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Chesereu/Érkeserű "The LORD is our judge, our lawgiver and our king." (Isa 33:22) >> Description Chesereu (in Romanian), Érkeserű (in Hungarian) is a village situated in the north-west region of Romania, in Bihor county, near the Hungarian-Romaniain border, south to Valea lui Mihai (Érmihályfalva) and north to Sacueni (Székelyhíd). A 6 km long access road (nr. 5) of bad quality connects it to the Satu Mare (Szatmárnémeti) - Oradea (Nagyvárad) state road (nr. 19) at 4 km north-east from Sacueni. It belongs to the village-community of Cherechiu (Kiskereki) - the first on the access road - together with Targusor (Asszonyvására) Chesereu/Érkeserű is relatively far from the neighbouring towns and cities: Marghita (Margitta) 26 km, Oradea (Nagyvárad) 53 km, Valea lui Mihai (Érmihályfalva) 26 km, Carei (Nagykároly) 57 km, Satu Mare (Szatmárnémeti) 92 km. The nearest Hungarian city is Debrecen (45 km). It is situated at 7 km from the Hungarian-Romanian border, the nearest checkpoint (road for cars adn railway) is: Nyirabrany (HU) - Valea lui Mihai (RO). Trucks can cross the border at Ártánd (HU) - Bors (RO) near Oradea, or Csengersima (HU) - Petea (RO) near Satu Mare. Its geographical position is at the 47o 25' northern latitude and 22o 07' eastern longitude.Its height above sea-level is 109 m. Its population is about 1000, mostly Hungarians (95%) and of Reformed confession (85%). It has two churches: Reformed (1800) and Roman Catholic (1825). It has nursery school, elementary school, groceries and drinking bars, doctor's office, water pipes, artesian wells. The main occuptaion is agriculture, the village being difficult to reach on road. >> History The village has been inhabited for 4000 years, mostly by ancient and modern Hungarians. Archeological finds: urn cemetery from the bronze age, remains of a refuge-castle made of earth, Roman finds, cemetery remains of the great migrations, Slavonic and Hungarian relics. Chesereu/ÉrkeserűIt is first mentioned in writting in 1215 as Quesereu - as royal estate. Its name has been changed through history as it follows: 1236 Kueserew, 1291–1294 villa Keseru, 1307 Keserew, 1323 Kezereu, 1333 sacerdos de villa Keseres, 1337 Keserev, 1587 Keserew, 1692 Kesserű, Keserü, Kessery, 1828 Ér Kesserü, 1851 Ér-Keserü. The meaning of the name (Ér)keserű is coming either from the name of a 13th century settler, Peter of Keserű, or the geographical meaning of brooklet (Kis Erű). Todays version of the name Keserű means "bitter". The first part of the Hungarian compound name Ér-keserű: Ér also means brook, which is a small rill in the region, once part of a large marsh drained in 1968. The region where the marsh has been and gives name to th todays region is Érmellék (brook-side, near the brook, near the Ér). Érkeserű, the royal estate became property of the bishop in the 14-15th centuries. The marsh that surrounded the village protected the people through the ages from the Tartar (Mongolian) and Turkish invasions. The village originally was situated at another place that was destroyed by the invadors. In 1350 there are given the rights of a town. The Reformation conquered the village in 1552. In that year Chesereu/Érkeserű had 44 houses with about 300 people. In 1560 the whole village is of Reformed (Calvinist) confession. The Roman Catholic church reappeaerd in 1755. Todays church has been built in the 1820ies. The dedication festival of the parish is on the day of St. Anne at the 26th of July - the day of the 1st Village Days first organized in 2003. The Reformed church building can be traced to the 14th century. Today's form is from 1800. Up to 1919 and between 1940-44 it belonged to Hungary. The records of the Reformed church mention 65 heroes deceased in the First World War, and 22 in the Second one. |
