A Hajdú-Bihar Megyei Levéltár évkönyve 24. 1997 (Debrecen, 1997)
Tanulmányok - Mónus Imre: A birtokviszonyok változása Hajdúböszörményben a XX. században
237 Hajdú-Bihar Megyei Levéltár Évkönyve XXIV CHANGES IN THE POSSESSORY CONDITIONS IN HAJDÚBÖSZÖRMÉNY IN THE 20th CENTURY Imre Mónus Forceful state interference was too great and too frequent in Hungarian agriculture in the 20th century. In the Hajdú towns, such as Hajdúböszörmény a special type of possessory conditions evolved, which can be attributed to the settling of Heyducks by Transylvanian Ruling Prince István Bocskai. Some changes could have been brought about by the land reform of 1920, however, there was scarcely any landed property larger than 1,000 acres that could have been distributed according to the then law. About 1,500 acres of land were distributed among landless peasants, very far away from the town, in addition to 394 building plots and 368 acres of land for non-commissioned members of the "Vitézi Rend" (Order of the Brave). The land reform of 1945 distributed landed property among a larger number of applicants, since the peasant farms larger than 100 acres were confiscated. The distributed area of 3,278 acres was given to 583 families (i. e. half of the applicants). The establishment of co-operatives was initiated in Hajdúböszörmény, too, in 1949. The progressive tendency in taxation and compulsory delivery of crops inflicted even more those, who pursued farming on larger estates. The June 1953 decision of the Central Committee of the Hungarian Workers’ Party slowed down the forced establishment of agricultural co-operatives. The above process was, however, strengthened in the following year, which was again stopped by the Revolution of 1956. At that time a great number of members left the collective farms and several co-operatives were dissolved. Small-peasant farming was on the way of consolidation again in 1957/58, but this was stopped by the December 1958 decision of the Hungarian Socialist Workers’ Party, under which the nation-wide large-scale forceful organisation of agricultural co-operatives began in 1959. At this time 98% of all arable land in Hajdúböszörmény belonged to the state and the co-operative sectors. In 1961 the state, the Registry of Title Deeds unified this great change in the possessory conditions by abolishing the files and the topographical lot numbers valid before 1945, and introduced new cadastral survey numbers beginning with 0, and laid down a completely new register (cadaster). In 1989 Act XIII on the transformation of economic organisations was published. Those who did not want to work in the new, voluntary co-operative units left, taking their property with them. Those whose land had been taken away by the state, under the 1991 Act I on Compensation received compensation tickets as exchange-value for their property and were able to purchase arable land, pasture from the land put up for auction.
