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A fekete vros
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Wikipedia article
'A fekete vros' ('The Black City', or 'The Black Town') is a Hungarian novel of Klmn Mikszth set in the town of Lcse, today Levoa. It is based on real historical events, but the story and dialogue are fictional.
It was adapted for television in 1972, starring Ferenc Bessenyei and Vera Venczel.
Story
The murder
Before Rkczi's war of liberty, during a hunting expedition, Pl Grgey, the arrogant but noble leader of the Hungarian county of Szepes, shoots Kroly Kramler, Saxon magistrate of Lcse, for having killed Grgeys favourite dog.When their magistrate is fatally injured, his company, on the advice of one of their members, Nustkorb, takes the still-living body and marks with his blood the boundaries of a large field owned by Grgey. This was because during the conflict between king Rbert Kroly and Mt Csk III, the ruler gave a special and bizarre privilege for the magistrate of Lcse for his service in combat - "Let the magistrate of Lcse have land-claiming-blood". Thus the field marked out by the magistrate's blood became a possession of the town Contract of Rbert Kroly. See also: 'A Grgey-nemzetsg trtnete' by Istvn Grgey, quoted in Fekete Vros (1988)
The revenge
Thirsting for revenge the city embalms one of the dead magistrate's hands, and orders all citizens to wear black clothes until Kramler's death is revenged. To protect his daughter, Rozlia Grgey, her father hides her in Lcse in secret under the name of "Rozlia Otrokcsy", hoping that she will not be sought for, being so close to home. Rozlia falls in love with Antal Fabricius, the youngest senator of Lcse.
The next magistrate is Nustkorb, who tries to catch Grgey but all his plans fail. He dies when the statue of the dead magistrate falls and kills him. The traumatized citizens now believe that Nustkorb was killed by Kramler's ghost, who took a revenge on his real murderer.
Antal Fabricius then becomes the magistrate. Fabricius makes a trap for Grgey, catches and executes him - but realises too late that he was Rozlias father. He is shocked by this discovery; but on the streets all the folk of Lcse are glad, singing, dancing and burning their black clothes now that the revenge has been completed.
English translation
'The Town in Black', translated by Bernard Adams. Budapest: Corvina, 2011
Notes
Category:Hungarian novels
Category:1910 novels
Category:Novels set in Hungary
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