The Windish Peoples of the Mura Region

Information about The Windish Peoples of the Mura Region The Region. Our Gojdiná, Bánfi, Podlesek, and Mácsek ancestors were peasants in the southwest corner of Vas megye in Hungary. The area in which they lived had been a historic part of Hungary for over 1000 years, and was called the Muravidék -- the Mura river region. It is now the northeast corner of Slovenia, tucked between present-day Austria and Hungary – separated from the rest of Slovenia by the Mura River. The area is now called Prekmurje … literally, “beyond the Mura” river. The portion of a modern roadmap below shows that northeastern part of Slovenia, which is only about 15 miles wide, between Austria and Hungary. After World War I, the Muravidék was incorporated into the Slovene portion of the Yugoslav kingdom – officially known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes until 1929. The Muravidék briefly reverted to Hungary during World War II, and was returned to Yugoslavia … by then a Federal Republic … at the end of that war. With the Yugoslav breakup, it peacefully remained a part of Slovenia, now an independent republic and member of the EU. The only urban place in the Mura region is Murska Sobota (in Hungarian, Muraszombat) with a population of about 20,000. The specific area we are interested in is centered on the small town of Puconci, a few miles north of Murska Sobota (see map above). Puconci was the location of an Evangelical church re-established in 1789, that served not only the town itself, but more than a dozen surrounding villages. Our ancestors in the Mura region all professed the Evangelical (Lutheran) faith. The People. Many of the people of the Mura region … including most of our ancestors … though of Hungarian nationality before 1918 … were ethnically Slavs. They were called Wends … a name that was used over the centuries for various Slavic groups across central Europe. Their language is called Windish. The name of this ethnic group is also spelled with a "V" (remember, there is no “W” in the Hungarian alphabet). Today, these people are distinguished from most Slovenes by the distinctive Prekmurje dialect they still use among themselves, and by the large number professing the Evangelical Lutheran faith. These peculiarities developed and persisted due to the ethnic and religious diversity that was permitted under Magyar law, unlike much of the rest of Europe. While most Slovenes are Roman Catholic, there are only 14 Lutheran congregations in the nation totaling 18,000 members … eleven of them are Windish congregations in the Prekmurje region. It was at the Lutheran church of Puconci (shown here) which was built in 1789, where my grandmother was baptized and her family worshipped. This larger village was only about a mile from the village of Predonovci (Rónafó) where they lived. Note that the Wends of historic Hungary are not in any way related to the Texas Wends who emigrated from Lusatia in eastern Germany … other than their coincidental Slavic and Lutheran heritage. To my knowledge, there are only two Hungarian/Slovene Wendish Lutheran churches still existing in the United States … in Perth Amboy, NJ and South Bethlehem, PA. Table of Prekmurje Town and Village Names. Slovenian Hungarian Other Spelling -------------- -------------- --------------- Beltinci Beletinc (Z) **Bodanci Bodóhegy Bodoncz Bokraci Bokrács Brezovci Vasnyíres Cancova Vashidegkút Dolina Völgyes *Domanjsevci Domonkosfa Dubrovnik Dubronak (Z) Gorica Halmosfö *Gornji Slaveci Felsöcsalogyány *Gornji Petrovci Péterhegy Grad Felsölendva Gornja Lendava **Hodos Orihodos Kobilje Kebeleszentmárton (Z) Krajna Véghely Krajina **Krizevci Tótkeresztur Krnci Lendvakislak Kuzma Kuzma Kuzdobjane Lemerje Lehomér *Lendava Alsólendva (Z) Dolnja Lendava Markisavci Márkusháza Martjanci Mártonhegy *Moravske Toplice Alsámarác Moravci Moscanci Muszyna *Murska Sobota Muraszombat Nemcavci Lendvanemesd Nemsócz Norsinci Újtölgyes Norsina Odranci Adorjánfalva (Z) Pecarovci Szentsebestyén Pecsarocz Polana Vaspolany Pozmanovci Pálhegy Predanovci Rónafó Predanocz Prosecka Vas Kölesvölgy **Puconci Battyánd Puczincz Puzeci Pálmafa Puzsocz Radovci Radófa Rogasovci Szarvaslak Salamenci Salamon Salamoncz Salovci Sall Sebeborci Szentbobor *Selo Nagytótlak Skakovci Szécsényfa Szkakocz Sodisinci Bírószék Szodesincz Tisina Csendlak Tropovci Murafüzes Tropócz Turnisce Bántornya (Z) Vadarci Tiborfa Vaneca Vaslak Vanecsa Velika Polana Nagypalina (Z) Palina Zenkovci Zoltánháza Notes regarding table on previous page. Puconci and most of the surrounding villages have both Slovenian and Hungarian (Magyar) names. A common third spelling was a magyarized version of the Slavic name. Some also have German names. In this genealogy, to minimize confusion, all town names associated with events are given using the current Slovenian spelling. That makes it easy to find the places on any good roadmap. An index of village names is provided above. All these villages were in Vas megye (county) of historic Hungary, unless indicated by a “Z” … those villages were in Zala megye. Villages with present-day Lutheran churches are marked with an asterisk (*) … those whose historic registers are available at Family History Centers in the U.S. are marked with a double asterisk (**). Our Family. The family name of my grandmother is spelled GODINA in most of the original records, but she and her family spelled it GOJDINÁ when they wrote it themselves (proven by an original marriage document of Franciska Godina). Among the other surnames in this family line, BÁNFI also had the alternate spellings of Bánfy and Bánffy. The spellings Godina and Bánfi are used throughout this family history for consistency -- except in this informational page where the spelling Gojdiná is used in deference to my late mother and aunt, who were convinced that is the only correct way to spell it! According to the local Lutheran pastor, when we visited Puconci in 1990 there were no Godina’s then living in the area. But, many Podleszek’s continued to live there. Our closest relatives in the area are probably the descendants of István Szükics and Francziska Godina. We have not made contact with any of these relatives. .

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