According to archaeological excavations the land where Balatonberény is located was continuously colonised for more than 6,500 years.
Human beings of the new Stone Age were settled here, and troves originating from the Bronze Age may also be found. Romans also lived in our village: a famous Hungarian archaeologist, Flóris Rómer found a Roman fountain and some bricks in the basin of the Balaton, furthermore Roman graves and coins were discovered in various different parts of the village.
The traces of the peregrination were discovered by the archaeologists digging out cemeteries of various different cultures from the land of the village. At the beginning of the 10th century, the Hungarian population taking over the land of Transdanubium also chose this safe and rich area next to the Balaton to settle down. The first reference to the village under the name of Bereny was found in a deed dated 1082, originating from the ages of St. László (Hungarian king). According to such reference the main financial source of the village was already the viniculture.
The next deed is from 1121, referring to the village as Buren, and on the tax list of the Pope dated 1332-37 it is listed as Fanch-Beren named after the lord of the village, the family Fanch from Gordova. In a subsequent tax list from 1536, the village is indicated under the name of Fajsz-Berény. According to the notes of a chronicler from the 17th century, the territory is owned by Miklós Zankó, who was a successor of the Fanch family on the side of his mother.
In 1727, Berény was taken over by the Hunyady family, and the change in the ownership brings important development to the village. The Hunyady family rebuilds the church originating from the 14th century in baroque style. Then, in the 18th century, the first scientific geographical description (notitia Hungariae Novae), Mátyás Bél writes from a rich village living from viniculture and fishing.
The soldiers of Berény also took part in the revolution of 1848-49; ten of them died as heroes. Subsequent to the political settlement in 1896 the economic progress in Hungary also had an effect on the village. In 1881, the new castle of the Hunyady family is finished; and after the construction of the south railway in the 19th century, the village became a popular bath known all around Hungary. On the maps from this age, the village is already named Balaton-Berény. (At the beginning of the 20th century there are already four hotels operating in the village, 250 rooms are for rent, 171 bath instalments can be found, and beautiful residences are under construction.)
Soldiers from Balatonberény also fight in the First and Second World War, lot of them dying for their homeland. Their names together with the names of the local holocaust victims stand on the memorials created by the village to remember.
The progress of the village stopped after the Second World War, later it also loses its independence, which was only recovered in 1989. Based on the experience of the past centuries, the local people already learned that there is always hope and they know that it solely depends on their talent, diligence and the trust in each other that the 21st century would provide fame to the village and would become important in the history of Balatonberény.
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