Szanticska
Encyclopedia
Szanticska is a former village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
county, Hungary
. With a population of 5 people in 2001 Szanticska is famous for being regarded the smallest settlement in Hungary, although officially it is not an independent municipality but part of the village Abaújlak
since 1870. In fact, mentioning it as "smallest settlement in Hungary" has neither official nor statistical basis rather it is a kind of urban legend
born in the 1980s.
). During the Ottoman occupation of Hungary
, the area was an important wine district, later it became deserted, but in the 18th century it was a populated place again. In 1870 it was annexed to Abaújlak.
Between the World Wars the village prospered, but the population started to decrease in the 1930s, mostly because the village didn't have a school
. In 1988 the village had only one resident. During the 1990s Szanticska experienced a revival; some new residents settled down in the village and now it is a holiday resort where people can have an insight into everyday life of Hungarian peasants in the 19th century. Szanticska also hosts Hungarian schoolchildren during the summer for weeklong camps.
There are 19 houses and 2 churches in the village, as well as one store sporadically open an hour or two based on the number of visitors.
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén is the name of an administrative county in north-eastern Hungary , on the border with Slovakia. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Nógrád, Heves, Hajdú-Bihar and Szabolcs-Szatmár-Bereg. The capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county is Miskolc...
county, Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. With a population of 5 people in 2001 Szanticska is famous for being regarded the smallest settlement in Hungary, although officially it is not an independent municipality but part of the village Abaújlak
Abaújlak
Abaújlak is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Hungary.- External links :*...
since 1870. In fact, mentioning it as "smallest settlement in Hungary" has neither official nor statistical basis rather it is a kind of urban legend
Urban legend
An urban legend, urban myth, urban tale, or contemporary legend, is a form of modern folklore consisting of stories that may or may not have been believed by their tellers to be true...
born in the 1980s.
History
Szanticska was first mentioned in 1317. Its name comes from the name of St. Stephen (Szent István in HungarianHungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
). During the Ottoman occupation of Hungary
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
, the area was an important wine district, later it became deserted, but in the 18th century it was a populated place again. In 1870 it was annexed to Abaújlak.
Between the World Wars the village prospered, but the population started to decrease in the 1930s, mostly because the village didn't have a school
School
A school is an institution designed for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is commonly compulsory. In these systems, students progress through a series of schools...
. In 1988 the village had only one resident. During the 1990s Szanticska experienced a revival; some new residents settled down in the village and now it is a holiday resort where people can have an insight into everyday life of Hungarian peasants in the 19th century. Szanticska also hosts Hungarian schoolchildren during the summer for weeklong camps.
There are 19 houses and 2 churches in the village, as well as one store sporadically open an hour or two based on the number of visitors.
External links
- A Vendégváró.hu cikke (Hungarian only)
- A Kastélyutak.hu cikke
- Picture gallery (not accessible to those outside the country)
- An article on Szanticska (Hungarian only)