Cerovo (earlier , ; hu, Cseri) is a

village A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet but smaller than a town (although the word is often used to describe both hamlets and smaller towns), with a population typically ranging from a few hundred to ...

and

municipality A municipality is usually a single administrative division having corporate status and powers of self-government or jurisdiction as granted by national and regional laws to which it is subordinate. The term ''municipality'' may also mean the go ...

in the Krupina District of the

Banská Bystrica Region The Banská Bystrica Region ( sk, Banskobystrický kraj, ; hu, Besztercebányai kerület, ) is one of the eight regions of Slovakia. It is the largest region by area, and has a lower population density than any other region. The Banská Bystric ...

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

History

The village was first mentioned as Chery in a charter in 1273, its name is derived from the Old Slavic "cěrъ"/Slovak "cer"/Hungarian "cser" (the Hungarian word is derived from the Slavic one), which means Turkey oak. It had Slovak inhabitants. Old Litava drawing

Scarce ruins of the old Litava castle can be found south-west of Cerovo on the northern end of the ''Pustý hrad'' mountain. The Litava Castle was built by Hunt or his son, Big Derž (Derš, Hungarian: Ders) from the Hunt-Poznan family. The castle was first mentioned in 1276. In this year the grandchildren of Lambert, of the Hunt-Poznan family, Small Derž (Ders) and Demeter captured Litava and robbed valuables of 3000 marks and charters. Therefore, the king confiscated their property and gave their property to Big Derž from the Hunt-Poznan family. Before 1307 Nicholas Túri Kövér, son of Big Derž of the Hunt-Poznan family, exchanged the castle Litava with his relatives, Derž and Demeter of Hunt. In 1318 master Tomáš, son of Derž of the Hunt-Poznan family, protested against the occupation of Litava by

Matthew III Csák Máté Csák or Matthew III Csák (between 1260 and 1265 – 18 March 1321; hu, Csák (III.) Máté, sk, Matúš Čák III), also Máté Csák of Trencsén ( hu, trencséni Csák (III.) Máté, sk, Matúš Čák III Trenčiansky), was a Hungar ...

. The castle perished not long after, probably during struggles of the oligarchs. But a new castle was built 3 kilometres north-west of the old Litava castle. It was called Litava too until the middle of the 15th century when the new castle would be called Čabraď (also called ''Litava, Haradnuk, Haradnok, Chabrad, Chabragh, Lytva, Hradnok, Haradna, Castrum ad Litavan'' etc.). In 1342 the king debarred the new castle together with the old ruined Litava and 26 villages and 6 customs from Peter and Leukus of the Dobrakutyai family because of their treachery according to a charter. The village became deserted in the beginning of the 15th century. It became populated again only after Hussite struggles. The local population converted into

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched th ...

faith in the 16th century. The present Lutheran church was built between 1855 and 1859.

Genealogical resources

The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia" * Roman Catholic church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1850–1891 (parish B) * Lutheran church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1735–1899 (parish A)

History

Genealogical resources

See also