Brief Information on the History of Medzev (Metzenseifen)
Position:
About 18 miles west from Kosice in the Bodva valley
(Kosice second greatest town in Slovakia)
Founded between 1255-1359 by German settlers 1359 first reference in document 1430 division in Ober-Metzenseifen (height=1.437 ft) and Unter-Metzenseifen(height=1.027 ft) (OM/UM)
The main professions were mining and forging in hammer mills Silver panning and copper mines in OM, iron mines in OM and UM 1376 first hammer mill in Metzenseifen 1842 were 109 hammer mills in Metzenseifen, e.g.:
17 hammer mills in Goldseifen,
16 in Dombach,
14 in the "Aa" at Bodva river direction Stoss,
9 in the Pivering valley,
9 in the Grund valley.
Production of ironmongery and steelware
for horti- and agriculture (see pic tools below), devices from iron for agri- and horticulture. Woodprocessing
was a famous trade ((joiner, carpenter, shingle and shingle root production). 1857 industrial fair in Kaschau (Kosice) with exhibitions from Metzenseifen
(enterprises Schürger & Schmotzer and Mathäus Göbl) 1870 Economic situation of handicraft worsened 1873-1914 immigration of more than 1500 persons (a big number to Cleveland/Ohio - e.g.
Th. Kundtz)
German was the first language until the end of WWII 1960 joining to Medzev 1999 division in OM and UM (Medzev) again.
Development of inhabitants 1772-1999 General census
Year
UM
OM
Persons with German nationality
Note
1772
504
229
1828
3424
1938
1858
3195
1950
Hornyansky, V.: Geographisches Lexikon des Königreichs Ungarn. Verlag Gustav Heckenast, Pest 1858.
