Takács Edit: Petrák-krónika, „meljis Szentes városának a legrégib idöktöl valló történetét … foglalja magában” - Tanulmányok Csongrád megye történetéből 25. (Szentes – Szeged, 1997)
Summary
Krónika meljis Szentes városának ... developed very early in the school children and adults in Szentes. The continuations and annual records shows that chronicle writers knew what they had written about the actual events, laying the fundation of the local history. The Petrák Chronicles - 10 varieties - that are well-known nowadays are copies and continuation of earlier ones. The first well-known author - after whom the chronicle was named - was Ferenc Petrák. His work was "Chronicle, which included hystories, floods, plagues, earthquakes, good harvest, droughts of the town of Szentes from the very early times, the names of places, its neighbourhood and robberies by the Turkish and the names of judges from 1736". Its title also shows that it is a consciously constructed town history. The work of Ferenc Petrák was copied, completed and continued by 18 known and one unknown person. Further copies, additions and continuations were made of the duplicates in the meantime. The chronicles, as handwritten books were the most popular in the 2nd part of the 19,h century. We know five between I860 and 1870, six between 1870 and 1890, three between 1880 and 1890 and only 2 after 1890. In spite of the copies the contents of the chronicles are mainly identical. Generally they are separated into two parts, the first can be attributed to Ferenc Petrák, that appears also in the title and consists of parts according to the content of the town history till 1750, the second is a chronicle like a continuation titled "Weather records". These latest ones reflect the mentality of craftsmen and farmers faithfully in the spirit of the rustic view of history. Among the records we can find economic results, weather events and important occurences in the town's life. So contrary to well-known chronicles from other parts of the country - which are comprehensive town histories or they immortalize excellent events of an era, - Szentes chronicles prove that the keen interest of the local past is present in the society of the town through many generations. We can read geographical descriptions, interesting stories, anecdotes, predictions as well as historical records in the two chronicle-varieties. These are found in calendars, schoolbooks based on the popular Sunday Newspaper writings. Literary works and occasional poems are especially remarkable. The majority of the authers were very shy. We hardly know anything about their characters and family from the chronicles. We know almost nothing about them - except two. Handwritten chronicles came to an end by the end of the 20th century in Szentes. It was therefore natural that the monograph titled "History of Szentes" written by László Sima appeared and had spread by that time, and the role of the chronickler was taken over by the written press. In 1970 ten published varieties of Petrák Chronicles were collected by the colleagues of Szentes Archives after 50-100 years neglect. The original copies were put into the property of the archives or the museum, but there are some in private property, as well. We are to publish ten varieties in accordance 306
