Mihály Egerszegi and Boriska, disguised as members and soldiers of the border fortress community, reveal how difficult and challenging life was during the period of Ottoman occupation.
Egerszeg developed into a town of approximately 2,000-2,500 inhabitants by the middle of the 17th century. About two-thirds of its population consisted of soldiers and their family members. The border fortress garrison was composed mainly of Hungarians, with a smaller number of German mercenaries serving in the cavalry or infantry. Most officers came from the ranks of the nobility. Their commander was the deputy captain-general of the frontier region facing Kanizsa, who simultaneously served as captain of the Egerszeg fortress.
The People of the Border Fortress – Mercenaries and Freemen
In addition to paid soldiers, freemen also fought against the Ottomans. In exchange for military service, they were exempt from feudal obligations. Soldiers paid by the royal court often received their wages several months late, and part of their pay was distributed not in money but in cloth. To secure their livelihood, they engaged in viticulture and wine production, farming, various crafts, and the trade of Ottoman prisoners.
The homes of the soldiers, built with wattle-and-daub walls, stood in the hostát (suburb) between the outer and inner fortress walls, forming the military town. These dwellings frequently fell victim to devastating fires.
After the expulsion of the Ottomans, there was no longer a need for the services of the border soldiers. The descendants of those who settled here can be found among the craftsmen and noble citizens of Egerszeg in the 18th century.
Artefacts
The Egerszeg Drinking Cup
During the Middle Ages, drinking vessels were made not only of glass but also of clay by local potters. The cup displayed in the exhibition is particularly special because it was unearthed in 2005 within the territory of medieval Egerszeg. A resident of the town may once have enjoyed wine from this almost intact vessel. (Object description: Zoltán Orha)
Interesting Fact: The Original “Lábas”
The lábas was a cooking vessel widely used during the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. Made of fire-resistant clay, it typically had three legs at the bottom and a wheel-thrown, elongated hollow handle. The inside was glazed, while the exterior remained unglazed. The vessel was used over an open fire for roasting, browning, and baking food. It was positioned above the fire so that heat could reach it evenly from the sides and below.
The name of the entire vessel derives from its most characteristic feature: the legs. In museum terminology, the legged form is referred to by the folk term “lábas frying pan”, while the legless version is identified by the modern Hungarian term “lábas”. Household cookware changed significantly during the 20th century, and factory-produced metal pots completely replaced the traditional clay vessels. However, the name of the old legged cooking pot survives in modern usage. (Object description: István Eke)
The Ring of Veronika Egervári
This turquoise-inlaid ring is the only gold object recovered through archaeological excavation and displayed in the exhibition. It is extremely rare in archaeology for a find to be linked to a specific individual. Veronika Egervári was identified through a heraldic stone covering her grave. Her burial site was looted in the Early Modern period, but the ring slipped into a crevice and fortunately escaped the attention of the grave robbers.
The ring was discovered in 1979 during excavations of the former Franciscan church in Zalaszentgrót. (Object description: Zoltán Orha)
The Kustánszeg Coin Hoard
In July 1951, Endre Simon (“Kis”) discovered a ceramic pot filled with coins while digging a cellar in the yard of his house in Kustánszeg. The small vessel contained 34 seventeenth-century silver thalers. The finders delivered the treasure to the museum through the local council. The coins were identified by the Coin Collection of the National Historical Museum.
The earliest coin was a silver thaler minted in Tyrol in 1607 by Emperor Rudolf II, while the latest was a Styrian thaler struck in 1651 during the reign of Ferdinand III. Although the exact reason for hiding the treasure remains unknown, it was most likely buried by people fleeing Ottoman raiding campaigns.
The honest finders (Endre Simon, Ferenc Tóth, and Irén Kerese) received a reward of 100 forints in total. At that time, one kilogram of bread cost 1.60 forints. (Object description: István Eke)
Stove Tile Bearing the Coat of Arms of the Town of Kőszeg
Archaeological excavations were conducted in 2017 on the site of the Mindszentyneum, an area that once formed part of the Egerszeg fortress. Within the fortress walls, archaeologists of the Göcsej Museum, led by Lívia Simmer, uncovered the remains of a 17th-century residence.
In the cellar of the house, which had been destroyed by fire, they discovered the remains of a tiled stove composed of numerous decorative stove tiles. The most remarkable pieces feature the double-headed eagle, the coat of arms of the town of Kőszeg (GÜNS), and the year 1670.
Tiles of the same type were used to reconstruct the large stove of István Sennyei, Bishop of Veszprém and owner of the Egerszeg fortress at the time, in the episcopal palace of Sümeg Castle. The stove reconstruction displayed in the exhibition was created by stove-tile maker Zsolt Horgos. (Object description: István Eke)
Our Curator’s Favourite: Signal Mortar (17th Century)
Although signal mortars were not weapons used in combat by the border soldiers who once served here, they played an important role in the life of the frontier fortresses. The Zala border fortress line (the defensive frontier established against Kanizsa) consisted of several smaller strongholds. These fortresses signalled the approach of the enemy to one another through cannon fire. Upon hearing the signal, soldiers gathered at locations designated by their commanders and joined forces to confront the Ottoman troops.
Unfortunately, very few weapons from the Ottoman-period fortress of Egerszeg have survived. Recent archaeological excavations have yielded only a cannonball and a fragment of a bronze cannon. Yet historical inventories reveal that by 1587 the fortress already possessed three cannons and nine wall guns for its defence. This inventory also mentions an old howitzer located on the bastion above the outer gate, together with its equipment (“Eöregh tharaczk zerzamaval”).
The inventory of 1648 lists eight artillery pieces and four wall guns in the fortress. In regulations issued by Captain-General Ádám Batthyány in 1644, it is stated:
“If news first reaches Egerszeg that the Turks are advancing from Lenti, the Őrség region, or through Zala, then Egerszeg shall fire two shots from the great gun; Kemend shall fire one for the sake of Szentgrót, and the captain of Kemend shall also pass on the news so that they may hasten to Egerszeg.”
The Mortar’s Audible Range
According to the regulations, the sound of the Egerszeg signal mortar – known as the “Old One” (Öreg) – could be heard as far as Kemend and even Körmend.
The signal mortar displayed in the exhibition dates from the second half of the 17th century. Although it did not originate from the armoury of the Egerszeg fortress and its exact place of use is unknown, its form is virtually identical to the signalling device once employed here. The object entered the collection of the Göcsej Museum through purchase in 1985. (István Eke)
