Articles by Initial Letters
Mi lesz veled, Zoboralja?
Tóth Klára emlékére
- Issue: 2020/3
- Starting page: 12
- Author: Gerzanics Magdolna Dr.
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The region known by Hungarians as "Zoboralja” (meaning: at the foot of Zobor Mountain) is located slightly northeast of the town of Nyitra/Nitra in Western Slovakia. Today there are 13 communities that consider themselves to be part of the Zoboralja ethnic region where Hungarian culture is layered in with local Slovak culture. Just one of the archaic customs preserved there is the Szent Iván Day (midsummer) fire jumping. There are fears that Hungarian culture will be completely disappear into the surrounding Slovak culture. For example in 1913 Kodály wrote that Vicsápapáti/ Výčapy-Opatovce had 1226 Hungarian residents and 113 Slovaks; in 2001 there were 1959 Slovak residents and 145 Hungarians. There are people in the region actively involved in supporting and keeping the Hungarian heritage alive. Amongst them are Tóth Klára, Tóth Borbála, Ladányi Lajos. Unfortunately Tóth Klára succumbed to complications from the COVID 19 virus at the age of 49 on May 17, 2020, leaving a great hole in the hearts of the Hungarians of Zoboralja. By dr. Gerzanics Magdolna.