Komitat Somogy im Spiegel der Angaben der landwirtschaftlichen Betriebszählung vom Jahre 1935

Abstract

Purpose of the study. The study aims to present the most important findings of the analysis of the 1935 agricultural census in Somogy county, referring to the local solutions to the economic crisis. The situation in Somogy was unique since the county’s weight, dominated by large estates, increased in the Hungarian agricultural policy as the result of the Treaty of Trianon. Moreover, as leaders of national advocacy organizations, local agricultural leaders became key shapers of agricultural policy in these decades. Thus, an important question is to what extent the census’ data examined reflected the dominant role of these large landowners. Applied method. The study analyses statistical data and uses the method of historical comparison. Specifically, the 1935 Somogy County census data were analyzed and compared with the census data of 1895. The results thus obtained were compared with Somogy related conclusions of Kiss Albert’s work. Outcomes. One of the main objectives of the agricultural census carried out at the same time as the surveys of other countries was to test the impact of land reform that had recently been completed. On the other hand, the census was at some level part of the crisis management mechanism of the time, where intensification was the only way out of the agricultural crisis. Although this county was mainy dominated by large estates in the country, this is true even if we know from the analysis that by 1935 the proportion of large estates had decreased compared to the data of the 1895 survey. However, this decrease was not so much due to land reform, but rather to parcels and the increasing number of small leases. Somogy was in the middle in terms of intensification of agriculture, based on the national ranking. Although the division of labour and cooperation between large and small enterprises was becoming more and more common here, at that time, contrary to economic considerations, it was not yet possible completely get rid off the endevour of self-sufficiency on farms.