Abaújvár

Abaújvár (Slovak: Abovský Novohrad) is a village in Gönc District in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County, Hungary. In 2024, 253 people lived there.

It is located near the Slovak border, on the gentle hills of the left bank of the Hernád River, rising to a height of 240 meters, 72 kilometers northeast of the county seat, Miskolc. The Hasdát Stream, flowing westward from the Zemplén Mountains through Pányok, divides the settlement in two.

The first mention of Abaújvár dates back to the 11th century. The village was named after its castle ("vár" means castle in Hungarian), which was built during the early Middle Ages. The castle was a key defensive and administrative center, protecting the region from invasions. It was also the seat of the county’s leadership.

For centuries, Abaújvár remained an important political and economic hub. Due to its strategic location, it played a role in the governance of the region. However, as time passed, the significance of the village started to decline. Larger towns took over its administrative functions, and the castle gradually lost its military importance.

By later centuries, Abaújvár was no longer a central power in the region. Its castle fell into ruins, and the village became a small rural settlement. Today, although it is no longer a major town, Abaújvár remains a place of historical importance.

In 2022, 76.4% of the population identified as Hungarian, 26.4% as Slovak, 13.5% as Roma, 0.5% each as Ukrainian, German, and Bulgarian, and 3.4% as belonging to other non-domestic nationalities (7.2% did not declare; due to dual identities, the total may exceed 100%). In terms of religion, 9.1% were Roman Catholic, 40.4% Reformed, 1.9% Lutheran, 1.4% Greek Catholic, 0.5% other Christian, and 14.9% non-denominational (31.3% did not respond).^[1]