THE REVIEW OF SOCIAL GEOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MAGYARCSANÁD GÁBOR HEGEDŰS ANETT VASS*

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1 THE REVIEW OF SOCIAL GEOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTICS OF MAGYARCSANÁD GÁBOR HEGEDŰS ANETT VASS* Magyarcsanád (in Romanian Cenadul Unguresc, in Serbian: Чaнaд) is located in Hungary, near to the Hungarian-Romanian border. We made an analysis based on various methods in this multicultural (Hungarian, Romanian, Serbian and Roma) settlement. After 1920 Magyarcsanád became border-situated, and the space connections of its inhabitants with the Banat region got restricted. The development of the village could be helped by the renewal of the cross-border connections, and with utilizing the circumstances arising from the advantageous inner (cultural and natural values) and outer factors (the EU-membership of Romania, regionalism). The spatial isolation of Magyarcsanád could be lessened with the rebuilding of the nearby border bridge(s). The village tourism of Magyarcsanád should be established which does not exist there, yet. Key worlds: Magyarcsanád rural geography social geography rural development Our study was made in the framework of an university project work. Magyarcsanád is a multicultural (Hungarian-Romanian-Serbian-Roma spoken) village with 1560 (2005) population which is situated in Hungary, in the southeast part of Csongrád county, at the right-river bank of the river Mureş (in Hungarian: Maros), in the microregion of Makó, directly near to the Hungarian-Romanian border (Fig. 1). The physical geographical conditions of Magyarcsanád are good. The settlement was a station among merchant roads for centuries. (MARJANUCZ, L. 2002). The favourable natural conditions ensure good conditions for agriculture. The village is situated 14 kms away from Makó, 40 kms from Szeged, 65 kms from Arad, 103 kms from Timişoara. Southwards from Magyarcsanád Cenad (in Hungarian: Nagycsanád) is located. Magyarcsanád and its environment (the microregion of Makó) participated the radical changes shaking whole of Hungary. In addition, some changes previously mentioned (e. g. becoming border-situated) * PhD student, University of Szeged, Department of Economic and Human Geography, Hungary Geographer, Geography teacher Secondary School of Novi Kneževac, Serbia 1

2 effected Magyarcsanád much more than in Hungary. But special, local phenomenons also effected and effect the development of the settlement: the multinational character, the function of point of transport junction (a main road bridge and a railway-bridge ensured the social and economic connection towards the Banat; to 1920), and the borderland situation (from 1920). Magyarcsanád situated at the border of Csanád county and the Banat region. The multiethnic character and e.g. the similar built-style of traditional dwelling-houses relates to the closeness of Banat. The first inhabitants of the village after the ruin of medieval Magyarcsanád Fig. 1. The surrounding of Magyarcsanád Source: Erdély autótérkép. Dimap Bt, 2003 caused by Turkish rule were Serbian border guards (from 1698). This time the Turkish-Habsburg border drew among the Mureş. Later (from 1718) the Banat became a part of the Habsburg Empire, and the need for border-guarding is ended. Many Serbians moved away and Romanians ( and in smaller numbers ) Hungarian were settled here from 2

3 the second half the of 18 th century (MARJANUCZ, L. 2002). Magyarcsanád is also similar in inhabitation with settling to the settlements of Banat. Romanian people live here from 1756 to the 1930 s in majority. But according to the geographical position, the village belonged for a long time to the historical Csanád county which is characteristically different from the other regions of Csongrád county and the Great Hungarian Plain. In the microregion of Csanád in contrast with the other parts of Hungarian Plain - villages with small population and area are typical; the settlement network denser and the outskirt population proportion within the whole population of settlements is lower in the relation of the Hungarian Plain (BAJMÓCY, P. 1996). The area of the former Csanád county was heavily affected by becoming peripheral situated. Because of this, Csanád county was merged with Csongrád county in Magyarcsanád according to its resident population belongs to the smaller settlements of Makó microregion. The number of population have been decreasing since 1990, because in the long run - both the natural increase and the migration balance are negative. The minority nations of Magyarcsanád are continuously assimilating, the proportion of Hungarian nationality and Roma ethnic group is increasing. On the other hand, in Cenad, on the other side of the border, the same process takes place, but there e.g. the Hungarian and German minorities are assimilating. The proportion of Roma population is prominently high (2001: 7,6 %) not only in relation to Makó microregion but also in Csongrád county. The original Roma inhabitants speak Romanian. In , 6 % of the residents confess oneself to Roman Catholic, 16, 4 % to Romanian Orthodox, 8, 2 % to Calvinist, 8, 2 % to Greek Catholic, 1,2 % to Serb Orthodox and 0,4 % to Baptist. Some Romanian residents believe in Baptism, and the original Roma inhabitants believe in Romanian Orthodox religion. It is important that the various nations and religions lived and live in peace with each other here; intolerance apart from some little event in the past - has been never appeared. The activity of the population of the village has significantly changed in the past decades. The number of economically actives culminated in 1990, after it under the growing unemployment decreased. Unfortunately the unemployment rate is in Magyarcsanád the 3

4 highest at the present (18,2 % in 2004; the same index was 8,7 % in the Makó microregion, 6,2 % in Csongrád county). We do not know how much inhabitants worked really during the state socialism. But very many workers commuted to the surrounding cities, workplaces (e.g. to Makó, to the hemp factory of Nagylak or the sugar factory of Mezőhegyes. The commuters were mainly physical and not intellectual workers. After 1990 lots of workplaces (especially in the industry) in Makó microregion and its neighbourhoods were closed, and many former commuters were dismissed from the ones still functioning. 12 % of the employed worked in the primer sector (this number is very high not only in Makó microregion, but in Csongrád county), 37 % of them in the industry, 51 % of them in the delivery sector. Many local residents work by the day in from spring to autumn in the agriculture which means for many inhabitants the only working opportunity. We analyzed also that what kind of problems seems to the more heaviest to the local residents. We came to the following conlusions by the results of our interviews and quastionarries: The mose serious problem mentioned by the inhabitants was (ranking): 1. unemployment (correlation with statistical data). 2. bad public safety 3. the immigration of foreigns (mainly Roma people and people from abroad) 4. lacknesses of social infrastucture (e. g. pharmacy, more amusement ablities ) 5. poverty 6. too heavy passing (transit) traffic Only the unemployment, poverty and the heavy traffic seems so hard as stated by citizens to us. Maybe the public safety, immigration, and the lack of social infrastructure are a bit overstressed by the inhabitants. The immigrants move to Magyarcsanád can divide into two groups: the migrants coming from abroad and migrants coming from Hungary. According to local residents, most of the problems are connected with the Roma people immigrating from other settlements of Hungary. Their social and ecological situation is even worse than the original Roma inhabitants, they buy old, bad-looked buildings, and some of them do not work, turn to crime and endanger public safety. 4

5 We asked the residents of Magyarcsanád about the advantages / disadvantages of borderland-situation. The borderland-situation is mostly neutral considered by them. Advantages of border-location mentioned were the easier crossing to Romania, the refuelling possibilities in the neighbourhood country, and the more shopping tourist arriving from abroad. Disadvantages were: the heavy passing transit traffic, the supposed presence of Romanian (sometimes illegal employed) guestworkers (they sad to deprive local residents from work), and the alleged increase of crime. We were interested in how relates the municipal council of the village to the borderland-situation, and what are they intention in respect of fit. The most important purpose of them is the rebuilding of the Mureş bridges blowing up by German army in 1944 (Fig. 2.). Maybe only one combined (road and railway) bridge would be rebuilt. When this purpose came true (with rebuilding the railway bridge and only 2-3 kms railway course), a faster railway connection would been restored between Timişoara and Szeged. The biggest obstacle to execute this plane is not only the costs of rebuilding of bridge(s), but the cost of operating the border-crossing station(s). Because of this, presumably the project(s) will be done only after the Romanian joining to the European Union (app. 2007). But the prospect seems to be very good after this date (e.g. in the common Hungarian-Slovakia border river called Ipoly (in Slovakian: Ipel') many ruined bridges are rebuilt at the present. 5

6 LUCRĂRI ŞTIINŢIFICE, SERIA I, VOL. IX Fig. 2. The end of the former Sânnicolau Mare Magyarcsanád railway course at Cenad (Source: Hegedus, G. 2004) The council cultivate friendly relationship with Banat, Romania. Magyarcsanád has a sister village called Comloşu Mare (in Hungarian: Nagykomlós) located near Timisoara. The purposes of the council (rebuilding bridges) are well-known and respected in Banat, as well. We find the council s purposes very good, but we would suggest the developing of tourism, too. The unique multicultural character (e. g. four churches, old Romanian and Serbian farmer s houses on the main road, the Museum of Magyarcsanád called Banat), other attractions (e. g. a Cumanian medieval stone cross, the unregulated Mureş river with an isle belonging to neither Romania nor Hungary), the bird nestling on the Nobody s Isle, the nearly intact forests belonging to the Körös-Maros (Criş-Mureş) National Park of Hungary, the hunting possibilities near the village, the ancient tumulus (Cumanian hill) near the outskirt settlement called Bökény near the Mureş, etc. would mean a great tourist attraction both in Hungary and abroad. But the council can t take part in very much tourist applications, tenders because of its financial difficulties (so the 6

7 financing of own-part in applications is hard nowadays). Unfortunately, despite of the many attractions, nobody accommodate tourists in the village. And most of the passing many of them Romanian - travelling through the settlement without getting information about it, stopping, and viewing the amazing place of interests. In summary, Magyarcsanád considered an accumulated disadvantageous border-situated village that differ especially in its multicultural feature from other border-situated Hungarian settlements. The most difficult local problem is unemployment, followed by poverty and heavy passing transit traffic (and partly worse public safety and immigration). The first two problems mentioned are caused both internal (local) and external (country-wide) factors. One of the main exciting factors is the worse utilization of border-location and tourist attractions. The development of Magyarcsanád were greatly promoted by expanding the advantages of border-location, (e. g. the following join of Romania to the EU, strengthening regionalism) rebuilding bridges, more contacts with Banat, Romania), capitalizing the tourist-attractions and lessening the disadvantages. In this way as well, the main purpose: getting acquainted and understanding with each other s culture, being tolerant and acting against discrimination, (historical) prejudices, and (e.g. political) extremities, and peaceful co-operation and together-living was completely fulfilled both in Magyarcsanád and in the whole Duna-Cris-Mures-Tisza Euroregion, in the beginning of the 21st century. REFERENCES BAJMÓCY, P. (1996): A makói kisrégió népességföldrajza (The population geography of Makó microregion). In: Tér és Társadalom, 2-3.sz, pp MARJANUCZ, L. (2002) (szerk. BLAZOVICH L.): Magyarcsanád. Száz magyar falu könyvesháza Kht., Budapest, p NIKOLITS, Á. (1989): Üres házak mind városra mentek.(vacant houses, the people all have left to the city) Szerzői kiadás (Széphalom Könyvműhely), p PÁL, ÁGNES (2003): Dél-alföldi határvidékek. A magyar-szerb-román határ menti települések társadalom- és gazdaságföldrajzi vizsgálata. (The borderlands of the South Hungarian Plain. The social and economic 7

8 geography analysis of the Hungarian, Serbian,Romanian settlements near the border). Pécs, PTE Természettudományi Kar Földrajzi Intézete SZTE JGYTF Kar Földrajz Tanszék. p VARGA, D. (1982): Az ország peremén. Körösnagyharsány szociográfiája. (On the margin of the country. The sociography of Körösnagyharsány) Magvető Kiadó, Budapest, p