Hajdúsámson Summary
Hajdúsámson
Summary
Summary
The large village of Hajdúsámson is located in the spatial structure of the country, near the border of the great Hungary Plane, in the North- Eastern part of County Hajdú-Bihar, in the direct satellite area of town Debrecen, along the main highway no. 471 and railway line connecting Debrecen and Mátészalka, at about 12 km away from the centre of the County. On the outskirts of its surrounding land of 69.52 km2, there are three major inhabited settlements: Ligettanya, Martinka and Sámsonkert. The number of inhabitants of Hajdúsámson was 9,385 people as of the 1st. January 1999.
Alongside with unfavourable soil and geographic conditions, the rich flora and fauna of its special production areas should be noted, and the settlement has a significant nature protection area. The economic potential of the large village is rather weak: however, its favourable geographic position, and its good accessibility can significantly counterbalance the disadvantages rooting in its ailing natural conditions.
Tursámson, emerging in the 11th century was first mentioned in 1213, and later as a village with a medium number of inhabitants was mentioned in the tithe register of the Várad Bishopry from the end of the 13th century, as well as in the tithe register of the Pope from 1332-37. At the end of the 14th century it was a toll connecting place. Its main owners until the 15th century, were the families of Gutkeledek’s Egyedmonostor line, and from about 1311, the landlords of the Debrecen domain, and the Zólyom family. It had a significant development from the 1470-ies, and in 1552, records were made of 57 servants’ houses of 9 landlords.
The 16-17th century story of Sámson, in spite of all the trials, meant a kind of prosperity in the development of the village: this is confirmed by the fact that the village survived the difficulties, in which the strength of reformation played a significant role to maintain the community and organise a church and a school.
Another significant factor, not altogether independent of the previous one, is its growing connection to the town of Debrecen, and in the 18th century, the influence of the civilian town owning half of the servants’ houses of the village was dominant in regaining strength after wars against the Turks and the Rákóczi war for freedom. The land community, regulating the usage of the poor land in Sámson, that is the system of annual re-allocations was gradually pushed to the background during the century in accordance with the strivings of the nobility owning common property.
Sámson at the dawn of the bourgeois civilisation was a typical serfs’ village. The sandy-soiled land was cultivated in a triple rotation system, and animals were grazing on fallow land. Several vineyards were planted. The prevailing majority of the population was reformist. The liberation of the serfs was done without any problems, and in a legal procedure initiated by the town in 1860, the shared land and pasture were distributed. The settlement belonging to Bihar, in 1876 was attached to Hajdú County, that was the time when its name became Hajdúsámson. In the time of the dualism, land usage regulation became gradually modified, but farming remained traditional all this time. However, in the second half of the 19th century, the number of people working in industry and trade was growing significantly. The local elite and middle class strata established associations, new schools opened. At the beginning of the 20th century, two public roads and a railway line were constructed, and financial institutions were established. The political attitude of the settlement was characterised by the dominance of the idea of independence.
The country between the two world wars was drifted into a deep socio-economic, and a deep identity crisis, as a result of the Trianon Peace Treaty and the crisis in the economy. Landowners had production and sales problems, whereas those having no land had bread-and-butter worries. The Nagyatádi land reform only flashed up the possibility of acquiring land, but there was no change. Churches, declaring solidarity with the common fate, and by operating schools and practising social activity, became integral parts of the life of the village. Parties and political trends came and went, offering themselves, but they could not really identify themselves with the problems of the village. With the war, misery and uncertainty came again.
After the Second World War, the population of Hajdúsámson tried to create normal life conditions amidst altered socio-economic and political conditions. Agriculture and cooperatives were the dominant factors in the village, whereas 82 percent of the active population in 1985 already earned their livings as commuters.
The presence of town Debrecen, as the “landowner” very early disrupted the unity of folk culture. This was also encouraged by the heterogeneous society of the village. A form of living adjusted to the landscape in the Nyírség, and the cultivation of sandy soil were characteristic. Local forests became part of the Nyírség area, and new vineyards became part of viniculture along the rivers. All this shows a very dynamic local folk culture with lots of controversies, difficult to understand.
The toponyms of Hajdúsámson constitute a very rich material, it is mostly historic names which are worth some toponymic research. Old handwritten maps end archived documents preserved several hundreds of toponyms, most of which have motives: these give a glimpse into natural geographic conditions, human professions, lifestyles, and ownership structures changing throughout the centuries.
