Fathers and Sons on Separate Path. The Rise and Fall of the Kajdacsy Family in Baranya

Abstract

The purpose of the study. To present in detail the lives and career paths of the male members of the Kajdacsy family, and to correct the errors in the literature so far, to shade their conclusions, and at the same time examine the causes of the rise and fall of the family. Applied methods. Preparation of the collective biography of the Kajdacsys. The examined persons belonged to the Baranya branch of the family, any additional branches were only supplementary. Four generations were investigated, from their appearance in Baranya until their extinction. The research relied on archival sources and private correspondence. In addition to all this, the examination of the church registers and the press is of particular importance. Outcomes. The Kajdacsy family can rightly be called one of the most successful families in Baranya during the 18–19th centuries. The success of the family can be measured not in the acquisition of property, but in the attainment of various offices. Two factors were necessary for this: good personal qualities and a usable network of contacts. These can be detected in all family members, so we must find a different reason for the personal rise and the beginning of the downfall. Generational differences also played a role in the decline of the family, but the main reasons for this are found in the personalities of the individuals and their own desires.