Kempelen Roundtrip, 2007
In the autumn of 1767, in his capacity as the emperor's commissioner, Wolfgang von Kempelen
visited 35 villages in the Banat in the course of two months, to prepare a report on 18th-century
German-speaking settlements. As a commissioner for settlement, he visited the following villages:
Nagycsanád (1), Nagyszentmiklós (2), Perjámos (3), Németszentpéter (4), Zádorlak (5), Újarad (6),
Angyalkút (7), Temeshidegkút (8), Lippa (9), Lugos (10), Karánsebes (11), Mehádia (12),
Temeskutas (13), Versec (14), Fehértemplom (15), Susara (16), Pancsova (17), Révaújfalu (18),
Nagybecskerek (19), Detta (20), Csák (21), Újpécs (22), Temesvár (23), Temesrékas (24),
Hidasliget (25), Temesgyarmat (26), Szentandrás (27), Merczyfalva (28), Szakálháza (29), Billéd
(30), Nagyjécsa (31), Csatád (32), Garabos (33), Zsombolya (34), Óbesenyő (35)
At the time, the journey led through three counties, Krassó-Szörény, Temes and Torontál. To take
the same journey, now we had to cross national borders. Following Kempelen's footsteps on the
basis of his own notes, we spent a week in the Banat .
Translations from the original text, corresponding to the images:
1. Cenad / Tschanad / Csanád
[...] Its vicinity is 17 thousand acres. If these 483 residents were 115 full-parcel and 365 half-parcel
peasants, the land would not be too little.[...] Its location and soil are fine, there are waters and
forests.[...] The parson is good, yet he complains about the worshippers that they are not ardent
Christian [...].
2. Sinnicolau Mare / Gross-Sanktnikolaus / Nagyszentmiklós
This is one of the biggest villages; it has 550 households, from these 376 old, partly Serbian, partly
German, and 154 new ones. [...]
The 154 new families built their houses about 50 fathoms from the old village, comprising a village
of three 12-fathom-wide main streets. Their will is not to come under the local Serbian judge, but by
forming a separate community, to be able to elect their own judge, to build their own inn and to put
its profit into their communal fund in the three tax-free years. [...]
Here, illness is scarce, since drinking water and the air seem to be healthy. In case some trouble
should arise, the district surgeon living here is at hand. [...]
Finally, I note that the hereby flowing Aranka Brook would be a proper place for willow trees;
therefore, I have ordered to plant them in large quantities.
3. Dudestii-Vechi / Altbeschenowa / Óbesenyő
Old German settlement, half an hour from Temeswar, it is situated among some highlands. [...]
They are satisfied with their parson; the schoolmaster, when I was testing him, gave sufficient
answers. The church, the parish and the school are built of fine materials. The houses are built by
the inhabitants themselves, according to their own taste, and for this, they get financial assistance
from the treasury. [...]
4. Periam / Perjamosch / Perjámos
Here I found 189 old, already taxable, and 72 new settlers, who were supplied with all necessary
things in good quality. [...] The environment is nice, fertile and healthy. River Maros is not far, there
are woods as well, and the water is good.
The houses are occupied and were built in good form, the streets are spacious enough, in the
village there is a church, a school, a parson and a school-master. Local settlers do not have a
reason to complain. [...]
5. Sânpetru German / Deutschsanktpeter / Németszentpéter
This place was built earlier. The streets are not as orderly, or as wide as elsewhere. [...]
[...] Though they complain about the lack of land, in case of the individual division of the land, the
opposite would be proven. The older settlers have already occupied the territory suitable for vine
cultivation, newer settlers do not find such lands as easily, and thus, they can only work on ploughlands.
It is to be marked that no one has been ill for a long time.
6. Aradu Nou / Neu Arad / Ujarad
The village is located by the River Maros, opposite Arad, the royal market-town. …In order to build
the fortress, another 46 inhabitants, who are cottars, moved here, they live on day-labour. Finally,
there are 62 Serbian and Olah houses. They get by well from the fortress-building, partly from daylabour, and, partly from transport work. However, if the construction is finished, this way of living
shall cease, thus, the necessary land for them should already be prepared now. It would be most
appropriate, if the Serbian and Olah subjects moved to another place from here and the lands left
behind were distributed among the Germans. However, for this, the division of the territory would
be necessary.
[...] The forest is far away, but the place is suitable for planting willow trees, therefore, I have
ordered to plant them soon, in large quantities.
7. Lipova / Lippa / Lippa
It is one of the biggest and most important settlements in Banat. It is on the side of River Maros,
the district administration building and a main salt-depot can be found here.
Its location is pleasant and favourable, near mountains, plains and waters.
[...] The majority of the population consists of tradesmen and craftsmen, others support themselves
by plough-land and vine cultivation [...]
Settlers who are ill are well looked after, the local surgeon manages a proper hospital, where
settlers of the area are taken and supplied with medicaments and food.
8. Zãbrani / Gutenbrunn / Temeshidegkút
This is an older village, with its location, with its streets rimmed with strawberry trees, and with its
nice big houses, this pleases me the most from the ones I have seen. It is situated on two hills
divided by a valley, near a forest. [...]
The church is fairly new; the tower is still being built. The parish has recently been built of burnt
brick, it is already under roof. [...] The parson is an old, crabby man, the community resents that
apart from „Bruderschafts-Monat-Täge”, for which he gets 2 forints, he gives no sermon. He gets
an annual 200 forint salary, half of which he gets for the mine-procession [...]
9. / Fântânele / Engelsbrunn / Kisfaluda, Angyalkút
The Olahs who had lived in the village earlier, were moved to Glek in 1766. With the 1767
immigration, a new village started to be built. 112 houses were added, but on my visit, only 34 were
partly done and partly under construction. This has three reasons:
1. the people only want to build with bricks, however, they do not get it easily due to the fortressconstruction.
2. the fiscal directorate of Lippa is not willing to transport timber to them.
3. the settlers themselves are so lazy that they are not even willing to contribute to building their
own house. I have seen them sitting around the fire in groups and watching the Olahs build their
houses. [...]
10. Zãdãreni / Saderlach / Zádorlak
This village and the one directly after it (Szentpéter) is in a corner of the Temeswar district, which
reaches River Maros between the Lippa and the Csanad district.
Its location is favourable, owing to the nearness of the Maros and the forests. The vicinity has not
been measured yet, thus, it is not known how many people it would be enough for. [...]
11. Sãcãlaz / Sackelhausen / Szakelháza
Here, previously Olahs were living, who have just been moved out of here this summer. [...] The
advantages of the area left behind by Olahs: it is on a highland and the church abandoned by the
Orthodox people is there as well. [...]
There is no proper church yet, a parish and a school could be built at the same place. There is only
a deputy pastor, and, because of his disorderly lifestyle, the complaint of the community is in
appendix 41. He even sent away the teacher having been ordered here by the bishop without
finding someone else to his position. I immediately talked to the provost of Temeswar, who
promised to investigate the matter. [...]
The counsellor should be given credit for there is no shortage of timber in his settlements.
Nevertheless, they are not so well supplied with door and window frames.
12. Jimbolia / Hatzfeld–Landstreu / Zsombolya
[...] The village was established by Chamber Councillor von Hildebrand in the spring of 1766, it
consists of 402 ready houses, it is longish, the main and cross-streets are wide, housing places are
ample, and the houses are of proper size. There is nothing objectionable on the whole.
Here in Hatzfeld and in the other new settlements established by Councillor Hildebrand, we can
find a way of farming that cannot be observed elsewhere. The lord councillor has ordered that one
peasant should plough and plant one plot of land. [...] The inhabitants of Hatzfeld and Szakálháza
have asked that the common farming unfavourable for them be abolished and the lands be divided
among tax-payers.
Nowhere in Banat are dwellers as dissatisfied with their lives as here in Hatzfeld. They have
presented numerous written and spoken complaints to me.
13. Grabati / Gravatz /Garabos
It is situated one hour to the north of Hatzfeld. Gravacz is a praedium, where all preparations have
been made for it to become a village. A considerable amount of timber, doors and windows, and an
already complete house are here, the streets are marked out, a few wells have been dug, and the
construction can be started in spring.
14. Cetad / Lenauheim / Csatad
[...] The dwellers here had been accommodated in Arad, Hidasliget, Óbesenyő, Gyarmat,
Szaderlak and Szentmiklós for one and a half years before arriving here. During this period, as it
can be seen in appendix 7, they were supplied with bread, flour and money. [...]
The people are poor, most of them have bad clothes and they become ill in the winter cold.
According to clause 12 of appendix 37, I have suggested that the settlers in need should get a
modest sum from the income from corn for clothing. The district chamber directorate replied that
they would get it not in money, but each household would get approx. 60 litres of corn. [...]
15. Nagyjécsa / Iecera Mare / Jecsa
[...] The setting of the village pleased me a lot. It consists of one main and five side streets, in the
middle there is a fairly spacious square. Considering the fact that the building of the village started
only this summer at the beginning of July, it must be acknowledged that it has progressed well. It is
rather unfortunate that besides the inspector of the settlers, Herd, the engineer, Sax, whose
business is nothing but to mark the place of the houses, was here during the entire construction for
a daily wage of 1 forint 30 krajcárs. He also admitted that his presence was not necessary for such
a long time. [...]
16. Biled / Billied / Billéd
[...] There is no church yet, services are held in a large timber house which was originally built for
the ill as a hospital, and here we can find a scrubby wooden altar with a few pictures engraved in
wood. Behind this, there is an ordinary wooden clothes-chest; this is where the pyx and the host
are kept quite undeservingly. I have ordered that at least a plain, standing, tabernacle-shaped,
locker-chest be made and placed on the altar. [...]
19. Peciul Nou / Neupetsch, Neu-Wien / Ujbécs
Here I find nothing noteworthy, the inhabitants are well off and perhaps their conditions are the
best among all settler-villages. This gives hope that if once the settlements of Banat get into
working and farming for some years, they, or at least their children can rise.
20. Sânandrei / Sanktandreas / Szentandras
[...] The environment of the village is a very nice area consisting of hills and valleys. Especially
towards Billiéd the lands are cultivated in the Olah way, only in spots, the majority is covered with
scrub. The number of German families that could be settled here could only be calculated if the
area was measured. What we can suppose is that German subjects, both owing to the fertility of
the soil and the nearness of Temeswar, would be able to sell their products.
21. Cãrani / Mercydorf / Merczyfalva
The wells are 5-6 fathom deep, their water is very good, only their number is small, two more are
needed. I have ordered to make them. In case of fire, they are supplied with ladders and hooks. In
addition to these, I have ordered to build catchments by some of the public wells. [...]
They have planted strawberry trees in considerable numbers, and they have produced silk,
hopefully, those of Welsch nationality are going to continue silk production and will habituate their
German neighbours to it as well.
23. Giarmata / Jarmatha, Jahrmarkt / Temesgyarmat
The village is exactly like Mercydorf, it is located on two hills, between which there is a deep valley.
This division causes much inconvenience [...] The community would be keen on splitting, and
forming two settlements with two judges, but the distance between them is too little and the
separation would bring about a lot of inequalities and arguments. Therefore, I have firmly advised
against it. [...]
The dwellers are satisfied with the obtained animals and equipment, they have three complaints:
1. They have one well in the valley between the old and the new village. Its water is fine and plenty,
but it is far from both villages and in case of fire, they would find it hard to fight it. [...]
24. Pischia / Bruckenau / Hidasliget
Its location is favourable for the Germans, as it is surrounded by forests and there is also some
land for vine-cultivation. Still, the new dwellers are very poor, and are all the more to be pitied,
since they are hard-working people who do not need much. [...]
There are a few settlers who served as soldiers earlier and they still have claims at their regiments.
These are poor people who cannot get their well-deserved due although they could make great use
of it in their new farms.
25. Recas / Rekasch / Temesrékas
If a place can be convenient for German settlers, Rékas is probably such a place. [...]
The people live almost exclusively on vine cultivation. [...] The wine, immediately after squeezing
costs 3 forints, but even if we calculate with 2 forints, the annual income of a farmer is 200 forints.
The newer settlers, since they have no profit in the first years of vine cultivation, go to do daylabour at the older farmers, and meanwhile, they plant their own vines.
30. Susara / Schuschara / Fejértelep, Sefdin
[...] Up till now, the parson lives in the school, the church is thrown together by boards, so I have
ordered that next winter the service be held in the school, where there is a nice big room.
The work of the school-master is done by a settler; he is not such an expert on writing and
calculus.
Illnesses have forged ahead, but the local surgeon gives all possible assistance. [...]
33. Banatsko Novo Selo / Neudorf / Révaújfalu
[...] The people divided the land among themselves up to now, based on my calculations, one got
approximately a quarter parcel and 0.7 acres of vineyard. If they got half a parcel, they would be
entirely satisfied.
The place was founded only two years ago, and I was pleased to see the great stacks of straw and
hay. Based on the diligence of the people, I hope they shall progress soon. [...]
The community complained about the parson that he completely gave himself to drinking, during
public wine-tasting, he often gets drunk to the indignation of the people, and therefore, he rarely
teaches or preaches. As he was seriously ill, I could not talk to him. [...]