Immigration and Integration în Medieval Hungarian Market-Towns

Migration into urban settlements played a pivotal role during the medieval period. Due to their socio-historical characteristics, towns were unable to sustain their populations through natural growth alone; thus, inward migration was essential for their development. While this phenomenon is well established in European medieval scholarship, it remains an open question whether similar patterns can be observed in so-called market towns – agrarian-oriented settlements more advanced than villages, yet falling short of the developmental level of fully-fledged cities. This study examines the available source material relevant to this issue, with particular emphasis on surnames derived from place names, which enable the application of statistical methods. Through the analysis of personal names, the research demonstrates a clear correlation between the level of urban development and both the distance and intensity of migration. The paper also considers specific social groups involved in relocation, such as craftsmen and members of the intellectual elite, and explores the motivations underlying residential mobility. Furthermore, it addresses the conditions facilitating the integration of serfs into new communities. Overall, the findings suggest that migration into market towns differed from that into royal towns primarily in quantitative terms. Despite structural differences, the underlying motivations appear to have been largely similar.