City with county rights in Komarom-Esztergom, Hungary
City with county rights in Central Transdanubia, Hungary
Esztergom
(
Hungarian pronunciation:
[??st?r?om]
ⓘ
;
German
:
Gran
;
Latin
:
Solva
or
Strigonium
;
Slovak
:
Ostrihom
, known by
alternative names
) is a
city with county rights
in northern
Hungary
, 46 kilometres (29 miles) northwest of the capital
Budapest
. It lies in
Komarom-Esztergom County
, on the right bank of the river
Danube
, which forms the border with
Slovakia
there. Esztergom was the
capital of Hungary
from the 10th until the mid-13th century when King
Bela IV of Hungary
moved the royal seat to
Buda
.
Esztergom is the seat of the
primas
(see
Primate
) of the
Catholic Church in Hungary
, and the former seat of the
Constitutional Court of Hungary
.
The city has a
Christian Museum
with the largest
ecclesiastical
collection in Hungary. Its
cathedral
,
Esztergom Basilica
, is the largest church in Hungary. Near the Basilica there is a campus of the
Pazmany Peter Catholic University
.
Toponym
[
edit
]
The Roman town was called
Solva
. The medieval Latin name was
Strigonium
.
[3]
The first early medieval mention is "
?trigonensis [strigonensis] comes
" (1079?1080).
[4]
The first interpretation of the name was suggested by
Antonio Bonfini
. He tried to explain it from
Istrogranum
, "city at the confluence of
Ister
(the Greek name of the
Danube
river) and
Gran
(the Latin name of the river
Hron
)". This interpretation is still popular.
[5]
[6]
[7]
Viktor Recsey
[
hu
]
attempted to derive the name from Germanic languages. After the conquest of the country by
Charlemagne
, the Franks should give the name Osterringun to their easternmost castle; as a comparison, a reference is made to the town of
Ostringen
.
Pavel Jozef ?afarik
tried to explain the name from Slavic
ost?ehu
(
locus custodius, munitus
).
[8]
Gyula Pauler
[
hu
]
suggested a Slavic personal name
Stigran
without a deeper analysis of its origin.
[9]
In 1927,
Konrad Schunemann
summarized these older views and proposed the origin in a Slavic stem
str?g
("custodia", guard).
This theory was later extended by
Jan Stanislav
who also explained the origin of the initial vowel missing in Latin and later Czech sources (
St?ehom
).
[11]
The introduction of a vowel before the initial consonant group is a regular change in the Hungarian language (
Stephan
→
Istvan
,
strecha
→
esztercha
), but the initial "
O
" in later Slavic forms can be explained by an independent change?an incorrect decomposition of the Slavic prepositional form. Both authors noticed the high number of Slavic placenames in the region (
Vy?egrad
,
Ple?
,
Kokot
,
Drug
,
Komarno
, Toplica, etc.) and similar Slavic names in other countries (
Strzegom
,
St?ehom
[
cs
]
,
Stregowa
, etc.). Both authors believed that the stem
str?g
was a part of the Slavic personal name, but
?imon Ondru?
suggests a straightforward etymology. The
Proto-Slavic
stregti
? to watch, to guard, present
participle
stregom
,
stragom
? a guard post.
[12]
[a]
The later Slavic form was created by an incorrect decomposition as follows:
vъ Stragome
(in Stragom) →
vo Stragome
→
v Ostragome
like Slovak
Bdokovce
→
Obdokovce
,
Psolovce
→
Obsolovce
.
[12]
Lajos Kiss
[
hu
]
considered the name to be of uncertain origin, potentially derived also from Slavic
strgun
(a tanner) or
Proto-Bulgaric
estrogin kape
,
estrigim kupe
? a leather armor.
[4]
[12]
However, the last theory is sharply criticized by
?imon Ondru?
as obsolete and unreliable, because of its dependency on later sources, the high number of Slavic names in the region and missing adoption of the word in the Hungarian language.
[12]
Other names of the town are Croatian
Ostrogon
, Polish
Ostrzyhom
, Serbian
Ostrogon
and
Estergon
(also Turkish), Slovak
Ostrihom
and Czech
Ost?ihom
(the archaic name is
St?ehom
). The German name is Gran (
German
:
Gran
ⓘ
), like the German name of river Garam.
[13]
History
[
edit
]
Esztergom is one of the oldest towns in Hungary.
[14]
Esztergom, as it existed in the
Middle Ages
, now rests under today's town. The results of the most recent archeological excavations reveal that the Varhegy (Castle Hill) and its vicinity have been inhabited since the end of the
Ice Age
20,000 years ago. The first people known by name were the
Celts
from
Western Europe
, who settled in the region in about 350 BC. A flourishing Celtic settlement existed on the Varhegy until the region was conquered by
Rome
. Thereafter it became an important frontier town of
Pannonia
, known by the name of
Salvio Mansio
,
Salvio
, or
Solva
. By the seventh century the town was called
Stregom
and later
Gran
, but soon reverted to the former, which evolved into Esztergom by the thirteenth century. The
German
and
Avar
archaeological finds found in the area reveal that these people settled there following the
period of the migrations
that were caused by the fall of the
Roman Empire
.
At about 500 AD, Slavic peoples immigrated into the
Pannonian Basin
. In the 9th century, the territory was mostly under Frankish control, and it might have been part of
Great Moravia
too. In
Old Slavonic
language, it was called
Str?gom
("guard"), as it was strategic point of control for the Danube valley.
The
Magyars
entered the Pannonian Basin in 896 AD and conquered it systematically, succeeding fully in 901. In 960, the ruling prince of the Hungarians,
Geza
, chose Esztergom as his residence. His son,
Vajk
, who was later called
Saint Stephen of Hungary
, was born in his palace built on the Roman
castrum
on the Varhegy (Castle Hill) around 969?975. In 973, Esztergom served as the starting point of an important historical event: during Easter of that year, Geza sent a committee to the international peace conference of
Emperor Otto I
in
Quedlinburg
. He offered peace to the Emperor and asked for missionaries.
The prince's residence stood on the northern side of the hill. The center of the hill was occupied by a
basilica
dedicated to
St. Adalbert
, who, according to legend, baptised St. Stephen. The Church of St. Adalbert was the seat of the archbishop of Esztergom, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. By that time, significant numbers of craftsmen and merchants had settled in the city.
Stephen's coronation took place in Esztergom on either Christmas Day 1000 or January 1, 1001. From the time of his rule up to the beginning of the 13th century, the only mint for the country operated here. During the same period, the castle of Esztergom ("Estergon Kalesi" in
Turkish
) was built. It served not only as the royal residence until the Mongol
siege of Esztergom
in 1241 (during the
first Mongol invasion
), but also as the center of the Hungarian state, religion, and
Esztergom county
. The
archbishop of Esztergom
was the leader of the ten bishoprics founded by Stephen. The archbishop was often in charge of important state functions and had the exclusive right to crown kings.
The settlements of royal servants, merchants and craftsmen at the foot of the Varhegy (Castle Hill) developed into the most significant town during the age of the
Arpad dynasty
? these being the most important area of the economic life of the country. According to the Frenchman
Odo of Deuil
, who visited the country in 1147, "the Danube carries the economy and treasures of several countries to Esztergom".
The town council was made up of the richest citizens of the town (residents of
French
,
Spanish
,
Dutch
, and
Italian
origin) who dealt with commerce. The coat of arms of Esztergom emerged from their seal in the 13th century. This was the town where foreign monarchs could meet Hungarian kings. For example,
Emperor Conrad II
met
Geza II
in this town (1147). Another important meeting took place when the German Emperor
Frederick Barbarossa
visited
Bela III
. The historians traveling with them all agree on the richness and significance of Esztergom.
Arnold of Lubeck
, the historian with Frederick Barbarossa, called Esztergom the capital of Hungarian people ("quae Ungarorum est metropolis").
In the beginning of the 13th century Esztergom was the center of the country's political and economic life. This is explained by the canon of
Nagyvarad
,
Rogerius of Apulia
, who witnessed the first devastation of the country during the Tatar invasion
siege of Esztergom
and wrote in his
Carmen Miserabile
("Sad Song"): "since there was no other town like Esztergom in Hungary, the
Tatars
(siege of Esztergom) were considering crossing the Danube to pitch a camp there", which was exactly what happened after the Danube froze. The capital of the Arpad-age was destroyed in a vicious battle. Though, according to the documents that remained intact, some of the residents (those who escaped into the castle) survived and new residents settled in the area and soon started rebuilding the town, it lost its leading role.
Bela IV
gave the palace and castle to the archbishop, and changed his residence to
Buda
. Bela IV and his family, however, were buried in the
Franciscan
church in Esztergom which had been destroyed during the invasion and which had been rebuilt by Bela IV in 1270.
Following these events, the castle was built and decorated by the bishops. The center of the king's town, which was surrounded by walls, was still under royal authority. A number of different monasteries did return or settle in the religious center.
Meanwhile, the citizenry had been fighting to maintain and reclaim the rights of towns against the expansion of the church within the royal town. In the chaotic years after the fall of the
House of Arpad
, Esztergom suffered another calamity: in 1304, the forces of
Wenceslaus II
, the
Czech
king occupied and raided the castle. In the years to come, the castle was owned by several individuals:
Robert Karoly
and then
Louis the Great
patronized the town. In 1327 Kovacsi, the most influential suburb of the town, lying in the southeast, was united with Esztergom. The former suburb had three churches with mainly blacksmith, goldsmith, and coiner residents.
In the 14th and 15th centuries Esztergom saw events of great importance and became one of the most influential acropolises of Hungarian culture along with
Buda
. Their courts, which were similar to the royal courts of
Buda
and
Visegrad
, were visited by such kings, scientists, and artists as
Louis the Great
,
Sigismund of Luxembourg
, King
Matthias Corvinus
,
Galeotto Marzio
, Regiomontanus, the famous astronomer
Marcin Bylica
and
Georg von Peuerbach
,
Pier Paolo Vergerio
and
Antonio Bonfini
, King Matthias's historian, who, in his work praises the constructive work of Janos Vitez, King Matthias's educator. He had a library and an observatory built next to the cathedral. As Bonfini wrote about his masterpiece, his palace and terraced gardens: "he had a spacious room for knights built in the castle. In front of that, he built a wonderful
loggia
of red marble. In front of the room, he built the Chapel of
Sibyls
, whose walls were decorated with paintings of the sybils. On the walls of the knights' room, not only the likeness of all the kings could be found, but also the Scythian ancestors. He also had a double garden constructed, which was decorated with columns and a corridor above them. Between the two gardens, he built a round tower of red marble with several rooms and balconies. He had Saint Adalbert's Basilica covered with glass tiles". King Matthias's widow,
Beatrix of Aragon
, lived in the castle of Esztergom for ten years (1490?1500).
The time of the next resident, Archbishop
Tamas Bakocz
(d. 1521) gave the town significant monuments. In 1507 he had Italian architects build the
Bakocz chapel
, which is the earliest and most significant
Renaissance
building which has survived in Hungary. The altarpiece of the chapel was carved from white marble by
Andrea Ferrucci
, a sculptor from
Fiesole
in 1519.
The
Ottoman
conquest of
Mohacs
in 1526 brought a decline to the previously flourishing Esztergom as well. In the
Battle of Mohacs
, the archbishop of Esztergom died. In the period between 1526 and 1543, when two rival kings reigned in Hungary, Esztergom was besieged six times. At times it was the forces of
Ferdinand I
or
John Zapolya
, at other times the Ottomans attacked. Finally, in 1530, Ferdinand I occupied the castle. He put foreign mercenaries in the castle, and sent the chapter and the bishopric to
Nagyszombat
and
Pozsony
(that is why some of the treasury, the archives and the library survived).
In 1543
Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent
attacked the castle
and captured it. The castle then remained under the
Ottoman Empire
.
Esztergom (as
Estergon
) became the centre of an Ottoman
sanjak
controlling several counties, and also a significant castle on the northwest border of the
Ottoman Empire
? the main clashing point to prevent attacks on the mining towns of the highlands,
Vienna
and
Buda
. In 1594, during the unsuccessful but devastating siege by the walls of the
Vizivaros
,
Balint Balassa
, the first Hungarian poet who gained European significance, died in action. The most devastating siege took place in 1595 when the castle was reclaimed by the troops of Count
Karl von Mansfeld
and Count
Matyas Cseszneky
. The price that had to be paid, however, was high. Most of the buildings in the castle and the town that had been built in the
Middle Ages
were destroyed during this period, and there were only uninhabitable, smothered ruins to welcome the conquerors.
In 1605
the Ottomans regained control
over the castle as well as the whole region again,
maintaining their rule
until 1683. Though the Ottomans were mainly engaged in building and fortifying the castle, they also built significant new buildings including mosques, minarets and baths. These structures, along with the contemporary buildings, were destroyed in the
siege of 1683
resulting in the re-conquest of Esztergom - though some Turkish buildings prevailed up to the beginning of the 18th century. The last time the Ottoman forces attacked Esztergom
was in 1685
. During the following year Buda was conquered as well. During these battles
Janos Bottyan
, captain of the cavalry, later the legendary figure of the
Rakoczi
war of independence disappeared. All that had been rebuilt at the end of the century was destroyed and burnt down during
Ferenc Rakoczi
's long lasting, but finally successful siege.
The destroyed territory was settled by
Hungarian
,
Slovakian
and
German
settlers. This was when the new national landscape developed. In the area where there had previously been 65 Hungarian villages, only 22 were rebuilt. Though the reconstructed town received its free royal rights, in size and significance it was only a shadow of its former self.
Handcrafts gained strength and in around 1730, there were 17 independent crafts operating in Esztergom. Wine-culture was also of major significance. This was also the period when the
Baroque
view of the downtown area and the
Vizivaros
(Watertown) were developed. The old town's main characteristic is the simplicity and moderateness of its citizen Baroque architecture. The most beautiful buildings can be found around the marketplace (Szechenyi square).
In 1761 the bishopric regained control over the castle, where they started the preliminary processes of the reconstruction of the new religious center: the middle of the Varhegy (Castle Hill), the remains of Saint Stephen and Saint Adalbert churches were carried away to provide room for the new cathedral.
Although the major construction work and the resettlement of the bishopric (1820) played a significant role in the town's life, the pace of Esztergom's development gradually slowed down, and work on the new Basilica came to a halt.
By the beginning of the 20th century, Esztergom gained significance owing to its cultural and educational institutions as well as to being an administrative capital. The town's situation turned worse after the
Treaty of Trianon
of 1920, after which it became a border town and lost most of its previous territory.
This was also the place where the poet
Mihaly Babits
spent his summers from 1924 to his death in 1941. The poet's residence was one of the centers of the country's literary life; he had a significant effect on intellectual life in Esztergom.
Esztergom had one of the oldest Jewish communities in Hungary. They had a place of worship here by 1050. King
Charles I
(Caroberto) gifted a plot to the community for a cemetery in 1326.
According to the 1910 census, 5.1% of the population were Jewish, while the 1941 census found a population of 1510 Jews. The community maintained an elementary school until 1944. Jewish shops were ordered to be closed on April 28, 1944, and a short-lived
ghetto
was set up on May 11. The former Jewish shops were handed over to non-Jews on June 9. The inmates of the ghetto were sent to Komarom in early June, then deported to
Auschwitz
on June 16, 1944. Two forced labor units, whose members were mainly Esztergom Jews, were executed
en masse
near
Agfalva
, on the Austrian border in January 1945.
Soviet troops captured the town on December 26, 1944, but were pushed back by the Germans on January 6, 1945, who were finally ousted on March 21, 1945.
The
Maria Valeria bridge
, connecting Esztergom with the city of
?turovo
in Slovakia was rebuilt in 2001 with the support of the
European Union
. Originally it was inaugurated in 1895, but the retreating German troops destroyed it in 1944. A new thermal and wellness spa opened in November 2005.
Architecture
[
edit
]
One of the most important events of the 1930s was the exploration and renovation of the remains of the palace of the
Arpad
period. This again put Esztergom in the center of attention. Following
World War II
, Esztergom was left behind as one of the most severely devastated towns. However, reconstruction slowly managed to erase the traces of the war, with two of Esztergom's most vital characteristics gaining significance: due to its situation it was the cultural center of the area (more than 8,000 students were educated at its elementary, secondary schools and college ). On the other hand, as a result of the local industrial development it has become a vital basis for the Hungarian tool and machinery industry.
This town, with its spectacular scenery and numerous memorials, a witness of the struggles of Hungarian history, is popular mostly with tourists interested in the beauties of the past and art. However, the town seems to regain its role in the country's politics, and its buildings and traditions revive.
The castle and palace
[
edit
]
The winding streets of the town, with its church towers create a historical atmosphere. Below
Esztergom Basilica
, at the edge of the mountain stand the old walls and bastions ? the remains of the castle of Esztergom. The remains of one section of the royal palace and castle that had been built during the Ottoman rule had been buried in the ground up until the 1930s.
Most parts of the palace were explored and restored in the period between 1934 and 1938, but even today there are archeological excavations in progress. Passing through the narrow stairs, alleys, under arches and gates built in
Romanesque
style, a part of the past seems to come to life. This part of the palace was built in the time of King
Bela III
. With his wife - the daughter of
Louis VII
- French architects arrived and constructed the late-Roman and early-Gothic building at the end of the 12th century.
The frescoes of the palace chapel date from the 12th-14th centuries, while on the walls of the mottes, some of the most beautiful paintings of the early Hungarian Renaissance can be admired (15th century). From the terrace of the palace one can admire the landscape of Esztergom. Under the terrace are the houses and churches of the Bishop-town section, or
Vizivaros
(Watertown) and the Primate's Palace. Opposite the palace is the Saint Thomas hill, and surrounded by the mountains and the
Danube
. The walls of the castle still stand on the northern part of the Basilica. From the northern
rondella
one can admire the view of Parkany on the other side of the Danube as well as the
Szentgyorgymez?
, the Danube valley, and the So-called 'Vizivaros' (Watertown) districts.
Esztergom Basilica
[
edit
]
Those traveling to Esztergom today can admire the most monumental construction of Hungarian Classicism, the Basilica, which silently rules the landscape above the winding Danube, surrounded by mountains.
The building that might be considered the symbol of the town is the largest church in Hungary and was built according to the plans of
Pal Kuhnel
,
Janos Packh
and
Jozsef Hild
from 1822 to 1869.
Ferenc Liszt
wrote the Mass of Esztergom for this occasion. The
classicist
church is enormous: the height of the
dome
is 71.5 metres (235
feet
); it has giant arches and an enormous altar-piece by
Michelangelo Grigoletti
. On one side, in the Saint Stephen chapel, the glittering relics of Hungarian and other nations' saints and valuable jewellery can be seen. On the south side, the
Bakocz Chapel
, the only one that survived the
Middle Ages
, can be seen. The builders of the
Basilica
had disassembled this structure into 1600 pieces, and incorporated it into the new church in its original form.
The treasury houses many masterpieces of medieval goldsmith's works. The western European masters' hands are praised by such items as the crown silver cross that has been used since the 13th century, the ornate chalices, Francesco Francia's processional cross, the upper part of the well-known '
Matthias-Calvary
' which is decorated in the rare
ronde-bosse
enamel
technique. The Treasury also has a vast collection of traditional Hungarian and European textiles, including chasubles, liturgical vestments and robes.
The sound of the enormous bell hung in the southern tower can be heard from kilometers away. From the top of the large dome, visitors can see a breath-taking view: to the north, east and south the ranges of the
Borzsony
,
Visegrad
,
Pilis
and
Gerecse mountains
rule the landscape, while to the west, in the valley of the Danube one can see as far as the Small Plains.
Vizivaros
[
edit
]
The Vizivaros (Watertown) section was named after being built on the banks of the Kis- and Nagy Duna (Small and Great
Danube
). Its fortresses, walls, bastions and
Turkish
rondellas
can still be seen by the walk on the banks of the Danube. By the northern end of the wall, on the bank of the Nagy-Duna, an interesting memorial is put, a stone table with Ottoman Turkish writings commemorates Sultan
Suleiman the Magnificent
's victorious siege of 1543. The narrow, winding streets within the walls hide the remains of Turkish
mosques
and baths.
Along the delightful streets of the Vizivaros (Watertown), surrounded by
Baroque
and
Classicist
buildings stands the Primate's Palace, designed by
Jozsef Lippert
(1880?82). The
Kereszteny Muzeum
(Christian museum), founded by Archbishop
Janos Simor
, is located in this building. It houses a rich collection of Hungarian panel pictures and sculpture of the
Middle Ages
as well as Italian and western-European paintings and handicrafts (13th-18th centuries). This is where one can admire the chapel-like structure of the late
Gothic
'Urkoporso' (Lord's coffin) from
Garamszentbenedek
that is decorated by painted wooden sculptures (
c.
1480
), the winged altar-piece by
Thomas of Coloswar
(1427), paintings by
Master M.S.
(1506), the gothic altars from Upper Historical Hungary (Felvidek), handicrafts of Italian, German and Flemish artists from the 13th?17th centuries, tapestries and ceramics.
The building of the Balassa Balint Museum that was built in
Baroque
style on medieval bases and is located in Vizivaros (Watertown), served as the first town hall of Esztergom county after the Turks had been driven out of the region.
The parish-church in the centre of the Vizivaros (Watertown), which was built by the
Jesuits
between 1728 and 1738, and the single-towered
Franciscan
churches are also masterpieces of
Baroque
architecture.
Cathedral Library
[
edit
]
The Cathedral Library standing in the southern part of the town, which was built in 1853 according to plans by
Jozsef Hild
is one of the richest religious libraries of Hungary, accommodating approximately 250,000 books, among which several
codices
and
incunabula
can be found, such as the Latin explanation of the '
Song of Songs
' from the 12th century, the 'Lovofoldi Corvina' originating from donations of King Matthias, or the
Jordanszky Codex
[
hu
]
, which includes the Hungarian translation of the Bible from 1516 to 1519. Along with Bakocz and Ulaszlo
graduals
, they conserve also the Balassa Bible, in which Balassa's uncle, Balassa Andras wrote down the circumstances of his birth and death.
Szent Tamas-hegy
[
edit
]
The main sight of the nearby 'Szent Tamas-hegy' (Saint Thomas Hill -
Szenttamas
) is the
Baroque
Calvary, with the
Classicist
chapel on the top of the hill, which was built to commemorate the heroes who died for Esztergom. The hill was named after a church built by Bishop
Lukacs Banffy
in memoriam the martyr Saint
Thomas Becket
, who had been his fellow student at the University of Paris. The church and the small castle which the Turks built there were destroyed a long time ago. On its original spot, the top of the hill, the narrow winding streets and small houses that were built by the masters who were working on the construction of the Basilica at the beginning of the previous century, have an atmosphere that is similar to that of
Taban
in
Buda
. At the foot of the hill are the swimming pool and the Classicist building of the Furd? Szallo (Bath Hotel). This is where
Lajos Kossuth
stayed in 1848 on one of his recruiting tours.
On the southern slopes of the hill there is a Mediterranean, winding path with stairs that lead to the
Baroque
Saint Stephen chapel.
Szechenyi Square and the Town Hall
[
edit
]
The main square of the town is the Szechenyi square. Of the several buildings of
Baroque
,
Rococo
and
Classicist
style, there is one that catches everyone's eyes: the Town Hall. Originally, it used to be the single-floor curia of Vak Bottyan (
Janos Bottyan
, Bottyan the Blind), the
Kuruc
general (1689). The first floor was constructed on its top in 1729. The house burnt down in the 1750s. It was rebuilt in accordance with the plans of a local architect, Antal Hartmann. Upon its facade there is a red marble carving which presents the coat of arms of Esztergom (a palace within the castle walls, protected by towers, with the
Arpads
' shields below.) On the corner of the building the equestrian statue of Vak Bottyan (created by Istvan Martsa) commemorates the original owner of the house.
The Trinity-statue in the middle of the square was created by Gyorgy Kiss in 1900. In Bottyan Janos Street, near the Town Hall, there are well decorated Baroque houses. This is where the
Franciscan
church is located (built between 1700 and 1755). Opposite this building there is a Baroque palace which used to belong to the Sandor Earl family.
Other churches
[
edit
]
In the direction of the Kis Duna, the downtown parish-church, built by the architect Ignac Oratsek can be admired. A bit farther is the
Classicist
Church of Saint Anne. The
orthodox
church at 60 Kossuth Lajos street was built around 1770 by
Serbian
settlers in Esztergom.
Demographics
[
edit
]
Historical population
Year
| Pop.
| ±%
|
---|
1785
| 5,492
| ?
|
---|
1850
| 8,544
| +55.6%
|
---|
1869
| 8,780
| +2.8%
|
---|
1880
| 8,932
| +1.7%
|
---|
1890
| 9,349
| +4.7%
|
---|
1900
| 17,909
| +91.6%
|
---|
1910
| 17,881
| ?0.2%
|
---|
1920
| 17,963
| +0.5%
|
---|
1930
| 17,354
| ?3.4%
|
---|
1941
| 22,171
| +27.8%
|
---|
1949
| 20,104
| ?9.3%
|
---|
1960
| 23,021
| +14.5%
|
---|
1970
| 26,965
| +17.1%
|
---|
1980
| 30,373
| +12.6%
|
---|
1990
| 29,841
| ?1.8%
|
---|
2001
| 29,041
| ?2.7%
|
---|
2011
| 28,926
| ?0.4%
|
---|
2021
| 28,165
| ?2.6%
|
---|
*Source:
[15]
*Note:
[16]
|
Languages and ethnic groups
[
edit
]
The city and the neighbouring territories became devastated due to the
Ottoman wars
. Esztergom was repopulated by mostly ethnic
Hungarians
, some
Germans
and
Slovaks
in the late 17th and the early 18th centuries.
[17]
According to Andras Valyi, the population of Esztergom was mostly Hungarian in 1796, and the German and Slovak minorities were conversant with the
Hungarian language
.
[17]
Elek Fenyes described Esztergom as mostly Hungarian by language in 1851.
[18]
Based on the 1880 census, the city (with Szentgyorgymez?, Szenttamas and Vizivaros) had 14,944 inhabitants, of whom there were 13,340 (89.3%) Hungarians, 755 (5.1%) Germans and 321 (2.1%) Slovaks by native language.
[19]
According to the 2011 census the total population of Esztergom was 28,926, of whom there were 24,155 (83.5%) Hungarians, 729 (2.5%)
Romani
, 527 (1.8%) Germans and 242 (0.8%) Slovaks by ethnicity.
[20]
13.6% of the total population did not declare their ethnicity.
[21]
In Hungary people can declare multiple ethnic background, so other people declared Hungarian and a minority one together.
[22]
Religion
[
edit
]
Historically, Esztergom has been the seat of the
Catholic Church in Hungary
and the
privilege
of 1708 banned non-Catholics from the city (excluding the small
Serbian Orthodox
minority).
[23]
Thus, the population was almost exclusively
Roman Catholic
in 1851.
[18]
The 1869 census showed 14,512 people (with Szentgyorgymez?, Szenttamas and Vizivaros), 13,567 (93.5%) Roman Catholic, 718 (4.9%)
Jewish
, 130 (0.9%)
Hungarian Reformed
(
Calvinist
), 68 (0.5%)
Lutheran
and 27 (0.2%)
Eastern Orthodox
.
[24]
At the 2011 census, there were 13,127 (45.4%) Roman Catholic, 1,647 (5.7%) Hungarian Reformed, 211 (0.7%) Lutheran and 160 (0.6%)
Greek Catholic
. 3,807 people (13.2%) were
irreligious
and 418 (1.5%)
Atheist
, while 9,046 people (31.3%) did not declare their religion.
[20]
Industry
[
edit
]
The
Magyar Suzuki
Corporation plant opened in 1992, as the European base of the Japanese automotive manufacturer
Suzuki
. It has a production capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year and it is the biggest employing company in the city, with 2,682 employees (statistical average 2022).
[25]
Climate
[
edit
]
Climate data for Esztergom
|
Month
|
Jan
|
Feb
|
Mar
|
Apr
|
May
|
Jun
|
Jul
|
Aug
|
Sep
|
Oct
|
Nov
|
Dec
|
Year
|
Record high °C (°F)
|
2.2
(36.0)
|
8.2
(46.8)
|
15.2
(59.4)
|
22.5
(72.5)
|
28.0
(82.4)
|
30.8
(87.4)
|
33.0
(91.4)
|
32.8
(91.0)
|
28.3
(82.9)
|
21.5
(70.7)
|
11.6
(52.9)
|
6.0
(42.8)
|
20.0
(68.0)
|
Mean daily maximum °C (°F)
|
1.7
(35.1)
|
4.9
(40.8)
|
10.6
(51.1)
|
16.4
(61.5)
|
22.1
(71.8)
|
25.0
(77.0)
|
27.0
(80.6)
|
26.7
(80.1)
|
22.5
(72.5)
|
16.4
(61.5)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
3.4
(38.1)
|
15.5
(59.9)
|
Daily mean °C (°F)
|
?1.2
(29.8)
|
1.6
(34.9)
|
6.0
(42.8)
|
11.3
(52.3)
|
16.2
(61.2)
|
19.2
(66.6)
|
21.0
(69.8)
|
20.6
(69.1)
|
16.7
(62.1)
|
11.3
(52.3)
|
5.2
(41.4)
|
0.8
(33.4)
|
10.7
(51.3)
|
Mean daily minimum °C (°F)
|
?4.0
(24.8)
|
?1.7
(28.9)
|
1.5
(34.7)
|
0.8
(33.4)
|
10.3
(50.5)
|
13.5
(56.3)
|
14.9
(58.8)
|
14.5
(58.1)
|
11.0
(51.8)
|
6.3
(43.3)
|
2.1
(35.8)
|
?1.8
(28.8)
|
6.0
(42.8)
|
Record low °C (°F)
|
?6.8
(19.8)
|
?5.0
(23.0)
|
?3.0
(26.6)
|
0.8
(33.4)
|
3.2
(37.8)
|
7.8
(46.0)
|
8.8
(47.8)
|
8.4
(47.1)
|
5.3
(41.5)
|
1.3
(34.3)
|
?1.0
(30.2)
|
?4.4
(24.1)
|
2.2
(36.0)
|
Average
precipitation
mm (inches)
|
36
(1.4)
|
35
(1.4)
|
31
(1.2)
|
40
(1.6)
|
59
(2.3)
|
67
(2.6)
|
51
(2.0)
|
56
(2.2)
|
42
(1.7)
|
39
(1.5)
|
56
(2.2)
|
45
(1.8)
|
557
(21.9)
|
Mean monthly
sunshine hours
|
64
|
98
|
132
|
172
|
230
|
227
|
249
|
239
|
173
|
139
|
72
|
53
|
1,848
|
Source: CLIMATE DATA
[26]
|
Notable residents
[
edit
]
- Andrew II
(
c.
1177
? 1235), also known as
Andrew of Jerusalem
, King of Hungary and Croatia (1205?1235), Prince of Halych (1188 - 1189/1190, 1208/1209 - 1210).
[27]
- Arcadius Avellanus
(1851 ? 1935), Hungarian-American scholar of Latin, proponent of Living Latin
- Tamas Bakocz
(1442 ? 1521 in Esztergom) a Hungarian archbishop, cardinal and statesman.
[28]
- Helene von Bolvary
(1892?1943), Hungarian actress
- Janos Bottyan
(1643 ? 1709), a
Hungarian
kuruc
general
- Charles I of Hungary
(1288?1342) crowned King of Hungary at Esztergom in 1301.
[29]
- Ugrin Csak
, archbishop of Kalocsa, Hungary (1219?1241)
- Imre Csaky
(1672 ? 1732), Hungarian Roman Catholic cardinal
- Blessed
Eusebius of Esztergom
(1200?1270), Hungarian canon, hermit, founder of the
Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit
- Anett Gyorgy
(1996 -), Hungarian racing driver
- Tamas Hajnal
(1981?), Hungarian footballer
- Laszlo Horvath
(1962 -), Hungarian politician
- Saint
Irene of Hungary
(1088 ? 1134), Hungarian-born Byzantine empress
- Judith of Hungary
(ca. 969 - ca. 988), Hungarian princess, member of the
House of Arpad
- Marta Kurtag
(1927 ? 2019), classical pianist
- Osvat Laskai
(1450 ? 1511), Hungarian Franciscan friar, preacher, teacher of theology, head of the friaries of Esztergom and Pest
- Ludwig Lichtscheing (? - 1886), Hungarian rabbi
- Attila Menyhard
Ph.D., Hungarian lawyer, professor of civil law, head of the Civil Law Department on the Faculty of Law at the University of Budapest
- Alojzije Mi?i?
(1859 ? 1942), Croatian
Bishop of Mostar-Duvno
and
Apostolic Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan
(1912?1942)
- Jozef Murga?
(1864 ? 1929), Slovak inventor, architect, botanist, painter, and Roman Catholic priest, contributor to the wireless telegraphy and the development of mobile communications and wireless transmission of information and human voice.
- Tibor Pezsa
(1935 -), Hungarian fencer
- Laszlo Ern? Pinter
(1942?2002), Hungarian Franciscan priest, malacologist
- Blessed
Sebestyen
(? - 1007), Hungarian Benedictine missionary, prelate and politician, Archbishop of Esztergom (1002?1007)
- Stephen I of Hungary
(975 ? 1038), the first King of Hungary.
[30]
- Sandor Urbanik
(born 1964), Hungarian race walker
- Vladislaus II
(1456 ? 1516), King of Bohemia (1471?1516), King of Hungary and Croatia (1490?1516)
- Blessed
Yolanda of Poland
(1235 ? 1298) Hungarian nun of the order of Poor Clares
- Zlaudus (? - ca.1262), bishop of Veszprem in the Kingdom of Hungary (1245?1262), Chancellor of Hungary in 1226
- Nandor Zsolt
(1887?1936), conductor, composer and the professor of violin at the
Franz Liszt Academy of Music
Twin towns ? sister cities
[
edit
]
Esztergom is
twinned
with:
[31]
[32]
- Espoo
, Finland (1974)
- ?turovo
, Slovakia (1991)
- Bamberg
, Germany (1992)
- Cambrai
, France (1992)
- Ehingen
, Germany (1992)
- Maintal
, Germany (1993)
- Gniezno
, Poland (1994)
- Mariazell
, Austria (2002)
- Canterbury
, United Kingdom (2004)
- Szekesfehervar
, Hungary (2023)
Gallery
[
edit
]
See also
[
edit
]
Notes
[
edit
]
- ^
Rel.
Slovak
striehnu?
? to watch, to guard,
Czech
st?eh
? a watching position.
References
[
edit
]
- ^
"Revelation 14 LEB - - Bible Gateway"
.
- ^
Esztergom, KSH
- ^
"Maitre Roger : Carmen miserabile"
. Site de Philippe Remacle
. Retrieved
21 January
2011
.
- ^
a
b
Kiss, Lajos (1980).
Foldrajzi nevek etimologiai szotara
(in Hungarian). Budapest: Akademiai Kiado. p. 209.
ISBN
963-05-2277-2
.
- ^
Magyarorszag regeszeti topografiaja, Volume 5, Akademiai Kiado, 1979, p. 83,
ISBN
9789630514453
- ^
Istvan Filep, Zoltan Nagy (editors), Esztergom, Magyar Tavirati Iroda, 1989, p. 10,
ISBN
9789637262364
- ^
Communicationes de historia artis medicinae, Volumes 27?29, Budapest (Hungary)., Orvostorteneti kozlemenyek, Orszagos Orvostorteneti Konyvtar, Semmelweis Orvostorteneti Muzeum, 1963, p. 123
- ^
Schunemann, Konrad (1927). "Esztergom, der ungarische Name der Stadt Gran".
Ungarische Jahrbucher
(in German). Vol. 7. Berlin-Leipzig. p. 178.
{{
cite book
}}
: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (
link
)
- ^
Pauler, Gyula (1899).
A magyar nemzet tortenete az Arpadhazi kiralyok alatt
(in Hungarian). Budapest: Magyar Konyvkiadok es Konyvterjeszt?k Egyesulese es az Allami Konyvterjeszt? Vallalat kozos kiadasa. p. 27.
- ^
Stanislav, Jan (1941). "Zo slovenskych miestnych nazvov".
Slovenska re?
(in Slovak) (2?3). Martin: Matica slovenska: 42.
- ^
a
b
c
d
Ondru?, Ondru? (2002).
Odtajnene trezory slov II
. Martin: Matica slovenska. p. 222.
ISBN
80-7090-659-6
.
- ^
"Revised Atlas of World History"
. Barnes & Noble
. Retrieved
6 March
2007
.
- ^
"The history of our town"
. Esztergom.hu Portal. 21 December 2006. Archived from
the original
on 24 September 2015.
- ^
1785-1990 (census data): Magyarorszag torteneti statisztikai helysegnevtara, 6. Komarom Esztergom megye, Kozponti Statisztikai Hivatal, Budapest, 1995,
ISBN
963-215-094-5
? 2001-2011 (census data):
Gazetteer of Hungary / Esztergom
- ^
Including Szentgyorgymez?, Szenttamas and Vizivaros since 1895 and Pilisszentlelek since 1985.
- ^
a
b
Andras Valyi: Magyar Orszagnak leirasa, Buda, 1796
Online
- ^
a
b
Elek Fenyes: Magyarorszag geographiai szotara, Pest, 1851
Online
- ^
A Magyar Szent Korona Orszagaiban az 1881. ev elejen vegrehajtott nepszamlalas f?bb eredmenyei megyek es kozsegek szerint reszletezve, Orszagos Magyar Kiralyi Statisztikai Hivatal, Budapest, 1882
Online
- ^
a
b
Hungarian census, Komarom-Esztergom county, tables 4.1.6.1, 4.1.7.1
- ^
Gazetteer of Hungary / Esztergom
- ^
Hungarian census 2011 - final data and methodology
- ^
Privilege of Esztergom, 1708
- ^
Az 1869. evi nepszamlalas vallasi adatai, TLA Teleki Laszlo Intezet ? KSH Nepszamlalas ? KSH Leveltar, Budapest, 2005,
ISBN
963-218-661-3
- ^
"Main company data - Magyar Suzuki Zrt"
.
www.suzuki.hu
. Retrieved
2023-12-27
.
- ^
"CLIMATE: ESZTERGOM"
. CLIMATE DATA.
- ^
Bain, Robert Nisbet
(1911).
"Andrew II"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 1 (11th ed.). p. 971.
- ^
Bain, Robert Nisbet
(1911).
"Bakocz, Tamas, Cardinal"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 3 (11th ed.). p. 230.
- ^
Bain, Robert Nisbet
(1911).
"Charles I. (King of Hungary)"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 5 (11th ed.). pp. 922?923.
- ^
Bain, Robert Nisbet
(1911).
"Stephen I. of Hungary"
.
Encyclopædia Britannica
. Vol. 25 (11th ed.). pp. 882?883.
- ^
"Testvervarosok"
.
esztergom.hu
(in Hungarian). Esztergom
. Retrieved
2021-03-28
.
- ^
"Testvervaros lett Esztergom es Szekesfehervar"
.
24.hu
(in Hungarian). 2023-08-20
. Retrieved
2023-12-26
.
External links
[
edit
]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to
Esztergom
.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for
Esztergom
.
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47°47′8″N
18°44′25″E
/
47.78556°N 18.74028°E
/
47.78556; 18.74028
|
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