Nógrád County Comitatus Neogradiensis  (Latin) Nógrád vármegye  (Hungarian) Komitat Neograd  (German) Novohradská župa  (Slovak)
County of the Kingdom of Hungary
12th century–1920
Coat of arms
Capital		Balassagyarmat 48°5′N 19°18′E / 48.083°N 19.300°E / 48.083; 19.300Coordinates: 48°5′N 19°18′E / 48.083°N 19.300°E / 48.083; 19.300
History
•	Established	12th century
•	Treaty of Trianon	4 June 1920
Area
•	1910	4,128 km2(1,594 sq mi)
Population
•	1910	261,517
	Density	63.4 /km2  (164.1 /sq mi)
Today part of		Slovakia, Hungary

Nógrád (Hungarian; Latin: comitatus Neogradiensis, German: Neuburg or Neograd, Slovak: Novohrad) was an administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. Its territory is now in southern Slovakia and in northern present-day Hungary. The name Novohrad is still used in Slovakia as an informal designation of the corresponding territory. The name is derived from the former Nógrád (Novohrad) castle in Hungary.

Geography[edit]

Map of Nógrád county

In 1910, Nógrád county shared borders with the counties of Hont, Zólyom, Gömör-Kishont, Heves and Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun. It was situated approximately along the line Poltár, Losonc (today Lučenec), Szécsény and Vác. The river Ipoly (Slovak: Ipeľ) flowed through the county. Its area was 4,133 km² around 1910.

Capitals[edit]

The capital of the county was Balassagyarmat, except for the 18th century, when the capital was Losonc.

History[edit]

Nógrád was one of the first counties of the Kingdom of Hungary, founded in the 11th century. It was ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1541 to 1595, and from 1605 to 1686, as part of Budin Province and Egri Province.

In the aftermath of World War I, the part of Nógrád county north of the river Ipeľ/Ipoly became part of newly formed Czechoslovakia (as Novohrad county), as recognized by the concerned states in 1920 by the Treaty of Trianon. The southern part stayed in Hungary. Following the provisions of the First Vienna Award, the northern half of Novohrad became part of Hungary again in November 1938. After World War II, the Trianon borders were restored. In 1993, Czechoslovakia dissolved and Novohrad became part of independent Slovakia. Since 1996, it has been part of the Slovak administrative unit Banska Bystrica region.

The Hungarian part of Nógrád merged with the Hungarian part of Hont county to form Nógrád-Hont County. Between 1939 and 1945 it was united with the occupied half of the Slovak part of Nógrád county. In 1950, the Hungarian part of Nógrád, with a small part of the former Hont County added, became the present Hungarian county of Nógrád.

Demographics[edit]

1900[edit]

In 1900, the county had a population of 239,097 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities:^[1]

Total:

• 
  Hungarian: 168,614 (70.5%)


• 
  Slovak: 64,287 (26.9%)


• German: 3,958 (1.7%)


• 
  Romanian: 83 (0.0%)


• 
  Croatian: 33 (0.0%)


• 
  Serbian: 19 (0.0%)


• 
  Ruthenian: 16 (0.0%)


• Other or unknown: 2,087 (0.9%)

According to the census of 1900, the county was composed of the following religious communities:^[2]

Total:

• 
  Roman Catholic: 172,804 (72.3%)


• 
  Lutheran: 52,205 (21.8%)


• 
  Jewish: 9,541 (4.0%)


• 
  Calvinist: 4,195 (1.8%)


• 
  Greek Catholic: 212 (0.1%)


• 
  Greek Orthodox: 103 (0.0%)


• 
  Unitarian: 16 (0.0%)


• Other or unknown: 21 (0.0%)

1910[edit]

Ethnic map of the county with data of the 1910 census (see the key in the description).

In 1910, the county had a population of 261,517 people and was composed of the following linguistic communities:^[3]

Total:

• 
  Hungarian: 197,670 (75.6%)


• 
  Slovak: 58,337 (22.3%)


• 
  German: 3,143 (1.2%)


• 
  Croatian: 52 (0.0%)


• 
  Serbian: 36 (0.0%)


• 
  Romanian: 33 (0.0%)


• 
  Ruthenian: 4 (0.0%)


• Other or unknown: 2,242 (0.9%)

According to the census of 1910, the county was composed of the following religious communities:^[4]

Total:

• 
  Roman Catholic: 193,449 (74.0%)


• 
  Lutheran: 52,991 (20.3%)


• 
  Jewish: 9,641 (3.7%)


• 
  Calvinist: 4,934 (1.9%)


• 
  Greek Catholic: 329 (0.1%)


• 
  Greek Orthodox: 124 (0.0%)


• 
  Unitarian: 19 (0.0%)


• Other or unknown: 30 (0.0%)

Subdivisions[edit]

In the early 20th century, the subdivisions of Nógrád county were:

Franciscan Convent Szécsény – Aerial Photo

Szirák – Palace from above

The towns of Lučenec and Halič are now in Slovakia.

References[edit]