Bárkányi Ildikó – F. Lajkó Orsolya (szerk.): A Móra Ferenc Múzeum Évkönyve 2017., Új folyam 4. (Szeged, 2018)
Néprajz
[udit Szűcs The market of Csongrád The market of Csongrád Judit Szűcs The market of Csongrád, as it is customary in the lives of settlements, played a key role, its place changed in a similar fashion. It has withdrawn from the town center towards the outer areas, and then moved to a side street near the train station which conducted the transportation of goods to the countryside. This became the great market from the 1960s'. Usually, the products of traditional peasant farms were traded here (Fish used to be sold separately. This place is commemorated by the Halpiac (Fish Market) Street.) In the 1980s' and 90s', more and more leftover vegetables and fruits were brought to the streets adjacent to the central square of the town district called Piroskaváros. The place of sales moved to the square. Much more space was available here for the ever growing international marketplace, especially for Romanian and Ukrainian salesmen. The market on the square was renewed; covers were put above some of the tables, the gates of the high-fenced square were opened according to its opening hours. The author conducted his research between 2010 and 2015, the results of his purchases, discussions and observation are summarized as follows: 30 to 60 % of total supply was from primary producers, the origin of 10% is uncertain. Throughout the years, the sale of processed goods has been increasing in a steady fashion. They buyer’s attitude towards the price: does not haggle, either buys or not; observes the indicated price, either tastes the product or not, moves on; tries to haggle, manages to agree, buys, does not succeed, goes away without buying. The price from the side of the seller. If demand is greater than supply, they maintain shop price; if supply is high, the goods spoil quickly and/or the buyer faces a familiar ad-hoc seller, then the buyer may buy at a cheaper price. On Saturdays mornings the buyer buys in a quick, shop-like fashion from the distributor, he does not realize or use the previously discussed manners of purchase (difference between primary producer and distributor, possible fluctuation of price). Personal connections and trust have a more important role when buying from a marketplace, compared to shops. The marketplace is a place and occasion for the settlement to experience its social life as well, Csongrád is no exception. Apart from family experience, the members of peasantry acquired their knowledge of agricultural production, including fruit and vegetable cultivation in various degrees of school. After 1945, they could attend the vocational school in Szentes. Nowadays, there are those in the marketplaces of Csongrád, who utilize the knowledge they acquired in this school as vegetables farmers from Nagyrét or apple farmers from Kisrét. By age, the majority of primary producers are pensioners. The oldest one is 93, while the youngest is 12-13 years of age. In the aging city, residents have been asking for the opening of a place of sale in the Petőfi Street, at the location where the so-called great market used to be, in the inner city since the summer of 2014. These places began their operation as sales platforms from primary producers' goods once a week. Outside of the marketplace, primary producers sold their goods at their houses, on the main street (it has been banned lately), brought their goods to the house of the buyer upon order, they could sell their dairy products in shops of their own and sometimes they sold fruit as moving vendors. Fairs, which used to be blooming in the 1980s’, have completely died down in our town in the present day. The sale of home-bred rabbits is held on rare occation. The author conducted a research of the present using a traditional ethnographic collection (or oral material). 322
