Lower Metzenseifen

Template:Geobox The town of Lower Metzenseifen (IPA [lowɹ mɛtsɛnsa͡ifɛn]; German: 'Untermetzenseifen', Slovak: 'Nižny Medzev'; Hungarian: 'Alsómecenzéf') lies in eastern region of Slovakia in an isolated valley of the Lower Zips mountain range. The town was formed sometime in the 13th century by German settlers, who moved there with a promise of work and good benefits from Hungarian kings.

History

Monastery in Joß

Much of the historical records obtained regarding the history of Metzenseifen come from the monastery in Joss (Joß). More specifics as the origins of the original settlers stems from linguistics research in comparative linguistics and dialectology.

Das Dörfl

Until now, any documents that would have been submitted to Vienna or Budapest regarding Metzenseifen’s specific date of establishment have not been found. Therefore, we must draw information from reliable sources in the timeline like demarcation, into which the colonists would have entered upon arriving in the area now called Metzenseifen. The timeline, as well as official documents and historical data were wiped out by the end of the Counter-Reformation. The monastery in Joß and the neighboring townships could help us via documents, in which the name Metzenseifen was mentioned. Moving on to the aforementioned process. In the archive of Upper Metzenseifen (German: Obermetzenseifen), someone accidentally discrovered a record of proceedings about a Waldprozeß between Ober-Metzenseifen and the landlords of the Premonstratensian Abbey (Prämonstratenser Propstei located in Joß) in Joß. The abbot and his convent refused to accept free Waldbenützung and denied this privilege, which King Stephan V, in support of the local Saxons enacted in the year 1272. If the right not only qualified for the people of Metzenseifen, but was valid for all of the Zipser colonists, it is quite assumable that Ober-Metzenseifen never intended this process, if the first colony “Das Dörfl” did not exist in 1272. The Premonstratensians would not have allowed this argument to be validated in the chapter about Zips within the preparation. The year 1272 provided us with reliable evidence for the first settlement of our forefathers in the Bodwa River Area.

The Hammer Mills

In the 14th century, the essential requirements for building a hammer mill were plentiful iron deposits, an abundance of wood, and the existence of water for power. In the upper Bodwa Valley, these natural conditions surrounded the German towns Ober- and Unter-Metzenseifen as well as Stoß. Below the mountains, Spruce Hill; Robberstone; Klopp Fir; Trohanke; Mount Peak; and Mount Stumpen2, there are many sources of water that supply the streams in the region of the Dombachs; Goldseifen; Grund; Hummel; Pivering; for example, that have their outlets in the Bodwa. Unter the heights of the mountains are beech trees, oak trees, and fir tree forests, which melt the snow and also help regulate the water flow during heavy rains. The existence of natural water, sufficient during all seasons, became the cornerstone for the existence of the water-driven hammer mills. The water power moved the large hammer, which plied the glowing iron.

It should be mentioned that in around 1300, the most important iron mines and iron processing were in southen part of Germany, which lies in the eastern Alp region. There are significant ramifications for the distance between the Sauerland and Siegerland. In 1270, there were five hammer mills in the Upper Palatinate (Oberpfalz) and in 1326, that number increased to 28 hammer mills. During the 13th and 14th centuries, hammer mills were sprouting like mushrooms. From this time, a document exists, which implies that the superintendent of Joß created three iron hammers.The year 1376 is unequivocally the year of origin for the hammer mills in the Bodwa Valley, although many historians hold the opinion, that there were hammer mills prior to this year, despite insufficient documents to support this claim. Since this time, most Mantaken, whom are jokely said to be bred as blacksmiths, worked indeed as blacksmiths until 1945.The also had already developed an assortment of blacksmith tools by the Middle Ages. Their production found sales opportunites not only within Austria-Hungary, later in Tschechoslovakia, and lastly the independent country of Slovakia, but also in foreign countries, especially in the Balkan Countries, Eastern Europe, Africa, South America, and in the Near East. The hammer mills were mostly three-sided buildings. The support wall to the pond had to be strongly fortified, as to withstand the water pressure. The one side had to be equally constructed out of stone, onto which the two fireplaces with the clamps on two foot pumps were located. On the wooden side of the building hung the large and small paddle wheel. The entryway was built mostly half wood and half stone. Above a wooden channel drew water from a faucet hole onto the paddle wheel, but was later replaced by many owners after World War I with an iron pipe measuring on average about 90–140 cm. The faucet hole had a damming mechanism, which could be controlled via a rod from inside the hammer mill. With the help of this rod, the assistant blacksmith could regulate the supply of water to the paddle wheel. The more water that poured onto the wheel, the faster the large hammer would move. The large hammer could swing up to 200 times per minute. It had to be ensured, that the water hit the paddle wheel at the appropriate angle, in order to reduce the amount of energy required to move the wheel. The small paddle wheel works just like the large one. The axle of the small wheel had two large grindstones.

Geography

The town lies at an altitude of 313 metres and covers an area of 31.861 km². It has a population of about 3800 people. It is located at the foothills of the Slovak Karst (south) and Volovské vrchy (north) on the Bodva River, around 35 km west of Košice.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, the town had 3,667 inhabitants. 75.43% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 13.55% Germans, 6.65% Roma, 1.55% Hungarians and 0.44% Czechs. The religious make-up was 77.58% Roman Catholics, 12.95% people with no religious affiliation, 2.18% Greek Catholics and 0.79% Lutherans.

International relations

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovakia

Twin towns — Sister cities

Medzev is twinned with:

• Holice, Czech Republic
• Rátka, Hungary

Links

• http://www.oldmetzenseifen.de (Historical and Genealogical Database)
• http://mantak.medzev.sk

References

• Kauer, J., Schürger, J. and Wagner, K. (1986). "Unter- und Ober-Metzenseifen Stoß Unterzips—Ostslowakei," Hilfsbund Karpatendeutscher Katholiken e.V., Arbeitskreis Bodwatal.

en:Lower Metzenseifen