Koszeg
Encyclopedia
----
Kőszeg is a town in Vas county, Hungary
. The town is famous for its historical character.
county of Vas
(Eisenburg) go back to the third quarter of the 13th century. It was founded by the Volfer family, a branch of the Héder clan, who had settled in Hungary in 1157 AD.
Sometime before 1274 Heinrich II and his son Ivan moved the court of the Kőszegi, a breakaway branch of the family, from Güssing
to Kőszeg (Güns). For decades, the town was the seat of the dukes of Kőszeg (Güns).
Only in 1327 did Charles Robert of Anjou finally break the power of the Kőszegi family in Western Transdanubia
, and a year later in (1328), elevated the town to Royal status. The town boundaries were fixed during the Anjou
dynasty (1347–1381).
In 1392 the Royal town became a fiefdom
, when the Palatinate Nicolas Garai repaid a bond paid to King Sigismund of Luxembourg by the Ellerbach family from Monyorókerék. The Garai era ended in 1441.
In 1677 the secondary School Jurisics Miklós Gimnázium (JMG) was founded. It is the oldest operating International School in Hungary. The International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which most English-speaking students at the school follow, was created at the Grande Boissière campus. It is a bilingual school, with instruction in Hungarian, French, German, Italian and English. The International School is a testing center for the US college boards (SAT, ACT,etc.), as well as the British IGCSE Exam.
In 2006, the Herald Tribune listed it as one of the top ten international schools in the world.[2]
According to the Good Schools Guide International, "Students receive a truly international education and as a result leave as rounded and worldly young people
, a small garrison repelled an Ottoman force numbering some 80,000 men in the Siege of Kőszeg
. After the final unsuccessful attack, the Turkish leadership were forced to decamp due to an uprising by the Janissaries
. According to tradition, the last contingent of withdrawing troops were meant to have left the city limits around 11 o'clock. As a memorial to this historic heroism, the church clocks in the town have read 11 o'clock since 1777.
After the Turkish wars, in 1695 the garrison and surrounding areas of Kőszeg fell into the hands of the Esterházy dukes, where it remained until 1931.
The town lost its strategic importance after the Rákóczi
- Liberation Wars of 1703–1711. Along with Szombathely
, Kőszeg was the most important fortress for the kuruc
military leadership from 1705–1708, to liberate and hold onto the areas west of the Rába
.
The free royal town enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history during the 18th Century. For the first time in the history of the town, there was an attempt, in 1712, to replace the population loss in the town by trying to attract colonists and by founding Schwabendorf (Kőszegfalva).
Kőszeg had already lost its leading role in the garrison county of Vas by the mid 19th Century. Only a few workshops survived the production crisis within the guild system during the Hungarian reformation of the early 19th Century. The founding of public companies, societies and the first financial institution in the county
were the first signs of civic development in the town. Alongside the by now typical society made up of small businesses and small traders, Kőszeg developed during this time into a town of schools, sanatoria and garrisons.
in 1945, the camp was liquidated with the camp's 2,000 surviving enduring a "death march" for several weeks over the Alps to Ebensee
.
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Kőszeg has managed to retain its natural charm and the beauty of its architecture. Only the bastion gates have been damaged significantly. The structure of the town remains unaltered.
Today Kőszeg is one of the most attractive towns in Hungary (also called Hungary's Jewel Box) and is a tourist destination. Kőszeg was awarded the Hild Prize (Hungarian architecture prize) in 1978 for preserving its architectural heritage.
. During Austro-Hungarian times the city's population were magyarized
. After the Second World War officially 117 Germans were expelled, but in fact more German-speaking people were deported because the town's population declined from 10,320 (in 1941) to 8,780 (in 1949). During the communist era
the remained Germans assimilated
to the Magyars. In 2001 Kőszeg had 11,844 inhabitants, 95.4% Magyars, 3.2% Germans
, 1.6% Croats
. The distribution of religions were: 72.2% Roman Catholic, 8.6% Lutheran, 2.5% Calvinist, 1.1% others, 5.5% Atheist, 10.1% no answer, unknown (2001 census).
, a unique town twinning
association of 24 towns across the European Union
. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. Discussions regarding membership are also in hand with three further towns (Agros
in Cyprus
, Škofja Loka
in Slovenia
, and Tryavna
in Bulgaria
).
As well as being a member of Douzelage
, the town is also twinned with Vaihingen an der Enz in Baden-Württemberg
, Mödling
in Austria
, Senj
in Croatia
, Nitrianske Hrnčiarovce (Nyitragerencsér) in Slovakia
.
Kőszeg is a town in Vas county, Hungary
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...
. The town is famous for its historical character.
History
The origins of the only free royal town in the historical garrisonGarrison
Garrison is the collective term for a body of troops stationed in a particular location, originally to guard it, but now often simply using it as a home base....
county of Vas
Vas
Vas is the name of an administrative county in present Hungary, and also in the former Kingdom of Hungary. The county is a part of the Centrope Project.-Geography:...
(Eisenburg) go back to the third quarter of the 13th century. It was founded by the Volfer family, a branch of the Héder clan, who had settled in Hungary in 1157 AD.
Sometime before 1274 Heinrich II and his son Ivan moved the court of the Kőszegi, a breakaway branch of the family, from Güssing
Güssing
Güssing is a town in Burgenland, Austria. It is located at , with a population of 3,811 , and is the administrative center of the Güssing district.The Güssing Castle, built in 1157, is the oldest castle in Burgenland and a regional landmark....
to Kőszeg (Güns). For decades, the town was the seat of the dukes of Kőszeg (Güns).
Only in 1327 did Charles Robert of Anjou finally break the power of the Kőszegi family in Western Transdanubia
Transdanubia
Transdanubia is a traditional region of Hungary.-Traditional interpretation:The borders of Transdanubia are the Danube river , the Drava and Mura rivers and the foothills of the Alps roughly along the border between Hungary and Austria .Transdanubia comprises the counties of Győr-Moson-Sopron,...
, and a year later in (1328), elevated the town to Royal status. The town boundaries were fixed during the Anjou
Anjou
Anjou is a former county , duchy and province centred on the city of Angers in the lower Loire Valley of western France. It corresponds largely to the present-day département of Maine-et-Loire...
dynasty (1347–1381).
In 1392 the Royal town became a fiefdom
Fiefdom
A fee was the central element of feudalism and consisted of heritable lands granted under one of several varieties of feudal tenure by an overlord to a vassal who held it in fealty in return for a form of feudal allegiance and service, usually given by the...
, when the Palatinate Nicolas Garai repaid a bond paid to King Sigismund of Luxembourg by the Ellerbach family from Monyorókerék. The Garai era ended in 1441.
In 1677 the secondary School Jurisics Miklós Gimnázium (JMG) was founded. It is the oldest operating International School in Hungary. The International Baccalaureate (IB) program, which most English-speaking students at the school follow, was created at the Grande Boissière campus. It is a bilingual school, with instruction in Hungarian, French, German, Italian and English. The International School is a testing center for the US college boards (SAT, ACT,etc.), as well as the British IGCSE Exam.
In 2006, the Herald Tribune listed it as one of the top ten international schools in the world.[2]
According to the Good Schools Guide International, "Students receive a truly international education and as a result leave as rounded and worldly young people
Little War in Hungary
In the third wave of the great wars against the Turks in the 16th century, Kőszeg became the major flashpoint of the campaign of 1532. Between the 5 and 30 August, Grand Vizier Ibrahim led 19 major assaults against the town. Under the leadership of the town and fort captain, Miklós JurisichNikola Jurišic
Baron Nikola Jurišić was a Croatian nobleman, soldier, and diplomat, who led the armies of the territory of the Croatian Krajina in defense against the invasion of the Ottoman Empire under Suleiman I, advancing towards Vienna.After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, Jurisic's vote helped Ferdinand of...
, a small garrison repelled an Ottoman force numbering some 80,000 men in the Siege of Kőszeg
Siege of Güns
The Siege of Güns or Siege of Kőszeg was a siege of Kőszeg in the Kingdom of Hungary within Habsburg Monarchy. In the siege that happened in 1532, Croatian Captain Nikola Jurišić defended the small border fort of Kőszeg with only 700-800 Croatian soldiers with no cannons and few guns, preventing...
. After the final unsuccessful attack, the Turkish leadership were forced to decamp due to an uprising by the Janissaries
Janissary
The Janissaries were infantry units that formed the Ottoman sultan's household troops and bodyguards...
. According to tradition, the last contingent of withdrawing troops were meant to have left the city limits around 11 o'clock. As a memorial to this historic heroism, the church clocks in the town have read 11 o'clock since 1777.
After the Turkish wars, in 1695 the garrison and surrounding areas of Kőszeg fell into the hands of the Esterházy dukes, where it remained until 1931.
The town lost its strategic importance after the Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
- Liberation Wars of 1703–1711. Along with Szombathely
Szombathely
Szombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria...
, Kőszeg was the most important fortress for the kuruc
Kuruc
The kuruc was a term used to denote the armed anti-Habsburg rebels in Royal Hungary between 1671 and 1711....
military leadership from 1705–1708, to liberate and hold onto the areas west of the Rába
Rába
The Rába is a river in southeastern Austria and western Hungary and a right tributary of the Danube. Its source is in Austria, some kilometres east of Bruck an der Mur below Heubodenhöhe Hill. It flows through the Austrian states of Styria and Burgenland, and the Hungarian counties of Vas and...
.
The free royal town enjoyed the longest period of peace in its history during the 18th Century. For the first time in the history of the town, there was an attempt, in 1712, to replace the population loss in the town by trying to attract colonists and by founding Schwabendorf (Kőszegfalva).
Kőszeg had already lost its leading role in the garrison county of Vas by the mid 19th Century. Only a few workshops survived the production crisis within the guild system during the Hungarian reformation of the early 19th Century. The founding of public companies, societies and the first financial institution in the county
County
A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain modern nations. Historically in mainland Europe, the original French term, comté, and its equivalents in other languages denoted a jurisdiction under the sovereignty of a count A county is a jurisdiction of local government in certain...
were the first signs of civic development in the town. Alongside the by now typical society made up of small businesses and small traders, Kőszeg developed during this time into a town of schools, sanatoria and garrisons.
World War II and the Holocaust
During World War II, the Jews of Kőszeg were among the last to be deported to Auschwitz in the summer of 1944. Later that year Nazis established a slave labor camp at Kőszeg where 4,500 Jews died of typhus. With the impending arrival of the Red ArmyRed Army
The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army started out as the Soviet Union's revolutionary communist combat groups during the Russian Civil War of 1918-1922. It grew into the national army of the Soviet Union. By the 1930s the Red Army was among the largest armies in history.The "Red Army" name refers to...
in 1945, the camp was liquidated with the camp's 2,000 surviving enduring a "death march" for several weeks over the Alps to Ebensee
Ebensee
Ebensee is a market town in the Traunviertel region of the Austrian state of Upper Austria, located within the Salzkammergut Mountains at the southern end of the Traunsee. The regional capital Linz lies approximately to the north, nearest towns are Gmunden and Bad Ischl...
.
After Communism
Since 1992 Kőszeg is again living under a normal administrative system and a market economy. The financially feable town is looking at options for renewal through an injection of capital from outside investors and is seeking support from government agencies and the European Union.Kőszeg has managed to retain its natural charm and the beauty of its architecture. Only the bastion gates have been damaged significantly. The structure of the town remains unaltered.
Today Kőszeg is one of the most attractive towns in Hungary (also called Hungary's Jewel Box) and is a tourist destination. Kőszeg was awarded the Hild Prize (Hungarian architecture prize) in 1978 for preserving its architectural heritage.
Demographics
In 1880 Kőszeg had 7,301 inhabitants with ethnic German majority (in 1495, 1715 and 1784 also had German majority). The German citizens mainly were Lutherans like in SopronSopron
In 1910 Sopron had 33,932 inhabitants . Religions: 64.1% Roman Catholic, 27.8% Lutheran, 6.6% Jewish, 1.2% Calvinist, 0.3% other. In 2001 the city had 56,125 inhabitants...
. During Austro-Hungarian times the city's population were magyarized
Magyarization
Magyarization is a kind of assimilation or acculturation, a process by which non-Magyar elements came to adopt Magyar culture and language due to social pressure .Defiance or appeals to the Nationalities Law, met...
. After the Second World War officially 117 Germans were expelled, but in fact more German-speaking people were deported because the town's population declined from 10,320 (in 1941) to 8,780 (in 1949). During the communist era
People's Republic of Hungary
The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...
the remained Germans assimilated
Cultural assimilation
Cultural assimilation is a socio-political response to demographic multi-ethnicity that supports or promotes the assimilation of ethnic minorities into the dominant culture. The term assimilation is often used with regard to immigrants and various ethnic groups who have settled in a new land. New...
to the Magyars. In 2001 Kőszeg had 11,844 inhabitants, 95.4% Magyars, 3.2% Germans
Germans
The Germans are a Germanic ethnic group native to Central Europe. The English term Germans has referred to the German-speaking population of the Holy Roman Empire since the Late Middle Ages....
, 1.6% Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
. The distribution of religions were: 72.2% Roman Catholic, 8.6% Lutheran, 2.5% Calvinist, 1.1% others, 5.5% Atheist, 10.1% no answer, unknown (2001 census).
Sights of interest
- Jurisics CastleJurisics Castle-Siege of Güns:During the Little War in Hungary, Pargalı İbrahim Pasha under the command of Suleiman the Magnificent laid siege to the castle in 1532. Jurišić and less than 1000 men defended the castle for 25 days without any artillery, despite 19 assaults....
and Castle Museum - Town centre with its medieval atmosphere
- Sacred Heart Church
- Steierhäuser
- Pharmacy Museum
- Hills around Kőszeg
- the Geschriebenstein (Írottkő)
- Seven fountains (Hétforrás)
- Watchtower (Óház)
Twin towns - Sister cities
Kőszeg is a member of the DouzelageDouzelage
The Douzelage is a town twinning association with one town from each of the member states of the European Union.The name is a combination of the French words "douze" for twelve and "jumelage" for twinning and stands for the twelve founder members, one for each European Union member state in 1991,...
, a unique town twinning
Town twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
association of 24 towns across the European Union
European Union
The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...
. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. Discussions regarding membership are also in hand with three further towns (Agros
Agros, Cyprus
Agros is a village built on the Troödos Mountains, in the region of Pitsilia, in southwest Cyprus, which has built amphitheatrically among high mountains at an altitude of 1100 metres with a population of approximately 1,000. Agros is one of the most interesting villages of Cyprus and the...
in Cyprus
Cyprus
Cyprus , officially the Republic of Cyprus , is a Eurasian island country, member of the European Union, in the Eastern Mediterranean, east of Greece, south of Turkey, west of Syria and north of Egypt. It is the third largest island in the Mediterranean Sea.The earliest known human activity on the...
, Škofja Loka
Škofja Loka
-Art colony:Before the civil war in the former Yugoslavia the Serbian town of Smederevska Palanka and the town of Škofja Loka held art colonies Groharijeva kolonija run by an art teacher from elementary school Olga Milošević in Smederevska Palanka. Now, after the split of SFR Yugoslavia, the two...
in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, and Tryavna
Tryavna
Tryavna is a town in central Bulgaria, situated in the north slopes of the Balkan range, on the Tryavna river valley, near Gabrovo. It is famous for its textile industry and typical National Revival architecture, featuring 140 cultural monuments, museums and expositions...
in Bulgaria
Bulgaria
Bulgaria , officially the Republic of Bulgaria , is a parliamentary democracy within a unitary constitutional republic in Southeast Europe. The country borders Romania to the north, Serbia and Macedonia to the west, Greece and Turkey to the south, as well as the Black Sea to the east...
).
As well as being a member of Douzelage
Douzelage
The Douzelage is a town twinning association with one town from each of the member states of the European Union.The name is a combination of the French words "douze" for twelve and "jumelage" for twinning and stands for the twelve founder members, one for each European Union member state in 1991,...
, the town is also twinned with Vaihingen an der Enz in Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg
Baden-Württemberg is one of the 16 states of Germany. Baden-Württemberg is in the southwestern part of the country to the east of the Upper Rhine, and is the third largest in both area and population of Germany's sixteen states, with an area of and 10.7 million inhabitants...
, Mödling
Mödling
Mödling is the capital of the Austrian district of the same name located approximately 14 km south of Vienna.The settlement dates back to the Neolithic. In medieval times, the town was the residence of a branch of the Babenberger family, as a result of which it received the nickname...
in Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
, Senj
Senj
Senj , German Zengg, Hungarian Zeng and Italian Segna) is the oldest town on the upper Adriatic, and it was founded in the time before the Romans some 3000 years ago on the hill Kuk. It was the center of the Illyrian tribe Iapydes. The current settlement is situated at the foot of the slopes Mala...
in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Nitrianske Hrnčiarovce (Nyitragerencsér) in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
.
People born in Kőszeg
- András (Andreas) Hadik de Futak , nobleman, military leader
- József FabchichJózsef FabchichJózsef Fabchich was Hungarian writer and translator, known mainly due to his translations of Ancient Greek poetry into Hungarian language.Most of these translations were published in Győr in 1804...
(1753–1809), translator - Imre Festetics (1710–1790), geneticist (hu)
- Johann Baptiste HorvathJohann Baptiste HorvathJohann Baptiste Horvath was a Hungarian-born Jesuit Professor of Physics and Philosophy at the University of Trnava in modern-day Slovakia, which was then part of the Kingdom of Hungary...
(1732–1799), physicist - Samuel von Giffing (or Giefing) (1758–1813), distinguished Austrian-Hungarian General-major, Commander of "Brigade Giffing"
- Gyula LórántGyula LórántGyula Lóránt , also referred to as Gyula Lipovics or Lóránt Gyula, was a Hungarian football player and manager...
(1923–1981), football player and manager. One of the Mighty Magyars - Agota KristofAgota KristofÁgota Kristóf was a Hungarian writer, who lived in Switzerland and wrote in French. Kristof received the European prize for French literature for The Notebook . She won the 2001 Gottfried Keller Award in Switzerland and the Austrian State Prize for European Literature in 2008.- Biography :Kristof...
(1935–2011), writer. Several of her novels can be situated in Kőszeg.