Benda Gyula: A keszthelyi uradalom 1850 előtti hagyatéki és vagyoni összeírásai 1. - Keszthely 1711-1820 (A Néprajzi Múzeum forráskiadványai 1; Budapest, 1988)

Summary

century saw the region become the property of the feudal landlord Festetics family, which built a castle in Keszthely. This was the managing centre of the family's holdings. They also built a number of schools there. The town has lost its privileges. In the early 18-th century it had a population of some 2 to 3000, and from the 1740-es the size had grown rapidly for some 50 years to slow down in the 19-th century (in 1785 the town was inhabited by 4000, and in 1851 by 6800 people). The town's development lagged behind the growth of Hungary's commercial centres. The population lived on vine cultivation, fishing and handicrafts. In the middle of the 19-th century 38 per cent of the local population lived on the surrounding hills planted with vineyards. The manorial farm had played a major economic role in the life of the t own

. At the end of the 18-th century 4,5 per cent of the population belonged to the nobility, however this section of the population included very different groups regarding economic standards and life styles, with the majority farming or working as craftsmen. The small town bourgeoisie, the bondsmen and the people living on the vineyards formed a colourful feudal structure. The employees of the manor (who paid lower taxes and were not under the municipal authority of the town) and the jews the number of whom was rapidly growing had special rights. In 1828 5 per cent of the Inhabitants were clerks, teachers or professionals of other types, 23 per cent were traders or craftsmen. 45 per cent, that is the majority of the inhabitants lived on their own vineyards, and 9 per cent on farming. 18 per cent were agricultural labourers (field hands, shepherds, day-wage men) . Most of the inhabitants were Catholic Hungarians, and there were two separate ethnic groups: that of a German group of craftsmen of significant size and that of a Jewish population (in 1785 the percentage of the Jewish population was 2, in 1851 5). Probate courts were organised in accordance with the above described division of the feudal