Zalaegerszeg

Zalaegerszeg is a city in western Hungary. It serves as the administrative center for Zala county, which means it is an important place for the area's government and services. The city has different names depending on the language spoken by people living nearby. In Croatian, it is called Jegersek, in Slovene it is called Jageršek, and in German it is called Egersee. These names show the rich mix of cultures and languages in the region.

Location

Zalaegerszeg is located by the Zala River, near the borders of Slovenia and Austria. It is about 220 kilometres, or 137 miles, west-southwest of Budapest by road.

History

The area where Zalaegerszeg now stands has been home to people for thousands of years. Ancient groups like the Celts lived there long ago. The town's first names, like Egerscug and Egerszeg, mean “alder-tree corner,” showing where it sat where two rivers meet.

Church of Mary Magdalene, patron saint of Zalaegerszeg

Over time, Zalaegerszeg grew from a small place to an important town. Leaders and families helped shape its story, and it became a center for the area. In the 1500s, walls and a castle were built to keep people safe during tough times. Fires and wars brought challenges, but the town kept growing.

In more recent years, Zalaegerszeg became known for new industries and buildings. It played its part in big moments of history and continues to be a lively place for its people.

Climate

Zalaegerszeg has an oceanic climate. The average temperature for the whole year is 10.6 °C (51.1 °F). July is the warmest month, with temperatures around 20.9 °C (69.6 °F), while January is the coldest, around 0.0 °C (32.0 °F).

The town gets about 633.9 millimetres (24.96 in) of rain each year. June is usually the wettest month, with 80.0 millimetres (3.15 in) of rain, and January is the driest, with only 21.0 millimetres (0.83 in). The temperature can get as low as −20.4 °C (−4.7 °F) in February and as high as 38.1 °C (100.6 °F) in August.

Main sights

Zalaegerszeg has many interesting places to visit. You can see a beautiful old Roman Catholic church in the Baroque style, and an old county hall from the 1700s. There is also a theatre named after Hevesi Sándor, and museums including the Göcsej Museum with an open-air museum nearby.

Schematic map of Zalaegerszeg

Other sights include a Museum of Oil Industry, a special collection of works by Kisfaludi Strobl, and the Bazita Peak TV Tower.

Sport

Zalaegerszeg has some popular sports teams. The local football team is called Zalaegerszegi TE. There is also a professional basketball team named Zalakeramia-ZTE KK.

Demographics

In 2001, Zalaegerszeg was home to 61,654 people. Most of them, about 95.5%, were Hungarian. Smaller groups included 1% Romani and 0.4% German. Looking at religions, most people, around 71.1%, were Roman Catholic. Other groups included 3.8% Calvinist, 1.6% Lutheran, and 11.6% who said they were Atheist, according to the 2001 census.

Historical population
Year	Pop.	±%
1870	9,784	—
1880	10,736	+9.7%
1890	12,794	+19.2%
1900	15,207	+18.9%
1910	16,727	+10.0%
1920	19,606	+17.2%
1930	19,906	+1.5%
1941	20,472	+2.8%
1949	21,668	+5.8%
1960	30,147	+39.1%
1970	40,541	+34.5%
1980	56,108	+38.4%
1990	62,212	+10.9%
2001	61,654	−0.9%
2011	59,499	−3.5%
2022	54,000	−9.2%
source

Politics

Zalaegerszeg is led by a mayor named Zoltán Balaicz, who belongs to the Fidesz-KDNP party.

The town's local government, chosen in elections in 2019, has 18 members. These include the mayor, representatives from different areas, and others who help balance the team across various political groups.

Seats	Current Municipal Assembly
Candidate for Zoltán Balaicz-Fidesz-KDNP	13	M
Opposition coalition	3
Our Homeland Movement	1
EZE	1

Notable people

Zalaegerszeg has been home to many famous people throughout history. Some well-known individuals from the town include Ferenc Deák, a member of parliament and minister of justice, and László Dús, an artist born in 1941.

Other notable figures are Miklós Gábor, an actor, and Dezső Keresztury, a critic and literary historian. The town also saw the birth of Zsigmond Kisfaludi Strobl, a sculptor, and Károly Kovács, who served as mayor. József Mindszenty, a cardinal and archbishop of Esztergom, and Lajos Portisch, a chess player born in 1937, are also from Zalaegerszeg. Additionally, Gyula Wlassics, a minister of education, and Lajos Vajda, a painter, were born there. More recently, Lajos Andor, an EU commissioner born in 1966, and Ádám Kása, a professional golfer born in 1984, call Zalaegerszeg home.