A History of Central Eastern Europe

The 1,215 acre village had a strong start with their production of a quality table wine,
Szõlõhegye, but faltered in later years. By 1787 there were 662 residents in 111 houses; the
population in 1869 was 760 but it dropped to 594 by 1880; it was on the increase again by 1900
when the town boasted 751 residents in 156
homes; in 1910 it had jumped to 962 with a
Hungarian majority; 2 wars caused a drop to 865
by 1944; post-war saw a loss – in 2009 there
were only 455 residents.
With the border following Ronyva Creek
through this area, being east of the creek meant
the village became part of the Czechoslovak
state in 1920 but it reverted to Hungary during
WW II. In early 1945 private estates were
confiscated by the government and the SZÉCHY
lands were redistributed among the citizens. In 1964 the 2 villages, NAGY-TORONYA now called
VEL’KE-TŔŇA and KIS-TORONYA renamed MALÁ- TŔŇA became one, as they had started almost a
millenia ago; they are in the TREBIŠOV OKRES (district) of the KOŠICKÝ KRAJ (region) in Slovakia.
SÁTORALJAÚJHELY
SÁTORALJAÚJHELY is the northernmost city
of Hungary, formerly in ZEMPLÉN megye
but now in BORSOD-ABAÚJ-ZEMPLÉN
varmegye. Located on the eastern spur of
the Zemplén hills, the pre-World War I city
straddled Ronyva Creek which became the
border between Hungary and Slovakia.
While our ancestors have not yet been
identified as actual residents of this town,
their villages (and I use that term in a very fluid manner) were so close as to be annexed to this
city. (2009 population was 16,300 of which 633 residents live in 225 houses in SZÉPHALOM
which includes HOSSZÚLÁZ) Information on the big guy next door is much more plentiful and is
still relevant as our ancestors would have routinely headed into town for many reasons –
markets, entertainment, socializing, legal stuff like deeds and taxes…..and, of course, as the
launch site for the move to the United States. (Plus how much information could there be on a
village that had a total of 40 houses – 3 blocks on Independence Avenue – no schools, no
government, no markets, not even a church!? Not much!)
During the Hungarian
conquest ÁRPÁD gave this
land as well as its inhabitants
"from Sátorhalom to the
waters of Tolcsva" to his
soldier KETEL, THE VALIANT.
The first Hungarian settlement
was named SÁTOR-ALJA which
means “under the tent” and
refers to the nearby,
triangular-shaped Sátor-hegy
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