Cseri Miklós, Füzes Endre (szerk.): Ház és ember, A Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum évkönyve 19. (A Szabadtéri Néprajzi Múzeum és a Győr-Moson-Sopron Megyei Múzeumok Igazgatósága közös kiadványa, Szentendre, Győr, 2006)
REZÜMÉ
THE FOLK-ARCHITECTURE OF THE KISALFÖLD REGION The ethnographer author has been involved in the research of the folk architecture and settlement ethnography of the Kisalföld Region since 1956. In addition to his works as a museologist as well as a research institute and university fellow, in his later carrier he took part in different research projects concerning the protection of historic buildings. His research initially had and later was led by a threefold objective: He wanted to explore the unknown objects, types, technologies and aesthetic values of the folk architecture of the region bordered by Sopron, Pozsony (Bratislava), Nagyszombat (Trnava), Érsekújvár (Nővé Zámky), Léva (Levice) Esztergom, Kisbér, Pápa, Csepreg, Felsőőr (Oberwart), Kismarton (Eisenstadt) and Neusiedel (Nezsider). (See: map) He tried to determine the cultural and ethnographic borders of the Kisalföld Region, which was an extremely topical objective because the research of this region had been neglected. Based on his results he wished to explore (i) the connections of the Hungarian folk culture to the neighbouring Austrian, German, Bohemian and Moravian regions and (ii) the connections of the folk architecture of Kisalföld in the broader Central European context. During his work of more then a decade he collected a considerable amount of documentation, which in the meantime became itself significant historical source material, since the agricultural collectivisation having been completed around 1960 and the ensuing radical change of the way of the rural life destroyed the traditional architecture in Hungary, Moravia and Slovakia alike. Unfortunately, the development in the neighbouring Burgenland (Austria) resulted in a similar destruction. This monograph first of all covers the architectural practice of the 18-20" 1 centuries, since at the time of the material collection dwelling houses and farm buildings from the 18 th century still survived en masse and even an object from the 17 th century was found. The explored architectural practice in the region went back to medieval footing. The parallels of the typical architectural patterns of the region that could be studied by ethnographical methods here can be found in the archaeological material of other Hungarian regions, most prominently in that of the Great Plain. The closest patterns and the strongest ties could be found with the traditional architecture of the Szentendre Island and Mezőföld, but significant parallels could be identified with the regions of the Vienna Basin and the Morva Valley. The results, which have been published since 1970, have become widely accepted by the professional circles. This volume summarises the partial results and extends them with unpublished material and new analyses. It briefly but profoundly touches the settlement ethnographical conditions, and studies the types of the plot of land, and the order of its building over. A separate chapter looks into the construction materials and technologies. It details the roof structure and roof forms, while trying to identify the historical rules of the development of the different types. According to the established practice of the ethnography the book analyses the layout and heating appliances of the houses and examines the local social and economic conditions which had determining role in the process of their historical development (family structure, space requirement of the local farming practice). It also studies the forms of the buildings which were determined by their structural elements and the used materials as well as the architectonically prominent and/or decorated parts of the buildings (pediment, façade, entrance vault, penthouse, joist, etc.). It also aims at outlining the smaller regional units and exploring the historical background of their characteristic development. The book pays special attention to the barns which are the most monumental and internationally significant features of the architecture
