The Centuries of Living Together in Békés County In times of hounding the Turkish out and the War of Independence of Rákóczi most of our region almost became depopulated. After the fights the returning of the Hungarian began who were settled out at the time of the siege of the fortress of Gyula and also escaped from the military campaign, to whom other fugitive bondsmen joined. The rebuilding was given a momentum after 1720, when an Austrian field-officer, Harruckern János György (1664-1742) became the new lord of the estate of Gyula. He encouraged settlement with privileges like tax allowance, free practice of religion, certain rights of the local government, and he protected villeins from resettlements. Our region became multinational as a result of the conscious resettling policy and the spontaneous becoming inhabited. The Serbian first arrived at the southern part of Körös-Maros Distance in the 17th century from Bácska and their settlement lasted up to the middle of the 18th century. The spontaneous moving in of the Romanians started also in the 17th, however mainly went off in the 18th century. Beside of the Hungarians, Slovakians arrived from the northern counties of the historical Hungary, Germans from Austrian and Bavarian lands and from other German provinces in the course of the organized settlement. The main part of Gipsies, who continued a nomadic way of life, came from Transylvania and their settlement mostly happened in the second half of the 19th century. The progress of the settling originated from different parts of our country lasted up to the middle of the 19th century. The ethnic colourfulness accompanied with religious diversity. Only the Hungarians were Calvinists, we can find Hungarians, Slovakians and Germans among Catholics. Lutheran thoughts were first of all followed by Slovakians and Germans; however, Orosháza was resettled by Lutheran Hungarians. Religious diversity was increased by the Greek Orthodox Church of the Romanian and the Serbian. ”All nations, like Hungarian, German, Slovak, Rac and Walachian were peacefully involved. However, all nations and all religions had to settle down at a specially shown place.” Later wrote Tessedik Sámuel (1742-1720). The process of cultural unification of different cultured ethnics shortly began, but specifics of ethnics also remained. The different nations soon got used to living next to each other often on the same settlements. Thank for this our region did not become the source of ethnic conflicts. Our region avoided ethnic battles even in times of the Revolution and War of Independence in 1848-49. Living together of different ethnics was not disturbed until the 20th century. The reason of the numeral increasing of Hungarian population is rather assimilation not the official Hungarianization efforts degrading ethnics that appeared at the end of the 19th century. During the World War II population decreased because of the losses of the war and the Holocaust of the assimilated Jewish and Gipsies. After the war the number of the German population strongly decreased because of deportation, forced labour and settling out. In 1947-48 in the course of the Slovakian-Hungarian exchange of population Hungarians came to our region that were chased away from Slovakia and from here voluntary Slovakians settled back to Slovakia. During these in and out settlements the assimilation of ethnics accelerated. From 1948-49, the "year of change", ethnic policy got under the direction of the Hungarian Workers’ Party. During 1947-48 the Slavonic, the Slovakian and the Romanian people organized their own associations, the German could do the same in 1955. The one-party state strived for the direction and finally liquidation of these ethnic associations. By 1957 they were joined to the Patriotic People’s Front. Their cultural activity for saving their identity increased during the 1970-80s. After the changing of the political system the Romas could establish their own organizations. In 1993 local governments of ethnic minorities were created and their leaders are now democratically elected. Local governments provide the remaining of colourfulness in our region as well.
	Bible Origin: Békéscsaba Technique: Lutheran Bible written in Slovakian, printed in 1842 with copper fitting on the cover. Size: L: 24 cm W: 15 cm
	Extract from the permanent ethnographical exhibition, called Identity, Difference, Diversity: Slovakians
	Extract from the permanent ethnographical exhibition, called Identity, Difference, Diversity: Slovakians
	Extract from the permanent ethnographical exhibition, called Identity, Difference, Diversity: Slovakians
	Extract from the permanent ethnographical exhibition, called Identity, Difference, Diversity: Slovakians
	Extract from the permanent ethnographical exhibition, called Identity, Difference, Diversity: Slovakians
	Funebrál Origin: Békéscsaba Technique: Lutheran book containing funeral songs written in Slovakian, printed in 1909, has copper fitting on the cover. Size: L: 15 cm W: 10 cm
	Portrait of Harruckern János György, Who made Békés County resettled
	Tranoscius "Origin: Békéscsaba Technique: Lutheran book of songs printed in Czech with Gothic letters, copper fittings, hooks and writing on the cover: ""1901. Kaczkó András"" Size: L: 20 cm W: 12 cm H: 4 cm"
	Tranoscius "Origin: Békéscsaba Technique: Lutheran book of songs, published in 1886 printed with Gothic letters, copper fittings on the cover, writing: ""1891"" Size: L: 21 cmW: 13 cm H: 4.5 cm"
	Tranoscius "Lutheran book of songs, published in 1900 printed with Gothic letters, copper fittings on the cover, dotted writing: ""Fabian Pall 1910"" Size: L: 23.5 cm W: 15.5 cm H: 4 cm"
	Tranoscius "Origin: Békéscsaba Technique: Lutheran book of songs printed in Czech with Gothic letters, copper fittings and convex, dotted ornaments on the cover.""1895"" Size: L: 19 cm W: 12 cm H: 8.5 cm"
	Tranoscius Origin: Békéscsaba Technique: Lutheran book of songs printed in Czech with copper fittings and hooks on the cover. Size: L: 19.5 cm W: 12 cm H: 9 cm
	Tranoscius Origin: Békéscsaba Technique: Lutheran book of songs printed in Czech with Gothic letters, copper fittings and hooks on the cover. Size: L: 19 cm W: 12.5 cm H: 9 cm