Heves megyei aprónyomtatványok 23/G
‘^"»Ih.vtoUVW^' Aggtelek The village has a population of 665, but it has been inhabited since the Stone Age. The Baradla Cave made the area well-known all over the world. Excavations show that iron industry already existed in the 10th- U,h century after the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin. It was first mentioned in a 1295 diploma as Ogogteluk, as Ogteluk in 1358, as Aggtelek in 1390, but the 1424 records are already of its present name. The Reformed Church was built at the turn of the 12th and 13th century. On the southern wall of the church the original openings can be still seen. The steeple was built by Czech Hussites as a watch tower. 1858 was a tragic year when all of the village but one building perished in a fire. Forestry, agriculture, and lime stone burning used to be the main source of income. Some nice samples of folk architecture, and traditional agriculture can be still seen. In the close vicinity of the village one of Hungary’s most interesting landscapes, the so-called “Devil's ploughland" can be found, which is an open karst area. Just across the road, outside of Aggtelek, some traditional ribbon plots still remain. Jósvafő The village of Jósvafő is situated in the middle of the Aggtelek Karst region, in the Jósva Stream Valley. Three other streams, the Tohonya, the Kecső and the Kajta Streams flow into the Jósva here. The first record of the name comes from a 1272 diploma. Here it was named llsuafey, indicating that the stream springs nearby. A diploma issued by King Zsigmond (Sigismund) in 1399 mentions a forging mill, and a stone church. The church is fortified with a wall, inside the coffered, painted ceiling, the gallery, the pulpit, and the pew fronts are remarkable. There are a few caves in the close vicinity of the village. During the 1927-28 period a tunnel was made into a newly discovered section of the Baradla Cave system, namely a room communicating with the Giants’ Hall. It resulted in the fact, that Jósvafő became part of cave tourism. The Tengerszem Pond was created in front of the entrance of the cave, a new hotel was built, and a small turbine built in the dam produced enough electricity to illuminate the cave. These developments and the discovery of new branches were organised and conducted by a hydrogeologist the late Dr. Hubert Kessler. Under Dr. László Jakucs' direction, the air of the Béke (Peace) Cave, discovered only in 1952, was and is still utilised for medical purposes. Today its terminal room is a sanatorium for asthma patients.
