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Szent Peterfa, Vas, Hungary (not in Burgenland)

The settlement is situated along the Pinka stream and now inhabited mainly by Croats. It was first recorded in 1221. The village owes its name to the titular saint of the parish church. This church preserves the architectural traits of consecutive periods. The baptismal fountain is Romanesque, while most of the other architectural features originated in the second half of the 15th century, rendering St. Peter's church one of the most significant relics of West Transdanubia's "brickwork Gothic" style.

The village has a border station to Austria. In 1923, after the Trianon Peace Treaty, the settlement was awarded the title of "The Most Loyal Hungarian Village" as the population had voted to return to Hungary. The current population is 1,066.

Source for above: Taken from Vas Megye Településeinek Atlasza, Peter Göndöcs, publisher, 1997, published by HISZI-MAP Kft., 5700 Gyula, Corvin utca 3, Tel/Fax: +36-66-463610, 463323, Hungary. All rights reserved. Reprinted by permission. Copies available in Hungary for 2,500 Forints.

Szent Peterfa is located 1 km south of Eberau. There is a local border crossing at Eberau. Catholic church from 17th Century.

Pop. in 1873, 1276. Church records from 1793.

Aristocratic family were the Erdody's.

Family History Library microfilms:
Catholic: Római Katólikus Egyház, Szentpéterfa [FHL INTL Films 602026 - 27]
Civil: Monyorókerék (Vas). Anyakönyvi Hivatal [FHL INTL Film 2227444 Item 3, VAULT INTL Films 2236200 Item 1, 2236201 Items 1-2, 2236202 Items 1-3, 2236203 Items 1-3, 2236204 Items 1-2, 2236205 Item 1]

Szentpéterfa is of personal interest to BB member Frank Teklits, as his family surname connects with noble families once located there. Frank shared an English translation of a section of Stefan Geosits' 1996 book "Szentpéterfa: Petrovo Selo, Prostrum, 1221-1996." That section, "A szentpeterfai nemesek," discusses the history of the Szentpéterfa nobility.

In it, Geosits reports, "The nobles inherited the title or were given the title because of heroism or some important activity performed on behalf of the nation. The privileges were, among other things, that they did not have to pay taxes and did not have to perform manual labor for the state. In case of war, however, they did have to participate. These privileges stopped in 1848, but they kept their title and still owned their land until 1945."

Geosits further states, "The first noblemen we know of in Szentpéterfa received their rank from King Rudolph II (1576-1612) in Prague on April 2, 1601. Teklics Lukács, his father Gergely, his brothers, Teklics György, Mátyás, István, Mark and György, Jr. were the first ones to receive noble status." He records that that the Teklics (Teklits) family remained among the nobility until the privileges stopped in 1848, and notes that more than half of the 1845 nobility still carried the Teklits name.

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