Bicske
Encyclopedia
Bicske is a town in Fejér county, Hungary
.
From 1596 Bicske belonged to the Ottoman Empire
. Count Ádám Batthyány
bought the land in 1642, built a castle and made it his residence. During the Batthyány era the village which had been destroyed by the Turks, became a prosperous town.
By the 19th century Bicske was a well-developed market town and cultural centre. The Batthyány family built an observatory
as well and a little castle (Hegyi-kastély) for the astronomer
s.
The administration of Bicske underwent many changes – it was a settlement, a village, a market town, a village constituting an administrative division. From 1688 to 1877 it was the chief town of the district. From 1877 to 1946 it belonged to the district of Vál. In 1947 it became independent and had some 12.000 inhabitants in 1986.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
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History
According to a document dating from 1306, Botond’s sons János (John) and Péter were granted the permission to levy toll in the locality of Bicske as well. Bicske was written Bykche, Biccke, Bykcze, Biczke, Bitske . The name of the Byckche family is known since 1258 when some members got major land donation from the king.Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. Count Ádám Batthyány
Batthyány
Batthyány is the name of an old distinguished Hungarian Magnate family. The members of this family bear the title count or countess respectively prince or princess Batthyány von Német-Ujvár...
bought the land in 1642, built a castle and made it his residence. During the Batthyány era the village which had been destroyed by the Turks, became a prosperous town.
By the 19th century Bicske was a well-developed market town and cultural centre. The Batthyány family built an observatory
Observatory
An observatory is a location used for observing terrestrial or celestial events. Astronomy, climatology/meteorology, geology, oceanography and volcanology are examples of disciplines for which observatories have been constructed...
as well and a little castle (Hegyi-kastély) for the astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
s.
The administration of Bicske underwent many changes – it was a settlement, a village, a market town, a village constituting an administrative division. From 1688 to 1877 it was the chief town of the district. From 1877 to 1946 it belonged to the district of Vál. In 1947 it became independent and had some 12.000 inhabitants in 1986.
Main sights
- Roman Catholic Church (18th century) with a Maulbertsch panel painting
- Batthyany Castle (built in 1754-1755).
- In the center of the town are excavated ruins of a temple with several tombs, dating from the 15th century.
- Ruins of the Observatory and the astronomers' castle.