Debrecen

Debrecen is the second-largest city in Hungary, after Budapest. It is the regional centre of the Northern Great Plain region and the seat of Hajdú-Bihar County. In the 18th century, it was actually the largest city in Hungary, and it holds great cultural importance for the Hungarian people.

During the revolution of 1848–1849, Debrecen served as the capital city of Hungary. It was here, in the Reformed Great Church, that the dethronement of the Habsburg dynasty was declared. The city also briefly became the capital again at the end of World War II in 1944–1945.

Today, Debrecen is home to the University of Debrecen, making it an important educational centre as well. The city continues to be a vital cultural and academic hub in the region.

Etymology

Debrecen's name has several possible origins. It was first recorded in 1235 as Debrezun. One idea is that it comes from a Turkic word meaning 'live' or 'move.' Another idea says the name is from Slavic and means 'well-esteemed.' A third idea links the name to an old Slavic word for 'gorge.'

In Romanian, the city is called Debreţin, but some Romanian communities in Hungary use the name Dobriţân.

History

See also: Timeline of Debrecen

Debrecen was created after the Hungarian conquest. It grew more important after nearby villages were left empty following the Mongol invasion of Europe. The town grew quickly after the middle of the 13th century.

In 1361, Louis I of Hungary let the people of Debrecen pick their own judge and council. This gave them some control over their town. By the early 1500s, Debrecen was a busy market town.

Later, it was ruled by different leaders and families. During a time when many fought for control, Debrecen's leaders helped protect the town. The town became known for its beliefs and was called “the Calvinist Rome.”

In 1849, Debrecen became the capital of Hungary for a short time when leaders fled there from Budapest. Important announcements about Hungary’s independence were made in Debrecen. After the fighting ended, the town slowly grew again. New railroads, schools, and buildings appeared, and the city started to look more modern.

After World War I, Hungary lost some land, and Debrecen was close to the new border. During World War II, much of Debrecen was damaged in battles. After the war, people worked to rebuild the city, though changes in government brought new challenges.

Demographics

Languages

In 2011, Debrecen had 211,320 people, and almost all of them, 209,782, spoke Hungarian. Many people also knew other languages: 49,909 knew English, 22,454 knew German, and 5,416 knew Russian.

Ethnic groups

Also in 2011, most people in Debrecen were Hungarian, with 177,435 saying they were Hungarian. There were smaller groups too, like 1,305 Romani, 554 Germans, and 504 Romanians. Some people did not say what their ethnicity was. If we only count the people who did say, Hungarians made up almost 99% of the group.

Religion

In 2022, people in Debrecen had different religions. The most common were Calvinism at 20.4%, followed by Roman Catholicism at 9.00%, Greek Catholicism at 5.40%, and Evangelical Christianity at 0.40%. Some people had other religions, some did not say, and about 23% had no religion.

According to older data from 2011, there were many followers of the Hungarian Reformed (a type of Calvinist) faith, along with smaller groups like Roman Catholic, Greek Catholic, Baptist, Jehovah's Witnesses, and Lutheran. Many people were irreligious, some said they were atheist, and many did not share their religion.

Reformed Church in Debrecen

Debrecen has a long history with the Reformed Church. Starting in the 1500s, many people there followed Calvinist teachings. Over time, Debrecen became well-known for its strong Calvinist community, earning nicknames like Calvinist Rome or the Geneva of Hungary. Today, there are many Reformed congregations, including the famous Reformed Great Church of Debrecen, which can hold up to 5,000 people.

Jewish community

Jews were allowed to live in Debrecen starting in 1814. By 1919, they made up about 10% of the city's population and owned many large properties. Later, laws and actions against Jews made life very hard for them. Many were forced to leave or were taken away during a difficult time in history. After the war, some Jews stayed in Debrecen and built their community again.

Climate

Debrecen has a typical Central European climate, which is called a humid continental climate. The average temperature for the whole year is 11.0 °C (51.8 °F). The warmest month is July, with an average temperature of 21.9 °C (71.4 °F), while January is the coldest, averaging −0.8 °C (30.6 °F).

The city receives about 542.7 millimetres (21.37 in) of rain each year. July is the wettest month, getting around 67.7 millimetres (2.67 in) of rain, while January is the driest, with only 24.3 millimetres (0.96 in).

Culture

Thanks to important schools and universities, Debrecen has been a key place for learning and culture since the 1500s. The city’s big university grew from a school started in 1538 and now has many departments and labs, including one famous for studying cacti.

In the 1800s, many famous writers and poets got their start in Debrecen’s newspapers. The city also has a long history of theater, with its first theater starting in 1789. Debrecen is proud of its music, including a successful rock band and a school to help young musicians learn. The city hosts a big singing competition each year and celebrates a flower festival in August.

Economy

Debrecen’s growth is supported by farming, health care, and schools. The city is a big shopping spot in Eastern Hungary, with Forum Debrecen being the largest mall in the area. Many important companies have offices in Debrecen, including National Instruments, IT Services Hungary, BT, Continental, BMW, CATL, and healthcare companies like Teva Pharmaceutical Industries Ltd. and Gedeon Richter Plc.

Location

Debrecen is found on the Great Hungarian Plain, about 220 kilometers or 137 miles east of Budapest. Near the city lies the Hortobágy National Park.

Transport

The city of Debrecen used to feel far from Budapest, Hungary's main transportation center. Now, with the new M35 motorway, you can get to Budapest in less than two hours. Debrecen Airport, Hungary's second-largest airport, has been updated to welcome more international travelers. Even so, most flights in and out of Hungary still leave from Budapest's Ferihegy Airport, now named Budapest Ferenc Liszt International Airport. From Debrecen Airport, you can fly to cities like Brussels, Eindhoven, London, Malmö, Milan, Tel Aviv, Moscow, and Paris. The railway connecting Debrecen to the capital has also been improved, thanks to a plan supported by the EU.

Debrecen has many railway stations, with the main one being the most important. Other smaller stations include Debrecen-Csapókert, Debrecen-Kondoros, Debrecen-Szabadságtelep, and Tócóvölgy. Because Debrecen is close to Ukraine, Slovakia, and Romania, it has become a key spot for trade and travel in the area.

Inside the city, you can get around using buses, trolleybuses, and trams. There are two tram lines, five trolleybus lines, and 60 bus lines, all run by the DKV (Transport Company of Debrecen). Bus services called Hajdú Volán also connect Debrecen to nearby towns and villages.

Sport

Debrecen is known for its exciting sports events. The city's most famous football club is Debreceni VSC, which has won the top league seven times, with the last victory in 2014. The club also played in important international competitions, reaching the group stages of the 2009-10 UEFA Champions League and the 2010-11 UEFA Europa League. Their new stadium opened in 2014, where they celebrated another league win in the 2014-15 Nemzeti Bajnokság I. Sometimes, the Hungary national football team also plays there.

Debrecen has hosted many big international sports events. These include the second World Youth Championships in Athletics in 2001, the first IAAF World Road Running Championships in 2006, the 2007 European SC Swimming Championships, and the World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in 2002. Most recently, the city hosted the 19th FAI World Hot Air Balloon Championship in 2010 and the 31st LEN European Swimming Championships in 2012.

The Debrecen Speedway team races at the Perényi Pál Salakmotor Stadion, which also holds international speedway events.

Association football

• Debreceni VSC (competing in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I)
• Bocskai FC (defunct)
• Dózsa MaDISz TE (defunct)
• Debreceni EAC

Main sights

Debrecen has many interesting places to see and visit. You can explore the beautiful City Downtown, visit the Reformed Great Church, and enjoy the City Park with its spa. The Déri Museum has art, including works by Mihály Munkácsy, ancient artifacts from Egypt, and weapons from many parts of the world.

Every year on August 20, the Flower Carnival of Debrecen celebrates with flowers and fun. Other notable spots include the "Hortobágy" mill, now the Malom Hotel, Nagyerdei Stadion where the local football team plays, and the Ravatalozó cemetery in an Art Nouveau style. The Csokonai theatre is also a lovely place to visit.

Politics

The mayor of Debrecen is Dr. László Papp from the Fidesz-KDNP party.

The city’s local government was elected in the 2024 local government elections. It has 33 members, including the mayor and representatives from different areas of the city. These members come from various political groups and teams.

List of mayors

Here is a list of mayors of Debrecen since 1990:

Notable people

See also: Category:People from Debrecen

Many famous people were born, lived, or died in Debrecen. Some well-known individuals include:

Born in Debrecen

• Emma Adler (1858–1935), writer
• Lorenzo Alvary (1909–1996), operatic bass
• Ferenc Barnás (born 1959), novelist
• Zsolt Baumgartner (born 1981), first Hungarian Formula One driver
• Mihály Csokonai Vitéz (1773–1805), poet
• Sari Dienes (1898–1992), artist
• Éva Fahidi (1925–2023), survivor of a terrible war time camp
• Mihály Fazekas (1766–1828), writer
• Mihály Flaskay (born 1982), breaststroke swimmer
• Nóra Görbe (born 1956), actress, singer and pop icon
• Meshulam Gross (1863–1947), Hungarian-American entrepreneur
• Boglárka Kapás (born 1993), swimmer, 2019 World Champion - 200 m butterfly, 2016 Olympic bronze Medalist - 800 m freestyle
• István Kardos (1891-1975), conductor and composer
• George Karpati (1934–2009), physician, neurologist, surgeon, teacher, author
• Rivka Keren (born 1946), Israeli writer
• Vivien Keszthelyi (born 2000), racing driver
• Miklós Kocsár (1933-2019), composer
• Imre Lakatos (1922–1974), philosopher of mathematics and of science
• Paul László (1900–1993), architect
• Gábor Máthé (born 1985), tennis Deaflympics champion
• Mihály Nagy (born 1937) high school teacher; research teacher; university doctor; mineralogist; meteorite researcher
• Judah Samet (1938-2022), Hungarian-American businessman, speaker, and survivor of a terrible war time camp
• Magda Szabó (1917–2007), writer
• Borbala Biro (born 1957), biologist and agricultural scientist
• József Váradi (born 1965), CEO of Wizz Air
• Chaim Michael Dov Weissmandl (1903–1957), rabbi who helped save many people during a terrible war time period

Lived in Debrecen

• Zvi Miklos Adler, well known artist in Debrecen and Israel. May have been born in Debrecen
• Endre Ady (1877–1919), poet
• Julia Bathory (1901–2000), glass artist
• Rudolf Charousek (1873–1812? 1873 until grade 4), World Champion chess master
• Géza Hofi (1936–2002), stand-up comedian
• Albert Kardos (1861-1945), literary scholar, linguist, pedagogue and publicist
• Andrew Karpati Kennedy, author and literary critic
• Sándor Petőfi (1823–1849), poet
• Alfréd Rényi (1921–1970), mathematician
• Éva Risztov (born 1985), Olympic champion swimmer
• Moshe Stern (1914–1997), Rabbi and authority on Jewish law
• Sándor Szalay (physicist) (1909–1987), physicist, founder of ATOMKI
• Árpád Tóth (1886–1928), poet

Died in Debrecen

• Pierre-Octave Ferroud (1900-1936), French composer

Twin towns – sister cities

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

Debrecen is twinned with:

• Košice, Slovak Republic
• Brno, Czech Republic
• Cattolica, Italy
• Jyväskylä, Finland
• Klaipėda, Lithuania
• Limerick County, Ireland
• Lublin, Poland
• New Brunswick, United States
• Oradea, Romania
• Paderborn, Germany
• Patras, Greece
• Rishon LeZion, Israel
• Saint Petersburg, Russia
• Setúbal, Portugal
• Shumen, Bulgaria
• Syktyvkar, Russia
• Taitung City, Taiwan
• Toluca, Mexico
• Tongliao, China