Velké Slemence
Encyclopedia
Veľké Slemence is a village and municipality
in Michalovce District
in the Košice Region
of easteastern Slovakia.
the village was first mentioned in 1332. It was a single village named Szelmenc (between 1919–1938 it was called Slemence) before 1945. From 1919 until 1945, Szelmenc bore the same history as Subcarpathia
. It was first ceded to Czechoslovakia in 1919, then after the First Vienna Award
in 1938 it returned to the Kingdom of Hungary
, then back, then, after the Soviet-Czechoslovak Treaty in 1945 was partially ceded to the Soviet Union along with Subcarpathia
. The new border between the two states run through Szelmenc. The town was divided between Slovakia (2/3) and Ukraine (1/3) by simply cutting it into two parts - Veľké Slemence became a part of Slovakia
and Mali Selmenci (Малі Селменці) a part of Ukraine
.
The locals didn't believe that such border would really be established until 1946, when the house which lied exactly on the border was demolished with all the other objects in the way, and a 6 meters high palisade wall with watch towers and border patrolling were installed. For the next 60 years the crossing between the two parts were prohibited. If one liked to meet with their relatives on the other side, they had to first travel 13 km to Uzhgorod for visas to Czechoslovakia, which was granted or not, depending on the office, which usually considered it at least two weeks. Then, if granted, travel 80 km south to the nearest border crossing, then 80 km back, and go home the same way, making a family visit trip of normally 3–500 meters and a half day at least 160–200 km long for one way only and at least a month to organize, making it virtually impossible to meet each other. Those, who tried to shout over from one side to the other were penalized on both parts. This resulted in discussing, sending messages, news in form of songs, sung loud near the border.
In 2003 a Székely gate
(székelykapu) was installed on the border, one half of it being in the Slovak, while the other half being on the Ukrainian part of the border, with a short poem on the Mali Selmeci part. The poem can be roughly translated as "From one Szelmenc became two, should be unified by the Creator, God bless with peace and keep us together, our hope remains, and will join together what torn apart, gate wings of the two Szelmec closes our villages together".
After the fall of communism, and more than a decade of fights with bureaucracy and negligence, a border checkpoint
for pedestrians and cyclists was established in 2005 on the street which was divided. It was opened on December 23, 2005 ending 61 years of division. On January 1, 2008 Slovakia joined the Schengen Agreement
once again hardening the crossing between the two Szelmences, forcing again the Mali Selmencians to travel to Uzhgorod for visas to Slovakia.
The two parts has a total population of about 840 people, almost exclusively (+95%) ethnic Hungarians, with a few Romas in and around the village(s).
The elderly citizens of the two Szelmences were once citizens of Austria-Hungary
, Czechoslovakia
, the Kingdom of Hungary
, and the Soviet Union, and now are the citizens of Slovakia
(and thus the European Union
) and Ukraine
, while most of them never ever left the village, where they were born.
of 9.972 km². The municipality
has a population of about 600 inhabitants.
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Michalovce District
Michalovce District
Michalovce District is a district inthe Košice Region of eastern Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was split between the Hungarian counties of Zemplín and Uh .-Municipalities:* Bajany...
in the Košice Region
Košice Region
The Košice Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 11 districts .-Geography:It is located in the southern part of eastern Slovakia and covers an area of 6,752 km²...
of easteastern Slovakia.
History
In historical recordsHistory
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
the village was first mentioned in 1332. It was a single village named Szelmenc (between 1919–1938 it was called Slemence) before 1945. From 1919 until 1945, Szelmenc bore the same history as Subcarpathia
Subcarpathia
Subcarpathia or Podkarpackie may refer to one of the following.* Podkarpackie, in south-eastern Poland * Podkarpackie...
. It was first ceded to Czechoslovakia in 1919, then after the First Vienna Award
First Vienna Award
The First Vienna Award was the result of the First Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace on November 2, 1938. The Arbitration and Award were direct consequences of the Munich Agreement...
in 1938 it returned to the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, then back, then, after the Soviet-Czechoslovak Treaty in 1945 was partially ceded to the Soviet Union along with Subcarpathia
Subcarpathia
Subcarpathia or Podkarpackie may refer to one of the following.* Podkarpackie, in south-eastern Poland * Podkarpackie...
. The new border between the two states run through Szelmenc. The town was divided between Slovakia (2/3) and Ukraine (1/3) by simply cutting it into two parts - Veľké Slemence became a part of Slovakia
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...
and Mali Selmenci (Малі Селменці) a part of Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
.
The locals didn't believe that such border would really be established until 1946, when the house which lied exactly on the border was demolished with all the other objects in the way, and a 6 meters high palisade wall with watch towers and border patrolling were installed. For the next 60 years the crossing between the two parts were prohibited. If one liked to meet with their relatives on the other side, they had to first travel 13 km to Uzhgorod for visas to Czechoslovakia, which was granted or not, depending on the office, which usually considered it at least two weeks. Then, if granted, travel 80 km south to the nearest border crossing, then 80 km back, and go home the same way, making a family visit trip of normally 3–500 meters and a half day at least 160–200 km long for one way only and at least a month to organize, making it virtually impossible to meet each other. Those, who tried to shout over from one side to the other were penalized on both parts. This resulted in discussing, sending messages, news in form of songs, sung loud near the border.
In 2003 a Székely gate
Székely
The Székelys or Székely , sometimes also referred to as Szeklers , are a subgroup of the Hungarian people living mostly in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, Romania...
(székelykapu) was installed on the border, one half of it being in the Slovak, while the other half being on the Ukrainian part of the border, with a short poem on the Mali Selmeci part. The poem can be roughly translated as "From one Szelmenc became two, should be unified by the Creator, God bless with peace and keep us together, our hope remains, and will join together what torn apart, gate wings of the two Szelmec closes our villages together".
After the fall of communism, and more than a decade of fights with bureaucracy and negligence, a border checkpoint
Border checkpoint
A border checkpoint is a place, generally between two countries, where travellers and/or goods are inspected. Authorization often is required to enter a country through its borders. Access-controlled borders often have a limited number of checkpoints where they can be crossed without legal...
for pedestrians and cyclists was established in 2005 on the street which was divided. It was opened on December 23, 2005 ending 61 years of division. On January 1, 2008 Slovakia joined the Schengen Agreement
Schengen Agreement
The Schengen Agreement is a treaty signed on 14 June 1985 near the town of Schengen in Luxembourg, between five of the ten member states of the European Economic Community. It was supplemented by the Convention implementing the Schengen Agreement 5 years later...
once again hardening the crossing between the two Szelmences, forcing again the Mali Selmencians to travel to Uzhgorod for visas to Slovakia.
The two parts has a total population of about 840 people, almost exclusively (+95%) ethnic Hungarians, with a few Romas in and around the village(s).
The elderly citizens of the two Szelmences were once citizens of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
, Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
, the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, and the Soviet Union, and now are the citizens of Slovakia
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...
(and thus the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
) and Ukraine
Ukraine
Ukraine is a country in Eastern Europe. It has an area of 603,628 km², making it the second largest contiguous country on the European continent, after Russia...
, while most of them never ever left the village, where they were born.
Geography
The village lies at an altitude of 106 metres and covers an areaArea
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 9.972 km². The municipality
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
has a population of about 600 inhabitants.