Southern Hungary Research Articles

The Hungarian fossil record of the Pliocene pig Sus arvernensis (Suidae, Mammalia)

Sus arvernensis is a Pliocene species that occupies a key position in the evolution of suids (Suidae, Artiodactyla, Mammalia) in Eurasia, and besides, it is considered important for biochronological correlations and paleoecological inferences. However, our knowledge on S. arvernensis is largely based on fossil remains from southwestern Europe. Here, we present a revision of the Hungarian fossil record of S. arvernensis. Up to now, the species was known from only two localities of Hungary, Gödöllő (central Hungary) and Süttő (northwest Hungary), and the latter occurrence has even been questioned. After the comparison with other relevant samples of S. arvernensis, of the Early Pleistocene S. strozzii, and of the extant wild boar S. scrofa (motivated by previous attributions and the chronology of the localities), the presence of S. arvernensis from Gödöllő and Süttő is confirmed, and more material of the species is described from Beremend (southern Hungary) and Kisláng (western Hungary). Collectively, the results of the revision carried out herein reveal a relatively widespread distribution of S. arvernensis in Hungary, hence providing an important link from the eastern to western European fossil record of the species. The specimens from Gödöllő and Süttő are slightly larger than the other material of S. arvernensis from France and Italy included in the biometric comparison, although the paucity of the material precludes to evaluate whether these differences are significant and to relate them to a chronological and/or geographical context. The occurrence of S. arvernensis in the Hungarian localities considered in this work is a biochronological indication of an age older than at least 2.6 Ma, since the species is not recorded after the Pliocene–Pleistocene transition. This in agreement with the age estimates available so far for some of the localities or provides new insights. At Süttő, in particular, the identification of S. arvernensis reinforces the view that travertine deposition started already in the Pliocene.

Impact of changes of hospital integrations spanning a decade in Hungary: Modern diagnostic services: CT care based on a Hungarian sample

Introduction, purpose of the study: In Central Europe, in Hungary, the state guarantees access to health care and basic health services partly through the Semmelweis Plan adopted in 2011. The Health Plan aims to optimize and transform the health system. The objectives of hospital integration, as set out in the Plan, started with the state ownership of municipal hospitals in 2012, continued with the launch of integration processes in 2012–2013 and culminated today. The transformation of a health system can have an impact on health services and thus on meeting the needs of the population. We aim to study the effectiveness of integration through access to CT diagnostic testing. Our hypothesis is that integration has resulted in increased access to modern diagnostic services. The specialty under study is computed tomography (CT) diagnostic care. Our research shows that the number of people receiving CT diagnostic care has increased significantly because of integration, which has also brought a number of positive benefits, such as reduced health inequalities, reduced travel time, costs and waiting lists. Test material and method: Our quantitative retrospective research was carried out in the hospital of Kalocsa through document analysis. The research material was comparing two time periods in the Kalocsa site of Bács-Kiskun County, Southern Hungary. The number of patients attending CT examinations by area of duty of care according to postal codes was collected: Pre-integration period 2014.01.01–2017.11.30. (Kalocsa did not have CT equipment, so patients who appeared in Kecskemét Hospital but were under the care of Kalocsa), post-integration period 2017.12.01–2019.12.31. (period after the installation of CT in Kalocsa). The target group of the study consisted of women and men together, aged 0–99 years, who appeared for a CT diagnostic examination. The study sample size was 6721 persons. Linear regression statistics were used to evaluate the results. Based on empirical experience, a SWOT analysis was carried out to further investigate the effectiveness of integration. Results: As a result of the integration, the CT scan machine purchased in the Kalocsa District Hospital has enabled an average of 129.7 patients per month to receive CT scans on site without travelling. The model used is significant, explaining 86% of the change in the number of patients served (F = 43.535; p < 0.001, adjusted R2 = 0.860). The variable of integration in the model is significant, with an average increase in the number of patients served of 129.7 per month (t = 22.686; p < 0.001) following the introduction of CT due to integration. None of the month variables representing seasonal effects were found to be significant, with no seasonal effect on care. The SWOT analysis has clearly identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats related to the integration, the main outcome of which is the acquisition of a CT diagnostic tool. Conclusions: Although we only looked at one segment of the evidence for the effectiveness of hospital integration, integration in the study area has had a positive impact on CT availability, reducing disparities in care.

Multidisciplinary Nature of the AEC Industry, and the Potential Distribution of AEC Firms

Abstract The Architecture, Engineering, and Construction (AEC) sector is diverse. The industry’s market is run by businesses of different sizes, specialties, and subordinations, and each active company indirectly participates in adding value to the sector. This paper focuses on the functional distribution of local AEC firms in Southern Hungary, mainly in the South Transdanubia region. The work systematically gathers data about multidisciplinary AEC firms based in the region, introduces the main activities of the collected companies, and reveals the potential AEC divisions, by analyzing the popularity, net revenue, and number of employee factors for each professional division within the industry at the studied region.

Predictive Mapping of Antimicrobial Resistance for Escherichia coli, Salmonella, and Campylobacter in Food-Producing Animals, Europe, 2000-2021.

In Europe, systematic national surveillance of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in food-producing animals has been conducted for decades; however, geographic distribution within countries remains unknown. To determine distribution within Europe, we combined 33,802 country-level AMR prevalence estimates with 2,849 local AMR prevalence estimates from 209 point prevalence surveys across 31 countries. We produced geospatial models of AMR prevalence in Escherichia coli, nontyphoidal Salmonella, and Campylobacter for cattle, pigs, and poultry. We summarized AMR trends by using the proportion of tested antimicrobial compounds with resistance >50% and generated predictive maps at 10 × 10 km resolution that disaggregated AMR prevalence. For E. coli, predicted prevalence rates were highest in southern Romania and southern/eastern Italy; for Salmonella, southern Hungary and central Poland; and for Campylobacter, throughout Spain. Our findings suggest that AMR distribution is heterogeneous within countries and that surveillance data from below the country level could help with prioritizing resources to reduce AMR.

A Somogy megyében megvalósítható fotovoltaikus potenciál első számítása és hatása a CO2-kibocsátás csökkentésére és a munkahelyteremtésre

Due to the current climate urgency, it is necessary to accelerate an energy transition towards renewable energies. To this end, the European Union has set ambitious energy targets. However, in member countries such as Hungary, nuclear energy and fossil fuels continue playing a major role in the energy mix. Nevertheless, this country has a large solar photovoltaic (PV) potential that is hardly exploited, especially in the southern counties, and its technical potential has been less analysed. With the aim to estimate the short-term implementable solar PV potential in Somogy county in southern Hungary, a multi-criteria spatial approach which integrates environmental, technical (with economic attributes), and geographical (with social-acceptability attributes) GIS-based constraints with existing local power plant considerations was employed. Results show that Somogy has a short-term implementable solar PV potential of 2.7 GWp This power potential is about 25 times more than the current installed capacity for generating electricity in Somogy and represents 45% of the national target by 2030 for installed solar PV capacity in Hungary. Furthermore, this potential could create almost 35,000 direct jobs and avoid the emissions of 1.16–2.65 MtCO2 to the atmosphere. The findings and future studies suggested in this work are significant for both local and national levels and could contribute with insights on how to meet climate targets and accelerate energy independence with socio-economic benefits.

Petőfi Sándor néhány verséről diákszemmel

Some of Sándor Petőfi's poems from a student's point of view: Mosaics from the research of students' analyses of art Curricula come, curricula go, and they bring in their wake outdated, then updated, or even new textbooks from time to time, in the name of reforms or a modern perspective. Meanwhile, the quiet, or more intense debate swings back and forth, again and again between the work-centered or reception-centered literature teaching approaches. This paper contributes to this discourse while shedding light on the intersection of what can be called a pair of opposing concepts at the center of the debate, when the degrees of understanding a work of literature and the student's confrontation with poetical works as lyrical subjects become the organizing principle in the world of a literature class. This professional-pedagogical reflection is supported by a presentation of facts, data, and correlations of the analytical work of twenty 7th grade students from Kelebia in southern Hungary, in order to assist the teaching and learning of literature as a subject. Keywords: content-centered versus reception-centered literature teaching, poetic text, historical and aesthetic views of literature, author/creator attitude, use of literary and art theoretical concepts, technical terminology, technical vocabulary, paragraph, complete sentence, sentence unit, structure and style analysis

Talajkímélő művelés hatása a földigilisztákra egy Zala megyei tartamkísérletben

Conventional ploughing tillage is associated with significant soil degradation. Erosion is increasing while soil organic matter is decreasing and life circumstances of soil biota are deteriorating. Non-inversion conservation tillage tends to provide better conditions for soil fauna due to less disturbance, more organic matter and higher soil moisture content. In our study, we investigate the effects of 18 years of conservation tillage on earthworm abundance and biomass. Our study was carried out on a 90 ha area divided into 10 pairs of plots in Southern Hungary close to Dióskál. Samples were taken in spring and autumn during the first 3 years after the shift from conventional to conservation tillage (2004–2006) and then after 15 years the sampling was repeated in the 3-year-period of 2019–2021. Samples were collected with a soil sampler of 10 cm diameter and height. Our results show that the number of earthworms increased explosively after the shift. However, their abundance do not increase after years, but their number and biomass are significantly higher in all periods of the study in conservation tillage areas.

The first detection of Myxobolus lentisuturalis Dyková, Fiala et Nie, 2002, a highly pathogenic muscle-infecting parasite of gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio Berg, 1932) in Hungary.

Myxobolus lentisuturalis is a myxosporean parasite infecting the musculature both of goldfish (Carassius auratus auratus) and gibel carp (Carassius auratus gibelio). The species was originally described in China from gibel carp that is a common fish for sport fishing in Hungary meanwhile is one of the most popular farmed fish in China due to its high demand. Eighteen gibel carp with distortions were collected from a barrage pond in southern Hungary. All fish had large humps in the dorsolateral region due to infection of the muscle between the head and the dorsal fin. The swollen degenerated tissue was filled with myxozoan spores, which were collected for morphological and molecular studies. By size and morphology, the spores were consistent with morphological description of M. lentisuturalis. Histopathological examination showed that the formation of plasmodia containing myxospores leads to severe destruction of muscle tissue. The 18S ribosomal DNA and 28S ribosomal DNA data of the samples presented matched with previous sequences of M. lentisuturalis in GenBank. Phylogenetic analyses confirmed that our sequences belong to a monophyletic group with them supported by a high bootstrap. This study highlights the occurrence of a highly pathogenic myxozoan, M. lentisuturalis in Hungary as a new geographical location.

Quantification of macroplastic litter in fallow greenhouse farmlands: case study in southeastern hungary

BackgroundPlastic greenhouse farming has become widespread worldwide because of its contributions to various agricultural production. However, it also generates plastic waste in large quantities and pollutes farmlands. Contrary to studies on microplastics, few studies have quantified macroplastic contamination in agricultural farmlands despite its contribution to the production of microplastics through fragmentation. Thus, there is a paucity of knowledge on the levels and characteristics of macroplastics in greenhouse environments. Thus, this study aimed to quantify and examine the macroplastic litter on soil surfaces under fallow greenhouse farmlands.ResultsThe study was conducted at three sites in Southern Hungary, where the usage of plastic greenhouses is very common for cultivating vegetables. On the studied fallow plots, the overall mean abundance of macroplastics was 431 pieces/ha or 6 kg/ha. Most of the fragments had 0.5- to 5-cm sizes. The macroplastic fragmentation in the area was well detected and was an ongoing process. The dominant plastic types were polyethylene and polyvinyl chloride in the form of films and fragments. The results showed that agricultural litter comprised 90% of the total contamination, whereas nonagricultural litter (10%) due to illegal littering also appeared on the plots.ConclusionsGiven that macroplastics were found in the studied greenhouse farmlands, we recommend the following: (1) careful cleaning and disposal of plastics on greenhouse farmlands and (2) prevention of greenhouse farmland contamination by external and nonagricultural contaminants. Besides, further research is needed to elucidate the duration of macroplastic fragmentation to microplastic contaminants in greenhouse environments.

A review of the genus Sernokorba Kamura, 1992 (Araneae, Gnaphosidae)

The gnaphosid spider genus Sernokorba Kamura, 1992 is reviewed. While Sernokorba pallidipatellis (Bösenberg and Strand 1906) and Sernokorba fanjing Song, Zhu & Zhang, 2004, occur in the Far East and the Japanese archipelago, Sernokorba tescorum (Simon, 1914) is known from Europe. We here describe a fourth species, Sernokorba betyarsp. nov. (male and female) from the forest steppe vegetation in southern Hungary in Central Europe. Digital images, comparative drawings (except for S. fanjing) and a distribution map are provided for all the species, and an identification key is compiled. The cheliceral dentation as diagnostic character and its interpretation are discussed.

Economy, emulation, and equality: Sociogenesis in the postsocialist capitalocene

Economy and emulation are freighted concepts. They draw attention to universal phenomena, the forms of which vary according to social organization, and in particular the dynamics of (in)equality. Socialist modernization, which is explored here in the context of successive transformations of rural economy in southern Hungary, was characterized by distinctive forms of enchantment and ritualized collective action. These have been lost in the course of postsocialist privatization and marketization. Convergence with capitalist forms of emulation and increasing inequalities are shown to have deleterious ecological as well as social consequences. Theoretical inspiration is drawn from Thorstein Veblen and Stephen Gudeman; these scholars have much in common, including close ties to Minnesota and deep suspicion of mainstream economics.

The first occurrence of the family Homotomidae (Hemiptera: Psylloidea) and Homotoma ficus (Linnaeus, 1758) in Hungary

AbstractThe first author observed Homotoma ficus (Linnaeus, 1758) larvae on several street and garden fig trees in the city of Pécs in southern Hungary at the end of May 2022. In the first week of June 2022, imagoes were already flying. This is the first observation of this species in Hungary, together with the first report of the family Homotomidae. A diagnosis and illustrations of adults and larvae in Hungary with 21 figures are given.

Numerical Analysis of Potential Contaminant Migration from Abandoned In Situ Coal Conversion Reactors

Abstract. In the context of a potential utilisation of coal resources located in the Mecsek mountain area in Southern Hungary, an assessment of groundwater pollution resulting from a potential water-borne contaminant pool remaining in in situ coal conversion reactors after site abandonment has been undertaken in the scope of the present study. The respective contaminants may be of organic and inorganic nature. A sensitivity analysis was carried out by means of numerical simulations of fluid flow as well as contaminant and heat transport including retardation to assess spatial contaminant migration. Hereby, the main uncertainties, e.g., changes in hydraulic gradient and hydraulic contributions of the complex regional and local fault systems in the study area, were assessed in a deterministic way to identify the relevant parameters. Overall 512 simulations of potential groundwater contamination scenarios within a time horizon exceeding the local post-operational monitoring period were performed, based on maximum contaminant concentrations, cumulative mass balances as well as migration distances of the contaminant plume. The simulation results show that regional faults represent the main contaminant migration pathway, and that contamination is unlikely assuming the given reference model parametrisation. However, contamination within a simulation time of 50 years is possible for specific geological conditions, e.g., if the hydraulic conductivity of the regional faults exceeds a maximum value of 1 × 10−5 m s−1. Further, the parameter data analysis shows that freshwater aquifer contamination is highly non-linear and has a bimodal distribution. The bivariate correlation coefficient heatmap shows slightly positive correlations for the pressure difference, the fault permeability and the simulation time, as well as a negative correlation for the retardation coefficient. The results of this sensitivity analysis have been integrated into a specific toolkit for risk assessment for that purpose.

Naiste patschker, meeste kapca. Lõuna-Ungari saksa vähemuse käsitsi kootud jalakatted / Women’s patschker and men’s kapca. The hand-knitted hosiery and footwear of the German minority in Southern Hungary

The present study deals with the traditional knitted hosiery and footwear of the German minority living along the river Danube (Danube Swabians) in Southern Hungary.
 The national costume worn by the ethnic Germans who had settled in East-Central Europe in the 18th century had changed significantly by the 20th century in ways that differed from the changes that had taken place in clothing in Germany itself. The garments worn by populations coming from the various German provinces were unified in a way analogous to linguistic levelling, and by the 19th century they corresponded to the multiethnic (Hungarian, Southern Slavic, German) dimensions of their local culture. As a result of the bourgeois transformation and the emergence of industrialized production following the emancipation of the serfs (in the mid- to late 1800s), men’s clothing lost its ethnic and folk style more quickly, while women’s clothing retained its distinctive peasant character right up until the Second World War. The pattern of a woman’s knitted slippers (tutyi/patshcker) gave away the settlement she belonged to (the women varied their local patterns), her denomination (e.g., the Lutherans and Calvinists left the heels and sides plain, while in the case of the Catholics these parts were patterned), her age (young girls wore brightly colored knitted slippers, married women wore slightly darker colors, elderly women wore dark colors, while elderly widows wore black), and possibly her financial position.
 Footwear changed more slowly than other items of folk costume, and German efforts towards self-sufficiency played a major role in this. The kapca, or foot wraps, which had formerly been worn externally, were gradually simplified into knitted woolen socks that were worn under civilian-style trousers, while women’s stockings had been shortened to ankle-high tutyis by the 19th century. Although these items, which were specific to ethnicity, denomination, and age, fell out of use after the Second World War, women actively maintained their knitting skills, regularly producing simple items from the available materials for use at home or on their household farms during the decades of Socialism.
 The phenomenon of visits home by relatives who had resettled in Germany, known as “nostalgia tourism”, as well as changing local community and state representation initiatives, led to the revival of tutyi making. As a result, individuals and communities are strongly attached to their own local patterns and the related antique objects, while there is growing demand among locals – as well as urban intellectuals – for knitting courses and workshops. The production of tutyis primarily for use in folk dance performances and representative events during the past decade, is currently undergoing transformation and is occasionally even marred by conflicts. Although the “specialized” production of these slippers, which remains active today, is carried out by a limited number of people, questions regarding the use and representative function of the items are typically addressed to members of the wider minority community as well.
 Keywords: hand knitting, footwear, wool, Southern Hungary, German minority

Chondrichthyan (Holocephali, Squalomorphii and Batomorphii) remains from the Badenian of southern Hungary (Tekeres, Mecsek Mountains): the first deepwater cartilaginous fishes from the Middle Miocene of the Central Paratethys

AbstractMiddle Miocene (Badenian) chondrichthyan fossils collected from the Tekeres Schlieren Member of the Baden Formation at Tekeres (southern Hungary, Mecsek Mts) are described here. The chondrichthyan assemblage is exceptionally diverse and well‐preserved, and consists of holocephalans, selachians and batomorphs. Nine taxa are reported for the first time from the Badenian of the Central Paratethys: Ischyodus sp., Hexanchus cf. nakamurai, Centrophorus sp., Isistius triangulus, Pristiophorus sp., Sphyrna integra, Raja cf. gentili, Dasyatis cf. pastinaca and Mobula fragilis. The fauna is characterized by many deepwater taxa, making it the first bathyal vertebrate assemblage of the Badenian Central Paratethys. However, typically shallow water, littoral forms are also present, which are worn and often broken, indicating that some of the Tekeres fauna was transported and redeposited from a shallow, coastal setting into deeper water environments. Rapid basin deepening and the resulting steep topography can be linked to ongoing rifting of the south‐west Pannonian Basin. The majority of the studied chondrichthyan fauna have extant representatives in the Mediterranean, which supports an active faunal connection between the Mediterranean and the Central Paratethys via the Slovenian Corridor and the existence of a network of deepwater habitats at least along this pathway.

A GIS-based framework to determine spatially explicit priority categories for flood risk management intervention schemes

Abstract The necessity of plural valuation of costs for flood risk management is widely acknowledged, but practical case studies are still scarce. We developed a GIS-based plural valuation framework to determine spatially explicit priority categories for flood risk management intervention schemes on the Drava River, Southern Hungary. A conventional economic evaluation, including land market prices and additional costs due to legal conservation restrictions, was complemented by ecological valuation of vulnerability. The inclusion of ecological vulnerability significantly changed the proposed priority areas for flood risk management interventions: in this case, softwood riparian forests face far less threat, together with other Natura 2000 habitats, in comparison to unprotected wetlands and grasslands. This valuation framework also highlights priority habitats and areas for joint conservation and water management projects, utilising the synergies between several EU Directives as the Birds Directive, Habitats Directive, Flood Directive, and Water Framework Directive. Our framework is adaptable for the other floodplains along major or medium-sized European rivers, assuming that specific local settings are considered.

DECIPHERING THE BYBLOS “PSEUDOHIEROGLYPHIC” SCRIPT

Since the Byblos “pseudohieroglyphic” signs are graphically almost identical with the Vinča (Danube/Old European) pre-script (which originally appeared in the central Balkans, then spread to the Danube valley, southern Hungary, Macedonia, Transylvania, and northern Greece, and has also been recorded in distant countries such as the Ukraine, Spain and Portugal), the author applies his knowledge in deciphering this pre-script in order to read more than fifty lines of the Byblos signs. Thus, at least some of the Byblos “pseudohieroglyphs” appear to constitute a restricted system of mythographic “eidograms” (halfway between pictograms and ideograms) used for the invocation of goddesses throughout the Old World, rather than a syllabary, as erroneously believed by George Mendenhall, Brian Colless, Jan Best, Fred Woudhuizen and others, or an alphabet (Malachi Martin).

Presentation of so far undetermined bird remains from the Pliocene of Beremend 26 and Csarnóta 2 and 4 (Baranya county, South Hungary)

Abstract The authors have defined at the order, subfamily, family or genus level the very fragmentary and small-size bird bone material from the three Pliocene-age sites in southern Hungary (Beremend 26, Csarnóta 2 and 4), which is in the collection of the Museum of the Hungarian Institute of Geology and Geophysics. The non-catalogued bone fragments remaining from the already examined material were identified. The number of taxa identified is 26, of which one species is new to science. The new species (Pliogallus csarnotanus n. sp.) belongs to a hitherto disputed genus, which is thus recognised through the newly defined material. Of the rest of the material, only Paleocryptonix hungaricus Jánossy, 1991 and Glaucidium baranensis Kessler, 2010 have been identified to species level, the Gallinula, Porzana, Merops, Garrulus, Nucifraga finds to genus level, while the other 18 taxa have been identified only to subfamily or family level (Perdicinae, Columbidae, Alaudidae, Hirundinidae, Panuridae, Paridae, Sittidae, Certhiidae, Muscicapidae, Turdidae, Sylviidae, Motacillidae, Prunellidae, Laniidae, Sturnidae and Fringillidae), or only to order level (Charadriiformes, Coraciiformes).

West Nile and Usutu virus seroprevalence in Hungary: A nationwide serosurvey among blood donors in 2019.

In Hungary, West Nile virus (WNV) has been responsible for 459 laboratory confirmed human cases between 2004 and 2019, while the first human Usutu virus (USUV) infection was confirmed only in 2018. A comprehensive serosurvey was conducted among blood donors to assess the WNV and USUV seroprevalence in 2019, one year after the largest European WNV epidemic. Altogether, 3005 plasma samples were collected and screened for WNV and USUV specific Immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies by Enzyme–Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). All reactive samples were further tested for tick-borne encephalitis virus IgG antibodies by ELISA. Indirect immunofluorescence test and microneutralization assay were used as confirmatory methods. Overall, the WNV seroprevalence was 4.32%, and in five blood donors USUV seropositivity was confirmed. The highest seroprevalence was measured in Central, Eastern and Southern Hungary, while the Western part of the country proved to be less affected. There was a statistically strong association between the WNV seroprevalence of 2019 and the cumulative incidence in the period of 2004 and 2019 calculated for every NUTS 3 region. The last WNV serological screening was performed in 2016 and the prevalence of anti-WNV IgG proved to be 2.19%. One year after the 2018 WNV outbreak, a significant increase in seroprevalence was observed in the Hungarian population and evidence for USUV seropositivity was also obtained. The spatial pattern of seroprevalence can support the identification of high-risk areas raising awareness of the need for increased surveillance, such as screening vector, equine, and avian populations. The communication with general practitioners and other professionals in primary health care services can support the early identification of acute human cases. Education and awareness-raising on the importance of protection against mosquito vectors amongst residents are also important parts of preventive measures.

Između nacionalnog sećanja i zaborava - spomenici herojima mača - Jožefu Švajdlu u Somboru i Karađorđu Petroviću u Beogradu

The removal of monuments from the public space - commemorating vožd Karađorđe Petrović and General József Schweidel in Belgrade and Sombor respectively - followed by the subsequent physical dematerialization of the sculptural solutions, for example the repurposing of the Sombor plinth, points to a civilizational practice known as damnatio memoriae (condemnation of memory) that has existed for millennia. The manifestation of this practice can serve as a basis for analysing Hungarian-Serbian relations in the period of the Great War and its immediate wake. At the dawn of the 20th century, a cult of memory came to be formed around the national hero József Schweidel, one of the Thirteen Martyrs of Arad, the story of whose suffering grew over time to become an important topos in Hungarian national ideology. General Schweidel was born in Sombor at the end of the 18th century, and it was for this reason that, in 1905, a monument was erected to commemorate him in front of Sombor's County Hall. The responsibility for the creation of this work was entrusted to the Hungarian sculptor Mátrai Lajos György. The erection of the Schweidel monument was preceded by a multi-stage process of mythologizing the hero-martyr who laid down his blood for the life of the Hungarian nation. The first of these stages was a concerted effort to gather the General's personal belongings, viewed as 'relics', with this being followed by the unveiling of a memorial plaque at the location where the General's house had once stood; all with the aim of establishing a memory of the national hero within the community from which he came. Simultaneous to this, a tender was announced for the erection of a monument to the leader of the First Serbian Uprising on the site of Belgrade's Kalemegdan Park, which was awarded to Paško Vučetić. After numerous vicissitudes, the sculptural ornamentation, with Karađorđe at the summit, would finally be inaugurated as part of the ceremony to welcome the return of the Serbian Army from the Balkan Wars in 1913. However, both monuments would prove to be short-lived. Karađorđe's monument was probably demolished by Austro-Hungarian soldiers in the first months of the occupation of Belgrade, most likely in the autumn of 1915, while Schweidel's monument was removed from the city area in 1920 and completely destroyed some time after 1925. The final collapse of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in the autumn of 1918 brought the realization of the concept of a Hungarian political nation to an abrupt halt, and opened the way for the rival ideological practice of creating and unveiling new, Yugoslav, symbols on the territory of former southern Hungary.