Neszmély Summary
Neszmély
Summary
Summary
The name of the settlement was created from a Slavic proper name by way of turning it into Hungarian. Its meaning: “who is not brave, who is shy”. Charters from the XIII-XIV centuries mentioned it as Nezmel, Neszmel and Nesmel. The name of the oppidum: Langendorf (Long village) around 1364 referred to its geographical position just like its Latin name, Longa villa that emerged in 1471. The Danube was one of the dominant factors of the economic life of the village in the XIV-XIX centuries. Until the end of the 1600-ies, the fishing of the type of fish called sturgeon, as important food-stuff, and the revenue of the harbour of Füzitő made it important for its owners. Fishing from this time on started to gradually lose its significance. Its water mills played an important role in feeding the region until the end of the XIX century. Another important factor was the limy, adobe and stony soil around the village, which provided good raw material for brick manufacturing, pottery, vinery, wine production and fruit growing, developed in the village. The village became widely famous already in the Middle Ages due to the greenish, golden-yellow wine of Nagy-Somló, Korma and Meleges, which reminds wine-drinkers of the similarly famous wines of the Rhine. And what is more, in the centuries to come, Neszmély gave its name to the different wine regions comprising the areas of Komárom, Esztergom, Fejér, Győr and Veszprém counties.
During the Roman invasion, this area was populated by the Azalus tribe, of an Illyrian origin, part of the Celtic culture. The centre of their tribe might have been around today’s Dunaalmás-Neszmély. After the establishment of the Hungarian state, according to Dezső Csánki and other sources, it was first mentioned in a charter around 1235 as “Villa seu possessio Nezmel”, that is “village or serfs’ village Nezmel”. Béla IV.’s charter dated at March 2, 1236 confirmed that Almás, bordering on Nezmel, was owned by the abbey of Saint Martin’s hill (today Pannonhalma). Between 1237-1240, Béla IV. together with the main archdeacon of Nyitra, master Albeus, recorded the borders of the estates of the abbey of Saint Martin’s hill. According to this survey, Nezmel was a village, which was bordering on Almás and Fyzegtu (Füzitő). It was part of the Komárom castle estate for centuries. Master Miklós, the teacher of king Louis the Great, together with his brothers-in-law received some estates close to the village in 1339. It was king Sigismund’s property in 1412. Sigismund, who died without a mail heir was succeeded by Albert Hapsburg on the throne. Albert, who went to fight against the Turks, fell ill. Due to his illness, he was transported in a sedan-chair from Buda to Vienna. He set up a camp at Neszmély at the end of October 1439. He died here in October 27, 1439, at the King-well, that commemorates him.
After king Matthias, Ulászló II. succeeded, according to whose charter, dated at March 31, 1493, the king forbade the trader-citizens of Neszmély to be tried by a court elsewhere or their animals to be taken away. Only the judge of Neszmély and his juries could decide in the cases of the Neszmély people. During the Turkish wars, Neszmély was gradually losing its significance. During the first Turkish attack in 1529, the village was set to fire. It was mentioned as an important sturgeon-fishing place in 1565. In 1566, the commander of the castle of Komárom led negotiations about the re-population of the village. As a result, the sandjak of Esztergom counted 44 tax-payers, and twelve houses in the deftere of 1570. In 1594, pasha Szinán ruined the village again. That was the time when the church, built in the XV century, during the times of king Matthias burnt down. After this, for about thirty years, it was disclosed in the tax registers as an uninhabited place. Its re-population started in the XVII century, and lasted until the XVIII century. emperor Rudolf and Sultan Ahmed made peace opposite the village at Zsitvatorok of Dunaradvány, on the left bank of the Danube in November 11, 1606. As a result of the re-organisation of the country, in the years following the defeat of the Rákóczi freedom fight, the Hungarian imperial post started its operation in March 23, 1712. János Galstok, postmaster erected a chapel in the building of the post opposite the Reformed church. The register of fee estates in the village was announced in the town of Komárom in 1768. According to this, the owner of Neszmély, which belonged to the county of Komárom, was count Zichy István of Vásonkeő, the guardian and tutor of count Miklós Zichy of Vásonkeő, the son of János Zichy’s widow, as well as count Zsigmond Zichy. According to the chart of Neszmély, prepared at the time, it was populated by 53 landowner serfs and 115 house-owning cotters, altogether 168 statute labourers. According to the data of the census held in 1784–87, the village was owned by Miklós Zichy. There were 278 families living in 189 houses, and the population of the village was 1249 persons.
The last victorious battle of the freedom fight was fought in August 3, 1849. At that time, Klapka, breaking out of Komárom could take even the city of Győr. Klapka first attacked in the direction of Dunaalmás, and Mocsa, and turned towards the real target: Ács only in the afternoon hours.
After the great victory in August 3, the fighters made peace. The command of the army in August 23, 1849 declared: “As a result of the order announced yesterday, the armistice related borderlines are the following:
On our side, on the right bank of the Danube; Herkály puszta (where later the conditions of Klapka’s surrender of the castle were signed), the villages of Csém, Mocsa, Naszály, Almás and Neszmély; and on the enemy’s side: Ács, Igmánd, Tata, Szomód, Süttő; with the space between the two borderlines being neutral.”
The spirit of the revolution lived on even after its defeat. In the autumn of 1850, the situation became sharp between the vine-growers and the landlord around the tithe wine production. In October 2, the vine-growers of Neszmély offered resistance to the landlord’s tithe collectors. The chief constable, Szalay asked the chief of the county for two companies of soldiers to break the revolt. The two units were commanded to the site in October 28 “to lead law and the higher orders to victory, and to guard the sanctity of private property”. The rebels gave up the struggle.
The Zichy family owned the properties of Almás and Neszmély until 1855. In August 9, a significant part of both estates were purchased by the Saint Augustine prebendal order of Klosterneuburg from count Miklós Zichy.
The railway line was inaugurated on Saturday, November 28, 1891. Following the fall of the Commune after the world war came the Rumanian occupation army, which first marched across Neszmély and Almás in August 17, 1919. During their retreat in October, the troops plundered food when they came to Almás and our village again. During the white terror, the soldiers gathered the members of the Communist party.
As a sign of recovery after Trianon, Hacker’s brick-factory was reconstructed in 1922, providing work for thirty workers.
After the first decision of Vienna, the Hungarian army – under governor Horthy – marched through Neszmély in November 6, 1938. The fights of the Second World War reached the village in December 27, 1944. The Germans pushed them out after severe fights in January 6. The new Soviet entry came in March 21, 1945.
In February 20, 1946, the village was re-organised with the help of Pál Gobaschits and István Szabó, junior clerks under the governance of József Mike, village judge, Kálmán Várkonyi, village-clerk, and Pál Hatala, chairman of the national committee. In 1950, a village council with 51 members was created under the leadership of Ferenc Pőcze, chairman of the village committee and István Lengyel, deputy chairman.
In the evening of October 26–27, 1956, some rebels, who came from Tata and other settlements disarmed the border-guards of Neszmély and Dunaalmás. László Mohácsi took on the task of calming the night shootings and the hot general feeling. After November 4, the re-organisation of the old council system was started under the protective wings of the Soviet army, which defeated the revolution.
The Blue Danube Agricultural Cooperative was established in January 1960. A Culture Hall was built in 1965, and a new department-store was built in 1969, the old school and kindergarten were renovated. The village was given the title of a border-guard settlement in September 27, 1970. It has had an independent self-government since 1991. Its lord-mayor is István Jobbágy.
