Berehove in the 17th–18th centuries: characteristics of political-administrative and socio-economic development

The relevance of the history of Berehove is due to its undiscovered past. The town was the seat of the Bereg County and the centre of the region in the 17th and 18th centuries. The present study attempts to outline the political-administrative, socio-economic issues of the period that contribute to an understanding of the townʼs centuries-old history. In the period under study, Berehove was part of the manor of Mukachevo Castle, which left its mark on the townʼs condition and struggles. Among the Transylvanian princes of the time, the urban policy of the representatives of the Rákóczi dynasty is the most important to be traced. The policies of the Transylvanian princes meant both protection and, on several occasions, great challenges for the town, as Berehove became one of the centres of anti-Habsburg movements after Mukachevo. The written sources confirm the political and economic links between Mukachevo Castle as a princely centre and Berehove during the liberation struggles. The citizens of the town were represented by the princes on several occasions in peacetime, but in the event of a Polish invasion, for example, Berehove and its inhabitants paid a high price for supporting the Transylvanian prince. The Transylvanian princes built and maintained a court house in the town and were guests here on numerous occasions. The period of the siege of Mukachevo Castle (1685–1688) proved to be a difficult time for the town, when it became the scene of military clashes. During the Rákóczi War of Independence, the rebels of the area were concentrated here, as the chief justice of the town, Sámuel Kemsey, supported Ferenc Rákóczi II from the early days. Berehove was the only town where the anti-imperial flag-unfolding of the Kuruc could be carried out with great enthusiasm. This is why it became known as the so-called «Kuruc town» in the eyes of the imperial military.

The need to supply both the imperial army and, in time, the liberation army with food and soldiers put the town administration in a difficult situation. High quality wine production was a source of income for the townʼs farmers – landowners and ordinary citizens alike – except when faced with the lawlessness of the enemy military. After the defeated war of independence, the town was re-integrated into the Habsburg Empire, continuing to function as a county centre.

the Rákóczi princes, the Kuruc, Berehove, the war of independence, censuses.