geréb, káliz, soltész

Coming of different nations to Pannonia
Arabic tradesmen
Settler deforesting the land
Geréb

The name of a special social layer within the the society of the Transylvanian Saxons (from the German Gräve ). The Gerébs were professional soldiers, in contrast to the majority of the Saxons. The community performed its military duties by the Gerébs going to war, but at the same time, the Gerébs made judgements over the people of the Saxon villages. The office of a Geréb was originally for life, later it became inheritable. Nevertheless, a Geréb was just a member, and not the landlord of the community which he directed, so he also had to pay tax to the king. From the 13th century several Geréb families had estates outside the Szászföld (Saxonland), so they became relatives of the Transylvanian Hungarian nobility, and they soon assimilated.

ZSA


Káliz

A name referring to part of the Hungarian Muslims, originally signified the dwellers of Hvarezm, a one-time state in the territory of today's Uzbegistan. Hvarezm was conquered by the Arabs at the beginning of the 8th century, spreading the Islam religion at the same time. After this part of the Muslim people of Hvarezm immigrated to the Khazar Empire and other regions of Eastern Europe. The Kaliz-s of Hungary joined the country partly before, partly after the Conquest. From the middle of the 13th century they disappear from Hungarian sources, only some place names preserve their memory (Kalász, Kálózd, Káloz).

ZSA


Soltész

A settling enterpreneur (scultetus), who was bound by a contract with the owner of an uninhabited land. His task was to find and help settlers in moving, organise and supervise the work in the his area: deforest the land and found villages. In return he received certain economic privileges and he could bear the title of the village magistrate, which was inheritable. This form of settling people down was brought to Hungary from Germany through Polish mediation in the second half of the 13th century. It had an important role in the population of the northern mountain regions which were forests.

ZSA