Baranya megye évszázadai (1000-1918) - Tanulmányok és források Baranya megye történetéből 3. (Pécs, 1996)

Német és angol nyelvű összefoglaló

Summary The favourable terrain and climatic conditions of the Mecsek Hill region have encouraged people to settle down here since the very early stages of human history. The huge amount of finds and objects shows continous presence in this territory from prehistoric to Celtic and Roman times. The history of Baranya county, as all other Hungarian ones, goes back to the age of state founding. Although the origin of the name „Baranya" is debated, according to the majority of the scholars it is a Slavic word. The name came from the name of the settlement „Baranyavár" (Baranya Fort) which most probably preserved a personal name. This settlement became the residence of the bailiff, and as a fort by the border of the kingdom it controlled the important Székesfehérvár - Nándorfehérvár military road. At the beginnings, the territory of the county coincided with the area of the Pécs Episcopate (founded in 1009), and included territories south of the river Dárda. The state and church founding king, Holy Stephen I. established a Benedictine monastery at Pécsvárad (1015), whirch was one of the earliest and biggest in Hungary. The Romanesque village churches of Mánfa, Kővágószőlős. Cserkút and Malom represent the outstanding quality of the architectural and art style of the Early Middle Age. This territory and its extraordinary beauty of the landscape provided background, amongst others, for the work of Bishop Mór, the first Hungarian writer, and Janus Pannonius, the famous poet of the Renaissance Europe. Baranya county is well-known from the nationa's history: the first Hungarian university was founded in Pécs, the 1526 defeat of Mohács, and the heroic, apocaliptic struggle against the Turkish Empire at Szigetvár. Through the centuries it achieved European reputation by its fruits, wines and later by coalmining. The territory was raided and destroyed several times by the Mongol invasion (1241-42) and the Turkish cupation; by the end of this period the area almost became deserted. However after the Mongol raids Baranya became one of the biggest county in the Kingdom, and later, 100 years after the end of the Turkish rule - with the help of settlement and inner migration -, it proved to be one of the most important county again, showing Baranya's vitality. The outstanding individuals and the unknown citizens of the past centuries - from the Renaissance through the Age of Reformation; from the Turkish Rule to the Reform Age, and from the 1848-49 War of Independence to World War I., and since then - left a intellectual and cultural heritage, which ought to be preserved. This task is everybody's moral obligation. The beauty and richness of the county was desribed with enthusiasm by visiting foreign scientists and travellers at the beginning of the 19th century. Adolf Grûnhold described Baranya as Hungary's Eldorado, and the famous scientist Richard Bright also admired the county. Their view is at one with the locals' opinions (Bayer Boday, Strázsay, Hölbling, Haas) and thus they cannot be blamed with patriotic prejudice. As an outline this book is aimed to present our homeland's last millennium with facts and pictures. The studies prove that thrugh the centuries Baranya county's role has not been secondary in the history of the Hungarian people who are celebrating the 1100. anniversary of their settlement.