At the time of the 1991 Slovakian census, of the 5.3 million population of the country, the ratio of the members of state-forming ethnic groups were 85.7 % (Slovaks), and 1 % (Czechs). In 1910 there was a 10.4 % combined number of Germans, Rutheni- ans99 and Poles (Gorals), though it dropped to 0.7 % by 1991, owing to natural assimila- tion and expulsion. Though the number of Hungarians (567,.296) had risen considerably compared with 1961 (518,782), their proportion, owing to a dynamic growth of Slovaks, had fallen to 10.7 %. The number of native Hungarian speakers at the 1991 population census was 608.221 (11.5 %). From the administrative perspective, 67.7 % of ethnic Hungarians in Slovakia live in the western regions (Kraj of Pozsony, Nagyszombat and Nyitra) (Tab. 11.). Dunaszerdahely (87.2%) and Komárom (74.2%) can be considered the most “Hungarian” of all the districts. In the districts100 of Vágsellye, Galánta, Érsekújvár and Rimaszombat Hungarians are balanced by the Slovaks, 40–44 % (Tab.
12.).
Of the Hungarians in Slovakia a considerable number (at least 100 persons) and percentage (at least 10 %) inhabit 550 settlements. They comprise an absolute majority (50 % <) in 432 settlements and almost exclusive majority (90%<) in 164 settlements. Due to their geographic and historical preferences, Hungarians mostly inhabit large and medium-sized villages (1,000–5,000 inhabitants), but 16.7 % of them also live in small towns with 10,000-30,000 inhabitants.
Table 11. The new administrative regions (kraj) of Slovakia and the Hungarian minority
region (kraj) total population ethnic Hungarians
1991 1994 number (1991) per cent (1991)
Pozsony-Bratislava 608,287 616,871 30,890 5.1 Nagyszombat-Trnava 562,355 547,173 136,358 24.2 Nyitra-Nitra 708,313 718,358 216,633 30.6 Trencsén-Trenčín 604,016 608,990 1,246 0.2 Zsolna-Žilina 670,850 682,983 670 0.1 Besztercebánya-Banská Bystrica 661,628 664,072 85,633 12.9 Kassa-Košice 748,722 753,849 96,021 12.8 Eperjes-Prešov 746,168 763,911 807 0.1
Sources: 1991 = Oriskó N. 1996 Coexistence-Spolužitie-Együttélés Political Movement, Bratislava, 1994 = Administratívna mapa Slovenskej Republiky (1:400,000), Vojenský kartografický ústav, š.p., Harmanec, 1996
99 As a result of the ethnic expansion of Slovaks and pressure to assimilate, the number of
Ruthenians decreased from 203,000 to 30,000 between 1840 and 1991 and their proportion of the population of Greek Catholics fell from 94.7 % to 14,3 %. The eventual disappearance of Ruthenians in Slovakia (similar to that of the Polish Gorals) has also been reflected by the diminishing number of villages with a Ruthenian ethnic majority from 300 to 29 on the territory of present-day Slovakia between 1773 and 1991.
Table 12. Selected new districts (okres) of Slovakia and the Hungarian minority
district (okres) total population ethnic Hungarians
1991 number (1991) per cent (1991)
Szenc-Senec 49,868 11,893 23.8 Dunaszerdahely-Dunajská Streda 109,345 95,310 87.2 Galánta-Galanta 92,645 38,615 41.7 Vágsellye-Šaľa 54,159 21,754 40.2 Érsekújvár-Nové Zámky 153,466 63,747 41.5 Komárom-Komárno 109,279 78,859 74.2 Léva-Levice 120,703 38,169 31.6 Nagykürtös-Veľký Krtiš 46,813 14,384 30.7 Losonc-Lučenec 72,946 22,513 30.9 Rimaszombat-Rimavská Sobota 82,112 36,404 44.3 Nagyrőce-Revúca 41,765 10,256 24.6 Rozsnyó-Rožňava 59,059 21,434 36.3 Kassa-Košice-okolie (environs) 99,292 16,240 16.4 Tőketerebes-Trebišov 100,520 33,191 33.0 Nagymihály-Michalovce 104,003 13,758 13.2
Source: Our calculation based on the publication: Národnost a náboženské vyznanie obyvateľstva SR (definitivne výsledky ščítania ľudu, domov a bytov 1991), Štatistický Úrad SR, Bratislava, 1993
According to the ethnic data of the 1991 Czechoslovak census, the largest Hun- garian communities are concentrated in Komárom, Pozsony, Dunaszerdahely, Érsekújvár, Kassa, Rimaszombat, Párkány, Gúta, Somorja and Nagymegyer (Tab. 13.). Our estimates for 1980 differ to a certain extent: Pozsony (43,000), Kassa (35,000), Komárom (22,900), Érsekújvár (17,000), Dunaszerdahely (15,500), Léva (12,800). According to the official 1991 census data, the percentage of ethnic Hungarians exceeds that of the Slovaks only in 13 towns. Of these, the most Hungarian are Nagymegyer, Dunaszerdahely, Gúta and Királyhelmec (Tab. 14.).
The inhabitants of the capital (Pozsony - Bratislava) and the Szenc district are the western-most representatives of Hungarians in Slovakia (Figs.14., 15.). The most important settlements of the Hungarians of this region (Szenc, Magyarbél, Fél, Éberhárd), belong to the Pozsony - Bratislava agglomeration. Due to the favourable geographical location of these settlements, the immigration of Slovaks continues to increase, causing the decrease in the population percentage of Hungarians.
In the Dunaszerdahely district with its strong Hungarian character, significant numbers of Slovaks inhabit only the towns of Dunaszerdahely, Somorja and Nagymegyer. The most important villages in the district – all predominantly Hungarian – include Nagymagyar, Illésháza, Nagylég, Bős, Várkony, Ekecs, Nyárasd, Vásárút and Diósförgepatony.
The centre of the Galánta district, with 41-52% Hungarian inhabitants, is locat- ed at an important railway junction. A majority of the Hungarians living in the Galánta and Vágsellye districts work at the “Duslo” chemical works in Vágsellye and the ma- chine-tool and food industry in Galánta and Diószeg. Most of the Hungarian villages in this region (called "Mátyusföld" - Land of Matthew of Csák, 13-14th cent.)
Table 13. The largest Hungarian communities in Slovakia (1991)
Settlements Population
1. Komárom / Komárno 23,745
2. Pozsony / Bratislava 20,312
3. Dunaszerdahely / Dunajská Streda 19,347
4. Érsekújvár / Nové Zámky 13,350
5. Kassa / Košice 10,760
6. Rimaszombat / Rimavská Sobota 9,854
7. Párkány / Štúrovo 9,804
8. Gúta / Kolárovo 9,101
9. Somorja / Šamorín 8,561
10. Nagymegyer / Veľký Meder 8,043
11. Fülek / Fiľakovo 7,064
12. Galánta / Galanta 6,890
13. Királyhelmec / Kráľovský Chlmec 6,400
14. Nagykapos / Veľké Kapušany 6,007
15. Rozsnyó / Rožňava 5,826
16. Ipolyság / Šahy 5,562
17. Tornalja / Tornaľa 5,547
18. Vágsellye / Šaľá 5,413
19. Léva / Levice 5,165
Source: Final data of the Czechoslovakian census of 1991 (ethnicity).
are located between the Little Danube and the Pozsony–Érsekújvár railway line, such as Jóka, Nagyfödémes, Felsőszeli and Alsószeli.
In the Komárom district, the other area in Slovakia with a Hungarian majority, most Hungarians live in the towns of Komárom, Gúta and Ógyalla. Other centres in the network of settlements in this district are Naszvad, Marcelháza, Perbete, Bátorkeszi, Nemesócsa and Csallóközaranyos. The Komárom shipyard and the Ógyalla brewery are the two main industrial employers of the region.
Table 14. Towns in Slovakia with absolute Hungarian majority (1991)
Settlements Percentage
of the Hungarians
1. Nagymegyer / Veľký Meder 87.0
2. Dunaszerdahely / Dunajská Streda 83.3
3. Gúta / Kolárovo 82.7
4. Királyhelmec / Kráľovský Chlmec 80.4
5. Párkány / Štúrovo 73.5
6. Somorja / Šamorín 71.0
7. Tornalja / Tornaľa 67.8
8. Fülek / Fiľakovo 67.6
9. Ipolyság / Šahy 65.0
10. Nagykapos / Veľké Kapušany 63.8
11. Komárom / Komárno 63.6
12. Ógyalla / Hurbanovo 53.5
13. Zseliz / Želiezovce 53.5
F ig ur e 15 . E th ni c m ap o f S lo va ki a (1 99 1)
The majority of the Hungarian population of the Érsekújvár district, which lies between the Vág and the Danube Rivers and extends along the Pozsony-Budapest inter- national railway line, live in the proximity of the famous cellulose and paper-producing town of Párkány. Most Hungarians living in the vicinity of the half-Slovak and half- Hungarian Érsekújvár, an important railway junction and the centre of the electro- technical refrigerating machine industry, inhabit Tardoskedd, Udvard, Szimő and Zsit- vabesenyő.
Nyitranagykér, located in the northern part of the Érsekújvár district, together with Nagycétény and Nyitracsehi close to the territory of the Nyitra district, form an important Hungarian enclave. The percentage of Hungarians in the population of Hun- garian villages on the southern slopes of the Tribecs mountain range in Nyitragerencsér, Alsócsitár, Barslédec, Ghymes, Zsére, Kolon, Pográny, Alsóbodok is gradually decreas- ing because of development in the vicinity of Nyitra, Slovak immigration, and linguistic assimilation.
The Hungarian language border in the Léva district, enlarged since the incorpo- ration of the Ipolyság and Zseliz districts, was driven back in the direction of the Ipoly as a consequence of evacuations preceding battles along the Garam river in 1945 and the ruthless post-war deportation of local Hungarians. In the district seat of Léva, known mostly for its textile industry, the percentage of Hungarians is 15.2% according to 1991 Czechoslovak census data. (In 1941 it was 87.2 %). In the immediate proximity of Léva, Hungarians inhabit only a few small villages (Zsemlér, Alsószecse, Felsőszecse, Várad, Vámosladány etc.). The Calvinist Hungarian population of Mohi was resettled elsewhere in the early 1980s due to the new nuclear power-plant (Mochovce) being constructed there. In the strongly mixed ethnic surroundings of Zseliz, the greatest number of Hun- garians live in Nagyölved, Farnad, Nagysalló and Oroszka – the location of one of Slo- vakia’s most important sugar factories. In the environs of Ipolyság, most Hungarians inhabit Palást and Ipolyvisk.
The shrinking and disconnected ethnic Hungarian territory on the right bank of the Ipoly river is part of the Nagykürtös district. In addition to the largest Hungarian community of Ipolynyék, we must also mention Lukanénye, Csáb, Ipolybalog, Bussó and Ipolyhídvég.
In the Losonc district, the northern part of the former Nógrád county, the most important Hungarian communities live mainly in the villages of Ragyolc, Gömörsid, Fülekpüspöki, Béna, Sőreg, Csákányháza etc. in an ethnic territory also containing Slo- vakian colonies. This is in the vicinity of the towns of Losonc and Fülek, known for its enamelled pots and furniture.
In Southern and Central Gömör, the districts of Rimaszombat and Nagyrőce were enlarged with the addition of the formerly almost entirely Hungarian, and later dismembered districts of Feled and Tornalja. The most important Hungarian settlements here are Rimaszombat, Tornalja towns and Rimaszécs, Feled, Ajnácskő, Várgede, Vámosbalog, Sajógömör.
Upstream along the Sajó, in the district of Rozsnyó we reach the northernmost area of the Carpathian Basin’s ethnic Hungarian territory (at Krasznahorkaváralja). In the Sajó valley settlements of the Hungarian-inhabited borderland, especially in
Rozsnyó and Pelsőc, the percentage of Hungarians is diminishing due to a large immi- gration of Slovaks. In contrast, the percentage of Hungarians is increasing in the villages of the Gömör-Torna (Slovak) Karst of peripheral location (Szilice, Szádalmás, Hárskút, Várhosszúrét etc).
In the vicinity of Kassa City, Hungarian communities can be found only in the territory of the former Szepsi district, not more than 10-15 kilometres from the Hungari- an border (Torna, Szepsi, Szádudvarnok, Tornaújfalu, Debrőd, Jászó, Buzita, Jánok etc.). The Hungarians in this region who work in industry, make their living in the plants of Kassa – the East-Slovakian metropolis with over 235,000 inhabitants and at the centre of the historical Abaúj-Torna county, and in Szepsi and Nagyida, as well as at the cement works of Torna. The scattered Hungarian (partly Calvinist) population east of Kassa (between Magyarbőd and Eszkáros) declared themselves to be Slovaks at the time of the postwar censuses.
After crossing the Szalánci mountains (the northern, Slovakian side of the To- kaj-Eperjes Mountains), we reach the districts of Tőketerebes and Nagymihály, which include the former ethnic Hungarian districts of Nagykapos and Királyhelmec. The Hungarians in this area live in a relatively compact ethnic block, between the Ung- Bodrog rivers and the Ukrainian and Hungarian border. The unity of the almost thou- sand-year-old Hungarian ethnic area is disrupted only by the newly-settled Slovak popu- lation in the modest industrial centres of Nagykapos (34.5%), Királyhelmec (16.3%), Bodrogszerdahely (32.3%), Vaján (15.4%) – the location of one of Slovakia’s largest thermal power plants, and Tiszacsernyő (30.8%) – the very important international rail- way border crossing. Most of the Hungarian rural population in parts of the historical counties of Zemplén and Ung (which are located in Slovakia) live in Lelesz, Bodrogszerdahely, Szomotor, Kisgéres, Nagytárkány, Battyán and Bély.
Chapter 3