Bonyhád 

Bonyhád / Bonyhad 
Bonnhard

Tolna County

The community was first settled by Hungarian Reformed settlers, who were followed by ethnic German Roman Catholic families and shortly thereafter by ethnic German Lutherans primarily from Hesse. A Roman Catholic parish was established in 1729 and all three groups were placed under its jurisdiction although both of the other two groups would often seek to have ministerial services from churches of their own confession in the area whenever possible. Not all of the Lutheran families in these records are identified as Lutherans until at a later date. The Lutherans later became a filial congregation of the Mother Lutheran Church in Majós but were not formally allowed to organize until 1816 and would eventually become the largest Lutheran congregation in the Tolna.

In the Roman Catholic birth/baptismal records you will find references to families who also lived in Nádasd, Majós, Cikó, Gyönk, Tabód, Hidás, Mórágy, Kakasd, Izmény, Kismányok, Nagymányok, Bátaapáti, Bikács, Kéty, Zomba, Szálka, Batászék, Grabóc, Szárázd, Vejke, Mocseny, Börzsóny, Mórágy, Zsibrik, Szerdahley, and Ladomany.

In addition in the marriage register there were also intermarriages with families from Simontornya, Kovácsi, Kalaznó, Tófü, Szabádi, Felsö Nána, Bonnya, Mucsfa, Gerényes, Mekényes, Hant, Hájmas, Varsád, Rác Kozar, Kistormás, Murga and Bikal.

As indicated previously the Lutheran Church Records in Bonyhad begin in 1816 and entries for the Lutheran families living there can be found in the Roman Catholic records as noted above or in the neighbouring Lutheran communities of Majós and Kismányok as well as others as will be noted later. But the Mother Church here also served Lutheran families living in other communities: Börzsóny, Szerdahely, Tabód and Szeplák.

The families in Bonyhad also intermarried with families in Virágos, Varsád, Ófalu, Hidas, Zsibrik, Bátaapáti, Felsö Nána, Mucsfa, Gerényes, Alsónána, Györe, Mórágy, Kölesd, Rác Kozar, Kéty, Gyönk, Izmény, Udvári, Majós, Kismányok, Bikal, Varalja, Kalaznó, Nagy Ág, Somogyszil, Baja, Tófü, Nagy Hájmas, Gadács, Somogyacsa, Lajos Komárom, Magyar Bóly, Mekényes, Pécs and Ecsény.

by Henry A. Fischer

• Lookups Guide: Henry Fischer - Bonyhád, Tolna Co (Roman Catholic) 1729-1816 (Also includes:  Cikó, Majos, Tabod, Morágy, Hidas, Izmény, Bataápati) Church Record Transcriptions. 

• Lookups Guide: Henry Fischer - Bonyhád, Tolna Co. (Evangelical Lutheran) 1816-1867 (Also includes: Borszony) Church Record Transcriptions 

• Lookups Guide: Henry Fischer - Kismányok (Evangelical Lutheran) 1728-1895 (Also includes: Majos, Hidas, Izmény, Mucsfa, Bataápati, Bonyhád, Tófü, Mekényes, Morágy, Varálja) Church Record Transcriptions
  
• Village Family Book: Ortsfamilienbuch Bonyhád (@Genealogy.net)

• Bonyhád: A Market Town in Tolna - by Henry Fischer.  The early history of the community it also identifies some of the original settlers and their places of origin.  Several sources were used for research, including the church records. 

• Gaube Und Kirche in Der Schwabischen Turkei Des 18. Jahrhunderts: Aufzeichnungen Von Michael Winkler in Den Pfarrchroniken Von Szakadat, Bonyhad Und Godre (German) by Michael Winkler, Franz Galambos, 368 pages, Publisher R. Trofenik 1987. ISBN: 
  3878281757 (Faith and church in the Swabian Turkey 18th Century: Recordings of Michael Winkler in the Church Chronicles of Szakadat, Bonyhad and Godre) 

Last updated: 09/10/2026