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Szepes (county)
Encyclopedia
Szepes is the Hungarian name of the historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary
officially called Scepusium before the late 19th century. It now lies in northeastern Slovakia
, with a very small area in southeastern Poland. For the current region see Spiš
.
Szepes county shared borders with Poland and with Slovakian counties as follows : Liptov, Gemer, Abov and Šariš. After the late 18th century dismemberment of Poland, the border was with the Austrian province of Galicia. Its area was 3,668 km² in 1910. The county became part of Czechoslovakia
, apart from a very small area now in Poland, after World War I
, and is now part of Slovakia (and Poland).
The territory is characterized by a large portion of forests; in the late 19th century, as much as 42% of Szepes was forest.
, which was constructed in the 12th century. Unofficially from the 14th century, and officially from the 16th century, until 1918 the capital of the county was Levoča
.
. The number was changed to 4 in 1798. In the second half of the 19th century the number of processuses (districts) was increased.
In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of the county Szepes/Spiš were (town names first in Hungarian, then in Slovak, then in German):
.
. The royal county
of Szepes (comitatus Scepusiensis) was created in the 2nd half of the 12th century. In the 1250s the border of the Kingdom of Hungary shifted to the north to Podolínec
and in 1260 - in the northwest - to the Dunajec river. The northeastern region around Hniezdne
and Stará Ľubovňa
(the so-called "districtus Podoliensis") were incorporated only in the 1290s. The northern border of the county stabilized in the early 14th century. Around 1300, the royal county became a noble county
.
The subsidiary of the Hungarian Chamber (the supreme Habsburg financial and economy institution in the Kingdom of Hungary
) responsible for eastern Slovakia and adjacent territories (i.e. not only for Szepes) was called the Szepes Chamber (Zipser Kammer in German), and it existed from 1563 to 1848. Its seat was the town of Kassa, today Košice
, sometimes Eperjes, (today's Prešov
).
were from the following Hungarian noble families:
or 'Parvus comitatus', known as 'Sedes superior' (upper county) or 'Sedes X lanceatorum' (county of the ten lance-bearers), which was situated to the east of Poprad in present-day southern Spiš
, and whose origin is unknown. From the 12th century onwards its inhabitants were known as the "guardians of the northern border." The inhabitants and names of the settlements in the county were Slovak
. In 1802, when its inhabitants decided to merge the sedes with Szepes county, it included the following settlements: Abrahámovce
, Betlanovce
, Filice (today part of Gánovce
), Hadušovce (today part of Spišské Tomášovce
), Hôrka
(including Kišovce, Svätý Ondrej, Primovce), Hozelec
, Jánovce
(including Čenčice), Komárov
, Levkovce (today part of Vlková
), and Machalovce (today part of Jánovce). Originally more villages were included.
The 'lance-bearers' were squire
s. The "sedes" was a collection of non-contiguous areas, which did not constitute a continuous territory. It had an autonomous government, similar to that of normal Hungarian counties
, but was partly subordinated to the head of Szepes county. Until the 15th century its capital was Spišský Štvrtok
(which interestingly was not part of the sedes territories); following this there were various capitals, and after 1726 the capital was Betlanovce
.
invited Germans to colonize the Szepes and other regions of present-day Slovakia, present-day Hungary and Transylvania
. The settlers were mostly traders and miners. The settlements founded by them in the southern parts (Szepesség) were mainly mining settlements (later towns). Consequently, until World War II Spiš had a large German
population (see Carpathian Germans
). The last wave of Germans arrived in the 15th century.
In the early 13th century, the people of Szepes created their own religious organization called the "Brotherhood of the 24 royal parish priests", which received many privileges from the local provost
. It was re-established after the Tatar invasion in 1248.
At the same time, the German settlements of the Hornád and Poprad basins created a special political territory with its own administration. They received collective privileges from King Stephen V
in 1271, which were confirmed and extended by King Charles I
in 1317, because the Szepesian Germans had helped him to defeat the oligarch
s of the Kingdom of Hungary in the battle at Rozhanovce
in 1312. The territory was granted self-government privileges similar to those of the royal free towns. In 1317, the special territory included 43 settlements, including Levoča
and Kežmarok
, which however withdrew before 1344. From 1370 the 41 settlements of the territory subscribed to a uniform special Szepes law system (called Zipser Willkür in German). Initially, the special territory was called "Communitas (or Provincia) Saxonum de Scepus". By the mid-14th century, the territory was reduced to 24 settlements and later the name was changed to Provincia XXIV oppidorum terrae Scepusiensis in Latin (Bund der 24 Zipser Städte in German [i.e. Province/Union of 24 Szepes towns]). The province was led by the Count
(Graf
) of Szepes elected by the town judges of the 24 towns.
There was yet another privileged territory in the Spiš. Until 1465, the privileged German mining towns in southern Szepes (e.g. Gelnica, Švedlár, Mníšek nad Hnilcom, Helcmanovce, Prakovce, Vondrišel (today called Nálepkovo), Jaklovce, Margecany, Smolník, Slovinky, and Krompachy) were also exempt from the power of the Count of Spiš.
King Sigismund of Luxembourg, ruler of Hungary, pawned 13 of the towns of the former Province, as well the territory around the Stará Ľubovňa
(i.e. the royal domain Libenow, plus Hniezdo and Podolínec) to Poland, in exchange for 60 times the amount of 37,000 of Czech groschen
, that is, approximately 7 tonnes of pure silver. This was to enable the financing of his war against Venice
. Similar short-time pledges (without interest payments) were not uncommon at that time (e.g. the pawning of the Nitra county
, Pozsony county, the Brandenburg
marches etc.). The pledged towns were to be returned to the Kingdom of Hungary as soon as the loan was repaid; nobody expected the pledge would take 360 years to redeem (from 1412 to 1772).
The 13 main pawned settlements did not form a continuous territory. They included:
Ľubica
, Poprad
, Matejovce (today in Poprad), Spišská Sobota (today in Poprad), Stráže pod Tatrami (today in Poprad), Veľká (today in Poprad), Ruskinovce (no longer in existence, located in the military training area Javorina near Kežmarok), Spišská Belá, Spišská Nová Ves, Spišské Podhradie
, Spišské Vlachy
, Tvarožná
and Vrbov
.
They kept their privileged status (now in respect of the Polish kings who did not change the privileges) and created the "Province/Union of 13 Szepesi towns" in 1412. The remaining 11 towns of the former 24 towns, which created the "Province/Union of 11 Szepesi towns" in 1412, were not able to maintain their privileges and as early as in 1465 they were fully incorporated into the Szepes county, i. e. they became subjects of the lords of the Spiš Castle
. Most of them gradually turned into simple villages and largely lost their German character.
The pawned territories remained politically a part of the Kingdom of Hungary (and of its Esztergom
diocese
), while the economic benefit of the territories was subject during the pledge to Poland. Poland also held some administrative powers in the area and was entitled to appoint a governor/administrator (starosta
) for the territories, with his seat in Stará Ľubovňa, to manage them economically (especially to collect tax revenues) and to position guards at important road crossings even outside the pawned territories. One of the first Polish governors of Szepes was the famous knight Zawisza Czarny
. Due to their complex political and economic status (German towns with Slovak subjects in the Kingdom of Hungary pawned to Poland) the towns experienced an economic collapse.
Attempts of the Kingdom of Hungary to repay the debt (most notably in 1419, 1426 and 1439) failed and later the will (or ability) to pay declined. After alleged mistreatment of the towns had occurred - especially by Teodor Konstanty Lubomirski, Maria Josepha of Austria
, queen consort of August III of Poland, and by Count Heinrich Brühl -, Maria Theresa of Austria
decided to recover them by force: she took advantage of the Polish noble insurrections
in the second half of the 18th century and occupied the towns in 1769 (with the apparent consent of the then Polish king Stanislaus II of Poland) without debt repayment. This act was confirmed by the First Partition of Poland
in 1772. In 1773 when the pawn was cancelled. In 1778 the 13 towns regained their privileges of 1271, the privileges were extended to the other 3 previously pawned towns, and this newly formed entity was named "Province of 16 Szepes towns". The capital of the province was Spišská Nová Ves. However, the privileges were gradually reduced and some 100 years later only religious and cultural rights remained. Finally, the province was dissolved altogether and incorporated into Szepes county in 1876.
testify to this affluence and culture. Until the end of the 17th century the area was often disrupted by wars, uprisings against the Habsburg
s, and epidemics (a plague of 1710/1711 killed over 20,000). But from the eighteenth century onwards, relative stability enabled faster economic development. Many craft guilds were founded and by the end of the 18th century over 500 iron mines were operative in the south.
Such prosperity naturally meant that the churches paid great interest to the region. А Lutheran synod
, the so-called Spiš synod, took place in Spiš in 1614. It discussed the Protestant organisation of the Szepes and Sáros
counties. In the Catholic
sphere, a separate Szepes Bishopric
was created in 1776 with its seat at Spišská Kapitula
.
The spirit of nationalism
, growing in the nineteenth century, moved also in Spiš. In 1868, 21 Szepesi settlements sent their demands, the 'Szepes Petition', to the Diet of the Kingdom of Hungary, requesting special status for Slovaks
within the Kingdom.
In 1871 the railway came to Szepes and this was to have profound consequences. On the one hand, it enabled economic and industrial expansion. On the other, it bypassed the old capital of the region, Levoča, and favoured the growth of centres on its route, such as Poprad and Spišská Nová Ves.
In the aftermath of World War I, Szepes county became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia, as recognized by the concerned states in the 1920 Treaty of Trianon
.
) 13.8% (8.4%, 8%) and 0.7% (6%, 6%) Magyars (Hungarians). Hardly any Hungarians lived in the territory during the existence of the Kingdom of Hungary. The sudden increase in listed Hungarians after 1869 may be due to statistical interpretation (use of "most frequently used language" as criterion); it may also be attributable to assimilation, Magyarisation, most notably of the German minority. The figures do not make clear how Jews were categorised, but their numbers must have been substantial as many of the towns had synagogues (one survives in Spišské Podhradie
) and Jewish cemeteries still survive in Kežmarok, Levoča and elsewhere.
Up until now, there is a significant population (about 40.000 to 48.000 estimated) of ethnic Poles
(practitally without any exception, the Gorals
using polish dialect of Spisz region). The hungarian censuses ignored the Polish nationality, all ethnic Poles were registered as Slovaks
. There was also a very strong process of Slovakization
of Polish people throughout XVIII-XX centuries, mostly done by Roman Catholic Church, in which institution the local aboriginal Polish priests were replaced with Slovak ones. Also the institution of schooling was replacing the polish language with slovak language during classes.
Up until XII century, there were no Hungarians (except the area of Spissky Hrad and the Church of Saint Martin) in the region. The Slovak and German inhabitants came to Spisz in following centuries in a process of colonitazion the Carpathian wilds by Hungarian Crown . All localities were inhabited by Poles, as a result of a natural process of colonizing the lands along the rivers, going up-stream. In this case, the river was Poprad (river) which flows into the Vistula
and thus belongs to the drainage basin of the Baltic Sea
(as opposed to nearby Hornad
and Vah
, and all other Slovak rivers; Poprad is the only river in contemporary Slovakia going north), and all colonizators originated from Sądecczyzna
and Podhale
region of Southern Poland
.
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
officially called Scepusium before the late 19th century. It now lies in northeastern Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
, with a very small area in southeastern Poland. For the current region see Spiš
Spiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
.
Geography
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, apart from a very small area now in Poland, after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, and is now part of Slovakia (and Poland).
The territory is characterized by a large portion of forests; in the late 19th century, as much as 42% of Szepes was forest.
Capitals
The original seat of government of Szepes county was Spiš CastleSpiš Castle
The ruins of Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš...
, which was constructed in the 12th century. Unofficially from the 14th century, and officially from the 16th century, until 1918 the capital of the county was Levoča
Levoca
Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
.
Subdivisions
From the beginning of the 15th century, the county was subdivided into three processusesProcessus (Kingdom of Hungary)
The processus was the name of the lowest-level administrative unit in the Kingdom of Hungary between the 15th century and 1918.The counties in the Kingdom of Hungary were composed of processus, till 1848 led by noble judges...
. The number was changed to 4 in 1798. In the second half of the 19th century the number of processuses (districts) was increased.
In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of the county Szepes/Spiš were (town names first in Hungarian, then in Slovak, then in German):
| Districts (járás) | |
|---|---|
| District | Capital |
| Gölnicbánya | Gölnicbánya, Gelnica Gelnica Gelnica is a town in the Košice Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,171.-Geography:It is located in the northern part of the Slovak Ore Mountains, in the Hnilec river valley, which flows few kilometres downstream into Hornád... , Göllnitz |
| Igló | Igló, Spišská Nová Ves, Zipser Neudorf |
| Késmárk | Késmárk, Kežmarok Kežmarok Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:... , Käsmark |
| Lőcse | Lőcse, Levoča Levoca Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,... , Leutschau |
| Ólubló | Ólubló, Stará Ľubovňa Stará Lubovna Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:... , Lublau |
| Szepesófalu | Szepesófalu, Spišská Stará Ves, Zipser Altendorf |
| Szepesszombat | Szepesszombat, Spišská Sobota, Georgenberg |
| Szepesváralja | Szepesváralja, Spišské Podhradie Spišské Podhradie Spišské Podhradie is a town in Spiš in the Prešov Region of Slovakia. Its population is 3,826.Spišské Podhradie is situated at the foot of the hill of Spiš Castle. It had a Zipser German settlement, with its own church and priest, in 1174... , Kirchdrauf |
| Urban districts (rendezett tanácsú város) | |
| Gölnicbánya, Gelnica Gelnica Gelnica is a town in the Košice Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,171.-Geography:It is located in the northern part of the Slovak Ore Mountains, in the Hnilec river valley, which flows few kilometres downstream into Hornád... , Göllnitz |
|
| Igló, Spišská Nová Ves, Zipser Neudorf | |
| Késmárk, Kežmarok Kežmarok Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:... , Käsmark |
|
| Leibic, Ľubica Lubica Ľubica is a large village and municipality in Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of north Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 630 metres and covers an area of 26.421 km² . It has a population of about 8,375 people.... , Leubitz |
|
| Lőcse, Levoča Levoca Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,... , Leutschau |
|
| Poprád, Poprad Poprad Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is... , Deutschendorf |
|
| Szepesbéla, Spišská Belá Spišská Belá Spišská Belá is a town in the Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region in Spiš in northern Slovakia.-History:The town was first mentioned in historical records in 1263. The town received town rights in 1271. Scientist and inventor Joseph Petzval was born here in 1807. The town center has been... , Zipser Bela |
|
| Szepesolaszi, Spišské Vlachy Spišské Vlachy Spiśské Vlachy is a town in eastern Slovakia. It is in the Spiš region . It is now administratively in the district of Spišská Nová Ves, which is part of the Košice Region. The adjective "Spišské" is used to distinguish it from 6 other towns listed as "Olasz" or "Olaszi" in an 1828 Hungarian... , Wallendorf |
|
| Szepesváralja, Spišské Podhradie Spišské Podhradie Spišské Podhradie is a town in Spiš in the Prešov Region of Slovakia. Its population is 3,826.Spišské Podhradie is situated at the foot of the hill of Spiš Castle. It had a Zipser German settlement, with its own church and priest, in 1174... , Kirchdrauf |
|
History
This article only covers the history of Szepes when it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary (approx. 11th century - 1918). For a complete history of the region see SpišSpiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
.
Early history
The southern part of Szepes was conquered by the Kingdom of Hungary at the end of the 11th century, when the border of the Kingdom ended near KežmarokKežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
. The royal county
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
of Szepes (comitatus Scepusiensis) was created in the 2nd half of the 12th century. In the 1250s the border of the Kingdom of Hungary shifted to the north to Podolínec
Podolínec
Podolínec is a town in the Stará Ľubovňa District of the Prešov Region in northern Slovakia.-History:Originally Podoliniec belonged to Poland and was part of the Ziema Sądecka land...
and in 1260 - in the northwest - to the Dunajec river. The northeastern region around Hniezdne
Hniezdne
Hniezdne is a village and municipality in Stará Ľubovňa District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 539 metres and covers an area of 17.981 km². It has a population of about 1397 people....
and Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
(the so-called "districtus Podoliensis") were incorporated only in the 1290s. The northern border of the county stabilized in the early 14th century. Around 1300, the royal county became a noble county
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
.
The subsidiary of the Hungarian Chamber (the supreme Habsburg financial and economy institution in the Kingdom of Hungary
History of Hungary
Hungary is a country in central Europe. Its history under this name dates to the early Middle Ages, when the Pannonian Basin was colonized by the Magyars, a semi-nomadic people from what is now central-northern Russia...
) responsible for eastern Slovakia and adjacent territories (i.e. not only for Szepes) was called the Szepes Chamber (Zipser Kammer in German), and it existed from 1563 to 1848. Its seat was the town of Kassa, today Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
, sometimes Eperjes, (today's Prešov
Prešov
Prešov Historically, the city has been known in German as Eperies , Eperjes in Hungarian, Fragopolis in Latin, Preszów in Polish, Peryeshis in Romany, Пряшев in Russian and Пряшів in Rusyn and Ukrainian.-Characteristics:The city is a showcase of Baroque, Rococo and Gothic...
).
Counts of Szepes
The rulers of the countyComitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
were from the following Hungarian noble families:
- Zápolya (1464–1527)
- ThurzoThurzoThurzo or Turzo was a Hungarian noble family from the 15th century to the first half of the 17th century.The ancestors of the Thurzo family came to the Kingdom of Hungary from Lower Austria....
(1531–1636) - Csáky (1638–1848)
Sedes of the ten lance-bearers
Until 1802, there was a SeatSeat (territorial-administrative unit)
Seats were territorial-administrative units in the medieval Kingdom of Hungary. The seats were autonomous regions within the Kingdom, and were independent from the feudal county system...
or 'Parvus comitatus', known as 'Sedes superior' (upper county) or 'Sedes X lanceatorum' (county of the ten lance-bearers), which was situated to the east of Poprad in present-day southern Spiš
Spiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
, and whose origin is unknown. From the 12th century onwards its inhabitants were known as the "guardians of the northern border." The inhabitants and names of the settlements in the county were Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
. In 1802, when its inhabitants decided to merge the sedes with Szepes county, it included the following settlements: Abrahámovce
Abrahámovce
Abrahámovce may refer to several places in Slovakia:*Abrahámovce, Bardejov*Abrahámovce, Kežmarok...
, Betlanovce
Betlanovce
Betlanovce is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 546 metres and covers an area of 10.124km².It has a population of about 638 people....
, Filice (today part of Gánovce
Gánovce
Gánovce is a village in the Poprad District of the Prešov Region in northern Slovakia, situated 3 km south-east from the town of Poprad.-History:Gánovce was mentioned for the first time in written records in 1317 as "villa Ganau"...
), Hadušovce (today part of Spišské Tomášovce
Spišské Tomášovce
Spišské Tomášovce is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 532 metres and covers an area of 13.621km²....
), Hôrka
Hôrka
Hôrka is a village and municipality in Poprad District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 610 metres and covers an area of 11.305km². It has a population of about 1560 people.-External links:...
(including Kišovce, Svätý Ondrej, Primovce), Hozelec
Hozelec
Hozelec is a village and municipality in Poprad District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 695 metres and covers an area of 4.011km². It has a population of about 830 people.-External links:...
, Jánovce
Jánovce
Jánovce is a village and municipality in Poprad District in the Prešov Region of northern Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 591 metres and covers an area of 9.677 km². It has a population of about 1180 people....
(including Čenčice), Komárov
Komárov
Komárov is name of several locations:*in the Czech Republic:** Komárov , a village in Central Bohemian Region** the hamlet Komárov is an administrative part of the village Dolní Roveň in Pardubice Region...
, Levkovce (today part of Vlková
Vlková
Vlková is a village and municipality in Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of north Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 679 metres and covers an area of 11.815km² . It has a population of about 650 people.-External links:...
), and Machalovce (today part of Jánovce). Originally more villages were included.
The 'lance-bearers' were squire
Squire
The English word squire is a shortened version of the word Esquire, from the Old French , itself derived from the Late Latin , in medieval or Old English a scutifer. The Classical Latin equivalent was , "arms bearer"...
s. The "sedes" was a collection of non-contiguous areas, which did not constitute a continuous territory. It had an autonomous government, similar to that of normal Hungarian counties
Comitatus (Kingdom of Hungary)
A county is the name of a type of administrative units in the Kingdom of Hungary and in Hungary from the 10th century until the present day....
, but was partly subordinated to the head of Szepes county. Until the 15th century its capital was Spišský Štvrtok
Spišský Štvrtok
Spišský Štvrtok is a village and municipality in Levoča District in the Prešov Region of central-eastern Slovakia. In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1263. The municipality lies at an elevation of 560 metres and covers an area of 14.237 km². It has a population of about 2,334...
(which interestingly was not part of the sedes territories); following this there were various capitals, and after 1726 the capital was Betlanovce
Betlanovce
Betlanovce is a village and municipality in the Spišská Nová Ves District in the Košice Region of central-eastern Slovakia.-Geography:The village lies at an altitude of 546 metres and covers an area of 10.124km².It has a population of about 638 people....
.
Arrival of the Germans
Many of the towns of Szepes developed from German colonization of existing Slovak settlements. The German settlers had been invited to the territory from the mid-12th century onwards. The major immigration came following the devastating Mongol invasion of 1242, which turned Szepes, like other parts of the Kingdom of Hungary, into a largely depopulated area (some 50% of the population were lost). Subsequently, King Béla IV of HungaryBéla IV of Hungary
Béla IV , King of Hungary and of Croatia , duke of Styria 1254–58. One of the most famous kings of Hungary, he distinguished himself through his policy of strengthening of the royal power following the example of his grandfather Bela III, and by the rebuilding Hungary after the catastrophe of the...
invited Germans to colonize the Szepes and other regions of present-day Slovakia, present-day Hungary and Transylvania
Transylvania
Transylvania is a historical region in the central part of Romania. Bounded on the east and south by the Carpathian mountain range, historical Transylvania extended in the west to the Apuseni Mountains; however, the term sometimes encompasses not only Transylvania proper, but also the historical...
. The settlers were mostly traders and miners. The settlements founded by them in the southern parts (Szepesség) were mainly mining settlements (later towns). Consequently, until World War II Spiš had a large German
Ethnic German
Ethnic Germans historically also ), also collectively referred to as the German diaspora, refers to people who are of German ethnicity. Many are not born in Europe or in the modern-day state of Germany or hold German citizenship...
population (see Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans , sometimes simply called Slovak Germans , are a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia...
). The last wave of Germans arrived in the 15th century.
In the early 13th century, the people of Szepes created their own religious organization called the "Brotherhood of the 24 royal parish priests", which received many privileges from the local provost
Provost (religion)
A provost is a senior official in a number of Christian churches.-Historical Development:The word praepositus was originally applied to any ecclesiastical ruler or dignitary...
. It was re-established after the Tatar invasion in 1248.
At the same time, the German settlements of the Hornád and Poprad basins created a special political territory with its own administration. They received collective privileges from King Stephen V
Stephen V of Hungary
Stephen V , was King of Hungary from 1270 to 1272.-Early years:...
in 1271, which were confirmed and extended by King Charles I
Charles I of Hungary
Charles I , also known as Charles Robert , was the first King of Hungary and Croatia of the House of Anjou. He was also descended from the old Hungarian Árpád dynasty. His claim to the throne of Hungary was contested by several pretenders...
in 1317, because the Szepesian Germans had helped him to defeat the oligarch
Oligarchy
Oligarchy is a form of power structure in which power effectively rests with an elite class distinguished by royalty, wealth, family ties, commercial, and/or military legitimacy...
s of the Kingdom of Hungary in the battle at Rozhanovce
Rozhanovce
Rozhanovce is a village in Košice-okolie District of eastern Slovakia. It is situated about far from the city of Košice.-Names:1773 Rozgony, Roscho[no]wetz, Rozhonow, 1786 Rozgony, Roszonowecz, 1808 Rozgony, Rozgoňowce, Rozhanowce, 1863–1913 Rozgony, 1920– Rozhanovce.A smaller part of Rozhanovce...
in 1312. The territory was granted self-government privileges similar to those of the royal free towns. In 1317, the special territory included 43 settlements, including Levoča
Levoca
Levoča is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia with a population of 14,600. The town has a historic center with a well preserved town wall, a Renaissance church with the highest wooden altar in Europe, carved by Master Paul of Levoča, and many other Renaissance buildings.On 28 June 2009,...
and Kežmarok
Kežmarok
Kežmarok is a town in the Spiš region of eastern Slovakia , on the Poprad River.-History:...
, which however withdrew before 1344. From 1370 the 41 settlements of the territory subscribed to a uniform special Szepes law system (called Zipser Willkür in German). Initially, the special territory was called "Communitas (or Provincia) Saxonum de Scepus". By the mid-14th century, the territory was reduced to 24 settlements and later the name was changed to Provincia XXIV oppidorum terrae Scepusiensis in Latin (Bund der 24 Zipser Städte in German [i.e. Province/Union of 24 Szepes towns]). The province was led by the Count
Count
A count or countess is an aristocratic nobleman in European countries. The word count came into English from the French comte, itself from Latin comes—in its accusative comitem—meaning "companion", and later "companion of the emperor, delegate of the emperor". The adjective form of the word is...
(Graf
Graf
Graf is a historical German noble title equal in rank to a count or a British earl...
) of Szepes elected by the town judges of the 24 towns.
There was yet another privileged territory in the Spiš. Until 1465, the privileged German mining towns in southern Szepes (e.g. Gelnica, Švedlár, Mníšek nad Hnilcom, Helcmanovce, Prakovce, Vondrišel (today called Nálepkovo), Jaklovce, Margecany, Smolník, Slovinky, and Krompachy) were also exempt from the power of the Count of Spiš.
The Pawning of Szepes towns and the Province of 16 Szepesi towns
The Province of 24 Szepes towns was dissolved in 1412, when, by the Treaty of LubowlaTreaty of Lubowla
Treaty of Lubowla of 1412 was a treaty between Władysław II, King of Poland, and Sigismund of Luxemburg, King of Hungary. Negotiated in the town of Stará Ľubovňa in modern Slovakia, it was confirmed later that year in Buda....
King Sigismund of Luxembourg, ruler of Hungary, pawned 13 of the towns of the former Province, as well the territory around the Stará Ľubovňa
Stará Lubovna
Stará Ľubovňa is a town with approximately 16,000 inhabitants in northeastern Slovakia. The town consists of the districts Podsadek and Stará Ľubovňa.-Geography:...
(i.e. the royal domain Libenow, plus Hniezdo and Podolínec) to Poland, in exchange for 60 times the amount of 37,000 of Czech groschen
Groschen
Groschen was the name for a coin used in various German-speaking states as well as some non-German-speaking countries of Central Europe , the Danubian principalities...
, that is, approximately 7 tonnes of pure silver. This was to enable the financing of his war against Venice
Venice
Venice is a city in northern Italy which is renowned for the beauty of its setting, its architecture and its artworks. It is the capital of the Veneto region...
. Similar short-time pledges (without interest payments) were not uncommon at that time (e.g. the pawning of the Nitra county
Nitra county
Nyitra county is the name of a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary...
, Pozsony county, the Brandenburg
Brandenburg
Brandenburg is one of the sixteen federal-states of Germany. It lies in the east of the country and is one of the new federal states that were re-created in 1990 upon the reunification of the former West Germany and East Germany. The capital is Potsdam...
marches etc.). The pledged towns were to be returned to the Kingdom of Hungary as soon as the loan was repaid; nobody expected the pledge would take 360 years to redeem (from 1412 to 1772).
The 13 main pawned settlements did not form a continuous territory. They included:
Ľubica
Lubica
Ľubica is a large village and municipality in Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of north Slovakia.-Geography:The municipality lies at an altitude of 630 metres and covers an area of 26.421 km² . It has a population of about 8,375 people....
, Poprad
Poprad
Poprad is a city in northern Slovakia at the foot of the High Tatra Mountains famous for its picturesque historic centre and as a holiday resort. It is the biggest town of the Spiš region and the tenth largest city in Slovakia with a population of approximately 55,000.The Poprad-Tatry Airport is...
, Matejovce (today in Poprad), Spišská Sobota (today in Poprad), Stráže pod Tatrami (today in Poprad), Veľká (today in Poprad), Ruskinovce (no longer in existence, located in the military training area Javorina near Kežmarok), Spišská Belá, Spišská Nová Ves, Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie is a town in Spiš in the Prešov Region of Slovakia. Its population is 3,826.Spišské Podhradie is situated at the foot of the hill of Spiš Castle. It had a Zipser German settlement, with its own church and priest, in 1174...
, Spišské Vlachy
Spišské Vlachy
Spiśské Vlachy is a town in eastern Slovakia. It is in the Spiš region . It is now administratively in the district of Spišská Nová Ves, which is part of the Košice Region. The adjective "Spišské" is used to distinguish it from 6 other towns listed as "Olasz" or "Olaszi" in an 1828 Hungarian...
, Tvarožná
Tvarožná
Tvarožná may refer to several places.*Tvarožná, Kežmarok District, Slovakia*Tvarožná, Brno-Country District, Czech Republic...
and Vrbov
Vrbov
Vrbov is a village and municipality in the Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region of Slovakia....
.
They kept their privileged status (now in respect of the Polish kings who did not change the privileges) and created the "Province/Union of 13 Szepesi towns" in 1412. The remaining 11 towns of the former 24 towns, which created the "Province/Union of 11 Szepesi towns" in 1412, were not able to maintain their privileges and as early as in 1465 they were fully incorporated into the Szepes county, i. e. they became subjects of the lords of the Spiš Castle
Spiš Castle
The ruins of Spiš Castle in eastern Slovakia form one of the largest castle sites in Central Europe. The castle is situated above the town of Spišské Podhradie and the village of Žehra, in the region known as Spiš...
. Most of them gradually turned into simple villages and largely lost their German character.
The pawned territories remained politically a part of the Kingdom of Hungary (and of its Esztergom
Esztergom
Esztergom , is a city in northern Hungary, 46 km north-west of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom county, on the right bank of the river Danube, which forms the border with Slovakia there....
diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
), while the economic benefit of the territories was subject during the pledge to Poland. Poland also held some administrative powers in the area and was entitled to appoint a governor/administrator (starosta
Starosta
Starost is a title for an official or unofficial position of leadership that has been used in various contexts through most of Slavic history. It can be translated as "elder"...
) for the territories, with his seat in Stará Ľubovňa, to manage them economically (especially to collect tax revenues) and to position guards at important road crossings even outside the pawned territories. One of the first Polish governors of Szepes was the famous knight Zawisza Czarny
Zawisza Czarny
Zawisza Czarny z Garbowa , Sulima Coat of Arms, was a Polish knight and nobleman. He served as a soldier and diplomat under the Polish king Władysław II and Hungarian-Bohemian king Sigismund of Luxembourg...
. Due to their complex political and economic status (German towns with Slovak subjects in the Kingdom of Hungary pawned to Poland) the towns experienced an economic collapse.
Attempts of the Kingdom of Hungary to repay the debt (most notably in 1419, 1426 and 1439) failed and later the will (or ability) to pay declined. After alleged mistreatment of the towns had occurred - especially by Teodor Konstanty Lubomirski, Maria Josepha of Austria
Maria Josepha of Austria
Maria Josepha of Austria was born an Archduchess of Austria, and from 1711 to 1713 was heiress presumptive to the Habsburg Empire...
, queen consort of August III of Poland, and by Count Heinrich Brühl -, Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
decided to recover them by force: she took advantage of the Polish noble insurrections
Szlachta
The szlachta was a legally privileged noble class with origins in the Kingdom of Poland. It gained considerable institutional privileges during the 1333-1370 reign of Casimir the Great. In 1413, following a series of tentative personal unions between the Grand Duchy of Lithuania and the Kingdom of...
in the second half of the 18th century and occupied the towns in 1769 (with the apparent consent of the then Polish king Stanislaus II of Poland) without debt repayment. This act was confirmed by the First Partition of Poland
Partitions of Poland
The Partitions of Poland or Partitions of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth took place in the second half of the 18th century and ended the existence of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth, resulting in the elimination of sovereign Poland for 123 years...
in 1772. In 1773 when the pawn was cancelled. In 1778 the 13 towns regained their privileges of 1271, the privileges were extended to the other 3 previously pawned towns, and this newly formed entity was named "Province of 16 Szepes towns". The capital of the province was Spišská Nová Ves. However, the privileges were gradually reduced and some 100 years later only religious and cultural rights remained. Finally, the province was dissolved altogether and incorporated into Szepes county in 1876.
From the 16th to the 19th centuries
The Szepes county (today:Spiš region) prospered not only from being situated on trade routes, but also from its natural resources of wood, agriculture and, until relatively recent times, mining. In the fifteenth century and later, iron, copper and silver were all exploited in the south of the region. Its relative wealth during this period, and its mixture of nationalities and religions, resulted in it becoming a major cultural centre - many schools were founded, and the town of Levoča became a major centre for printing in the 17th century. The buildings and churches of the region's towns, and the skills of schools such as those of the carver Master Paul of LevočaMaster Paul of Levoca
Master Paul of Levoča was a medieval carver and sculptor of the15th and 16th century, active mostly in the town of Levoča , in the Kingdom of Hungary, in what is today eastern Slovakia....
testify to this affluence and culture. Until the end of the 17th century the area was often disrupted by wars, uprisings against the Habsburg
Habsburg
The House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
s, and epidemics (a plague of 1710/1711 killed over 20,000). But from the eighteenth century onwards, relative stability enabled faster economic development. Many craft guilds were founded and by the end of the 18th century over 500 iron mines were operative in the south.
Such prosperity naturally meant that the churches paid great interest to the region. А Lutheran synod
Synod
A synod historically is a council of a church, usually convened to decide an issue of doctrine, administration or application. In modern usage, the word often refers to the governing body of a particular church, whether its members are meeting or not...
, the so-called Spiš synod, took place in Spiš in 1614. It discussed the Protestant organisation of the Szepes and Sáros
Sáros county
Sáros was a historic administrative county of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is presently in northeastern Slovakia...
counties. In the Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
sphere, a separate Szepes Bishopric
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
was created in 1776 with its seat at Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula
Spišská Kapitula, is an exceptionally well-preserved ecclesiastical town on the outskirts of Spišské Podhradie, Slovakia, and overlooking Spiš Castle. It is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site Levoča, Spiš Castle and the associated cultural monuments.-Town and history:The town consists of St....
.
The spirit of nationalism
Nationalism
Nationalism is a political ideology that involves a strong identification of a group of individuals with a political entity defined in national terms, i.e. a nation. In the 'modernist' image of the nation, it is nationalism that creates national identity. There are various definitions for what...
, growing in the nineteenth century, moved also in Spiš. In 1868, 21 Szepesi settlements sent their demands, the 'Szepes Petition', to the Diet of the Kingdom of Hungary, requesting special status for Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
within the Kingdom.
In 1871 the railway came to Szepes and this was to have profound consequences. On the one hand, it enabled economic and industrial expansion. On the other, it bypassed the old capital of the region, Levoča, and favoured the growth of centres on its route, such as Poprad and Spišská Nová Ves.
In the aftermath of World War I, Szepes county became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia, as recognized by the concerned states in the 1920 Treaty of Trianon
Treaty of Trianon
The Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
.
Nationalities
According to censuses carried out in the Kingdom of Hungary in 1869 (and later in 1900 and 1910) the population of Spiš county comprised the following nationalities: Slovaks 50.4%, (58.2%, 58%), Germans 35% (25%, 25%), Ruthenians (RusynsRusyns
Carpatho-Rusyns are a primarily diasporic ethnic group who speak an Eastern Slavic language, or Ukrainian dialect, known as Rusyn. Carpatho-Rusyns descend from a minority of Ruthenians who did not adopt the use of the ethnonym "Ukrainian" in the early twentieth century...
) 13.8% (8.4%, 8%) and 0.7% (6%, 6%) Magyars (Hungarians). Hardly any Hungarians lived in the territory during the existence of the Kingdom of Hungary. The sudden increase in listed Hungarians after 1869 may be due to statistical interpretation (use of "most frequently used language" as criterion); it may also be attributable to assimilation, Magyarisation, most notably of the German minority. The figures do not make clear how Jews were categorised, but their numbers must have been substantial as many of the towns had synagogues (one survives in Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie
Spišské Podhradie is a town in Spiš in the Prešov Region of Slovakia. Its population is 3,826.Spišské Podhradie is situated at the foot of the hill of Spiš Castle. It had a Zipser German settlement, with its own church and priest, in 1174...
) and Jewish cemeteries still survive in Kežmarok, Levoča and elsewhere.
Up until now, there is a significant population (about 40.000 to 48.000 estimated) of ethnic Poles
Poles
thumb|right|180px|The state flag of [[Poland]] as used by Polish government and diplomatic authoritiesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a nation indigenous to Poland. They are united by the Polish language, which belongs to the historical Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages of Central Europe...
(practitally without any exception, the Gorals
Gorals
The Gorale are a group of indigenous people found along southern Poland, northern Slovakia, and in the region of Cieszyn Silesia in the Czech Republic...
using polish dialect of Spisz region). The hungarian censuses ignored the Polish nationality, all ethnic Poles were registered as Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
. There was also a very strong process of Slovakization
Slovakization
Slovakization or Slovakisation is a term used to describe a cultural change in which ethnically non-Slovak people are made to become Slovak. The process can be named as 'accelerated assimilation'....
of Polish people throughout XVIII-XX centuries, mostly done by Roman Catholic Church, in which institution the local aboriginal Polish priests were replaced with Slovak ones. Also the institution of schooling was replacing the polish language with slovak language during classes.
Up until XII century, there were no Hungarians (except the area of Spissky Hrad and the Church of Saint Martin) in the region. The Slovak and German inhabitants came to Spisz in following centuries in a process of colonitazion the Carpathian wilds by Hungarian Crown . All localities were inhabited by Poles, as a result of a natural process of colonizing the lands along the rivers, going up-stream. In this case, the river was Poprad (river) which flows into the Vistula
Vistula
The Vistula is the longest and the most important river in Poland, at 1,047 km in length. The watershed area of the Vistula is , of which lies within Poland ....
and thus belongs to the drainage basin of the Baltic Sea
Baltic Sea
The Baltic Sea is a brackish mediterranean sea located in Northern Europe, from 53°N to 66°N latitude and from 20°E to 26°E longitude. It is bounded by the Scandinavian Peninsula, the mainland of Europe, and the Danish islands. It drains into the Kattegat by way of the Øresund, the Great Belt and...
(as opposed to nearby Hornad
Hornád
Hornád or Hernád is a river in eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary.It is a tributary to the river Sajó, which is itself a tributary to the river Tisza. The source of the Hornád is in the Low Tatra mountains under the Kráľova hoľa hill, southwest of Poprad...
and Vah
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
, and all other Slovak rivers; Poprad is the only river in contemporary Slovakia going north), and all colonizators originated from Sądecczyzna
Stary Sacz
Stary Sącz - is a town in Lesser Poland Voivodeship, Poland, seat of the municipality Stary Sącz. It's a one of the oldest towns in Poland, founded in 13th century.- Geography :...
and Podhale
Podhale
The Podhale is Poland's most southern region, sometimes referred to as the "Polish highlands". The Podhale is located in the foothills of the Tatra range of the Carpathian mountains, and is characterized by a rich tradition of folklore that is much romanticized in the Polish patriotic imagination...
region of Southern Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
.