A Békés Megyei Múzeumok Közleményei 21. (Békéscsaba, 2000)

Csete Gyula: Market-townish folk architecture in Mezőberény, town of three nationalities

Csete Gyula Market-townish folk architecture in Mezőberény, town of three nationalities - Gyula Csete Résumé No research has been carried out on the traditional architecture of Mezőberény, rooted in the peasant-citizen society of the market-town for the recent 25 years. A quarter century ago Lajos Hentz made a comprehensive study about the folk architecture of the settlement. The present study endeavours to show not only the changes occurred in the period passed since then but also takes other aspects into consideration. On one hand it presents the impacts of the middle-class life-style in the market-town, started to take form in the last century on the archaic rustic architecture. On the other hand it also discusses what kind of influences the three national group living in Mezőberény - the Hungarian, German and Slovakian - had on forming the traditional architectural picture during the two-century co-existence. From this view-point the study can be considered as interethnic research. A separate chapter deals with the general features of the urban folk architecture, analyses the architectural customs of the three nationalities in a detailed way, digresses the various forms of the side-buildings beside the houses, the heating equipment and site-arrangements. In addition to the diversifying features of the architectural elements it gives picture on the factual manifestation of the sale procedure. The data collection verifies the hypothesis that the German population living in the central part of the settlement had greater impact on the architecture of the other two ethnical groups. In its summary on the basis of recent complex examinations the study gives an overview on how the architectural regions belonging to the individual ethnic groups influenced each other in the town. A determinant element in the manuscript is the intention of preserving the traditional architectural values and emphasising its importance. Gyula Csete Orlai Pétries Soma Museum 5650 Mezőberény Gyomai Street 23. 222