Abov (in Latin: comitatus Abaujvariensis, in German: Neuburg or Abaujwar, in Hungarian: Abaúj) is the name of a historic administrative county (comitatus) of the Kingdom of Hungary. In parts of the 19th century, and in the beginning of the 20th century, it was united with the Turňa county to form Abov-Turňa (in Hungarian: Abaúj-Torna) county. Its territory is presently in eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary. Today Abov is only an informal designation of the corresponding territory.

Geography

Around 1910, Abov-Turňa county shared borders with the counties Gömör-Kishont (Gemer-Malohont), Szepes (Spiš), Sáros (Šariš), Zemplén (Zemplín) and Borsod. Abov is situated some 20 km to both sides along the Hornád river (in Hungarian: Hernád) between (including) Košice and (excluding) Miskolc. Turňa is the region southwest of Košice. The rivers Hornád and Bodva flowed through the county. Its area was 3323 km² around 1910.

Capitals

Initially, the capital of the county was Forró. From the late 16th century the capital was Gönc, and Košice has been the center of the county since the late 17th century.

History

The county arose in the second half of the 13th century from the comitatus Novi Castri (named after Novum Castrum, today Abaújvár), which also included the later counties Saris and Heves. In 1882, the county was merged with the small Turňa county and has existed as the Abov-Turňa (in Hungarian: Abaúj-Torna) county since. This Abov-Turňa county previously existed temporarily in 1785-1790 and 1848-1859.

In 1918 (confirmed by the Treaty of Trianon 1920), the northern half of the county (including Košice) became part of newly formed Hungary as the county Abaúj-Torna, with capital Szikszó.

During World War II, when Czechoslovakia was split temporarily, most of the Czechoslovak part of the county was occupied by Hungary under the First Vienna Award, and added to the county Abaúj-Torna, with capital Košice. After World War II, the pre-war border was restored, and the Hungarian county Abaúj-Torna merged with the county Borsod and the Hungarian part of Zemplén to form the present Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county. Since Czechoslovakia was split, Abov is part of Slovakia, Košice region.

Districts

In the early 20th century, the districts and their capitals were:

• Košice (Hungarian: Kassa)
• Füzér, capital Ždaňa (Hungarian: Hernádzsadány)
• Cserehát, capital Moldava nad Bodvou (Hungarian: Szepsi)
• Turňa nad Bodvou (Hungarian: Torna)
• Szikszó
• Gönc, capital Abaújszántó

Urban county:

• Košice (Hungarian: Kassa)

The towns Füzér, Szikszó, Gönc and Abaújszántó are presently in Hungary.

See also: List of traditional regions of Slovakia