In the previous part, we followed the beginnings of the Gyurcsányi family’s history in Alsópetény. We now stay with the same family, but move forward by several decades. In the early 19th century, one member of the Alsópetény branch of the family, Gábor Gyurcsányi, became one of the key figures in the political life of Nógrád County – and his name also appears in the story of a peculiar association known as the Kolompéria.
In 1817, a fierce struggle took place in Nógrád over the county’s vice-ispán offices. In county politics at the time, personal loyalties, political interests and religious affiliation all played an important role. The two principal rivals were Pál Gyürky and Gábor Gyurcsányi. Gyürky was Reformed, while Gyurcsányi was Catholic, and denominational affiliation also influenced the formation of political groupings in Nógrád at the time. Gyürky emerged victorious from the 1817 contest and became second vice-ispán.
Gyurcsányi’s supporters, however, did not give up. It was in this political environment that the Kolompéria operated, supporting Gábor Gyurcsányi in the hope of seeing him replace Gyürky. One of the leading figures of the group was János Sréter, who was rather appropriately referred to as its “chief ringleader.” And this is where the strangest detail of the story begins.
According to a surviving account, anyone wishing to join the Kolompéria had to undergo an unusual initiation ritual: János Sréter made the prospective member “kiss some kind of hair or fur.” Exactly what kind of hair or fur it was, the source does not reveal. According to the historical account, the act was probably intended as a humorous pledge rather than a solemn oath and, in itself, did not impose any serious obligation on the new member.
News of the Kolompéria, however, eventually reached Vienna, where the story was regarded with considerably less amusement. Suspicions arose that some form of dangerous political conspiracy might be developing in Nógrád, and an investigation into the association was launched.
One contemporary report painted a rather unflattering picture of the group, describing the Kolompéria as “an ordinary company of revellers.” Its members, according to the report, did not hold formal meetings but gathered in one another’s homes, discussing their affairs while eating, drinking and carousing.
The story, however, was somewhat more serious than this description suggests. Research published in the Yearbook of the Nógrád County Museums shows that later testimonies revealed that members of the Kolompéria did indeed coordinate their positions on political matters. In 1823, for example, János Sréter summoned the members by letter so that they could agree on a common position to which they were then expected to adhere. Ultimately, the investigation produced no evidence sufficient to hold anyone legally responsible, but the king nevertheless issued a decree prohibiting the association from continuing its activities.
None of this brought Gábor Gyurcsányi’s political career to an end. In 1818, when Pál Gyürky was elected first vice-ispán, Gábor Gyurcsányi became second vice-ispán. Their rivalry did not end there; in fact, it continued over the following years. Gyurcsányi later became one of the leading figures of the opposition in Nógrád County and, between 1828 and 1832, served as the county’s first vice-ispán. He later continued his career in national judicial and administrative offices.
The story also has an interesting Prónay connection. One member of the family that would later become so closely associated with the history of the castle, János Prónay, was a Nógrád opposition politician who stood on Gábor Gyurcsányi’s side. According to the historical material available on Alsópetény, he was elected deputy notary of the county in 1818 and later became a representative in the Diet.
Thus, the names Gyurcsányi and Prónay were already linked in the political life of early 19th-century Nógrád, long before their histories became connected through the castle itself.
The story of the Kolompéria is more than just an amusing historical anecdote. It offers a glimpse into the way county politics worked two hundred years ago: religious and political factions, electioneering, personal alliances, feasts and serious struggles for power were all intertwined.
And it has also left us with one unanswered question – perhaps the very detail that makes the story so memorable today:
what kind of hair or fur did someone actually have to kiss in order to join the Kolompéria?
Sources
- Csaba Ákos Zelnik: Alsópetény. Történeti emlékek, fejezetek Alsópetény múltjából [Alsópetény: Historical Memories and Chapters from the Village’s Past].
- Börzsönyi Helikon, February 2008: A moysfalvi Gyurcsányi család [The Gyurcsányi Family of Moysfalva].
- A Magyar Nemzet Története [The History of the Hungarian Nation] – on early 19th-century county electioneering and the history of the Kolompéria.
- Nógrád Megyei Múzeumok Évkönyve [Yearbook of the Nógrád County Museums] – on the political life of Nógrád County and the Kolompéria.
- József Végh: Werbőczy István faluja: Alsópetény [The Village of István Werbőczy: Alsópetény].