KENGYIA-SZIGET TÖRTÉNETE A KEZDETEKTŐL NAPJAINKIG
HISTORY OF KENGYIA FROM THE BEGINNINGS TO THE PRESENT DAY

Summary/Abstract: Today, Kenđija Island is often described as a no-man’s-land situated between Serbia and Croatia. However, Kenđija is not only an island in a geographical sense; in terms of its history, culture, and ethnographic characteristics, it also constitutes a unique and distinct entity. Historically, Kenđija emerged from a marshland encircled by branches of the Danube, where a nature-oriented way of life developed that may still be regarded as exemplary today. Although by the middle of the twentieth century Kenđija had come to resemble a small village, its inhabitants nevertheless preserved their natural environment, as their livelihoods were largely dependent on its condition. Despite the fact that Kenđija’s period of prosperity lies in the distant past and that hardly any visible traces remain of its former homestead-based settlement structure, collective memory continues to preserve images of reed-roofed dwellings, livestock-filled stables, and the Lina Inn, once known for its lively social life. Based on the analysis of a wide range of sources, the study reconstructs the history of the island within a chronological framework, while also addressing aspects of everyday life and folk customs alongside broader historical processes. The aim of the paper is to provide as comprehensive a picture as possible of Kenđija Island and its inhabitants.

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