The Early Origins of the Herkules family
This article and reference work shows a complex way of approaching genealogy by considering the extended social networks of families.
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Daniel Gerhat
Uncover your Hungarian heritage
Hungarian genealogical research may be a daunting undertaking for one unfamiliar with the topic and the language. As a native Hungarian speaker, and with more than a decade of experience in the field, being located in Budapest, I have access to local resources and navigate among old records with ease. If you are looking for an experienced Hungarian genealogist, you can comfortably entrust me with the research of your family tree.
"With time, people have come to realize that even the lowliest of beggars have ancestors, just like the king, however they did not find them worthy to take note of,
as they likely were similar beggars too."
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- Dr. Mór Wertner (1886)
Iván Nagy
(1824-1898)
Image source: Wikimedia Commons
Although Wertner continues to explain that being able to trace one's ancestry was perceived as a sign of societal importance and superiority, and therefore claiming descent from ancient, well-known families meant that one had the inherent ability to draw upon their ancestors' abilities to do greater things than "those fellow people who came from obscure families," it is still a frequent misconception that ignoble families and ancestors of simple farmers cannot be traced, and that tracing their history is any less important or useful than tracing the history of a noble family.
Historically, genealogy was a way to prove one's right to possessions (land, for example) or privileged rights (nobility), however with the changes during the tumultuous 20th century, genealogy no longer serving its original function, it has now transformed into a hobby for many - one that builds character through helping one learn about their family's history. The roots of genealogy as hobby in Hungary can be traced back to the mid-1800s, when Iván Nagy de FelsÅ‘gyÅ‘r (1824-1898) - a nobleman from Nógrád county, whom I am honored to call my 4th cousin 7x removed - set off to compile a 13-book series titled Magyarország családai czímerekkel és nemzékrendi táblákkal, covering thousands of Hungarian noble families, which he published between 1857-1868. Interest in genealogy, not only as a hobby, but also as a scientific field grew immensely afterwards.
Genealogy nowadays is a way to connect with history on a personal level. While not all family trees will include nobles and important people who liaised with kings, simple farmers played just as important a role in shaping the society and history of Hungary as their noble counterparts, and therefore, we celebrate their memories in an equal manner, as we would not be here today without them.
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Although genealogical research as a hobby is quite accessible today, especially in the case of Hungarian genealogy, it is still very much a privilege to be able to trace our heritage, as one needs either time to dedicate to learning the trade and researching their own tree, or money to commission a professional genealogist. Even if both are there, the success of research still largely depends on the availability of records in the given area of research, which is not guaranteed.
How do you research Hungarian ancestry?
The bulk of Hungarian genealogical research happens in vital records - births/baptisms, marriages, and deaths/burials. These records are divided into two main categories. Civil registration officially began in Hungary on October 1, 1895. These records include births, marriages and deaths in one place at the local registrar's office regardless of the family's religious background. Prior to the introduction of civil registration, we find baptisms, marriages, and deaths/burials in local parish records, segregated based on religious affiliation. In the most ideal scenario, one can build up a family tree just based on marriage and birth/baptism records, provided that they contain sufficient information to proceed. Besides vital records, we use census documents, various types of conscriptions, and a more thorough research may also include looking up nobility investigation records, military documents, taxation documents, civil lawsuits, local council documents, and last wills, although not all families will have these additional records available to them.
What is the cost of research?
Hungarian genealogists mostly charge costs for their services using three different methods. The most common is the traditional hourly charging of a fixed rate, which I also work with. Some will only charge you per each identified ancestor, while others will offer you a fixed package which contains going back to a certain time on all branches.
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While each of these approaches have their upsides and downsides, and it is up to the client to decide which one is more fair to them, I believe that the traditional hourly charging method is still the best way to handle research. One argument that the other two methods will bring up is that charging by the hour opens up the possibility of intentionally slowing down research in favor of overcharging the clients. While this is without a doubt a possibility, a detailed log of the research process (which any professional genealogist should provide) should mitigate this possibility, as clients are able to retrace every single step using these logs to verify that the research has indeed taken as long as claimed. As a counterargument to the other two methods, those methods are purely motivated by finding ancestors, which inherently carries the risk of oversights during the process due to not taking into account the relatives (e.g. siblings) and social connections of the families (e.g. godparents), which can prove crucial in correctly identifying relationships.
Therefore, I charge for my research services by the hour. The full cost of research depends on many factors, and my general approach is to agree on an initial 10-hour research with new clients, through which I can demonstrate the extent and quality of my services. Once I have finalized the documents, my clients are able to assess based on them whether they would like to continue the research or not. My general fee for research is $40/hr, however I am happy to amend this amount based on the characteristics of the specific research, and I am also able to issue invoices in EUR, GBP, CAD, HUF, or other currencies, upon prior agreement, to provide convenience for my clients.
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