Historically, there was a significant French community residing in

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

, who firstly came during the 11–13th century and then, once more, in a separate wave of settlement starting in the 18th century. Their descendants are today self-reported Hungarians in national censuses, with several of them having French surnames. The vast majority of today's French people living in Hungary have arrived since the

Fall of the Iron Curtain The Revolutions of 1989, also known as the Fall of Communism, was a revolutionary wave that resulted in the end of most communist states in the world. Sometimes this revolutionary wave is also called the Fall of Nations or the Autumn of Natio ...

History

Several prominent noble families of Hungary originate from

France France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of Overseas France, overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic Ocean, Atlantic, Pacific Ocean, Pac ...

or from

Wallonia Wallonia (; french: Wallonie ), or ; nl, Wallonië ; wa, Waloneye or officially the Walloon Region (french: link=no, Région wallonne),; nl, link=no, Waals gewest; wa, link=no, Redjon walone is one of the three regions of Belgium—alo ...

(e.g. Baron L’Huillier-Coburg, Baron Maillot de la Treille, Baron Toussainet, Baron Thierry, Baron Mandat-Grancey, Baron Deschan, Baron Montluisant, Baron Piret de Bihain, Baron Ransonnet, Earl Souches, Earl Sermage etc.).

Middle Ages

The first French settlers came to Hungary immediately after the foundation of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

. Among the settled foreigners, Germans were overwhelming in the majority, however, according to researches of ''Mihály Auner'' among others proofs that the immigration of the French element besides the German played also a significant role in the life of Hungarians. In the official documents during the rule of the Árpáds the true meaning of the often occurring words ''latinus'' and ''olasz'' meant not the

Italian people , flag = , flag_caption = The national flag of Italy , population = , regions = Italy 55,551,000 , region1 = Brazil , pop1 = 25–33 million , ref1 = , region2 ...

, but all peoples speaking

Neo Latin languages The Romance languages, sometimes referred to as Latin languages or Neo-Latin languages, are the various modern languages that evolved from Vulgar Latin. They are the only extant subgroup of the Italic languages in the Indo-European language fa ...

(Italian, French, Romanian etc.). (In Hungarian today the word ''olasz'' means Italian. At that time the word ''talján'' or ''Lombardus'' was in use for people of the Italian peninsula.) ''Latini'' in the Middle Ages was the common name of mainly members of the Western Congregation, while ''Graeci'' stood for the

Eastern Church Eastern Christianity comprises Christian traditions and church families that originally developed during classical and late antiquity in Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Caucasus, Northeast Africa, the Fertile Crescent and ...

proponents. According to historians the name of Hungarian settlements containing the word ''olasz'' or ''olaszi'' could meant Walloon or French, because in

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) ** Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ge ...

they are translated as ''wallen''. The French/Walloons settled especially in

Upper Hungary Upper Hungary is the usual English translation of ''Felvidék'' (literally: "Upland"), the Hungarian term for the area that was historically the northern part of the Kingdom of Hungary, now mostly present-day Slovakia. The region has also been ...

(in

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque build ...

, in

Spiš Spiš (Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through ...

and in

Tokaj-Hegyalja Tokaj wine region ( hu, Tokaji borvidék sk, Vinohradnícka oblasť Tokaj) or Tokaj-Hegyalja wine region (short ''Tokaj-Hegyalja'' or ''Hegyalja'') is a historical wine region located in northeastern Hungary and southeastern Slovakia. It is also ...

) and

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

(in

Kolozsvár ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Status , subdivision_name2 = County seat , settlement_type = City , le ...

, in Szatmár and in Várad-Olaszi (part of

Nagyvárad ) , blank2_name_sec1 = Patron saint , blank2_info_sec1 = Saint LadislausTállya Tállya is a village in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, 45 kilometres from county seat Miskolc, in the famous Tokaj-Hegyalja wine district. Geography Tállya is located at . According to the 2001 Census the village has a total ...

from ''taille''). According to János Melich it can be proofed with documents that between 1042 and 1048 Walloon and French settlers came to Hungary. In

Transdanubia Transdanubia ( hu, Dunántúl; german: Transdanubien, hr, Prekodunavlje or ', sk, Zadunajsko :sk:Zadunajsko) is a traditional region of Hungary. It is also referred to as Hungarian Pannonia, or Pannonian Hungary. Administrative divisions Trad ...

, the town of

Esztergom Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Danu ...

had a large number of French people living there. French names can be found among the members of the City Council until the 18th century. Esztergom was located along important commercial routes, and this lucky circumstance has made the town a center of commercial life in the Árpád era. Foreign merchants met here and changed their goods, many of them settled in the city. Master Roger called the French of Esztergom ''Francigenae''.

Fruška Gora Fruška gora ( sr-Cyrl, Фрушка гора; hu, Tarcal-hegység) is a mountain in Syrmia, administratively part of Serbia with a part of its western side extending into eastern Croatia. The area under Serbian administration forms the countr ...

() (today in

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian language, Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeast Europe, Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Bas ...

) was also named after French settlers. The names mentioned in medieval documents ''Gallus'', ''Gallicus'', ''Francus'' also refer to French origin. Beside the merchants and peasants from France and Walloonia priests, monks, missionaries and church dignitaries came to Hungary in large numbers many of whom brought their compatriots to their ecclesiastical headquarters (e.g. Leodvin,

Bishop of Várad The Diocese of Oradea ( la, Dioecesis Magnovaradinensis Latinorum, hu, Nagyváradi Római Katolikus Egyházmegye, ro, Dieceza Romano-Catolică de Oradea Mare) is a Roman Catholic ecclesiastical territory in Romania, named after its episcopal s ...

(r. c. 1050 – c. 1060) in

Nagyvárad ) , blank2_name_sec1 = Patron saint , blank2_info_sec1 = Saint LadislausBonipert Bonipert was the first bishop of Pécs in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1009 and 1036. Similarly to all the earliest prelates in the newly baptized kingdom, he was a foreigner, most probably from Lombardy or France. He seems to have resigned ...

Bishop of Pécs A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...

(r. 1009–1036) and

Bartholomew le Gros Bartholomew le Gros or Bartholomew Grossus ( hu, Gros Bertalan pécsi püspök) was a prelate of French origin in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 13th century. He left his homeland for Hungary in the retinue of Yolanda de Courtenay, queen of An ...

, Bishop of Pécs (r. 1219–1251) in

Pécs Pécs ( , ; hr, Pečuh; german: Fünfkirchen, ; also known by other #Name, alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the countr ...

;

Robert The name Robert is an ancient Germanic given name, from Proto-Germanic "fame" and "bright" (''Hrōþiberhtaz''). Compare Old Dutch ''Robrecht'' and Old High German ''Hrodebert'' (a compound of '' Hruod'' ( non, Hróðr) "fame, glory, honou ...

, Archbishop of Esztergom (r. 1226–1239) in

;

Raynald of Belleville Raynald of Belleville (french: Renaud de Belleville, hu, Belleville-i Rajnáld; died 11 April 1241) was a Norman-born Hungarian prelate and diplomat in the 13th century, who served as the Bishop of Transylvania from 1222 until his death. Early c ...

Bishop of Transylvania :''There is also a Romanian Orthodox Archbishop of Alba Iulia and a Greek Catholic Archdiocese of Făgăraş and Alba Iulia.'' The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Alba Iulia ( hu, Gyulafehérvári Római Katolikus Érsekség) is a Latin Church Cat ...

Gyulafehérvár Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historical ...

). The first monks of the

Cistercian The Cistercians, () officially the Order of Cistercians ( la, (Sacer) Ordo Cisterciensis, abbreviated as OCist or SOCist), are a Catholic religious order of monks and nuns that branched off from the Benedictines and follow the Rule of Saint ...

Monasteries of Egres,

Zirc Zirc (german: Sirtz) is a town in Veszprém county, Hungary. It is the administrative seat of Zirc District. At the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, Jews lived in Zirc. In 1910, 92 Jews lived in Zirc, Some of them w ...

Pásztó Pásztó is a town in Nógrád County, Hungary. Tibor Rubin was born in Pásztó on 18 June 1929. It then had a Jewish population of 120 families. Twin towns – sister cities Pásztó is twinned with: * Ruffec, France Notable people * Anta ...

Szentgotthárd Szentgotthárd ( sl, Monošter; german: St. Gotthard) is the westernmost town of Hungary. It is situated on the Rába River near the Austrian border. History The town took its name from, and grew up round, the Cistercian Szentgotthárd Abbey, fo ...

and Pilis Mountains were also French. These were built during the reign of Béla III who was known to have maintained good relations with the French and invited French craftsmen to Hungary to rebuild his royal palace and the cathedral in Esztergom. In 1091, King

Saint Ladislaus Ladislaus I ( hu, László, hr, Ladislav, sk, Ladislav, pl, Władysław; 1040 – 29 July 1095), also known as Saint Ladislas, was King of Hungary from 1077 and King of Croatia from 1091. He was the second son of King Béla I of Hungary and ...

founded the

Somogyvár Abbey The Somogyvár Abbey (Szent Egyed Abbey) was a Benedictine monastery established at Somogyvár in the Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into th ...

Somogyvár Somogyvár ( hr, Šemudvar) is a village in Somogy County, Hungary. Geography It is situated south from Lengyeltóti, between Lengyeltóti, Öreglak and Somogyvámos. History It is a historical tradition that, after the death of Géza of Hun ...

whose monks could only be French until 1204. The influence of medieval French settlements is also evident in the linguistic history of the

Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...

. In spelling for the Hungarian ''cs'' (/tʃ/) sound the letters ''ch'', for the ''ny'' (/ɲ/) sound the letters ''nh'' and for the ''sz'' (/s/) sound before ''i'' and ''e'' the letters ''sc'' came into use. Also several Hungarian words are of Walloon-French origin according to studies of ''Géza Bárczy''. The medieval French settlers with time assimilated into the Hungarian, ''Flandrenses'' and German (mainly

Zipser German Zipser German (German: Zipserisch, Zipserdeutsch, Hungarian: ''szepességi szász nyelv'' or ''cipszer nyelv'') is a Germanic dialect which developed in the Upper Zips region of what is now Slovakia among people who settled there from central G ...

and

Transylvanian Saxon The Transylvanian Saxons (german: Siebenbürger Sachsen; Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjer Såksen''; ro, Sași ardeleni, sași transilvăneni/transilvani; hu, Erdélyi szászok) are a people of German ethnicity who settled in Transylvania ...

) population. The supposition that Walloons of

Nagyvárad ) , blank2_name_sec1 = Patron saint , blank2_info_sec1 = Saint LadislausMiklós Oláh the Walloons of

spoke French in 1536.

Banat French

During the

Great Turkish War The Great Turkish War (german: Großer Türkenkrieg), also called the Wars of the Holy League ( tr, Kutsal İttifak Savaşları), was a series of conflicts between the Ottoman Empire and the Holy League consisting of the Holy Roman Empire, Pola ...

the Holy League could not liberate the whole territory of medieval Hungary from the

Ottoman rule Ottoman is the Turkish spelling of the Arabic masculine given name Uthman ( ar, عُثْمان, ‘uthmān). It may refer to: Governments and dynasties * Ottoman Caliphate, an Islamic caliphate from 1517 to 1924 * Ottoman Empire, in existence fro ...

. The

Treaty of Karlowitz The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed in Karlowitz, Military Frontier of Archduchy of Austria (present-day Sremski Karlovci, Serbia), on 26 January 1699, concluding the Great Turkish War of 1683–1697 in which the Ottoman Empire was defeated by the ...

(1699) ended the war in which the two parties agreed to accept the new borders between the

Habsburg Empire The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...

and the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

which meant that the historical region of

Banat Banat (, ; hu, Bánság; sr, Банат, Banat) is a geographical and historical region that straddles Central and Eastern Europe and which is currently divided among three countries: the eastern part lies in western Romania (the counties of T ...

stayed under Turkish rule. This agreement stayed in force until the

Treaty of Passarowitz The Treaty of Passarowitz, or Treaty of Požarevac, was the peace treaty signed in Požarevac ( sr-cyr, Пожаревац, german: Passarowitz), a town that was in the Ottoman Empire but is now in Serbia, on 21 July 1718 between the Ottoman ...

(1718) ending the Austro-Turkish War (1716–1718) in which

Prince Eugene of Savoy Prince Eugene Francis of Savoy–Carignano, (18 October 1663 – 21 April 1736) better known as Prince Eugene, was a Generalfeldmarschall, field marshal in the army of the Holy Roman Empire and of the Austrian Habsburg dynasty during the 17th a ...

and his army recaptured the

. The Banat was in terrible condition at that time: the once densely populated area was almost completely uninhabited. Its residents died during the wars or escaped from the Ottoman oppression. The former Christian territory lost its buildings and churches, several of them were rebuilt to mosques. During the Ottoman rule huge areas of land became unproductive because it was not cultivated.

Count Claude Florimond de Mercy Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy (1666 – 29 June 1734) was an Imperial field marshal, born at Longwy in Lorraine, now in France. His grandfather was the Bavarian field marshal Franz Freiherr von Mercy. Mercy entered the Austrian army ...

field marshal trusted of reviving this region. He founded new villages and invited settlers from different Christian territories (e.g. Germany, Italy, France, Spain etc.). Most of the settlers were Banat Swabians. The first known French settled in the region was a postman named ''Miklós Noël'' in

Lugos Lugos is a commune in the Gironde department in Nouvelle-Aquitaine in southwestern France. Population See also *Communes of the Gironde department *Parc naturel régional des Landes de Gascogne Landes de Gascogne Regional Natural Park ...

in 1724. The first wave of French immigrants came from

Lorraine Lorraine , also , , ; Lorrain: ''Louréne''; Lorraine Franconian: ''Lottringe''; german: Lothringen ; lb, Loutrengen; nl, Lotharingen is a cultural and historical region in Northeastern France, now located in the administrative region of Gr ...

and settled in Neu-Beschenowa in the summer of 1748. At that time the danger of an Ottoman attack was possible, so

Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...

order them to complete a military training to be able to fight in case of a war. French settlers can be found among the first residents of the newly established St Andreas in 1750. They all came from Lorraine one part speaking French and the other German. French started to immigrate in larger numbers after 1763. According to ''László Marjanucz'' the earlier immigrants came mainly from

Alsace Alsace (, ; ; Low Alemannic German/ gsw-FR, Elsàss ; german: Elsass ; la, Alsatia) is a cultural region and a territorial collectivity in eastern France, on the west bank of the upper Rhine next to Germany and Switzerland. In 2020, it had ...

Luxembourg (Belgium) Luxembourg (french: Luxembourg ; nl, Luxemburg ; german: Luxemburg ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; wa, Lussimbork), also called Belgian Luxembourg, is the southernmost province of Wallonia and of Belgium. It borders on the country of Luxembourg to the ea ...

and

Luxembourg Luxembourg ( ; lb, Lëtzebuerg ; french: link=no, Luxembourg; german: link=no, Luxemburg), officially the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg, ; french: link=no, Grand-Duché de Luxembourg ; german: link=no, Großherzogtum Luxemburg is a small lan ...

, then later from regions of

Metz Metz ( , , lat, Divodurum Mediomatricorum, then ) is a city in northeast France located at the confluence of the Moselle and the Seille rivers. Metz is the prefecture of the Moselle department and the seat of the parliament of the Grand E ...

Besançon Besançon (, , , ; archaic german: Bisanz; la, Vesontio) is the prefecture of the department of Doubs in the region of Bourgogne-Franche-Comté. The city is located in Eastern France, close to the Jura Mountains and the border with Switzerl ...

and

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

. Mercydorf was founded in 1735 and named after

Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy Count Claudius Florimund de Mercy (1666 – 29 June 1734) was an Imperial field marshal, born at Longwy in Lorraine, now in France. His grandfather was the Bavarian field marshal Franz Freiherr von Mercy. Mercy entered the Austrian army a ...

. Its first residents were only Italians – 21 family in 1756. It was the only Italian dominated settlement of the Banat. During the years from 1769 to 1771 French settled in the village and they became the majority. Between 1770 and 1771 the immigration reached its highest peak. The villages of Saint-Hubert,

Charleville Charleville can refer to: Australia * Charleville, Queensland, a town in Australia **Charleville railway station, Queensland France * Charleville, Marne, a commune in Marne, France *Charleville-Mézières, a commune in Ardennes, France ** ...

and Seultour were completely inhabited by French peasants from the

Duchy of Lorraine The Duchy of Lorraine (french: Lorraine ; german: Lothringen ), originally Upper Lorraine, was a duchy now included in the larger present-day region of Lorraine in northeastern France. Its capital was Nancy. It was founded in 959 following t ...

. But the villages of Klein-Jetscha, Segenthau,

Hatzfeld Hatzfeld (Eder) is a small town in Waldeck-Frankenberg district in Hesse, Germany. Geography Location Hatzfeld lies in west Hesse 25 km northwest of Marburg and north of the Sackpfeife (674 m-high mountain) in the valley of the Eder. ...

, Trübswetter, Gottlob, Ostern, Mercydorf,

Charlottenburg Charlottenburg () is a Boroughs and localities of Berlin, locality of Berlin within the borough of Charlottenburg-Wilmersdorf. Established as a German town law, town in 1705 and named after Sophia Charlotte of Hanover, Queen consort of Kingdom ...

, Rekasch,

Marienfeld Marienfeld is a large (2.6 km² / 640 acres) grassy field on the reclaimed site of a former open-pit lignite mine about south-west of Cologne Cathedral in the city of Cologne, Germany, straddling the towns of Frechen and Kerpen. The ...

, Nakodorf and Weißkirchen had a significant French population. French settled also in Reschitz, Bruckenau, Jarmatha, Mastort, Heufeld, Groß-Jetscha, Tschatad, Bogarosch, Grabatz, Billed and Neu-Arad. Several settlers were referred to as Germans in official documents who had French surnames (e.g. ''Moutard'', ''Duc'', ''Boivinais'', ''Pitance'' etc.). Banat Josephinische Landaufnahme pg028

The treasury offered the immigrants support and greater freedom which made them interested in immigration to the Banat. They got land to cultivate, could build houses with the help of the treasury and tax exemption for years. The royal court always kept their interests in mind and made decisions in their benefit. They had the opportunity to take a loan (the so-called ''Antizipation'') which they had to pay back after three years. During the beginning of the 19th century they assimilated into the Banat Swabian majority, a few into the Hungarians. Nowadays just their names show their French origin, but they do not speak French anymore. The longest existed their community in the three villages of Saint-Hubert,

and Seultour where they stayed in majority for a long time. In the 1830s they still sung French chants during their worships, the evangelium was read in both German and French, and the preachings were held in German and French. But in just over a hundred years, the French language has also disappeared in these villages. In the beginning of the 19th century several French travellers visited the villages.

Charles Lemercier de Longpré, baron d'Haussez Charles Lemercier de Longpre, baron d'Haussez (20 October 1778, Neufchâtel-en-Bray (Normandy) – 10 November 1854, Saint-Saëns (Seine-Maritime)) was a French politician and minister. Biography The Baron of Haussez came from a family of magist ...

reported about them in 1835. Later

Henri, Count of Chambord Henri, Count of Chambord and Duke of Bordeaux (french: Henri Charles Ferdinand Marie Dieudonné d'Artois, duc de Bordeaux, comte de Chambord; 29 September 1820 – 24 August 1883) was disputedly King of France from 2 to 9 August 1830 as Hen ...

travelled there and he became so fond of them that he bought the land and five villages – Mastort, Heufeld, Saint-Hubert,

and Seultour – for 1.3 million

florins The Florentine florin was a gold coin struck from 1252 to 1533 with no significant change in its design or metal content standard during that time. It had 54 grains (3.499 grams, 0.113 troy ounce) of nominally pure or 'fine' gold with a purcha ...

. Louis Hecht, a professor of the University of Nancy visited the French villages of the Banat in 1876. He already did not find anybody speaking French and several surnames were incorrectly recorded. The officers who came to the villages in most cases could not speak French so they wrote several names improperly, really often with German spelling. There were also some illiterate among the settlers who could not correct the spelling errors. Here is a list of names of some residents of

: Ludwig Chapellie, Katharina Schirmon, Jean Düpolt, Ludwig Simono, Claude La Fleur, Joseph Piko, Anton Poussin, Karl Pigeot, Jean Peter, Le Cler, Hanry Cordie, Remillion Soissong, Jean Francois Quylion. With time several surnames changed as the population started to speak rather German. Some names were written in German: e.g. Picard -> Pikar, Bikar; Laurent -> Loran; Leblanc -> Löblan, Leblang, Leblanc; Marchand -> Marschang; Mougeon -> Muschong; Collin -> Kolleng; Aubertin -> Oberting, Oberden; Guilleaume -> Gilion, Giljon, Giljum; while others in Hungarian: Merle -> Merlei, Martin -> Martén, Houilon -> Hujjón. After the Second World War most of their communities were expelled. 7,000 of them were welcomed in

. In La Roque-sur-Pernes,

they still have a compact community. Researches of ''Lajos Baróti'', ''Antal Bodor'', ''Lénárt Bőhm'', ''Louis Hecht'', ''Jenő Szentkláray'' and ''Rogér Schilling'' provide information of the French settlements of the

. From the Banat several of them moved to other parts of Hungary. Hungarians having French surnames can be found mainly in

Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and towns of Hungary#Largest cities in Hungary, the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat ...

(e.g. Chambré, Cherrier, Christophe, Dippong, Frecot, Gilde, Giljon, Giljum, Kahlesz, Leblanc, Massong, Merle, Muschong, Noel, Oberting, Piar, Pierre, Pétri, Potier, Schorsch, Stufle, Vitye, Wottreng etc.). Well-known Hungarians of Banat French descent are ''Alessandro Bonnaz'',

Alajos Degré Alajos Degré ( Lippa, Hungary (today in Romania), January 6, 1819 – Budapest, November 1, 1896) was Hungarian lawyer, legal historian, author and one of the key figures of the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. Life He was born to a middle-class, ...

, ''Miklós Cherrier'',István Németh – A magyarországi francia telepek
/ref>

Jacob Muschong Jacob Muschong ( hu, Muschong Jakab, ro, Iacob Muschong, born 1868, Nagykikinda, Austria-Hungary - died 13 December 1923, Lugoj, Romania) was a Banat German industrialist, business magnate, philanthropist and investor who made a fortune producin ...

and Győző Leblanc.

Language

The majority of the French population in Hungary speaks French or Hungarian as their first language.

Education

Gustave Eiffel French School of Budapest Gustave Eiffel French School of Budapest (french: Lycée Français Gustave Eiffel de Budapest, LFGEB, hu, Gustave Eiffel Francia Óvoda Általános Iskola és Gimnázium), also known as the French School of Budapest (french: Lycée Français de Bu ...

is a French international school in Budapest.

Notable French people of Hungary

* Gyán de Vízakna *

Bonipert Bonipert was the first bishop of Pécs in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1009 and 1036. Similarly to all the earliest prelates in the newly baptized kingdom, he was a foreigner, most probably from Lombardy or France. He seems to have resigned ...

, Bishop of Pécs (r. 1009–1036) *

, Archbishop of Esztergom (r. 1226–1239) *

, Bishop of Pécs (r. 1219–1251) * Alessandro Bonnaz, Bishop of Szeged-Csanád (r. 1860–1889)

Literature

11th–13th centuries

* Mihály Auner : ''Latinus'', 1916 * Géza Bárczi : ''A középkori vallon–magyar érintkezésekhez'', 1937 * Géza Bárczi : ''A magyar nyelv francia jövevényszavai'', Budapest, 1938

18th century

* Dr. Sándor Kókai : ''A Bánság történeti földrajza (1718–1918)'', 2010 * László Marjanucz : ''Adalékok a Habsburg berendezkedés és telepítés bánsági történetéhez'', 2002 * László Palásti : ''Franciák és a francia nyelv a Bánátban a XVIII. és XIX. században'', 1958

References

{{Authority control Ethnic groups in Hungary

French diaspora in Europe