French people in Hungary
Total population | ||
---|---|---|
2,210 (0.02% of the population) Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok County 500 | | |
Languages | ||
French · Hungarian | ||
Related ethnic groups | ||
French people |
Part of a series of articles on the |
French people |
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Historically, there was a significant
History
Several prominent noble families of Hungary originate from France or from Wallonia (e.g. Baron L'Huillier-Coburg, Baron Maillot de la Treille, Baron Toussainet, Baron Thierry, Baron Mandat-Grancey, Baron Deschan, Baron Montluisant, Baron Piret de Bihain, Baron Ransonnet, Earl Souches, Earl Sermage etc.).
Middle Ages
The first French settlers came to Hungary immediately after the foundation of the
The French/Walloons settled especially in
In Transdanubia, the town of Esztergom had a large number of French people living there. French names can be found among the members of the City Council until the 18th century. Esztergom was located along important commercial routes, and this lucky circumstance has made the town a center of commercial life in the Árpád era. Foreign merchants met here and changed their goods, many of them settled in the city. Master Roger called the French of Esztergom Francigenae.[7]
Hungarian name | Latin name | German name | Established |
---|---|---|---|
Aldorf (part of Beszterce ) |
Superior Latina, in monte Gallorum | Wallendorf | ca. 1150 |
Andornaktálya | Talha Minor | ? | 11th century |
Bodrogolaszi | Francavilla | ? | 13th century |
Lapincsolaszi | ? | Wallendorf | ? |
Nagyolaszi | Francavilla | ? | |
Nagyolaszi | Villa Advenarum Francorum | ? | 12th century |
Nagytálya | Talha Major | ? | ? |
Olasz | ? | Ahlass | 12th century |
Olaszfalu | ? | Wallendorf | 1182 |
Olaszliszka | ? | ? | 1239 |
Váradolaszi (part of Nagyvárad ) |
? | ? | ? |
Volldorf (Dombos) | Villa Latina | Wallendorf | ? |
Tállya | ? | ? | ? |
Fruška Gora (transl. French Mountain) (today in Serbia) was also named after French settlers.[8] The names mentioned in medieval documents Gallus, Gallicus, Francus also refer to French origin.[9]
Beside the merchants and peasants from France and Walloonia priests, monks, missionaries and church dignitaries came to Hungary in large numbers many of whom brought their compatriots to their ecclesiastical headquarters (e.g.
The influence of medieval French settlements is also evident in the linguistic history of the Hungarian language. In spelling for the Hungarian cs (/tʃ/) sound the letters ch, for the ny (/ɲ/) sound the letters nh and for the sz (/s/) sound before i and e the letters sc came into use. Also several Hungarian words are of Walloon-French origin according to studies of Géza Bárczy.[11]
The medieval French settlers with time assimilated into the Hungarian, Flandrenses and German (mainly
Banat French
During the Great Turkish War the Holy League could not liberate the whole territory of medieval Hungary from the Ottoman rule. The Treaty of Karlowitz (1699) ended the war in which the two parties agreed to accept the new borders between the Habsburg Empire and the Ottoman Empire which meant that the historical region of Banat stayed under Turkish rule. This agreement stayed in force until the Treaty of Passarowitz (1718) ending the Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718) in which Prince Eugene of Savoy and his army recaptured the Banat.
The Banat was in terrible condition at that time: the once densely populated area was almost completely uninhabited. Its residents died during the wars or escaped from the Ottoman oppression. The former Christian territory lost its buildings and churches, several of them were rebuilt to mosques. During the Ottoman rule huge areas of land became unproductive because it was not cultivated.[13]
Count Claude Florimond de Mercy field marshal trusted of reviving this region. He founded new villages and invited settlers from different Christian territories (e.g. Germany, Italy, France, Spain etc.). Most of the settlers were Banat Swabians.[14]
The first known French settled in the region was a postman named Miklós Noël in Lugos in 1724.[15]
The first wave of French immigrants came from Lorraine and settled in Neu-Beschenowa in the summer of 1748. At that time the danger of an Ottoman attack was possible, so Maria Theresa order them to complete a military training to be able to fight in case of a war. French settlers can be found among the first residents of the newly established St Andreas in 1750. They all came from Lorraine one part speaking French and the other German.[16]
French started to immigrate in larger numbers after 1763. According to László Marjanucz the earlier immigrants came mainly from
Between 1770 and 1771 the immigration reached its highest peak. The villages of
Hungarian name | German name | Established |
---|---|---|
Kisősz | Gottlob | 1770 |
Károlyliget | Charleville | 1770 |
Kisjécsa | Klein-Jetscha | 1770 |
Kiskomlós | Ostern | 1770 |
Mercyfalva |
Mercydorf | 1742 |
Nagyősz | Trübswetter (Treibswetter) |
1772 (re-est.) |
Németság | Segenthau | 1770 |
Szentborbála | Seultour | 1770 |
Szenthubert | St. Hubert | 1771 |
Zsombolya | Hatzfeld | 1766 (re-est.) |
The treasury offered the immigrants support and greater freedom which made them interested in immigration to the Banat. They got land to cultivate, could build houses with the help of the treasury and tax exemption for years. The royal court always kept their interests in mind and made decisions in their benefit.[23] They had the opportunity to take a loan (the so-called Antizipation) which they had to pay back after three years.[24]
During the beginning of the 19th century they assimilated into the
In the beginning of the 19th century several French travellers visited the villages.
Louis Hecht, a professor of the University of Nancy visited the French villages of the Banat in 1876. He already did not find anybody speaking French and several surnames were incorrectly recorded.[27] The officers who came to the villages in most cases could not speak French so they wrote several names improperly, really often with German spelling. There were also some illiterate among the settlers who could not correct the spelling errors. Here is a list of names of some residents of Charleville: Ludwig Chapellie, Katharina Schirmon, Jean Düpolt, Ludwig Simono, Claude La Fleur, Joseph Piko, Anton Poussin, Karl Pigeot, Jean Peter, Le Cler, Hanry Cordie, Remillion Soissong, Jean Francois Quylion. With time several surnames changed as the population started to speak rather German. Some names were written in German: e.g. Picard -> Pikar, Bikar; Laurent -> Loran; Leblanc -> Löblan, Leblang, Leblanc; Marchand -> Marschang; Mougeon -> Muschong; Collin -> Kolleng; Aubertin -> Oberting, Oberden; Guilleaume -> Gilion, Giljon, Giljum; while others in Hungarian: Merle -> Merlei, Martin -> Martén, Houilon -> Hujjón.[28]
After the Second World War most of their communities were expelled. 7,000 of them were welcomed in France. In La Roque-sur-Pernes, France they still have a compact community.[29]
Researches of Lajos Baróti, Antal Bodor, Lénárt Bőhm, Louis Hecht, Jenő Szentkláray and Rogér Schilling provide information of the French settlements of the Banat.[30]
From the Banat several of them moved to other parts of Hungary. Hungarians having French surnames can be found mainly in Szeged (e.g. Chambré, Cherrier, Christophe, Dippong, Frecot, Gilde, Giljon, Giljum, Kahlesz, Leblanc, Massong, Merle, Muschong, Noel, Oberting, Piar, Pierre, Pétri, Potier, Schorsch, Stufle, Vitye, Wottreng etc.).[31] Well-known Hungarians of Banat French descent are Alessandro Bonnaz, Alajos Degré, Miklós Cherrier,[32] Jacob Muschong and Győző Leblanc.
Language
The majority of the French population in Hungary speaks French or Hungarian as their first language.
Education
Gustave Eiffel French School of Budapest is a French international school in Budapest.
Notable French people of Hungary
- Gyán de Vízakna
- Bonipert, Bishop of Pécs (r. 1009–1036)
- Robert, Archbishop of Esztergom (r. 1226–1239)
- Bartholomew le Gros, Bishop of Pécs (r. 1219–1251)
- Alessandro Bonnaz, Bishop of Szeged-Csanád (r. 1860–1889)
See also
- France–Hungary relations
- French people
- Banat
- Hungarians in France
Literature
11th–13th centuries
- Mihály Auner : Latinus, 1916
- Géza Bárczi : A középkori vallon–magyar érintkezésekhez, 1937
- Géza Bárczi : A magyar nyelv francia jövevényszavai, Budapest, 1938
18th century
- Dr. Sándor Kókai : A Bánság történeti földrajza (1718–1918), 2010
- László Marjanucz : Adalékok a Habsburg berendezkedés és telepítés bánsági történetéhez, 2002
- László Palásti : Franciák és a francia nyelv a Bánátban a XVIII. és XIX. században, 1958
References
- ^ Census 2011 – Hungarian Central Statistical Office (KSH) – Demographic Data
- ^ (in Hungarian) Zsoldos, Attila. "The Citizens of Fehérvár in the Arpadian Age" ("Fehérvár Árpád-kori polgárságáról") TÖRTÉNELMI SZEMLE L (2008), 3. pp. 435–451. English abstract available.
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ Tokaj-Turizmus – Tállya
- ^ Apró közlemények
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ Apró közlemények
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ The Colonisation of the Banat Following its Occupation – Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands
- ^ László Marjanucz – Adalékok Habsburg berendezkedés és telepítés a bánsági történetéhez
- ^ The Colonisation of the Banat Following its Occupation – Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands
- ^ László Marjanucz – Adalékok Habsburg berendezkedés és telepítés a bánsági történetéhez
- ^ The Colonisation of the Banat Following its Occupation – Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ Remnick
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ The Colonisation of the Banat Following its Occupation – Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ The Colonisation of the Banat Following its Occupation – Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands
- ^ The Colonisation of the Banat Following its Occupation – Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands
- ^ (in Hungarian) Palásti, László. "Palásti – Franciák és a francia nyelv a Bánátban a XVIII. és a XIX. században." pp. 155–175. Abstracts in Russian (as "ФРАНЦУЗЫ И ФРАНЦУЗСКИЙ ЯЗЫК в БАНАТЕ В 18 И 19 ВЕКАХ") and German (as "FRANZOSEN UND DIE FRANZÖSISCHE SPRACHE IM BANAT IM XVIII. UND XIX. JAHRHUNDERTEN").
- ^ The Colonisation of the Banat Following its Occupation – Donauschwaben Villages Helping Hands
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
- ^ László Palásti – Franciák és a francia nyelv a Bánátban a XVIII. és a XIX. században
- ^ István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek