Kenyeres István (szerk.): Urbs. Magyar Várostörténeti Évkönyv XVI. - Urbs 16. (Budapest, 2022)
Abstracts
Abstracts 475 László Pakó A Place of Entertainment or Violence? Pubs and Crimes against Life in Early Modem Kolozsvár The study concisely summarizes the available data on the early modem history of the taverns and pubs of Kolozsvár, and then, based on the city’s documents from the 1570s-1660s (court records, account books), examines the early modern manslaughter trials that were brought before the city court for incidents that occurred in the city’s taverns. According to our preliminary research, the sources include about a dozen lawsuits for fatal crimes committed in or near taverns in Kolozsvár. The participants in the fights could come from all levels of urban society. Mostly, they were soldiers, guildsmen, serfs from the surrounding villages, city servants or aimless idlers who got involved in quarrels in pubs. Occasionally, a town citizen appeared among them, but most of them were in the tavern because of their job (bartender, musician) or got involved in the conflict because of their official duties (town servant). The opposing parties in the clashes were usually young men from similar social backgrounds, but this does not mean that women’s presence in the pubs is to be overlooked. In most cases, sudden anger between pub-goers led to violence. Alcohol was a major factor in the outburst of aggression, but the young age and resulting impulsiveness of most of the characters also contributed to the fact that small insults easily escalated into deadly confrontations. Borbála Fábián “Let’s Drink, Brother-In-Law, Because There is Still Good Wine in Baja.” The Role of the Baja Fruit Growers’ Association in the History of Viticulture and Wine Culture in Baja In the 19th century, the town of Baja was almost surrounded by vineyards. There are also records of local viticulture from the Turkish period. In the first half of the 19th century, Baja had the most vineyards in the Bácska region, and was also an important centre for the long-distance wine trade in the Tolna and Baranya wine regions. By the beginning of the 20th century, white wine production became dominant, and the cultivation of table grapes also started. After the phylloxera crisis, the profitability of the Baja vineyards on sandy soil increased greatly. The Baja Fruit Growers’ Association, founded in 1889, contributed significantly to the growth of vineyards and the spread of modem viticulture. The association also helped to strengthen the local fruit and grape cultivation by offering free lectures and courses, practical training, and apprenticeships. From 1890 onwards, another grape disease, Peronospora, had to be dealt with by local producers.
