Fügedi Márta szerk.: B.-A.-Z. megye népművészete (Miskolc, 1997)

ANGOL NYELVŰ ÖSSZEFOGLALÁS Fügedi Márta

THE FOLK ART OF BORSOD-ABAÚJ-ZEMPLÉN COUNTY Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén, which takes up 7.8% of the territory of the country, is the second largest county in Hungary. This artificial unit, which was created by the 1950 administrative reform, integrates areas with a variegated landscape character, which are considerably different in their economic and social development, as well. Its borders are only administrative borderlines and do not coincide with the regional structure of culture. The present county is one of the most indented regions of Hungary with one of the most varied landscape features. Due to their adaptation to the different natural conditions, their different history and social development this county consists of culture groups sometimes radically different, sometimes displaying only minor variations. 1. The present county comprises the former Borsod county, the southern part of Abaúj-Torna and Zemplén as well as the southern edge of Gömör- Kishont counties. The name-giving seats of Gömör and Zemplén counties can today be found in Slovakia. The temporary unification and separation of Gömör and Kishont counties on the one hand, and Abaúj and Torna counties on the other was a part of the 19th century administrative restructuring along with the minor frontier readjustments. The territorial changes caused by the peace treaties after World War I had a much greater impact, with direct and indirect consequences for the overall changes in traditional culture. The Trianon peace treaty left the area of Borsod county unaffected but half of the territory of AbaujTorna became part of the newborn state of Czechoslovakia. Hardly any of the area of Gömör county remained in Hungary; 1/3 of the large Zemplén county belongs now to Hungary. The historical counties united northern and southern territories with different ways of living and culture in the framework of the regional division of labour of several centuries. As the new borders were drawn without any consideration for either ethnic and linguistic dividing lines or economic contacts, this separated the areas from their natural centres. The uneven development of the regions of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county as well as the economic and cultural isolation of the border regions mainly resulted from the loss of the highland centres and the middle part of Zemplén county. Another contributing factor was the cut off of the Sajó, Bódva, Hernád and Bodrog valleys as the main communication lines, which deprived the population, economy and culture of the present county of their natural connections. It was