The Windish Peoples of the Mura Region

Information about
The Windish Peoples of the Mura Region
The Region. Our Gojdiná, Bánfi, Podlesek, and Mácsek ancestors were peasants in the
southwest corner of Vas megye in Hungary. The area in which they lived had been a historic part
of Hungary for over 1000 years, and was called the Muravidék -- the Mura river region. It is
now the northeast corner of Slovenia, tucked between present-day Austria and Hungary –
separated from the rest of Slovenia by the Mura River. The area is now called Prekmurje …
literally, “beyond the Mura” river. The portion of a modern roadmap below shows that
northeastern part of Slovenia, which is only about 15 miles wide, between Austria and Hungary.
After World War I, the Muravidék was incorporated into the Slovene portion of the Yugoslav
kingdom – officially known as the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes until 1929. The
Muravidék briefly reverted to Hungary during World War II, and was returned to Yugoslavia …
by then a Federal Republic … at the end of that war. With the Yugoslav breakup, it peacefully
remained a part of Slovenia, now an independent republic and member of the EU.
The only urban place in the Mura region is Murska Sobota (in Hungarian, Muraszombat) with a
population of about 20,000. The specific area we are interested in is centered on the small town
of Puconci, a few miles north of Murska Sobota (see map above). Puconci was the location of an
Evangelical church re-established in 1789, that served not only the town itself, but more than a
dozen surrounding villages. Our ancestors in the Mura region all professed the Evangelical
(Lutheran) faith.
The People. Many of the people of the Mura region … including most of our ancestors …
though of Hungarian nationality before 1918 … were ethnically Slavs. They were called Wends
… a name that was used over the centuries for various Slavic groups across central Europe.
Their language is called Windish. The name of this ethnic group is also spelled with a "V"
(remember, there is no “W” in the Hungarian alphabet). Today, these people are distinguished
from most Slovenes by the distinctive Prekmurje dialect they still use among themselves, and by
the large number professing the Evangelical Lutheran faith. These peculiarities developed and
persisted due to the ethnic and religious diversity that was permitted under Magyar law, unlike
much of the rest of Europe.
While most Slovenes are Roman Catholic, there are only 14 Lutheran congregations in the nation
totaling 18,000 members … eleven of them are Windish congregations in the Prekmurje region.
It was at the Lutheran church of Puconci (shown here) which was built in 1789, where my
grandmother was baptized and her family worshipped. This larger village was only about a mile
from the village of Predonovci (Rónafó) where they lived.
Note that the Wends of historic Hungary are not in any way related to the Texas Wends who
emigrated from Lusatia in eastern Germany … other than their coincidental Slavic and Lutheran
heritage. To my knowledge, there are only two Hungarian/Slovene Wendish Lutheran churches
still existing in the United States … in Perth Amboy, NJ and South Bethlehem, PA.
Table of Prekmurje Town and Village Names.
Slovenian
-------------Beltinci
**Bodanci
Bokraci
Brezovci
Cancova
Dolina
*Domanjsevci
Dubrovnik
Gorica
*Gornji Slaveci
*Gornji Petrovci
Grad
**Hodos
Kobilje
Krajna
**Krizevci
Krnci
Kuzma
Lemerje
*Lendava
Markisavci
Martjanci
*Moravske Toplice
Moscanci
*Murska Sobota
Nemcavci
Norsinci
Odranci
Pecarovci
Polana
Pozmanovci
Predanovci
Prosecka Vas
**Puconci
Puzeci
Radovci
Rogasovci
Salamenci
Salovci
Sebeborci
*Selo
Skakovci
Sodisinci
Tisina
Tropovci
Turnisce
Vadarci
Vaneca
Velika Polana
Zenkovci
Hungarian
-------------Beletinc (Z)
Bodóhegy
Bokrács
Vasnyíres
Vashidegkút
Völgyes
Domonkosfa
Dubronak (Z)
Halmosfö
Felsöcsalogyány
Péterhegy
Felsölendva
Orihodos
Kebeleszentmárton (Z)
Véghely
Tótkeresztur
Lendvakislak
Kuzma
Lehomér
Alsólendva (Z)
Márkusháza
Mártonhegy
Alsámarác
Muszyna
Muraszombat
Lendvanemesd
Újtölgyes
Adorjánfalva (Z)
Szentsebestyén
Vaspolany
Pálhegy
Rónafó
Kölesvölgy
Battyánd
Pálmafa
Radófa
Szarvaslak
Salamon
Sall
Szentbobor
Nagytótlak
Szécsényfa
Bírószék
Csendlak
Murafüzes
Bántornya (Z)
Tiborfa
Vaslak
Nagypalina (Z)
Zoltánháza
Other Spelling
--------------Bodoncz
Gornja Lendava
Krajina
Kuzdobjane
Dolnja Lendava
Moravci
Nemsócz
Norsina
Pecsarocz
Predanocz
Puczincz
Puzsocz
Salamoncz
Szkakocz
Szodesincz
Tropócz
Vanecsa
Palina
Notes regarding table on previous page. Puconci and most of the surrounding villages
have both Slovenian and Hungarian (Magyar) names. A common third spelling was a
magyarized version of the Slavic name. Some also have German names. In this genealogy, to
minimize confusion, all town names associated with events are given using the current Slovenian
spelling. That makes it easy to find the places on any good roadmap. An index of village names
is provided above. All these villages were in Vas megye (county) of historic Hungary, unless
indicated by a “Z” … those villages were in Zala megye. Villages with present-day Lutheran
churches are marked with an asterisk (*) … those whose historic registers are available at Family
History Centers in the U.S. are marked with a double asterisk (**).
Our Family. The family name of my grandmother is spelled GODINA in most of the original
records, but she and her family spelled it GOJDINÁ when they wrote it themselves (proven by
an original marriage document of Franciska Godina). Among the other surnames in this family
line, BÁNFI also had the alternate spellings of Bánfy and Bánffy. The spellings Godina and
Bánfi are used throughout this family history for consistency -- except in this informational page
where the spelling Gojdiná is used in deference to my late mother and aunt, who were convinced
that is the only correct way to spell it!
According to the local Lutheran pastor, when we visited Puconci in 1990 there were no Godina’s
then living in the area. But, many Podleszek’s continued to live there. Our closest relatives in the
area are probably the descendants of István Szükics and Francziska Godina. We have not made
contact with any of these relatives.