Hungarian Slovenes

[Szegedist]

Hungarian Slovenes are an autochthonous ethnic and linguistic Slovene minority living in Hungary. The largest groups are the Rába Slovenes (Slovene: porabski Slovenci, dialectically: vogrski Slovenci, bákerski Slovenci, porábski Slovenci) in the Rába Valley in western Hungary between the town of Szentgotthárd(cultural capital of Hungarian Slovenes) and the borders with Slovenia and Austria. They speak the Prekmurje Slovene of Slovene. Outside the Rába Valley, Slovenes mainly live in the Szombathely region and in Budapest.


In the 10th century, the western border of the Kingdom of Hungary was fixed on the river Mura, so the region between the Mura and the Rába rivers, known in Slovene as Slovenska krajina and in Hungarian as Vendvidék, inhabited by Slovenes, remained in Hungary. After World War One, there was a failed attempt by a small group of Hungarian Slovenes to acquire independence (see Slovene March and Mura Republic). In 1919, the majority of the region was annexed to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (later renamed to Yugoslavia), and became known under the name of Prekmurje. Only a small portion in the Vas County, in the triangle between the northern border of Slovenia, the Raba river and Austria, remained in Hungary.

In 1920, the number of Slovenes that had remained in Hungary was estimated at around 7,000, but in the next decades many of them emigrated to other Hungarian cities, mostly to Budapest. In 2001, there were around 5,000 Slovenes in Hungary, of whom only around 3,000 remained in their original settlement zone in western Vas county, with others living mostly in larger urban areas.

Language and terminology
The Hungarian Slovenes speak a specific dialect of Slovene (the Prekmurje Slovene), which is almost identical with the dialect spoken in the Prekmurje region of Slovenia. The traditional Magyar name for the Slovenes used to be Vendek or Vends; as a result, many Slovenes in Hungary accepted this name as a common denomination, although in their dialect, they always referred to themselves as "Slovenes". In the last decades of the 19th century, and especially during the Horthy regime, the denomination "Wends" was used in order to emphasize the difference between the Hungarian Slovenes and other Slovenes, including attempts in creating a separate identity.

Religion
Differently from their counterparts in Prekmurje, where there is a significant Lutheran minority, almost all Rába Slovenes are Roman Catholic, with religion playing an important role in their local traditions and communal life.


Slovene names in Hungary
Doncsecz (Dončec)
Bajzek (Bajzek)
Szvétecz (Svetec)
Gyécsek' (Geček)
Sulics (Šulič)


Famous Hungarian Slovenes
József Kossics (1788-1867)
Ágoston Pável (1886-1946)
Károly Doncsecz (1918-2002)
Antal Rogán (1972-)
Tibor Gécsek (1964-)

[Szegedist]

Slovenes in Somogy

In the 17th and 18th century numerous Slovene families from Vas County settled down in Somogy County. According to recent research, there were sixteen Slovene settlements in three country districts (Csurgó, Nagyatád, Marcali). The Slovenes came to Somogy County from what is now known as Prekmurje in two waves: the first was caused by Ottoman attacks around 1600 and the second took place in the 18th century, when they escaped persecution of their Protestant faith. In most cases, the Slovenes who immigrated to Somogy gradually assimilated to the local Hungarian surroundings. Today, only few indications that evoke the historic presence of Slovenes in Somogy County, still exist. Among them, the most evident is the local cuisine.


The other most relevant reminiscence of Slovene presence is the wedding custom in Tarany, where the figure of the guest caller at weddings, still present in the local traditions of the Slovenes from the Rába and those from the Prekmurje region in Slovenia, has been maintained. Both in Tarany and in the Rába Region the guest caller is dressed in a robe decorated with knitting. In addition, he carries a stick with a hedgehog fur wrapped round its bottom. The customs at the deathbed, the vigile and funerals are also similar. Furthermore, the descendants of the Slovenes in Somogy do not observe the typical Hungarian Easter Monday custom, in which men and boys douse women and girls with Eau de Cologne, otherwise typical in the region.

Whereas the Slovenes from the Rába Region still maintain their language and culture, the consciousness of the inhabitants of Tarany about their ancestors is in constant decrease. In the population census in 2001, only 44 people declared themselves as Slovenes in the whole Somogy County.

[Permafrost]

In the last decades of the 19th century, and especially during the Horthy regime, the denomination "Wends" was used in order to emphasize the difference between the Hungarian Slovenes and other Slovenes, including attempts in creating a separate identity.

Austrian tactics, huh? :) Well nevermind, out of all of our neighbours, Hungarians are the ones who have respected us most, up until now you have never stolen our territory or treated us badly (I wish I could say the same about the other... 'neighbours'), so even if it came about conflicts with other Slavs, the vast majority of Slovenes wouldn't backstab you.

Although I didn't know that Porabje dialect is so close to the Prekmurje variant!? I mean I can understand perflectly the latter but I wouldn't be so sure about the former.

[Szegedist]

Slovenia and Slovenes never caused problems. They supported us in the 1703–1711 war of independence, and the 1848-1849 war of independence. And Lutheran Slovenes in Prekmurje also supported to remain in Hungary after WW1.

In 1918, with the breakdown of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Slovene politicians in Prekmurje were confronted with the choice between continuing to be part of the newly established Hungarian Democratic Republic, seek for an autonomous entity, establish an independent state (Republic of the Slovene March), or join the new State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs (Yugoslavia).

The Hungarian republican leaders Mihály Károlyi and Oszkár Jászi were inclined to give a wide autonomy to the Slovene March. The Slovene governor József Klekl worked out a detailed program of autonomy together with Jászi. The proposal included an autonomous Slovene assembly in Murska Sobota, a regional defence unit, the establishment of a Slovene high school in Szentgotthárd, and the introduction of a tri-lingual administration in the territories of Szentgotthárd, Murska Sobota, Lendava and Őriszentpéter, with an equality between Prekmurian, Hungarian and German.

The name of the proposed entity would be Slovene March (Slovenska krajina). On 19 January 1918, a convention was assembled in Beltinci, which proposed that the Slovene March became an authonom territory in Slovenia and in Yugoslavia. Some Slovene politicians, such as Mihael Kuhar, Joško Godina, Ivan Jerič and the great Slovene politician Anton Korošec also felt that the idea of an independent Slovene March was possible. But Klekl disagreed and pushed for the inclusion of the Slovene March into Slovenia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

Initially, the area was assigned to Hungary, but with the outbreak of the Hungarian Revolution of 1919, the situation changed dramatically. After a short interim of the Hungarian Soviet Republic, the Republic of Prekmurje was proclaimed in late May 1919 by the activist Vilmos Tkálecz. After less than two weeks, the tiny Republic was invaded by the Army of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes that occupied the entire Prekmurje. With the Treaty of Trianon of June 1920, almost the totality of the area was assigned to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.

[Arbërori]

A friend of mine is descended from Hungarian Slovenes, he considers Hungary to be his second home. :)