A Debreceni Déri Múzeum Évkönyve 2007 (Debrecen, 2008)

Néprajz, kulturális antropológia - N. Szabó Magdolna: Ahol gyárak épültek a hagyományos tudásra. Adatok a hajdúnánási szalmakalap-ipar történetéhez

Magdolna AV. Szabó Where factories are based on traditional craft. Facts about the history ofthe straw-hat industry in Hajdúnánás Hajdúnánás was one ofthe most remarkable centres ofthe straw-hat industry in historical Hungary. Straw-hat making, which had developed into a factory industry, flourished in the last decades of theigth century, but the period of prosperity ended at the time of World War I and the Treaty of Trianon. Relying on historical, press and archival documents, the present study gives the background to the foundation of straw-hat factories, lists their main markets, describes the different product types and the circumstances of production, and also mentions the industry's regional significance and its relationship to domestic industry. First of all, the study looks at the early forms of domestic strawprocessing, a long-running tradition in the Trans-Tisza region, with centres such as Hajdúnánás, Hajdúböszörmény (in the Hajdú region), Hencida and Gáborján (in the Bihar region). From the 19th century, the peasantry wore straw hats mainly for working in the fields in summer. Pieces made in a more refined European style were still fashionable accessories of middle-class clothing in the early 20th century. The former ones were products of traditional domestic industry. The purely hand-made hats were sold at the nearby markets by the craftsmen themselves. The first factories in the countryside, based on the traditional knowledge of craftsmen, catering for a wider middle-class public and also producing forforeign markets, were built in Hajdúnánás at the end ofthe 19th century. The best-equipped major straw-hat factories used steam machines and empolyed several hundred workers. At the same time, they relied on thousands of domestic craftsmen who provided them with straw plaits. To serve the needs ofthe straw-hat factories, a rocketing number of smaller or larger businesses were set up specialising in the preparation ofthe raw material, painting and bleaching. They based their economic activity on the high-quality, locally grown wheat and rye straw as well as the traditional knowledge and hard work ofthe people of Hajdúnánás. Apart from serving local needs, the large factories and small local businesses produced most of their goods for export to Transylvania, to Felvidék (the "Highlands", once part of Hungary, attached to Slovakia after WWI), Serbia, Romania and Galiciai. This study examines the operation and impact of the factories in Hajdúnánás; the traditional methods of straw-hat making are not detailed.