Velké Kapušany
Encyclopedia
Veľké Kapušany is a small town
on the eastern plains of Slovakia
, not far from the Ukrainian
border.
. The first written references to the settlement stems from 1211 ("Kapos") and 1214 ("Copus"). The settlement was awarded town status in 1430. The town was the second largest settlement (after Uzhhorod
) of the Ung County and frequently served as a temporary or permanent station for migrants (Germans, Rusyns, Poles, Hungarians etc.) from the east to the west.
In the town square there is a garden with a plaque commemorating the day the Germans marched into Veľké Kapušany in 1944. This is significant as both Jews
and Romas were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis
during World War II. At that time, Veľké Kapušany was part of Hungary (based on the First Vienna Award
). The Hungarian government allied with the Germans deported approximately 500,000 Jews living in towns like Nagykapos in the Hungarian countryside, along with untold numbers of Roma people, to concentration camps where most perished.
The following villages were merged with the town: Malé Kapušany (after 1913), Veškovce (1964).
to Ukraine
.
Many Communist remnants remain, notably the apartment buildings of the Communist era, where mainly poor Roma people now live. The rest of the population lives in mostly comfortable-looking homes and farms outside of the main thoroughfare but still within the town's borders.
There are several churches, but no synagogue in Veľké Kapušany. On the outskirts of the town there is a heavily damaged Jewish cemetery.
In 1910, 33.8% of the population was Jewish.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
on the eastern plains of 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...
, not far from the Ukrainian
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
border.
History
The territory of the town has been settled since time immemorial (findings from the Neolithic period). From the second half of the 10th century until 1918, it was part of the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom 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...
. The first written references to the settlement stems from 1211 ("Kapos") and 1214 ("Copus"). The settlement was awarded town status in 1430. The town was the second largest settlement (after Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod
Uzhhorod or Uzhgorod is a city located in western Ukraine, at the border with Slovakia and near the border with Hungary. It is the administrative center of the Zakarpattia Oblast , as well as the administrative center of the surrounding Uzhhorodskyi Raion within the oblast...
) of the Ung County and frequently served as a temporary or permanent station for migrants (Germans, Rusyns, Poles, Hungarians etc.) from the east to the west.
In the town square there is a garden with a plaque commemorating the day the Germans marched into Veľké Kapušany in 1944. This is significant as both Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Romas were persecuted and murdered by the Nazis
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
during World War II. At that time, Veľké Kapušany was part of Hungary (based on the First Vienna Award
First Vienna Award
The First Vienna Award was the result of the First Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace on November 2, 1938. The Arbitration and Award were direct consequences of the Munich Agreement...
). The Hungarian government allied with the Germans deported approximately 500,000 Jews living in towns like Nagykapos in the Hungarian countryside, along with untold numbers of Roma people, to concentration camps where most perished.
The following villages were merged with the town: Malé Kapušany (after 1913), Veškovce (1964).
Characteristics
Wood processing, food and building materials industries and Slovak and Hungarian high schools are located there as is a railroad transfer facility for goods on the broad gauge railroadUzhhorod - Košice broad gauge track
The Uzhhorod – Košice broad gauge track is a single track railway mostly in eastern Slovakia, which is used especially for iron ore transportation from Ukraine to the steel factory near Košice....
to Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
Many Communist remnants remain, notably the apartment buildings of the Communist era, where mainly poor Roma people now live. The rest of the population lives in mostly comfortable-looking homes and farms outside of the main thoroughfare but still within the town's borders.
There are several churches, but no synagogue in Veľké Kapušany. On the outskirts of the town there is a heavily damaged Jewish cemetery.
Ethnic groups
According to the official census from 2001, the population include 56.98% Hungarians, 35.92% Slovaks, and 4.32% Roma.In 1910, 33.8% of the population was Jewish.