Tatabánya
Encyclopedia
Tatabánya (ˈtɒtɒbaːɲɒ) is a city of 69,988 inhabitants in north-western Hungary
, in the Central Transdanubia
n region. It is the capital of Komárom-Esztergom County.
and Vértes Mountains, some 55 km (34 mi) from the capital
. By virtue of its location, the city is a railway and road junction. The M1
(also European routes E60
, E75)
motorway from Vienna
to Budapest
passes through the outer city limits, and the Vienna-Budapest railway line also passes through the city.
findings prove that humans have been living here since the Stone Age
. The three historic predecessor settlements of Tatabánya are Alsógalla, Felsőgalla and Bánhida
. Bánhida is the earliest settlement, it was first mentioned in 1288.
In the 16th century the Ottomans
occupied the area. Around this time the inhabitants became Protestants
. Later its feudal
lords, the Esterházys populated the area with Roman Catholic
German and Slovak
settlers.
According to the 1787 census
Alsógalla had 580, Felsőgalla had 842 inhabitants. The coal
resources of the area were discovered around this time. Population began to grow, and a new mining colony was formed, later developing into the village of Tatabánya.
During the industrialization wave which took over the country after World War II several Hungarian towns were developed into large industrial cities. The four villages were united on October 1, 1947 under the name Tatabánya and it was elevated to town status. In 1950 it became the county capital of Komárom-Esztergom county (then called Komárom county.) In the 1980s it already had more than 80.000 inhabitants.
The industrial character of the city was significant until the fall of the Socialist government and the following political changes of 1989. After that the importance of heavy industry
and mining
decreased and the economic structure of the city has changed remarkably.
Vértes Volán provides local and nearby coach services (http://www.vertesvolan.hu/).
Tatabánya has a football team called TBSC
, founded in 1910. The town also has a successful handball team, Tatabánya Carbonex KC.
One of Tatabánya's most prominent residents is József Kiprich, formally known as the 'Wizard from Tatabánya'. He became top goalscorer in the Hungarian League in 1985, scoring 18 goals in 26 matches. In total he played nine seasons at Tatabánya before making his move to the Netherlands.
He had just played his first match in his 10th season at Tatabánya when Feyenoord Rotterdam got interested in signing him. Kiprich didn't hesitate and signed a contract and left Tatabánya for Rotterdam. He also is one of Hungary's top goal scorers. In 11 seasons of football with the Hungarian national team 'The Wizard' managed to score 28 goals in 70 appearances.
with:
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...
, in the Central Transdanubia
Central Transdanubia
Central Transdanubia is a statistical region of Hungary. It is part of Transdanubia region. Central Transdanubia includes counties of Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom, and Veszprém....
n region. It is the capital of Komárom-Esztergom County.
Location
The city is located in the valley between the GerecseGerecse Mountains
Gerecse is a mountain range in north-western Hungary, in the Central Transdanubian region, between the ranges Vértes and Pilis and part of the Komárom-Esztergom County. A low limestone mountain situated between the town of Tatabánya and the Danube River. The Gerecse Mountains are part of the...
and Vértes Mountains, some 55 km (34 mi) from the capital
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
. By virtue of its location, the city is a railway and road junction. The M1
M1 motorway (Hungary)
The M1 motorway is a long highway in northwestern Hungary, connecting Budapest to Győr and Vienna. The first section of the motorway opened in the 1970s, reaching the Austrian border at Hegyeshalom in 1996. It follows the route of the old Route 1 one-lane highway.- Junctions, exits and rest areas...
(also European routes E60
European route E60
European route E 60 is a E-road running from Brest, France , to Irkeshtam, Kyrgyzstan...
, E75)
European route E75
European route E 75 is part of the International E-road network, which is a series of main roads in Europe.The E 75 starts from Vardø, Norway in the Barents Sea and runs south through Finland, Poland, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Serbia and Republic of Macedonia to Sitia, Greece on...
motorway from Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
to Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
passes through the outer city limits, and the Vienna-Budapest railway line also passes through the city.
History
ArchaeologicalArchaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
findings prove that humans have been living here since the Stone Age
Stone Age
The Stone Age is a broad prehistoric period, lasting about 2.5 million years , during which humans and their predecessor species in the genus Homo, as well as the earlier partly contemporary genera Australopithecus and Paranthropus, widely used exclusively stone as their hard material in the...
. The three historic predecessor settlements of Tatabánya are Alsógalla, Felsőgalla and Bánhida
Bánhida
Bánhida is the oldest quarter of the city of Tatabánya in north-western Hungary. Inhabited since ancient times, excavations in this area have uncovered finds from the bronze age and the Roman era...
. Bánhida is the earliest settlement, it was first mentioned in 1288.
In the 16th century the Ottomans
Ottoman wars in Europe
The wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
occupied the area. Around this time the inhabitants became Protestants
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
. Later its feudal
Feudalism
Feudalism was a set of legal and military customs in medieval Europe that flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, which, broadly defined, was a system for ordering society around relationships derived from the holding of land in exchange for service or labour.Although derived from the...
lords, the Esterházys populated the area with Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
German and Slovak
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
settlers.
According to the 1787 census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
Alsógalla had 580, Felsőgalla had 842 inhabitants. The coal
Coal
Coal is a combustible black or brownish-black sedimentary rock usually occurring in rock strata in layers or veins called coal beds or coal seams. The harder forms, such as anthracite coal, can be regarded as metamorphic rock because of later exposure to elevated temperature and pressure...
resources of the area were discovered around this time. Population began to grow, and a new mining colony was formed, later developing into the village of Tatabánya.
During the industrialization wave which took over the country after World War II several Hungarian towns were developed into large industrial cities. The four villages were united on October 1, 1947 under the name Tatabánya and it was elevated to town status. In 1950 it became the county capital of Komárom-Esztergom county (then called Komárom county.) In the 1980s it already had more than 80.000 inhabitants.
The industrial character of the city was significant until the fall of the Socialist government and the following political changes of 1989. After that the importance of heavy industry
Heavy industry
Heavy industry does not have a single fixed meaning as compared to light industry. It can mean production of products which are either heavy in weight or in the processes leading to their production. In general, it is a popular term used within the name of many Japanese and Korean firms, meaning...
and mining
Mining
Mining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
decreased and the economic structure of the city has changed remarkably.
Infrastructure
According to the 2001 census Tatabánya had 28.912 households and 60% of them had central heating and telephone access. Almost all households have access to the cable TV network. 98% of the city roads are paved, mass transport is well organized.Vértes Volán provides local and nearby coach services (http://www.vertesvolan.hu/).
Education
Until the mid-20th century, educational standards in the city were average, but in the second half of the century they deteriorated to below average, mostly because the local mines did not require their employees to have a high level of education. By the end of the 20th century though, this trend had reversed again. The city currently has 2 colleges, 10 secondary schools, 16 primary schools, 18 kindergartens and 5 creches.Culture and sports
The most important cultural institution is the Mari Jászai Theatre. The city has several other institutions (museums, libraries.)Tatabánya has a football team called TBSC
FC Tatabánya
FC Tatabánya is a Hungarian football club based in Tatabánya. They play their home games at Stadion Gyula Grosics.- History :The Tatabányai Sport Klub was founded on February 6, 1910 by Ferenc Frei, a mining engineer...
, founded in 1910. The town also has a successful handball team, Tatabánya Carbonex KC.
One of Tatabánya's most prominent residents is József Kiprich, formally known as the 'Wizard from Tatabánya'. He became top goalscorer in the Hungarian League in 1985, scoring 18 goals in 26 matches. In total he played nine seasons at Tatabánya before making his move to the Netherlands.
He had just played his first match in his 10th season at Tatabánya when Feyenoord Rotterdam got interested in signing him. Kiprich didn't hesitate and signed a contract and left Tatabánya for Rotterdam. He also is one of Hungary's top goal scorers. In 11 seasons of football with the Hungarian national team 'The Wizard' managed to score 28 goals in 70 appearances.
Tourist sights
- The TurulTurulThe Turul is the most important bird in the origin myth of the Magyars .It is a divine messenger, and perches on top of the tree of life along with the other spirits of unborn children in the form of birds...
monument, above the city on the top of Gerecse Mountain, is the largest bird statue in Central EuropeCentral EuropeCentral Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. - The Szelim caveSzelim caveThe Szelim cave is located in Hungary, on the Kő-hegy above Tatabánya...
and the forest park of Gerecse Mountain are popular tourist attractions. - Nearby mountains (Vértes, Gerecse) and villages are a great place to spend time; neighbouring TataTata, HungaryTata is a town in north-western Hungary, Komárom-Esztergom county, northwest from county seat Tatabánya.-Location:Tata is located in the valley between the Gerecse and Vértes Mountains, some from the Budapest, the capital. By the virtue of its location, the city is a railway and road junction...
has a beautiful lake and a medieval castle.
Town districts
Tatabánya is currently divided into the following 6 districts:- Alsógalla
- Újváros
- BánhidaBánhidaBánhida is the oldest quarter of the city of Tatabánya in north-western Hungary. Inhabited since ancient times, excavations in this area have uncovered finds from the bronze age and the Roman era...
- Kertváros
- Dózsakert
- Felsőgalla
Nearby villages
- GyermelyGyermelyGyermely is a village in Komárom-Esztergom county, Hungary....
- HéregHéreg-External links:*...
- KörnyeKörnye-External links:*...
- SzárligetSzárliget-External links:*...
- Szomor
- Tarján
- Tardos
- VárgesztesVárgesztesVárgesztes is a village in Komárom-Esztergom county, Hungary.- External links :*...
- VértessomlóVértessomlóVértessomló is a village in Komárom-Esztergom county, Hungary.On January 29 2011 a moderate earthquake struck below Vértessomló. 26 damage cases have been reported in the greater epicenter area. It was essentially light damage like cracks in walls and fallen chimneys. The earthquake had a magnitude...
- VértesszőlősVértesszolosVértesszőlős is a village in Komárom-Esztergom county, Hungary. It is most known for the archaeological site where the remains of "Samu", a prehistoric man were found.- External links :*...
Twin towns — Sister cities
Tatabánya is twinnedTown 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 :...
with:
| Aalen Aalen Aalen is a city in the German state of Baden-Württemberg, about east of Stuttgart and north of Ulm. It is the seat of the Ostalbkreis district, and its largest city, as well as the largest city within the Ostwürttemberg region. In spatial planning, Aalen is designated a Mittelzentrum... , Germany Germany Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate... Będzin Bedzin Będzin is a city in Zagłębie Dąbrowskie in southern Poland. Located in the Silesian Highlands, on the Czarna Przemsza river , the city borders the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union - a metro area with a population of about 2 million.It has been situated in the Silesian Voivodeship since its... , Poland Poland Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north... Christchurch Christchurch, Dorset Christchurch is a borough and town in the county of Dorset on the south coast of England. The town adjoins Bournemouth in the west and the New Forest lies to the east. Historically in Hampshire, it joined Dorset with the reorganisation of local government in 1974 and is the most easterly borough in... , United Kingdom United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages... Fairfield Fairfield, Connecticut Fairfield is a town located in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. It is bordered by the towns of Bridgeport, Trumbull, Easton, Redding and Westport along the Gold Coast of Connecticut. As of the 2010 census, the town had a population of 59,404... , United States United States The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district... |
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Town partnerships
Tatabánya also maintains partnerships with the following towns:| Arad Arad, Romania Arad is the capital city of Arad County, in western Romania, in the Crişana region, on the river Mureş.An important industrial center and transportation hub, Arad is also the seat of a Romanian Orthodox archbishop and features two universities, a Romanian Orthodox theological seminary, a training... , Romania Hoogezand-Sappemeer Hoogezand-Sappemeer Hoogezand-Sappemeer is a municipality in the northeastern Netherlands. It is the second largest municipality in the province of Groningen, after the city of Groningen. It is well known for its ship building industry.... , Netherlands Netherlands The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders... Nové Zámky Nové Zámky Nové Zámky is a town in southwestern Slovakia.-Geography:The town is located on the Danubian Lowland, on the Nitra River, at an altitude of 119 metres. It is located around 100 km from Bratislava and around 25 km from the Hungarian border. It is a road and railway hub of southern... , 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... |
Pazardzhik Pazardzhik Pazardzhik is a city situated along the banks of the Maritsa river, Southern Bulgaria. It is the capital of Pazardzhik Province and centre for the homonymous Pazardzhik Municipality... , Bulgaria Saint-Ghislain Saint-Ghislain Saint-Ghislain is a Walloon municipality located in the Belgian province of Hainaut. On 1 January 2006 the municipality had 22,466 inhabitants. The total area is 70.18 km², giving a population density of 320 inhabitants per km².... , Belgium Belgium Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many... Saint-Lô Saint-Lô Saint-Lô is a commune in north-western France, the capital of the Manche department in Normandy.-History:Originally called Briovère , the town is built on and around ramparts. Originally it was a Gaul fortified settlement... , France France The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France... |
External links
- Tatabanya.hu, Municipal website
- Civertan.hu, Aerial photography: Tatabánya