Can you imagine a village near Budapest where history whispers from every corner? That place is Tordas. Tordas is a village in Fejér county. It lies 33 km northeast of Budapest.
Tordas’s story stretches back to ancient times. Bronze Age and Roman artifacts have been found here. These finds prove the area was inhabited long ago. A Roman road once passed through Tordas. It connected Aquincum with Floriana.
The first written record of Tordas dates back to 1270. At that time, it was known as Thordos. Tordas was a noble estate. Gergely of Martonvásár gifted land and vineyards in Tordas to the nuns of Margaret Island.
In 1276, Tordas was mentioned as Turdos next to the “Great Road.” A papal inventory from that year shows the nuns owned three large vineyards there. These vineyards were inherited from the wife of Chaba.
By 1328, Tordas was called Tardas. It was noted as being near Mortunwasara. That year, Pál, son of Lőrinc, sold Tordas to Miklós for 50 M. In 1337, Tordas was mentioned as a boundary of Kuldó. Kuldó’s border reached the Tordas church. It cut through the village’s gardens.
The people of Tordas have historically relied on agriculture. Viticulture or grape growing was also vital. Many residents commute to nearby cities for work.
During the Turkish occupation, Tordas became deserted. In 1697, the Sajnovics family acquired Tordas. In 1713, they signed a settlement agreement with Varga Lőrinc and Juhász István. This agreement led to the repopulation of Tordas.
Settlers came mainly from Nyitra, Turóc and Pozsony counties. Mátyás Sajnovics granted religious freedom to these settlers. This predated Joseph II’s Edict of Tolerance by nearly seventy years. He stated settlers could freely keep preachers without disturbance.
The settlers were mostly Lutheran. They worked hard to rebuild the village. Church records from 1733 were kept in Slovak. This indicates that Slovak was the primary language. Both Slovak and Hungarian family names were common among the settlers.
Genetic research supports the settlers’ origins. DNA analysis of Tordas descendants links them to regions in present-day Slovakia. These regions include Nyitra, Trencsén and Zsolna. These are areas historically populated by Lutherans.
Between the two world wars, local lands could not support the entire population. This inspired the cooperative movement. János Podhraczky, a Lutheran pastor, led this effort. In 1938, the Hangya Cooperative selected Tordas. It was to be Hungary’s first model cooperative village.
The Hangya Cooperative built many of Tordas’s public buildings. These included the community center, restaurant, and experimental station. They also constructed the doctor’s office and gymnasium. World War II unfortunately disrupted these grand plans.
After 1945, Tordas was administratively merged with Gyúró. Later, a partnership was formed with Martonvásár, Gyúró, Kajászó and Tordas. This partnership aimed to handle family support and child welfare duties.
Interestingly, Tordas recorded Hungary’s lowest annual rainfall in 2011. Only 251 mm of rain fell that year.
Tordas boasts several notable attractions. These include a Catholic church and a Lutheran church. There’s also a fishing lake and the Sajnovics Mansion. Tordas Rádió FM 90.0 is Hungary’s first free village radio. It broadcasts from village sign to village sign. Copy Con, a ragga musician, even wrote a song about Tordas. The Tordas Experience Village features a Western village, adventure park, lake, and more.
Famous people associated with Tordas include János Sajnovics. He was born here in 1733 and researched the Finno-Ugric language family. Composer Tamás Cseh lived here until he was fourteen. Zoltán Mihály Csupor, a Roman Catholic priest, also worked here for decades.
Tordas is a village that blends ancient history with cultural richness. It showcases the enduring spirit of its people.