A Hajdú-Bihar Megyei Levéltár évkönyve 29. 2002-2003 (Debrecen, 2003)
Tanulmányok - Kun Enikő: "Mutogattya Isten haragját" - Adalékok az 1739/40-es debreceni pestis történetéhez
84 Kun Enikő: „Mutogattya Isten haragját”... ”God is Showing His Rage”- Details of the History of the Plague of 1739/40 in Debrecen Enikő Kun Since ancient times, plague has been regarded as one of the most devastating epidemics. It demanded a great number of casualties, and posed serious problems throughout Europe until the 18-19th century, and is still present in certain parts of other continents to this day. This disease has been known by many different names: “Black Death”, plague, pestilence, or “great death” all designated one and the same illness, which in the majority of cases meant certain death, as the above names also indicate. This epidemic hit medieval and modern Europe the worst, thereby causing a demographic, social, moral, etc. crisis. The present essay provides a brief overview of the situation created as a result of the outbreak of the plague decimating the population of Western Europe first, and then moves on to discuss the plague epidemic in Hungary, and especially in Debrecen in 1739/40. On the basis of the sources available in the Hajdú-Bihar County Archives, we are able to form an image of the city of Debrecen afflicted by the epidemic in 1739/40: the setting up of the quarantine, the decrees of the municipal council, the medical measures taken, the activities of midwives and surgeons, the social situation, beliefs, etc.
