LAND AND PROPERTY STATUS OF THE MONASTERIES OF THE ORDER OF ST. PAUL THE HERMIT IN THE OF UZHANSKYI REGION IN THE 14TH TO 16TH CENTURIES

Abstract

Simultaneously with the formation of the Diocese of Eger, monks of various Catholic orders began to settle in the northeastern communes of Hungary: Franciscans, Dominicans, and later, Paulines-hermits. In the 14th century, monasteries of the order were founded in the territory of the modern Uzhanskyi region. The founders and patrons of these monasteries were local landowners. It is essential to know that in most cases, Catholic religious orders, along with missionary, pastoral, i.e., spiritual activities, were also engaged in farming, building monasteries, churches, etc. Monasteries became landowners since their foundation and receipt of the first land allotments in the 14th and 15th centuries. This, in turn, led to inevitable conflicts with neighbors, etc. Protestant nobles harassed monks since the middle of the 16th century. There were cases of attacks on monastery buildings and land, robberies, and even beatings and murders of monks. This situation accelerated the decline of the monasteries' economy. The Reformation radically changed the confessional pattern of the region. By the end of the 16th century, aristocrats and gentry, as well as a large part of the common people, had become Protestants. Even some Orthodox Ruthenians formally adopted the Protestant faith. Thus, the overall situation was not conducive to the return of Catholic monks, including the Paulines, to their former monasteries. The counter-reformation wave of the mid-17th century changed the situation only partially. The Order of St. Paul regained a small part of its former possessions. However, the hermits never returned to their former monasteries in the Uzhanskyi region. Sadly, this issue is not addressed in modern historiography adequately. While the general historiography of the medieval history of the Pauline Order is satisfactory, the activities of hermits in certain regions, including the territory of modern Transcarpathia, lack thorough research. Therefore, the study of the land and property situation of Paulines, the hermits, will help to outline the extent of the material losses of the order in the northeastern communes, in particular the Uzhanskyi region, and to understand the motivations and efforts of the order's leadership to return the lost land.