Zombori István (szerk.): Nagy István emlékkönyv (Szeged, 1999)
MARJANUCZ László: Szeged társadalma és népességfejlődése a 18-19. században
épp Kremminger Antal prépost fakadt ki többször a vallásos érzület visszaszorulása, a templomba-járás csökkenése miatt. Bár az is tagadhatatlan, hogy a közélet civil ünnepeit a katolikus egyház példásan be- és megtartatta híveivel. 10 0 Lőw Lipót munkássága viszont arra tanított, hogy a társadalmi szekularizáció racionális világnézettel, a polgári értékek vállalásával új közösségépítő elem lehet. Megfelelni a polgári fejlőldés követelményeinek úgy, hogy egy társadalmilag erősen tagolt közösség legkisebb közös nevezője, hitbéli meggyőződése, erkölcsi felfogása, érzelmi vonzódása maradjon — ehhez sikeres életpálya, a szociális stabilitás anyagi megalapozottsága, s elviselésének pszichológiai képessége kellett. LÁSZLÓ MARJANUCZ THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE MIDDLE CLASS OF SZEGED AND ITS SOCIAL REQUIREMENTS AT THE TURN OF THE 19TH CENTURY One of the determining factors of the social development of Szeged was the econogeographical situation of the city. Among other things, this has influenced not only the kinds of activities of the residents, but population growth as well. We have to keep in mind the legal status of the city as a factor that aided its development since it regained its free status (that is, being loyal only to the king) in 1719. This position was so favourable that even members of the nobility gave up their privileges in order to receive permission to live in the city. One of the indicators of social development is the change in the number of residents, as well as the structure of the sources of development. An important characteristic of this growth is the steady change that was seen in Szeged during the eighteenth century when the city began losing its Hungarian ethnic characteristic in the Palánk district (downtown). This transformation was accompanied by the increase of a Serbian social class at first, and then later, the German community of Szeged came to be more dominant. We have two census figures regarding the total number of residents: one from 1720 and the other from 1786. According to the available data which was adjusted using various mathematical calculations, the population of Szeged was approximately 13,500 in 1720 and 21,519 in 1786. The demographic development of the ninteenth century fulfilled the requirements of the era with regard to the constant increase of the population. The most important source of this progress was urbanization influenced by the transition of the agricultural regions (such as Alsóváros) to more intensive modes of agricultural production. However, these growing figures do not necessarily mean the development of a city-dwelling middle class, since there was also a significant suburban population present beside it, leading a primarily rustic way of life. Furthermore, there was also the migration brought about by the social developments of the turn of the century which was leading out of the city by this time. According to the other criteria of urbanism (the employment of the residents, cultural, transportation and communication, etc. infrastructure), Szeged became one of the developed, capitalistic cities of the turn of the century, though not one of the leaders. The analysis of the distribution of age shows that the living conditions and the cost of living improved. There were more people who reached a mature age since the top of the population pyramid expanded. There are two reasons why the religious composition of the residents are worth the mention. 100 Sz.N. 1881. márc. 17. 2. p. 43
