Székesfehérvár

Székesfehérvár is a city in central Hungary and the country's ninth-largest city. It is known as "Fehérvár," which means "white castle." The city is the capital of Central Transdanubia and the center of Fejér County and Székesfehérvár District. It is an important place for travel, sitting between Lake Balaton and Lake Velence.

In the Middle Ages, Székesfehérvár was very important as a royal residence and the capital of the Kingdom of Hungary. The first kings of Hungary were crowned and buried here. The city was also a key point on trade routes leading to the Balkans, Italy, Buda, and Vienna. Over time, the city has been controlled by the Ottoman and Habsburg rulers.

History

Main article: History of Székesfehérvár

People have lived where Székesfehérvár is now since around the year 500 BCE. During Roman times, the town was called Gorsium and Herculia. It became a key spot for travel and trade between Lake Balaton and Lake Velence. Roads went to many places, such as the Balkans, Italy, Buda, and Vienna.

In 972, Grand Prince Géza started the Hungarian town on four islands. He built a small stone castle. Later, under King István I, the town grew. It was a special place where kings were crowned and buried. Many kings, including Hungary's first king, St. Stephen, were crowned and buried here.

Over time, the town faced challenges like wars and changes in rulers. But it remained an important city for trade and travel for many years.

Culture

Székesfehérvár has many beautiful buildings and places to see. You can visit old churches like St Stephen Cathedral and the ruins of a big medieval basilica. There are also lovely old mansions, a special area for Serbian culture with thatched-roof houses, and a unique castle built by an artist.

The city has statues and memorials, such as one for an important old document called the Golden Bull. There are also interesting museums like the King István Museum and a Doll Museum, as well as a place to see old pharmacy tools.

Population

Székesfehérvár is a city in Hungary with many different kinds of people. In 2001, most people there were Hungarians. Smaller groups included Germans, Roma, and others.

Many people in Székesfehérvár had different religions. Over half were Roman Catholic. Smaller groups were Calvinist, Lutheran, and Greek Catholic. Some followed other Christian or non-Christian beliefs. Others were Atheists or did not share their beliefs.

Politics

The mayor of Székesfehérvár is András Cser-Palkovics. He belongs to the Fidesz party.

The local Municipal Assembly was elected in 2019. It has 21 members, including the mayor and representatives from different areas.

List of mayors

Here is a list of mayors of the city since 1990:

Economy

Transport

Székesfehérvár is an important place for the Hungarian railway system (MÁV). Trains go to the north and south of Lake Balaton and to the capital city. You can also take regional buses from other big places in the country. Many local buses run every day, all week long. They are operated by a company that also runs buses in the area, KNYKK Zrt. (Közép-Nyugat Magyarországi Közlekedési Központ).

Sport

The city has an indoor stadium called Alba Regia Sportcsarnok, where many sports clubs play. One famous team is Alba Fehérvár, which won the Hungarian basketball championship in 2017.

Székesfehérvár is also home to other sports teams, such as:

• Fehérvár FC (football)
• Székesfehérvári MÁV Előre SC (football)
• Fehérvár AV19 (ice hockey)
• Alba Fehérvár KC (handball)
• Fehérvár Enthroners (American football)
• Székesfehérvári Kempo SE (martial arts)
• Profi Kempo Akadémia - PKA

Notable people

Born in Székesfehérvár

Székesfehérvár is where many famous people were born. Some of them are Béla Balogh, a film director, Katalin Bogyay, a journalist and diplomat, and Bendegúz Bolla, a footballer. Other well-known people born here include Jenő Bory, a sculptor and architect, and István Deák, a historian. The city is also the birthplace of George Fisher, a leader in the Texas Revolution, and Ignác Goldziher, an expert on languages.

Buried royalty

Many important historical figures from Hungary are buried in Székesfehérvár. This includes Prince Saint Emeric of Hungary, King Saint Stephen, and Coloman the Bookish. Other royalty buried here are Álmos the Blind, Béla the Blind, and Géza II. The city also holds the remains of Stephen IV, Agnes of Antioch, and Béla III, among others.

Fictional

Albert Horn, a character from the film Lacombe, Lucien by Louis Malle, is linked to Székesfehérvár.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Hungary

Székesfehérvár has friends in many countries. It is twinned with cities such as:

• Alba Iulia, Romania
• Biograd na Moru, Croatia
• Birmingham, United States
• Blagoevgrad, Bulgaria
• Bratislava, Slovakia
• Cento, Italy
• Chorley, England, United Kingdom
• Erdenet, Mongolia
• Esztergom, Hungary
• Kemi, Finland
• Kocaeli, Turkey
• Luhansk, Ukraine
• Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
• Opole, Poland
• Schwäbisch Gmünd, Germany
• Zadar, Croatia
• Sariwon, North Korea