Merk Zsuzsa - Bálint Attila: Baja is town for 300 years - A Bajai Türr István Múzeum kiadványai 27. (Baja, 1999)

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The Grassalkovich Palace before rebuilding (1896)

From the end of the 17th century all the way through the 18th century, we see a continuous influx of Germans, who, in everyday speech, are still referred to as Sváb, or Swabian. The members of the state administration, the officials of the imperial treasury, and the artisans serving the imperial armies stationed in the region for almost a century, were mostly Germans. The state-initiated forced resettlement of Germans from the territory of the German Empire did not reach Baja; the inhabitants of the Swabian villages around Baja, especially skilled artisans, settled voluntarily in the city.

From the middle of the 18th century, Jews played an increasing role in the life of the merchant city on the banks of the Danube. The county census of 1753 makes mention of ten Jewish families living in Baja. In 1768, a community of 16 Jewish families was granted a permit to build a synagogue. From the first half of the 19th century, Jews played a very important role in the life of the city both economically and culturally. In 1900, almost 11 % of the city's population is Jewish.

In 1750, Baja changed hands and became the property of Count Antal Grassalkovich, considered at the time the most successful in increasing his estate

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