Héjjas Pál - Horváth M. Ferenc: Régi képeslapok - Old postcards - Alte Ansichtskarten, 1896 - 1950 - Váci Történelmi Tár 2. (Vác, 2001)

Város a Duna partján - történeti áttekintés

The agreement with the vassals was concluded in November 1867 and following the redistribution of landed property in 1870 the ex-serfs and cotters had their own possessions and could freely use their detached land, received grazing- and forestland. Only stipulation of the lesser royal beneficial interests and vineyard tithe kept trailing on for decades and the one-time landowners and serfs agreed to solve these matters only in 1912. It was after the 1867 agreement that the new capitalist and civic transformation aiding laws were born. Vác operated as a town with regular council, based on a representative system. The non-competitive guilds ceased their operation, their role was taken over by individual tradesmen, industrial companies then later by the Craftsmen's Association of Vác, rallying all the trades and industrial schools provided apprentice-training which was considered a national task. Bigger, but manufacture level industry was represented by the Reitter car factory, Neumann Vinegar Factory, Udvardy-Hoffman's steam mill and Lőwinger's Furniture Factory from 1850-1870. In the 1880's the ravages of phylloxera had the effect of an elemental disaster on the life of vine-growers. Following it several hundred farmers lost their livelihood. The number of the non-competitive craftsmen and the multitude of those who lost their land increased the number of the unemployed. Factories in Budapest, Újpest, and Rákospalota received the released labour force first of all. The town itself promoted the settlement of guilds, with concessions, free sites, exemption from taxation, in spite of some protesting political overtones, who didn't want to admit the spirit of labour movement to town. The first representative of factory industry was the First Hungarian Weaving and Knitting Factory Pty, established in 1889, followed by the Cylinder Mill of Vác Pty, in 1905, the Kobrak Shoe Factory acquiring national reputation in 1908, the Measuring Instrument and Machine Tool Factory and several smaller enterprises. Among the agricultural enterprises there were small holders and medium landowners e.g. the Huber and Marx families' property, the wine cellars of the bishopric and the collegiate church, and the unequalled Hungarian-Belgian Market Gardening Pty established in 1909. Before WWI only a quarter of the population lived on agriculture, the number of merchants and tradesmen was relatively high. The almost 200 merchants and 500 industrialists established several organizations for interest protection, creditand insurance companies aiding economic activity, including the establishment of the Industrial and Commercial Credit Bank in 1870, the Credit Cooperative of Vác and Neighbourhood in 1900 and the Economic and Industrial Credit Cooperative of Vác in 1917 and the Ant Cooperative food and department store. The small town's activity is well demonstrated by all those institutions, civil organizations and clubs established after 1867. The most characteristic of them are the Casino, the Young Men's Club, the Choral Society, the Museum Curators' Union, Women's Religious Circles, reading circles, farmers' associations, friendly societies, burial societies, fire fighters' unions, sports associations. By the end of the century around 25-30 unions and clubs were established. They are typical civil institutions that sprang into being and served a bigger public circle - a newspaper, the Váci Hírlap in 1870, a musical institute in 1888, a theatre hall and a private hospital with 50-place capacity. The denominational division of the population became more diverse; apart from the Roman Catholic and Reformed Churches the Evangelical congregation was formed at the beginning of the 1840's, the Jewish religious community, from which the Orthodox community seceded. Beside the ecclesiastical primary schools, which were reorganized based on Eötvös' Public Education Act of 1868, several private schools, trade schools and Sunday remedial schools were established. In 1893 they started the first Secondary School for Girls and in 1911 the first Secondary School for Boys. The Teachers' College of the Order of Mercy commenced in 1880/81 and became a Central Secondary School, disposing of the admission to conduct matriculation examinations. Students were taught and kept busy according to the newest principles of didactic theory in the Deaf and Mute Institute starting from its foundation. At the same time, between 1867-1904 they trained teachers and assistants for deaf and mute training. In 1911/12 an institute was established for professional training of deaf and mute girls and boys. Social changes transformed the external appearance of the town. The works that targeted the embellishment of the place and the improvement of public health and safety started in 1860's. From the 1880's they rebuilt the rampart along the Danube, built piers, beaches and alleys here. They started to build the drainage system, paved sidewalks, designated waste dumps. Mihály Bauer, art teacher and entrepreneur founded a new district, Deákvár in 1899-1900. Building Deákvár made it obvious that the town overgrew the boundaries of its inner territory. The relatively peaceful development was broken by the WWI, the Hungarian Soviet Republic following it, the 95 days of holding of Vác by the pro-ally Romanian troops and the peace treaty of Trianon. Because of these tragic events the economic, social and constitutional life of the country had to be reorganized. The town led by a regular council became in 1929 a municipal center. This step didn't mean a rise in the hierarchy of towns rather a withdrawal of some local government rights and a stronger influence of the central powers on local administration. The consolidation of economy happened relatively fast. In Vác - using the favourable conditions, naval and railway traffic the proximity of the capital, the relatively cheap labour force and the concessions offered by the local government - more and more industrial enterprises started their operation between the two world wars. In 1919 the Cement Works, in 1921 the Vinegar Factory, in 1922 Kodak Ltd, the Calcareous Brick Factory, the metal foundry and the Steam Heater Factory, in 1923 the Stocking Factory, in 1927 the Spinning Mill, in 1928 Nándor's Cylinder Mill, in 1933 the Tread and Yarn Factory, in 1935 the Lining and Textile Factory, and in 1943 the Leatherwear and Chemical Factory. These factories employed local and suburban labour force. In spite of this the handicraft industry remained significant and retail dealers performed the majority of commerce.