Karancsalja
Karancsalja | |
|---|---|
  Karancsalja Location of Karancsalja | |
| Coordinates: 48°07′55″N 19°45′22″E / 48.13194°N 19.75614°E | |
| Country |  Hungary |
| County | Nógrád |
| Area | |
| • Total | 12.54 km2 (4.84 sq mi) |
| Population (2004) | |
| • Total | 1,634 |
| • Density | 130.3/km2 (337/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 3181 |
| Area code | 32 |
Karancsalja is a village in Nógrád county, Hungary, in Salgótarján District.
It is located in the northern part of Nógrád county, in the heart of the former Palócföld region. It lies among the northern ranges of the Karancs Hills in its valley. Karancsalja is bordered by Karancsberény in the north, Karancslapujtő in the west, Salgótarján in the east and Etes in the south. It lies near the border between Hungary and Slovakia.
Karancsalja must have been inhabited since the time of the Hungarian conquest, since its area - the northern side of the valley - is slightly raised from its surroundings, thus providing a suitable place for settlement.
Like the settlements of the Karancs region, Karancsalja was a typical village on a highway at the beginning of its history, and it was established along the road connecting the Great Plain and the Highlands. Until the middle of the 19th century, this was an important route for the county and even for the country. The traffic here had considerable economic power.
Despite its favorable geographical conditions, Karancsalja did not become a large settlement, although in the second half of the 19th century, with the emergence and rapid development of mining, the village began to grow. More than 1500 people live in Karancsalja today.
Location
The village is located in the northeastern part of Nógrád county, in the valley of the Dobroda stream, in the valley of the Karancs Hills, five kilometers northwest of Salgótarján.
The easiest way to reach Karancsalja is by road 2206 between Litke and Salgótarján, it is the first settlement from the county capital.
It is also accessible from the main road 22, from where one has to turn east-northeast in Ságújfalu, to the 7 km-long side road 22109 through Etes.
Footpaths and forest tracks are available from the village to the Karancs Hills.
History
Karancsalja is a settlement of the Árpádian age in the valley of the Dobroda stream.
It was named after the 727 meters high Karancs peak, which is situated a few kilometers northeast of the village, on the border of Slovakia and Hungary, is also called "Palóc Olympus".
The village already existed in the Árpádian period. According to legend, in 1241 King Bela IV found refuge there one night when he had to flee after bloody battle of Mohi against the Tatars. Tradition holds that the King's daughter, St. Margaret, built the Margaret Chapel on the summit of Karancs to commemorate this famous event.
The history of the village during the Turkish occupation and in the late medieval period is rather unexamined.
In 1548 it was owned by Ferenc Bebek.
In 1715, the census recorded 8, and in 1720, 14 Hungarian households.
In 1770 László Jankovich, at the beginning of the 19th century Antal Jankovics, and in the early 1900s Géza Balla were the most important landowners of the village.
The mansion in the village was built by Miklós Jankovich at the beginning of the 19th century, but was rebuilt by it’s new owner in 1909.
In 1873 a large cholera epidemic devastated the settlement.
The coal mines on the outskirts of Karancsalja were of great importance to the life of the population, providing a livelihood for many people in the 19th and 20th centuries. At the end of 1944, the Karancslejtős mine at Etes, a few kilometers from the village, was a scene of a tragic event when seven of the miners who refused to work, in order to get better conditions, were shot dead. [1]
Population
In 2001, 99% of the population of the settlement declared themselves to be Hungarian and 1% Romani.
At the 2011 census, 88.5% of the population said they were Hungarian, 2.9% Romani, 0.3% German, 0.3% Slovak (11.5% did not answer; due to dual identities, the total may be more than 100%).[2]
The distribution of religion was as follows: Roman Catholic 47.4%, Reformed 1.9%, Lutheran 0.8%, non-denominational 22.3% (25.6% did not answer).
The village today
The infrastructure (water, gas, drainage, telephone, cable TV) is fully developed, the roads have been renovated. A pavement was built on an 800 m long section in the center of the village.
The flag and coat of arms of the village were consecrated in 2000, and a memorial erected in honor of the victims of World War I & II was completed that year, and an ornamental park was established soon after. In 2003, the sports field was renovated.
A popular excursion destination is the "Tavas" recreation park, where cultural and sports programs are organized on public holidays. The most visited events in the village are the Village Day on the last Saturday of July, as well as the harvest parade and ball in early October.
In 2015, the Village Library opened in a new location. The bookstore, the children’s corner, the furniture and the internet browsing places create opportunities for everyone from young to old. The installed internet creates a direct connection with the Balassi Bálint County Library.
External links
- Street map (in Hungarian)
References
- ^ "Official website of the village Karancsalja". www.karancsalja.hu. Retrieved 2020-04-22.
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link) - ^ "Detailed Gazetteer of Hungary". www.ksh.hu. Retrieved 2020-04-22.