Transylvania, and soon school-master András Bora started organising a
secondary school. However, the secondary school was established only in 1793. This school has been in op-
eration ever since, and carries the name of its former benefactor Balázs Orbán. The reformed community
started to strengthen in the second half of the 17th century: in 1631 they already had a school in operation,
and soon they built their own church in the centre of the town. In 1767, the Catholics were given back their
gothic church built in 1458, which is today one of the most famous historic monuments of the settlement. On
July 30th 1849, the poet Sándor Petôfi arrived to the town to spend his last night in the Gyárfás mansion. His
memory is preserved by a pear-tree, the legendary grave and three statues. Economy of Székelykeresztúr is
dominated by agricultural cultivation and stock-farming, while the domestic and handicraft industries main-
ly produce for the local market. The first factory – a line factory – was built in 1901. The teacher school

18
Székelykeresztúr – 2009
founded in 1870 played an important role in the intellec-
tual life of the town. After terminating the teacher train-
ing in Hungary in 1925, the school was closed down in
1955. Today the City Hall is operated in the building.
The City Museum was founded in 1946 – using the col-
lections of the Unitarian secondary school – and has been
carrying the name of dr. István Molnár, founder of the mu-
seum since 1997. Its valuable ethnographic, historic, archi-
tectural, natural history and artistic collections make it one
of the most relevant museums of Székelyföld. Its open-air
ethnographic section, the Szekler House of Kecset, the
szekler (carved) gates, the collection of popular industrial
structures and an entire szekler house near the Nyikó at-
tract lots of visitors.
Natural medicinal spring of Székelykeresztúr located in
Sóskút is a popular destination for those suffering from
rheumatic diseases.

Council of the town of Székelykeresztúr

P-ta Libeertaii nr. 27.
4180 Cristuru Secuiesc
Székelykeresztúr
Romania
Phone: 0040266206012
Fax: 004066242709
E-mail: [email protected]
www.keresztur.ro

19
Székelykeresztúr – 2009
 Bácskossuthfalva
The settlement is situated in the middle of the former
county of Bács – Bodrog, in the northern region of
the present Bácska county. Founders of the settle-
ment were the Kumans emigrating from the region
of Nagykunság in 1786. People living here are still
aware and proud of their Kuman origin. Bácskossuth-
falva is located 17 km south of the border of Hunga-
ry, in the heart of Bácska, where „Ears and mellow
hills are smiling in the landscape”, where the visitor is
greeted by the red-towered church. Every here and
there, the enchanting landscape continues in care-
fully cultivated black fields crossed by roads.

Carters in the village greet the visiting guests by

lifting their whips, while the courteous shopkeepers
or the “old grannies” show them the way. In the
grasp of the Telecskai hills, one can hear the frogs’
croaking in the Krivaj, and the lungs can’t get enough
of the bland pressure of the bosket of shroud.
For the people living here it has been a great
challenge to reach the current settlement form with
its approximately 5600 inhabitants and its own indus-
try from the semi-nomadic, farming way of life of the
large number of Avar graves found in the vicinity of
the Koplaló. Fate hasn’t always been good to the set-
tlement: the villagers had to be relocated on several occasions, but the “headstrong Kuman people” always
stood their ground with dedication and endurance. The village is bordered by a swimming pool from north
and by a 70-hectare artificial lake from the south.
Both its natural characteristics and the established
system of institutions provide a real value to the visit-
ing guests, while its advanced hunting and wine
tourism represents a true value. Youth camps organ-
ised every summer have become world-famous.
Tourists visiting the village may obtain informa-
tion about the spectacles and services from the local
tourist guide.
We kindly await you and your family in Bácskos-
suthfalva to participate in our traditional events and
to witness the incomparable atmosphere and beauty
of our village.

Local Community of Bácskossuthfalva

Bácskossuthfalva • 24340 Stara Pac –srski P út 67. • Serbia
Phone: 00381631732647 • Fax: 0038124741127
[email protected] • www.staramoravica.co.yu

20
Bácskossuthfalva – 2009
 Szepsi – Moldava nad Bodvou
The town of Szepsi is located southwest
from Kosice, along the road E 571 lead-
ing to Rozsnyó. This is the region, where
the Kosice Plain ends and the Slovak
Karst starts.
Due to its significance and geo-
graphical location, the town has been a
natural regional centre for a long time.
It was a district centre until 1960. To-
day, the population of the town ex-
ceeds 10 000, from which 49.1% are
Hungarian, 47.4% are Slovak and 3.5%
belong to other minorities, according
to the results of the latest census.
The town is known for its tradition-
alism: several exhibitions of local histo-
ry and ethnography await the visitors.

Szepsi is an important transportation

junction point: also fast trains stop in its rail-
way station, international and long-distance
buses stop in the bus station. The Kosice air-
port is in 30 minutes from the town. There are
several shopping centres, health centres, post
office and hotel, as well as reputed restau-
rants, taverns and pensions. The Information
Centre satisfying the needs of the visitors with
its broad range of services has been in opera-
tion for almost 10 years.
Somodi and Torna with the medieval ru-
ins above them are located west to Szepsi, fol-
lowed by the beautiful Szádelô Valley, then –
beyond Szoroskô – by the former capital of
Gömör County – Rozsnyó. North from it we
find Jászó with the famous Premonstratensian
cathedral and the Jaszó Cave, followed by the town of Mecenzéf with the second largest population of the
Kosice district, and the Stósz Bath located in a beautiful landscape. Kosice, one of the most famous towns of
the Highland and the capital of the county is located east to Szepsi.
With its infrastructure and services, Szepsi is an ideal starting point for various local history and natural
sciences tours and excursions. For more information write to the following address:

Infocentrum, Hlavná 58, 045 01 Moldava nad Bodvou • Slovakia

Infocentrum: +42155 48 99 421
E-mail to: [email protected] • www.moldava.sk

21
Szepsi – 2009
 Longueau
At 28 metres above sea-level and at ap-
proximately sixty kilometres from the
sea, Longueau is situated in Picardie, a
region divided into three counties:
Aisne, Oise and Somme. Our town lies in
Somme county and it belongs to the
built-up area of Amiens which comprises
of 32 communities. On a surface of 342
acres, Longueau has 5 246 inhabitants.
20 centuries ago, the town was oc-
cupied by the Romans who constructed
a road that is still the most important
road of the city. Longueau is the eastern
gate of the capital of Picardie. In the
course of time, Longueau, from a village
counting only a few houses, has been
expanding into a city on the hill dominating the valley of the river Somme from the North and that of the
river Avre from the West.
The inhabitants made their living mostly by the extraction of peat and by fishing, thanks to the many
lakes ; and by their culture. In 1846 the life of Longueau changed with the arrival of the railway and its
population doubled in a few years (from 250 to 650). It was a period of prosperity which lasted until the years
of 1960’s.
During the two world wars, Longueau played the role of a strategic centre and suffered enormously,
both the population and the resources. Between 1939 et 1945, a huge number of bombs was dropped on the
railway junction and its facilities, but unfortunately lots of them landed on the houses. The modernisation of
the railway, the replacement of the steam trains by the electricity contributed to the decrease of the number
of railway workers. At that time almost 30% of Longueau’s popu-
lation worked for the railway ; presently it is hardly 8%.
Nowadays, when the railway ceased to be a main employer of
the inhabitants of Longueau, the city is an economic centre where
numerous companies have been installed. City of the future,
Longueau, right after Amiens, is the second most important com-
munity of the region. A wide variety of activites is offered to the
young and to the not-so-young people : sport, culture, hunting,
fishing. The city’s bus lines allow us to enjoy a perfect visit in
Longueau, while discovering all the attractions of the Amiens re-
gion. The closeness to the major city gives us the possibility to see
several places of interest: Amiens and its cathedral (listed by
Unesco), or, among others, the house of Jules VERNE (decorated
with the author’s painting of the city). At a distance of 80 km
which means one hour’s drive, one can visit the Bay of the Somme
river (world heritage site).

Longueau • 80330 Place Louis Prof-BP 5

Phone: 0322974392 • Fax: 0322974253
E-mail: www.perso.wanadoo.fr/longueau-jumelage

22
Longueau – 2009
 Schwarzheide
General Information
about the Town of Schwarzheide
Location: Southern region of Brandenburg
Province in Oberspreewald-Lausitz district,
on the Lower Lausitz Plain, north to the river
Schwarze Elster

Population: ca.6350
Territory: 3321 hectares
Own since: January 11th 1967
Partner towns:
Krosno Odrzanskie (Poland) since 2001
Karcag (Hungary) since 2004
Piano di Sorrento (Italy) since 2005
Freemen:
Dr. Hans-Hermann Dehmel (since 2005)
Dr. Sokrates Giapapas (since 2004)

Overview of Schwarzheide and its surroundings

• 15 minutes by car to the Lausitz lakes
• Living area surrounded by forests, lakes and
fields, favourable from transportation
point of view
• Basic supply of the settlement is provided by
various retail units, handicraft and service
commercial units, as well as offers in the area of
medical industry
• 4 kindergartens, one primary school,
one high-grade centre, one high school
• Diverse free-time activities: discotheque, movie
theatre, coffee-bar, bowling court, a number of
associations, country museum
• Hotels, restaurants, pensions
• Lausitz EuroSpeedway is in 15 minutes distance
• Dresden, capital of Saxony Province is only
30 minutes away

Schwarzheide
01987
Ruhlandr Str.102.
Phone: 03575285-0
Fax: 035752 85-599
E-mail: [email protected]
www.schwarzheide.de

23
Schwarzheide – 2009
 Krosno Odrzaňskie
Krosno Odrzaňskie is a picturesque town near the
river Oder, in the middle-east region of Lubuskie
voivodina, in 30 km from the Polish-German border.
The population of the 19 settlements in the adminis-
trative area of Krosno Odrzaňskie (21 thousand hec-
tares) is 19 thousand people.
Krosno Odrzaňskie is one of the most ancient
Polish towns. They celebrated the millennium of the
first written mention (in the chronicles of Thietmar)
of the town in 2005.
From the historic monuments remained, the
­Piastowski Fortress built during the time of Henry the
Bearded has a relevant role. The temple of St. Jadviga
of Silesia (wife of Henry the Bearded), the temple of
St. Andrew and the ruins of the forest walls from the
14th century also carry historical value.
The interesting relief, the lakes, the forests (47 per cent of the territory) and the high-quality roads make
the surroundings of Krosno Odrzaňskie an attractive destination for the tourists.
The green hills and valley invite for hiking and biking.
The nearby lakes in Łochowice and Osiecznica offer a perfect summer vacation with their renovated lidos
easily accessible on safe bicycle tracks.
Rich fauna and flora of the local for-
est offer a nice place for successful hunt-
ing or collecting mushroom.
The river Oder divides Krosno into
two parts: the lower historic centre and
the upper administrative and living cen-
tre. The two quarters are connected by
the formidable bridge built more than a
hundred years ago. The port located on
the bank of the river – together with the
Piastowski Fortress and the esplanade –
form a port-fortress complex.
A great pedestrian precinct is locat-
ed in the upper part of the town – the
11th Regiment Square. With its lake, wa-
terfall, pathways and benches, this spa-
cious green square is an ideal venue for various cultural and tourist events.
We expect everyone, who wishes to spend the holiday in the beautiful Polish countryside. Visit us, and
feel the atmosphere of this legendary milieu and its thousand years of history. We await you in Krosno
Odrzaňskie and its neighbourhood.

Urza˛d Miasta w Krośnie Odrzaňskim

ul. Parkowa 1, 66-600 Krosno Odrzańskie
Phone: 068 383 5017, fax: 068 383 5122
E-mail: [email protected]
www.krosnoodrzanskie.pl

24
Krosno Odrzaňskie – 2009
 Cultural events in Karcag

Kováts Mihály Memorial Days

– wreathing, procession of Kováts Mihály Primary School May 12th – 14th
hussars, commemoration

11th sheep cooking contest Kálvin street, Museum Park, Kossuth square park June 26th – 28th

18th Cultural days of Nagykunság Karcag August 20th – 23rd

Exhibition of Kuman need­lework August 19th

Déryné Centre of Education and Youth
and bobbin lace – September 11th

Kunság Cultural Festival

– meeting of junior folklore Déryné Centre of Education and Youth August 20th
ensembles of twin towns

Procession of harvestmen Karcag city centre August 20th

Concert of the band

Kossuth square August 20th
”Ismerôs Arcok”

Fireworks Kossuth square August 20th

Karcag Feast of Bread – Meeting

of millers, baking and cooking
Szélmalmi Guest House August 21st
contest of miller dishes,
exhibition book presentation

Harvestmen ball City Coliseum August 21st

Hunters’ Day of
Museum Park and the area near the Barrack August 22nd
Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County

Contest of fishermen Brick Factory Lake August 23rd

Exhibition of Lajos Luka, August 23rd

Györffy István Nagykun Museum
master of wickerwork – September

1st World Meeting of Kumans Zuglóger- Erzsébet garden September 26th – 27th

15th Karcag Horsemen Days Zuglóger October 10th – 11th

www.karcag.hu

25
Karcag – 2009
 Information of Public Interest

Local Authority Bus Terminal

5300 Karcag, Kossuth tér 1. 5300 Karcag, Széchenyi tér 5.
Tel.: (59) 500-610 Tel.: (59) 311-052
E-mail: [email protected]
www.karcag.hu Post Office
5300 Karcag, Széchenyi sugárút 4.
Ambulance: Tel.: (59) 311-214
5300 Karcag, Zöldfa u. 48.
Tel.: (59) 311-803 ill.104 Petrol Stations:
MOL
Police Station 5300 Karcag, Madarasi út 13.
5300 Karcag, Kossuth tér 1. Tel.: (59) 400-028
Tel.: (59) 500-250 ill. 107 No. 4 expressway, tel.: (59) 312-315
OMV
Fire Brigade 5300 Karcag, Madarasi út 61.
5300 Karcag, Madarasi út 2. Tel.: (59) 311-800
Tel.: (59) 503-111 ill. 105 Cuman-Oleum Kft.
5300 Karcag, Szivárvány u. 2/A
Gábor Kátai Hospital and Clinic Tel.: (59) 314-422
5300 Karcag, Zöldfa u. 48.
Tel.: (59) 507-111 István Györffy Museum
of Great Cumania
General Practitioners’ Offices 5300 Karcag, Kálvin u. 4.
5300 Karcag, Széchenyi sugárút 27. Tel.: (59) 312-087
Tel.: (59) 311-233 E-mail: [email protected]

Pharmacies : Déryné Cultural

Oroszlán Gyógyszertár and Youth Centre
5300 Karcag, Kórház u. 4. 5300 Karcag, Dózsa György u. 5-7.
Tel.: (59) 503-222 Tel.: (59) 503-402
Kígyó Gyógyszertár E-mail: [email protected]
5300 Karcag, Horváth Ferenc u. 1. www.derynekarcag.hu
Tel.: (59) 503-015
Berek Patika Csokonai City Library
5300 Karcag, Kiss Antal u. 3. 5300 Karcag, Dózsa György u. 29.
Tel.: (59) 312-448 Tel.: (59) 503-152
E-mail: [email protected]
Betánia Gyógyszertár www.vcsk.hu
5300 Karcag, Szabó József u. 14.
Tel.: (59) 314-277 TOURINFORM Office
5300 Karcag, Dózsa György u. 5-7.
Railway Station Tel.: (59) 503-225
5300 Karcag, Vasút u. 101. E-mail: [email protected]
Tel.: (59) 311-110

26
Karcag – 2009
Kun-Mediátor Travel Office Graveyard-keeper’s House
5300 Karcag, Táncsics körút 15. Északi temetô, Külterület 3.
Tel.: (59) 401-049 Tel.: (59) 312-967
E-mail: [email protected]
Exhibition of Medical and Pharmacy
Windmill History
5300 Karcag, Vágóhíd u. 22. 5300 Karcag, Széchenyi sugárút 45.
Tel.: (59) 311-411 Tel.: 30/4577-309

Windmill Inn Mill with Millstones

5300 Karcag, Vágóhíd u. 1. 5300. Karcag, Kisújszállási út 18.
Tel.: (59) 311-954 Tel.: (59) 311-252

Sándor Kántor ’s Pottery House Studio of Sándor Györffy

5300 Karcag, Erkel Ferenc u. 1. 5300 Karcag, Széchenyi sugárút 56.
Tel.: (59) 312-087 Tel.: (59) 503-382

Great Cumanian Folk House Sports Services Centre

5300 Karcag, Jókai u. 16. 5300 Karcag, József A. u. 1.
Tel.: (59) 312-087 Tel.: (59) 311-954

Introduction of Karcag: György Elek

Translation: Beneford Kft. Budapest
Photos: A
 ttila Hangyási
Photo archives of Karcag and
Co-financed by the European Union its twin towns
within the programme “Europe for Map: Firbás –Map Studio
Citizens” 2007 – 2013.
Edited by: Katalin Garai
Published by: dr. Sándor Fazekas
Publisher: Municipality of Karcag
Prepared in the rinoceros Graphic
Studio, Karcag

27
Karcag – 2009
 40

38

39
32

37

57

31

8
36
30 29
54 45
55 47
51 35
53
28 26
34
33 18 48
27 24
3 Kossuth 16 La
49 2 4 5 15 jos tér
17 56
6,7 50 14 52
1920
25
10 21
119

12

13
23
Or­vos­- és
Pa­ti­katör­té­ne­ti Kiállítás
41 22

42

43 46

44
1

Information of Public Interest

1. T he Cumanian Memorial Place 13. Cumanian Farmhouse 27. G ábor Áron Grammar School, 37. K álvária Hill 47. B us Terminal
2. The Reformed Church 14. Town Hall the Secondary School of Health 38. W indmill 48. M  arket Hall
3. The Country Flag 15. Heroes of the First World War Studies and Students’ Hostel 39. R eception House 49. F ire Brigade
4. Cumanian Pieta 16. Victoria Well 28. O rthodox Greek Church 40. Z ádor Bridge 50. P olice Station
5. Kossuth’s statue 17. The Statue of Gyula Németh 29. G reat Cumanian Millennium 41. M ill with Millstones 51. K un-Mediátor Travel Agency
6. Nagykun Reformed Church 18. Synagogue Monument 42. C umanian Riding Arena 52. N imród Bio Hotel &
Elementary School 19. Catholic Church 30. T own Thermal Bath and Spa 43. S ámuel Szentannai Vocational Bio Restaurant
7. J ohann Calvin’s relief 20. The Bust of Saint Stephen 31. K átai Gábor Clinic Hospital Secondary School for Farming, 53. S árgaház Restaurant
8. T icket House 21. Post Office 32. T he Cemetery Caretaker’s House the Secondary School and the 54. O  rthovis Ltd.
9. István Györffy Great Cumanian 22. Museum of Pharmacy and (partly underground) Dormitories 55. K un-Sped Ltd.
Museum Medical History 33. D éryné Cultural and 44. T he Research Institute of the 56. K erekcipó Ltd.
10. T he Bronze Statue of 23. Morgó Country Tavern Youth Centre Agricultural Centre of the 57. r inoceros Graphical Studio
28
11.
István Györffy
István Mándoky Kongur’s relief
24.
25.
Court
Karcag Youth House
34. T ourinform office
35. H ouse of Handicrafts
Debrecen University
45. S zékely (Transylvanian) Gate
12. S ándor Kántor’s Potter House 26. Old People’s Home 36. C sokonai Town Library 46. T he Railway Station