Siget in der Wart

Siget in der Wart or Őrisziget (German: Siget in der Wart; Hungarian: Őrisziget) is a small village in Burgenland, Austria, in the district of Oberwart (Hun: Felsőőr). The village lies on the banks of the Zicken Bach (Szék-patak) and administratively belongs to the neighbouring town of Rotenturm an der Pinka (Hun: Vasvörösvár). According to the 2001 census it had a population of 274. They are almost exclusively ethnic Hungarians. Siget/Őrisziget is part of the Upper Őrség or Wart microregion together with Oberwart (Hun: Felsőőr) and Unterwart (Hun: Alsóőr).

The village was established in the early Middle Ages in the borderzone of the Kingdom of Hungary (gyepű). It was first mentioned in historical documents in 1352 under the name Zygeth ('sziget' means island in Hungarian). The population was made up of Hungarian frontier guards (őr), probably related to the Székelys of Transylvania. The guards constituted a free, privileged community. Őrisziget belonged to the old county of Vas until 1921.

In the 14th century the rights of the villagers were confirmed and they were ranked among the nobles. Sziget was placed under the protection of the town of Kőszeg (Güns) until 1441. Although later the guards lost their military significance, the noble őrs kept their privileges. They were confirmed again in the early 17th century by King Mátyás II of Hungary. Most of the village people converted to Lutheran faith in the Age of Reformation. In the end of the 19th century Őrisziget was famous for its knife-makers (their products were called őri bicska).

According to the last Hungarian census in 1910 Őrisziget had a population of 333 people (exclusively Hungarians). The village was given to Austria according to the Treaty of Trianon in 1921. In the second half of the 20th century the population decreased. In 1991 only 272 people lived in Siget (82 percent ethnic Hungarians). The village remained a small, secluded agricultural community until the end of the 20th century. It was merged with Rotenturm an der Pinka (Formerly Vasvörösvár) in 1971.

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