Use of social space by the multifunctional elite of Kecskemét between 1920 and 1940

Abstract

To explore the Kecskemét elite of the interwar period, a concept of elite was formulated that profoundly differs from previous approaches. A local elite is a formation of a societal group which is organised on the basis of family relations and financial assets, due to which it possessed a high, socially visible or latent, standing and thus owned politically organised or latent power. The elite asserted this power within the local setting by influencing the whole or part of the local community. The structure of the local elite varies by region or by settlement levels (city, town, village, etc.) in accordance with the differences within local societies and how they create elites or the administrative ranking of a settlement which determines varying quantitative and qualitative opportunities for people to assume, or rise to, elite positions. Functionally, the local elite consists of three sub-groups: a political elite, controlling the town, an economic elite that controls commercial matters and a societal elite that informally regulates the access to elite circles, often through family relations. These three elite sub-groups often overlap and generally meet in various societal settings. As these subgroups belong to at least two elite circles where they meet, we call them a multifunctional elite.

The multifunctional elite of Kecskemét consisted of 368 members in the period under investigation and accounted for about 30–40% of the total town elite. The occupational composition showed certain changes during this period: The ratio of merchants decreased by almost 50%, while the ratio of intellectuals increased by about 25%. In addition, a fast and spectacular growth in property ownership by the elite is discernible which was mainly due to real estate and land speculation during the Great Depression. The value of the multifunctional elite’s real estate increased by 16% in the period from the 1920s until the 1930s.

An examination of social space revealed that the elite lived within the historical town core. Craftsmen and landowners showed occupational similarities in social topographic terms: Their group and their activities were not as closely linked to space as those of the intellectuals, i. e. their spatial characteristics were not significant. The social space of merchants was adapted to the economic space structure of the town, while the social space of civil servants and intellectuals followed the spatial pattern of institutions and offices. This tight pattern must be seen in the context of the changes in physical and social space which occurred in the 2nd half of the 19th century. The groups of merchants and intellectuals, and the elites that subsequently arose from them, emerged within those locations. During these processes, one of the main determining factors was the property-income status of individuals. The streets and squares of outstanding historic prestige had a decisive impact on the spatial differentiation of the elites; similarly, the influence of relationships maintained with neighbours, friends or relatives was important.