Genealogical life in Hungary at the past and in the present.

   The last census in the ancient Hungary in 1910 showed from the ab. 20 million inhabitants 5% of aristocratic and noble origin, but the state was ruled by their political and economical dominance. Maybe this was not democratic but by and large this was charachteristic of the whole Europe. Because the life of these privilegized classes was  based on prescriptions where the proof of their derivation was prerequisite to be able to live by their prerogatives, they were obliged to prove their nobility from time to time. Beside of these obligations, all commercial or legal deals, transactions of estates,inheritances, testaments etc. were in connection with genealogical proofs. The scientifical litterature begun at the end of the XVIII-th century concerning heraldry and genalogy (Adamis: Scuta gentium Lehoczky: Stemmatographia ...) Later, in the XIX-th century set in the bloom of the genealogical litterature, were published series of books, monographies about the noble people of  different counties /SBorovszky/,were issued volumes of a great  workwritten of the Hungarian nobility by Ivan Nagy, also lot of local history with genealogical content. There were  established researchbureaus for familyhistory, was founded the  Hungarian Heraldical and Genealogical Society by the most famous historians in 1872.

   Between the World War I and II genealogy remained still subject of history the noble race, but some experients were initiated to deal with history of other classes. It is remarkable Béla Kempelen who issued books from the history of the Jews in Hungary /1937-1939/ Family book 1940: Hungarian noble and civil families, and few books of different authors written about local history./Eugen Bonomi,Eric Fügedi, L.Szmida/ That is still a great debt of the Hungarian historiography the history of the civil people. In the 30-ths years Prof Imre Szentpétery the famuos historian urged the authors to deal with civil history being the life of peasants,workers clercs etc.at least as important as of the rulings classes,because they are in majority number at the society.
   Just as this movement began, Hungary came under the political power of the communists, and their terror exterminated all trends which tried to deal with subjects being suspect for their eyes.They regarded genealogy as the device of the oppressed and  from the power outrunned people to show their own glory and primacy. Archives got under the supervision of the Ministry of Interior and in some respect of Political Police. Genealogical researches were officially not forbidden but by all tricks hindered. Among these restricktions the most effetive was the limitation of researches among the Mormon microfilms,which contained the churchrecords from beginning until October 1895. The investigation of these films was regulated so, that films which contained data not earlier than 1867, were forbidden. This rule ment that from the about 5000 films remained free 5-6% for access only. Later this insane limitation became abated by a new order, so, that researcher who got a commission from one official organisation to  work for them, was exempted from this restriction. The final lifting of this limitation occured just before the change of the regime. The start of the civil genealogical life occured on the doorstep of the 1970-th years.  Despite of the known obstructions,number of amateur researches was growing  up from day to day. They were not welcome with open arms by the State Archives, but it was not possible to stop the wheel of the  times. A lot of German researchers were visiting the Hungarian archives, searching for the roots of their ancestors. These were the relocated „Swabians” or their children, who were obliged according to the Potsdam-convention between the Winner Powers to left Hungary and were deported back to Germany from where their ancestors came into our country after the 150 year-lasting türkish occupation.