Bezenye
Encyclopedia
Bezenye is a village in Győr-Moson-Sopron
county, Hungary
(Croatian
Bizonja German
Pallersdorf). It is situated 6km from the Slovak
border and just 25 km from the Slovak capital Bratislava
.
The population of 1600 consists largely of a Croatian-speaking community, with some ethnic Hungarians, Slovaks and Germans
. Consequently the inhabitants communicate in a mixture of languages, none of which are used in their standard forms.
Archaeological investigations reveal that the earliest inhabitants of the area were Germanic tribes. Many artifacts can be seen in the Hanság Museum in the town of Mosonmagyaróvár
which is 25km away, near Győr
.
Later on Magyar people settled in Bezenye until it was sacked by Turkish
troops. Gradually the village was repopulated, this time largely by Croatian communities from Dalmatia
, as well as by Germans. The Germans called it "Palersdorf", the Croatians called it "Bizonja". The origin of the name Bezenye comes from a Slav word meaning "elder" tree ("baza").
The Germans occupied themselves with the production of saltpeter
.
After World War II
many of the poorer Germans were displaced to Germany. Several Hungarian families came to live in Bezenye, some of whom had been displaced from Slovakia.
The village has a small museum which chronicles the history of the village. The Roman Catholic church of the Blessed Virgin Mary holds services in Croatian and Hungarian. The village has a Croatian self-administration.
Gyor-Moson-Sopron
Győr-Moson-Sopron is the name of an administrative county in north-western Hungary, on the border with Slovakia and Austria. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties Komárom-Esztergom, Veszprém and Vas. The capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron county is Győr...
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...
(Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
Bizonja German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
Pallersdorf). It is situated 6km from the Slovak
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...
border and just 25 km from the Slovak capital Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
.
The population of 1600 consists largely of a Croatian-speaking community, with some ethnic Hungarians, Slovaks and Germans
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Consequently the inhabitants communicate in a mixture of languages, none of which are used in their standard forms.
Archaeological investigations reveal that the earliest inhabitants of the area were Germanic tribes. Many artifacts can be seen in the Hanság Museum in the town of Mosonmagyaróvár
Mosonmagyaróvár
Mosonmagyaróvár is a city in Győr-Moson-Sopron county in northwestern Hungary. It lies close to both the Austrian and Slovakian borders and has a population of 30,200 ....
which is 25km away, near Győr
Gyor
-Climate:-Main sights:The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Danube, Rába and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr’s bishops can be easily recognised by its incomplete tower. Győr’s oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the...
.
Later on Magyar people settled in Bezenye until it was sacked by Turkish
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
troops. Gradually the village was repopulated, this time largely by Croatian communities from Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
, as well as by Germans. The Germans called it "Palersdorf", the Croatians called it "Bizonja". The origin of the name Bezenye comes from a Slav word meaning "elder" tree ("baza").
The Germans occupied themselves with the production of saltpeter
Potassium nitrate
Potassium nitrate is a chemical compound with the formula KNO3. It is an ionic salt of potassium ions K+ and nitrate ions NO3−.It occurs as a mineral niter and is a natural solid source of nitrogen. Its common names include saltpetre , from medieval Latin sal petræ: "stone salt" or possibly "Salt...
.
After World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
many of the poorer Germans were displaced to Germany. Several Hungarian families came to live in Bezenye, some of whom had been displaced from Slovakia.
The village has a small museum which chronicles the history of the village. The Roman Catholic church of the Blessed Virgin Mary holds services in Croatian and Hungarian. The village has a Croatian self-administration.