Gömör (, , ,

Latin Latin ( or ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic languages, Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally spoken by the Latins (Italic tribe), Latins in Latium (now known as Lazio), the lower Tiber area aroun ...

: ''Gömörinum'') was an administrative county (

comitatus Comitatus may refer to: *Comitatus (warband), a Germanic warband who follow a leader * ''Comitatus'', the office of a Roman or Frankish comes, translated as count. * ''Comitatus'', translated as county, a territory such as governed by medieval cou ...

) of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from 1000 to 1946 and was a key part of the Habsburg monarchy from 1526-1918. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the Coro ...

. In the 19th century, and in the beginning of the 20th century, it was united with the Kis-Hont County to form Gömör-Kishont County. Its territory is located in southern

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

and northern

Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia and ...

. Today names Gömör/Gemer are only an informal designation of the corresponding territory without administrative role.

Geography

Gemer region is situated in Slovenské rudohorie approximately between the present-day Slovak-Hungarian border, the towns Poltár and

Rožňava Rožňava (, , Latin: ''Rosnavia'') is a town in Slovakia, approximately by road from Košice in the Košice Region, and has a population of 19,182. The town is an economic and tourist centre of the Gemer. Rožňava is now a popular tourist attr ...

and the

Low Tatra The Low Tatras or Low Tatra (; ) is a mountain range of the Inner Western Carpathians in central Slovakia. It is located south of the Tatras proper, from which it is separated by the valleys of the Váh and Poprad rivers (the Liptov-Spiš ...

s (Nízke Tatry). It borders traditional regions Spiš to the North, Abov to the East, Borsod to the South, Heves to the South-West, Novohrad to the west, and Zvolen and Liptov regions at North-West. The river Slaná (Sajó) flows through Gemer from North to the South. Gömör és Kishont County was covering area of 4,289 km² in 1910.

Capitals

The capital of Gömör region was originally Gömör Castle, after which it was named, and from the early 18th century Pelsőc (Plešivec) town. After merging with Kis-Hont region, Rimaszombat (Rimavská Sobota) became new centre of region. Cultural centres of region include

Rimavská Sobota Rimavská Sobota (; , ) is a town in southern Slovakia, in the Banská Bystrica Region, on the Rimava river. It has approximately 24,000 inhabitants. The town is a historical capital of Gömör és Kishont County (from 1850 to 1922). Geography ...

and Revúca.

History

Gömör is one of the oldest counties of the Kingdom of Hungary, and it was already mentioned in the 11th century. The territory approximately between the towns Tiszolc and Rimaszombat, called Kis-Hont was merged with Gemer from 1786 until 1790, and again in 1802. After that, it was called Gömör-Kishont. Southern parts of region were occupied and ruled by

Ottomans Ottoman may refer to: * Osman I, historically known in English as "Ottoman I", founder of the Ottoman Empire * Osman II, historically known in English as "Ottoman II" * Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire (), also called the Turkish Empir ...

between 1553 and 1686 as part of Sandjak of Novigrad) and Sandjak of Holok) in

Budin Eyalet Budin Eyalet (also known as Province of Budin/Buda or Pashalik of Budin/Buda, ) was an administrative territorial entity of the Ottoman Empire in Central Europe and the Balkans. It was formed on the territories that Ottoman Empire conquered fro ...

and Uyvar eyalet. History of Gömör is connected with several noble families, including Ákos family,

Bebek family The Bebek family (also Bubek) was an ancient Hungarian noble family. The history of this family is connected with the areas in present-day Slovakia, notably in Gemer region, where they had their dominion. History The first mention of this fa ...

, Csetneki family, Mariássy family, Koháry family, Coburg family and the

Andrássy Small arms of the Andrássy family The House of Andrássy is the name of a Hungarian noble family of very ancient lineage that was prominent in Hungarian history. The full family name is ''Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka''. Csí ...

family. Gömör played also important part in Slovak National Revival, as many Slovak intellectuals were born or living in the region. The first Slovak high school teaching in Slovak was opened in Nagyrőce in 1862. In 1920, by the

Treaty of Trianon The Treaty of Trianon (; ; ; ), often referred to in Hungary as the Peace Dictate of Trianon or Dictate of Trianon, was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference (1919–1920), Paris Peace Conference. It was signed on the one side by Hungary ...

most of the county became part of newly formed

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

, except 7.5% of its area around Putnok, which became temporarily part of the Hungarian county of Borsod-Gömör-Kishont. After

First Vienna Award The First Vienna Award was a treaty signed on 2 November 1938 pursuant to the Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace. The arbitration and award were direct consequences of the previous month's Munich Agreement, whic ...

in 1938, most of region became part of

and the Gömör-Kishont County was recreated. This situation lasted until the end of the war, when

was reverted and 92.5% of the area became part of Czechoslovakia again. Nowadays, the Slovak part of Gemer and Malohont is situated in two Slovak administrative regions:

Banská Bystrica Region The Banská Bystrica Region (, ; , ) is one of the eight regions of Slovakia. It is the largest of the eight regions by area, and has a lower population density than any other region. The Banská Bystrica Region was established in 1923; its bord ...

and

Košice Region The Košice Region (, ; ; ) is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. The region was first established in 1923 and its present borders were established in 1996. It consists of 11 districts ( okresy) and 440 municipalities, 17 of which ...

. Hungarian part of former Gömör County is situated in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County. In Hungary the name of Gömör is now preserved only in the name of a small village, Gömörszőlős, the Gömör Museum in Putnok, and in that of Gömöri station, the smaller railway station of

Miskolc Miskolc ( , ; ; Czech language, Czech and ; ; ; ) is a city in northeastern Hungary, known for its heavy industry. With a population of 161,265 as of 1 January 2014, Miskolc is the List of cities and towns in Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, ...

. In Slovakia it is still being commonly used, but only as informal name of the region without administrative independence. However, it is one of Slovak Regions of tourism, as ''Gemerský región cestovného ruchu'' (Gemer Tourist Region).

Economy

Historically, Gömör and Kis-Hont was very rich because of its rich mineral and ore deposits. Mining took place here yet in the

Neolithic The Neolithic or New Stone Age (from Ancient Greek, Greek 'new' and 'stone') is an archaeological period, the final division of the Stone Age in Mesopotamia, Asia, Europe and Africa (c. 10,000 BCE to c. 2,000 BCE). It saw the Neolithic Revo ...

. Various minerals were mined here, including iron ores, copper or gold. Evidence of the region's past wealth is the number of mansions and palaces, and many preserved medieval churches with quality frescoes. Thanks to the wealth from mines, most villages in Gömör could already in Middle Ages afford to have their own stone church. In 14th Century many of them were decorated with

fresco Fresco ( or frescoes) is a technique of mural painting executed upon freshly laid ("wet") lime plaster. Water is used as the vehicle for the dry-powder pigment to merge with the plaster, and with the setting of the plaster, the painting become ...

es by Italian masters and by their local disciples. Big credit on development of mining in Gömör in Late modern period had noble family Andrássy, notably count

Manó Andrássy Count Manó Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (3 March 1821 – 23 April 1891) was a Hungarian people, Hungarian painter, caricaturist, collector, traveler, and politician. He was a member of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. He se ...

, who had built several ore mills, thanks to what he was called "Iron Count". Gradually most of the mines and plants in the region were taken over by ''Rimamurány-Salgótarjáni Vasmű Részvénytársaság'' (Rimamurán-Salgotarján Ironworks Company). In that time, there was a massive development, mining colonies with quality housing for miners and administrative workers were built, and miners, despite hard work, had cultural and technological advantages that most of inhabitants did not yet have at the time. However, in 20th century glory and wealth of the region gradually declined. This had several reasons. Ore deposits gradually emptied, and used technologies became obsolete. After the

, region which used to be near centre of country became periphery. In addition, mining companies, which had been already declining before the disintegration of Hungarian Kingdom suddenly gained new rivals from

Bohemia Bohemia ( ; ; ) is the westernmost and largest historical region of the Czech Republic. In a narrow, geographic sense, it roughly encompasses the territories of present-day Czechia that fall within the Elbe River's drainage basin, but historic ...

. Another decline followed the fall of socialism and privatizations in 1990s. Mining still continues at some locations, but only in limited extent. Modern employers in the region include Slovenské Magnezitové Závody Jelšava and SLOVMAG Lubeník, which mine

magnetite Magnetite is a mineral and one of the main iron ores, with the chemical formula . It is one of the iron oxide, oxides of iron, and is ferrimagnetism, ferrimagnetic; it is attracted to a magnet and can be magnetization, magnetized to become a ...

, paper mills SHP Slavošovce and producer of mineral water Gemerka. Nowadays, Gemer region is one of the poorest regions of Slovakia. Many young people leaves it for other regions of Slovakia or go to foreign countries.

Demographics

Historically, Gömör is associated with three ethnic groups:

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are an Ethnicity, ethnic group native to Hungary (), who share a common Culture of Hungary, culture, Hungarian language, language and History of Hungary, history. They also have a notable presence in former pa ...

Germans Germans (, ) are the natives or inhabitants of Germany, or sometimes more broadly any people who are of German descent or native speakers of the German language. The Basic Law for the Federal Republic of Germany, constitution of Germany, imple ...

and

Slovaks The Slovaks ( (historical Sloveni ), singular: ''Slovák'' (historical: ''Sloven'' ), feminine: ''Slovenka'' , plural: ''Slovenky'') are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry, culture, history ...

. After the emergence of the

, Gömör became multi-ethnical. As part of settlement policies, many settlers from Germany came to work in mines in the Middle Ages. The names of some villages still refer to German colonization, i.e. Ochtiná (from bavarian ''ocht –'' eight'')''. The number of Germans in the region decreased after the war and after the

expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia The expulsion of Germans from Czechoslovakia after World War II was part of a broader series of Flight and expulsion of Germans (1944–1950), evacuations and deportations of Germans from Central and Eastern Europe during and after World War II. ...

. Nowadays, Gemer is populated primarily by

(mainly Upper Gemer) and by

(notably Lower Gemer) and by Romani people.

Religion

Most of villages and towns have

Lutheran churches Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

. It's a relic of German colonisation, as German inhabitants brought Lutheranism to Gemer from German schools. On the south, notably amongst Hungarian population prevails

Calvinism Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Christian, Presbyteri ...

of Reformed Christian Church. However, in some villages,

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

faith remained. It is common in Gemer, that many villages and towns have several churches of different denominations. In recent years, the number of active believers has decreased significantly. Many parishes had been united and are being served by a single pastor. There are no longer regular masses in many churches in region.

Tourism

Despite its current poverty, because of its former wealth, Gömör has an interesting history, many historical monuments and authentic wild nature. In recent years, its popularity among tourists has been increasing, despite the lack of infrastructure. Historical monuments in region include many medieval churches with Gothic frescoes, including the biggest rotunda in Central Europe in Süvete. Since most of the Gömör churches were in early modern period taken by

Lutherans Lutheranism is a major branch of Protestantism that emerged under the work of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German friar and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practices of the Catholic Church launched the Reformation in 15 ...

, who used to paint frescoes over by whitewash, much more frescoes was preserved in Gömör, than in other regions of

and of the entire former

, at all. Gothic churches in Gemer are nowadays part of Gothic Route (Gotická Cesta), project of touristic route connecting the most valuable medieval churches. In 2020, most valuable frescoes in 12 medieval churches in Gemer had been nominated for

European Heritage Label The European Heritage Label is a recognition awarded by the European Union to buildings, documents, museums, archives, monuments, and events which are seen as milestones in the creation of today's Europe. The program is managed by the European Com ...

.Probably the most popular historical monument in Gömör is the chateau in Betlér, monumental manor house of the Andrássy family. Today it is part of the Slovak National Museum. It is the only chateau in Slovakia with fully preserved original furniture and equipment. Other sights include the Krásna Hôrka Castle (closed due to reconstruction), Andrássy family mausoleum near Krásnohorské Podhradie and Muráň Castle, which is the third highest placed castle in Slovakia, known from many legends. Many tourists visit Gemer because of its caves. There are more than a thousand caves, which are part of

UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by int ...

as Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst. They may be visited in both Slovakia and Hungary. In recent times, more and more people visit Gemer because of its technical monuments. These include iron-mills in Nižná Slaná (Huta Etelka) and in Vlachovo (Huta Karol), a never finished system of freely accessible railway tunnels and bridge in Slavošovce and in Manezitovce known as Gemerské spojky. There are many museums as well, the Mining Museum in

, Gemersko-Malohontské múzeum (Gemer-Malohont Museum) in

, Gömöri Múzeum in Putnok and Mining Expositions in Rákoš and in Nižná Slaná. Natural attractions of Gemer are National Park Muránska Planina, national protected reservation Zádielská tiesňava, known for its valley. Hikers visit Volovec-Skalisko hill above Betliar. A tourist destination, especially in spring, is the village

Brdárka Brdárka (, ) is a village and municipality in the Rožňava District in the Košice Region of eastern Slovakia. History Before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, Brdárka was part of Gömör and Kishont County within the Ki ...

known for its cherry orchards and Baroque church. Another tourist destination is Dobinšký kopec (Dobšiná Hill), which has views of

Dobšiná Dobšiná (; ; Latin: ''Dobsinium'') is a small town in the Slovak Ore Mountains along the Slaná River. For 500 years it was a small but prosperous mining village populated by ethnic Germans within the Kingdom of Hungary; today it is a Slovaks, ...

town and is used for

hillclimbing Hillclimbing, also known as hill climbing, speed hillclimbing, or speed hill climbing, is a branch of motorsport in which drivers compete against the clock to complete an uphill course. It is one of the oldest forms of motorsport, since the firs ...

races. File:Šivetice, rotunda, 2020 01.jpg, Romanesque rotunda in Šivetice, biggest rotunda of Central Europe File:Štítnik.jpg, Lutheran gothic basilica in Štítnik from 14th century File:Rimavské Janovce kostolík 01.jpg, Romanesque church in Rimavské Janovce File:Koceľovce (4).jpg, Medieval frescoes from 14th century in gothic church in Koceľovce File:Svatoladislavská legenda Kraskovo.jpg, Gothic Fresco of legend of St. Ladislaus in church in Kraskovo File:Betliar, kaštieľ (6).jpg, Chateau of Andrássy family in Betliar File:KrasnohorskePodhradie11Slovakia1.jpg, Castle Krásna Hôrka File:Muránsky hrad.jpg, Muráň Castle File:Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa altar and well.jpg, Dobšiná Ice Cave, one of several accessible caves listed in UNESCO File:Domica Cave 30.jpg, Domica cave, which is connected with Baradla cave in Hungary File:Muránska planina, Kľak, pohled JZ 02.jpg, Muránska planina, national park File:Huta Etelka 2.jpg, Huta Etelka, one of preserved steel mills, which was built in 1867 by "Iron Count" Mano Andrássy File:Slavošovský tunel.jpg, Slavošovský tunnel, freely accessible 2,4 km long, never finished railway tunnel; Now a tourist attraction File:Cucma.jpg, Replica of medieval mining device in Čučma near Rožňava

Notable historical figures

, Hungarian nobleman, responsible for the development of mining in region *

Gyula Andrássy Count Gyula Andrássy de Csíkszentkirály et Krasznahorka (, 8 March 1823 – 18 February 1890) was a Hungarian statesman, who served as Prime Minister of Hungary (1867–1871) and subsequently as List of foreign ministers of Austria-Hungar ...

, Foreign Minister of Austria-Hungary and Prime Minister of Hungary * Ludwig Greiner, German forestry and land manager, who as first correctly triangulated the highest peak of

Carpathians The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians () are a range of mountains forming an arc across Central Europe and Southeast Europe. Roughly long, it is the third-longest European mountain range after the Urals at and the Scandinavian Mountains ...

* Mihály Tompa, Hungarian poet * Ivan Krasko, Slovak poet * Jur Hronec, Slovak mathematician * Pavol Emanuel Dobšinský, Slovak collector of folklore and romantic writer *

Pavel Jozef Šafárik Pavel Jozef Šafárik (; 13 May 1795 – 26 June 1861) was a Slovak philologist, poet, literary historian, historian and ethnographer in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was one of the first scientific Slavists. Family His father Pavol Šafárik (17 ...

, Slovak philologist, poet, ethnographer and Slavist * Samo Tomášik, Slovak romantic poet and prosaist * Rudolf Viest, Slovak general, one of leaders of

Slovak National uprising Slovak National Uprising ( Slovak: ''Slovenské národné povstanie'', abbreviated SNP; alternatively also ''Povstanie roku 1944'', English: ''The Uprising of 1944'') was organised by the Slovak resistance during the Second World War, directed ag ...

* Vladimír Clementis, Slovak communist politician

References

{{reflist

External links

Región Gemer
official site of regional tourism organization
Gotická cesta
site of Gothic Route Association, dedicated to gothic churches in region Counties in the Kingdom of Hungary