Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a

city with county rights A city with county rights (or urban county, Hungarian: ''megyei jogú város'', MJV) is a level of administrative subdivision in Hungary. Since 1994 all county seats are automatically awarded this status, and since 2012 this is the only way a new ...

in northern

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

, northwest of the capital

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. It lies in

Komárom-Esztergom County Komárom-Esztergom ( hu, Komárom-Esztergom megye, ; german: Komitat Komorn-Gran; sk, Komárňansko-ostrihomská župa) is an administrative Hungarian county in Central Transdanubia Region; its shares its northern border the Danube with Slova ...

, on the right bank of the river

Danube The Danube ( ; ) is a river that was once a long-standing frontier of the Roman Empire and today connects 10 European countries, running through their territories or being a border. Originating in Germany, the Danube flows southeast for , p ...

, which forms the border with

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

there. Esztergom was the capital of Hungary from the 10th until the mid-13th century when King Béla IV of Hungary moved the royal seat to Buda. Esztergom is the seat of the ''prímás'' (see

Primate Primates are a diverse order of mammals. They are divided into the strepsirrhines, which include the lemurs, galagos, and lorisids, and the haplorhines, which include the tarsiers and the simians ( monkeys and apes, the latter including ...

) of the

Roman Catholic Church The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

in Hungary, and the former seat of the

Constitutional Court of Hungary The Constitutional Court of Hungary ( hu, Magyarország Alkotmánybírósága) is a special court of Hungary, making judicial review of the acts of the Parliament of Hungary. The official seat of the Constitutional Court is Budapest. Until 2012 ...

. The city has a Christian Museum with the largest ecclesiastical collection in Hungary. Its

cathedral A cathedral is a church that contains the '' cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominatio ...

, Esztergom Basilica, is the largest church in Hungary.

Toponym

The Roman town was called ''Solva''. The medieval Latin name was ''Strigonium''. The first early medieval mention is "''ſtrigonensis trigonensiscomes''" (1079-1080). The first interpretation of the name was suggested by Antonio Bonfini. He tried to explain it from ''Istrogranum'', "city at the confluence of ''Ister'' (the Greek name of the

river) and ''Gran'' (the Latin name of the river

Hron The Hron ( sk, Hron; german: Gran; hu, Garam; la, Granus) is a long left tributary of the DanubeViktor Récsey attempted to derive the name from Germanic languages. After the conquest of the country by

Charlemagne Charlemagne ( , ) or Charles the Great ( la, Carolus Magnus; german: Karl der Große; 2 April 747 – 28 January 814), a member of the Carolingian dynasty, was King of the Franks from 768, King of the Lombards from 774, and the first ...

, the Franks should give the name Osterringun to their easternmost castle; as a comparison, a reference is made to the town of

Östringen Östringen (South Franconian: ''Öschdringe'') is a town in Northern Karlsruhe district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany. Östringen is a twin town with Abergavenny Abergavenny (; cy, Y Fenni , archaically ''Abergafenni'' meaning "mouth of t ...

Pavel Jozef Šafárik Pavel Jozef Šafárik ( sk, Pavol Jozef Šafárik; 13 May 1795 – 26 June 1861) was an ethnic Slovak philologist, poet, literary historian, historian and ethnographer in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was one of the first scientific Slavists. Family ...

tried to explain the name from Slavic ''ostřehu'' (). Gyula Pauler suggested a Slavic personal name ''Stigran'' without a deeper analysis of its origin. In 1927, Konrad Schünemann summarized these older views and proposed the origin in a Slavic stem ''strěg'' ("custodia", guard). This theory was later extended by Ján Stanislav who also explained the origin of the initial vowel missing in Latin and later Czech sources (''Střehom''). The introduction of a vowel before the initial consonant group is a regular change in the Hungarian language (''Stephan'' → ''István'', ''strecha'' → ''esztercha''), but the initial "''O''" in later Slavic forms can be explained by an independent change–an incorrect decomposition of the Slavic prepositional form. Both authors noticed the high number of Slavic placenames in the region ( Vyšegrad, Pleš, Kokot, Drug,

Komárno Komárno, ( hu, Komárom, german: Komorn, sr, Коморан, translit=Komoran), colloquially also called ''Révkomárom, Öregkomárom, Észak-Komárom'' in Hungarian; is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh rivers. ...

, Toplica, etc.) and similar Slavic names in other countries ( Strzegom, Střehom, Stregowa, etc.). Both authors believed that the stem ''strěg'' was a part of the Slavic personal name, but Šimon Ondruš suggests a straightforward etymology. The

Proto-Slavic Proto-Slavic (abbreviated PSl., PS.; also called Common Slavic or Common Slavonic) is the unattested, reconstructed proto-language of all Slavic languages. It represents Slavic speech approximately from the 2nd millennium B.C. through the 6th ...

– to watch, to guard, present

participle In linguistics, a participle () (from Latin ' a "sharing, partaking") is a nonfinite verb form that has some of the characteristics and functions of both verbs and adjectives. More narrowly, ''participle'' has been defined as "a word derived from ...

''stregom'', ''strägom'' – a guard post. The later Slavic form was created by an incorrect decomposition as follows: ''vъ Strägome'' (in Strägom) → ''vo Strägome'' → ''v Osträgome'' like Slovak ''Bdokovce'' → ''Obdokovce'', ''Psolovce'' → '' Obsolovce''. Lajos Kiss considered the name to be of uncertain origin, potentially derived also from Slavic (a tanner) or Proto-Bulgaric , - a leather armor However, the last theory is sharply criticized by Šimon Ondruš as obsolete and unreliable, because of its dependency on later sources, the high number of Slavic names in the region and missing adoption of the word in the Hungarian language. Other names of the town are Croatian ''Ostrogon'', Polish ''Ostrzyhom'', Serbian ''Ostrogon'' and ''Estergon'' (also Turkish), Slovak ''Ostrihom'' and Czech ''Ostřihom'' (the archaic name is ''Střehom''). The German name is Gran (), like the German name of river Garam. Istergom, Esztergom. Ister, the old name of Danube. Gom/hun/ is arch like, gomb/hun/ is (coat button), gömb/hun/ is (sphere).

History

Esztergom is one of the oldest towns in Hungary. Esztergom, as it existed in the

Middle Ages In the history of Europe, the Middle Ages or medieval period lasted approximately from the late 5th to the late 15th centuries, similar to the post-classical period of global history. It began with the fall of the Western Roman Empire ...

, now rests under today's town. The results of the most recent archeological excavations reveal that the Várhegy (Castle Hill) and its vicinity have been inhabited since the end of the

Ice Age An ice age is a long period of reduction in the temperature of Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental and polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers. Earth's climate alternates between ice ages and gre ...

20,000 years ago. The first people known by name were the

Celts The Celts (, see pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples () are. "CELTS location: Greater Europe time period: Second millennium B.C.E. to present ancestry: Celtic a collection of Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancien ...

from

Western Europe Western Europe is the western region of Europe. The region's countries and territories vary depending on context. The concept of "the West" appeared in Europe in juxtaposition to "the East" and originally applied to the ancient Mediterranean ...

, who settled in the region in about 350 BC. A flourishing Celtic settlement existed on the Varhegy until the region was conquered by

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus (legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

. Thereafter it became an important frontier town of Pannonia, known by the name of ''Salvio Mansio'', ''Salvio'', or

Solva Solva ( cy, Solfach) is a village, community and electoral ward in Pembrokeshire, Wales. The village comprises principally Lower Solva and Upper Solva. The community also includes Middle Mill and Whitchurch. Location Solva lies on the north ...

. By the seventh century the town was called ''Stregom'' and later ''Gran'', but soon reverted to the former, which evolved into Esztergom by the thirteenth century. The German and Avar archaeological finds found in the area reveal that these people settled there following the period of the migrations that were caused by the fall of the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post- Republican period of ancient Rome. As a polity, it included large territorial holdings around the Mediter ...

. At about 500 AD, Slavic peoples immigrated into the

Pannonian Basin The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewhat different sense, with only th ...

. In the 9th century, the territory was mostly under Frankish control, and it might have been part of

Great Moravia Great Moravia ( la, Regnum Marahensium; el, Μεγάλη Μοραβία, ''Meghálī Moravía''; cz, Velká Morava ; sk, Veľká Morava ; pl, Wielkie Morawy), or simply Moravia, was the first major state that was predominantly West Slavic to ...

too. In

Old Slavonic Old Church Slavonic or Old Slavonic () was the first Slavic literary language. Historians credit the 9th-century Byzantine missionaries Saints Cyril and Methodius with standardizing the language and using it in translating the Bible and other ...

language, it was called ''Strěgom'' ("guard"), as it was strategic point of control for the Danube valley. The Magyars entered the Pannonian Basin in 896 AD and conquered it systematically, succeeding fully in 901. In 960, the ruling prince of the Hungarians, Géza, chose Esztergom as his residence. His son, Vajk, who was later called Saint Stephen of Hungary, was born in his palace built on the Roman

castrum In the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire The Roman Empire ( la, Imperium Romanum ; grc-gre, Βασιλεία τῶν Ῥωμαίων, Basileía tôn Rhōmaíōn) was the post-Roman Republic, Republican period of ancient Rome. As a po ...

on the Várhegy (Castle Hill) around 969–975. In 973, Esztergom served as the starting point of an important historical event: during Easter of that year, Géza sent a committee to the international peace conference of Emperor Otto I in

Quedlinburg Quedlinburg () is a town situated just north of the Harz mountains, in the district of Harz in the west of Saxony-Anhalt, Germany. As an influential and prosperous trading centre during the early Middle Ages, Quedlinburg became a center of in ...

. He offered peace to the Emperor and asked for missionaries. The prince's residence stood on the northern side of the hill. The center of the hill was occupied by a

basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...

dedicated to St. Adalbert, who, according to legend, baptised St. Stephen. The Church of St. Adalbert was the seat of the archbishop of Esztergom, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. By that time, significant numbers of craftsmen and merchants had settled in the city. Stephen's coronation took place in Esztergom on either Christmas Day 1000 or January 1, 1001. From the time of his rule up to the beginning of the 13th century, the only mint for the country operated here. During the same period, the castle of Esztergom ("Estergon Kalesi" in Turkish) was built. It served not only as the royal residence until the Mongol siege of Esztergom in 1241 (during the first Mongol invasion), but also as the center of the Hungarian state, religion, and Esztergom county. The archbishop of Esztergom was the leader of the ten bishoprics founded by Stephen. The archbishop was often in charge of important state functions and had the exclusive right to crown kings. The settlements of royal servants, merchants and craftsmen at the foot of the Várhegy (Castle Hill) developed into the most significant town during the age of the

Árpád dynasty The Árpád dynasty, consisted of the members of the royal House of Árpád (), also known as Árpáds ( hu, Árpádok, hr, Arpadovići). They were the ruling dynasty of the Principality of Hungary in the 9th and 10th centuries and of the King ...

– these being the most important area of the economic life of the country. According to the Frenchman

Odo of Deuil Odo of Deuil (1110 – 18 April 1162), his first name also spelled Odon, Eude or Eudes, was a French historian of and participant in the Second Crusade (1147–1149). Born at Deuil to a modest family, he became a monk and was a confidant of Suger ...

, who visited the country in 1147, "the Danube carries the economy and treasures of several countries to Esztergom". The town council was made up of the richest citizens of the town (residents of French,

Spanish Spanish might refer to: * Items from or related to Spain: **Spaniards are a nation and ethnic group indigenous to Spain **Spanish language, spoken in Spain and many Latin American countries **Spanish cuisine Other places * Spanish, Ontario, Can ...

Dutch Dutch commonly refers to: * Something of, from, or related to the Netherlands * Dutch people () * Dutch language () Dutch may also refer to: Places * Dutch, West Virginia, a community in the United States * Pennsylvania Dutch Country People E ...

, and

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

origin) who dealt with commerce. The coat of arms of Esztergom emerged from their seal in the 13th century. This was the town where foreign monarchs could meet Hungarian kings. For example, Emperor Conrad II met Géza II in this town (1147). Another important meeting took place when the German Emperor Frederick Barbarossa visited Béla III. The historians traveling with them all agree on the richness and significance of Esztergom.

Arnold of Lübeck Arnold of Lübeck (died 1211–1214) was a Benedictine abbot, a chronicler, the author of the '' Chronica Slavorum'' and advocate of the papal cause in the Hohenstaufen conflict. He was a monk at St. Ägidien monastery in Braunschweig, then from 1 ...

, the historian with Frederick Barbarossa, called Esztergom the capital of Hungarian people ("quae Ungarorum est metropolis"). In the beginning of the 13th century Esztergom was the center of the country's political and economic life. This is explained by the canon of

Nagyvárad Oradea (, , ; german: Großwardein ; hu, Nagyvárad ) is a city in Romania, located in Crișana, a sub-region of Transylvania. The county seat, seat of Bihor County, Oradea is one of the most important economic, social and cultural centers in the ...

Rogerius of Apulia Roger of Torre Maggiore or Master Roger ( hu, Rogerius mester; 1205 in Torre Maggiore – April 14, 1266 in Split) was an Italian prelate active in the Kingdom of Hungary in the middle of the 13th century. He was archbishop of Split in ...

, who witnessed the first devastation of the country during the Tatar invasion siege of Esztergom and wrote in his Carmen Miserabile ("Sad Song"): "since there was no other town like Esztergom in Hungary, the

Tatars The Tatars ()Tatar
in the Collins English Dictionary is an umbrella term for different

(siege of Esztergom) were considering crossing the Danube to pitch a camp there", which was exactly what happened after the Danube froze. The capital of the Árpád-age was destroyed in a vicious battle. Though, according to the documents that remained intact, some of the residents (those who escaped into the castle) survived and new residents settled in the area and soon started rebuilding the town, it lost its leading role.

Béla IV Béla may refer to: * Béla (crater), an elongated lunar crater * Béla (given name), a common Hungarian male given name See also * Bela (disambiguation) * Belá (disambiguation) * Bělá (disambiguation) Bělá, derived from ''bílá'' (''wh ...

gave the palace and castle to the archbishop, and changed his residence to Buda. Béla IV and his family, however, were buried in the

Franciscan , image = FrancescoCoA PioM.svg , image_size = 200px , caption = A cross, Christ's arm and Saint Francis's arm, a universal symbol of the Franciscans , abbreviation = OFM , predecessor = , ...

church in Esztergom which had been destroyed during the invasion and which had been rebuilt by Béla IV in 1270. Following these events, the castle was built and decorated by the bishops. The center of the king's town, which was surrounded by walls, was still under royal authority. A number of different monasteries did return or settle in the religious center. Meanwhile, the citizenry had been fighting to maintain and reclaim the rights of towns against the expansion of the church within the royal town. In the chaotic years after the fall of the House of Árpád, Esztergom suffered another calamity: in 1304, the forces of Wenceslaus II, the

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

king occupied and raided the castle. In the years to come, the castle was owned by several individuals: Róbert Károly and then

Louis the Great Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370. ...

patronized the town. In 1327 Kovácsi, the most influential suburb of the town, lying in the southeast, was united with Esztergom. The former suburb had three churches with mainly blacksmith, goldsmith, and coiner residents. In the 14th and 15th centuries Esztergom saw events of great importance and became one of the most influential acropolises of Hungarian culture along with Buda. Their courts, which were similar to the royal courts of Buda and

Visegrád Visegrád (; german: Plintenburg; la, Pone Navata or ; sk, Vyšehrad) is a castle town in Pest County, Hungary. It is north of Budapest on the right bank of the Danube in the Danube Bend. It had a population of 1,864 in 2010. The town is the ...

, were visited by such kings, scientists, and artists as

, Sigismund of Luxembourg, King Matthias Corvinus, Galeotto Marzio, Regiomontanus, the famous astronomer Marcin Bylica and

Georg von Peuerbach Georg von Peuerbach (also Purbach, Peurbach; la, Purbachius; born May 30, 1423 – April 8, 1461) was an Austrian astronomer, poet, mathematician and instrument maker, best known for his streamlined presentation of Ptolemaic astronomy in the ''Th ...

Pier Paolo Vergerio Pier Paolo Vergerio ( 1498 – October 4, 1565), the Younger, was an Italian papal nuncio and later Protestant reformer. Life He was born at Capodistria (Koper), Istria, then part of the Venetian Republic and studied jurisprudence in Padua, wh ...

and Antonio Bonfini, King Matthias's historian, who, in his work praises the constructive work of János Vitéz, King Matthias's educator. He had a library and an observatory built next to the cathedral. As Bonfini wrote about his masterpiece, his palace and terraced gardens: "he had a spacious room for knights built in the castle. In front of that, he built a wonderful

loggia In architecture, a loggia ( , usually , ) is a covered exterior gallery or corridor, usually on an upper level, but sometimes on the ground level of a building. The outer wall is open to the elements, usually supported by a series of columns ...

of red marble. In front of the room, he built the Chapel of Sibyls, whose walls were decorated with paintings of the sybils. On the walls of the knights' room, not only the likeness of all the kings could be found, but also the Scythian ancestors. He also had a double garden constructed, which was decorated with columns and a corridor above them. Between the two gardens, he built a round tower of red marble with several rooms and balconies. He had Saint Adalbert's Basilica covered with glass tiles". King Matthias's widow,

Beatrix of Aragon Beatrice of Naples (16 November 1457 – 23 September 1508), also known as Beatrice of Aragon ( hu, Aragóniai Beatrix; it, Beatrice d'Aragona), was twice Queen of Hungary and of Bohemia by marriage to Matthias Corvinus and Vladislaus II. S ...

, lived in the castle of Esztergom for ten years (1490–1500). The time of the next resident, Archbishop

Tamás Bakócz Tamás Bakócz (1442, in Erdőd15 June 1521, in Esztergom) was a Hungarian archbishop, cardinal and statesman. He was the son of a wagoner and was adopted by his uncle, who trained him for the priesthood and whom he succeeded as rector of Tét ...

(d. 1521) gave the town significant monuments. In 1507 he had Italian architects build the Bakócz chapel, which is the earliest and most significant

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

building which has survived in Hungary. The altarpiece of the chapel was carved from white marble by Andrea Ferrucci, a sculptor from Fiesole in 1519. The Ottoman conquest of

Mohács Mohács (; Croatian and Bunjevac: ''Mohač''; german: Mohatsch; sr, Мохач; tr, Mohaç) is a town in Baranya County, Hungary, on the right bank of the Danube. Etymology The name probably comes from the Slavic ''*Mъchačь'',''*Mocháč'': ...

in 1526 brought a decline to the previously flourishing Esztergom as well. In the

Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...

, the archbishop of Esztergom died. In the period between 1526 and 1543, when two rival kings reigned in Hungary, Esztergom was besieged six times. At times it was the forces of Ferdinand I or

John Zápolya John Zápolya or Szapolyai ( hu, Szapolyai/ Zápolya János, hr, Ivan Zapolja, ro, Ioan Zápolya, sk, Ján Zápoľský; 1490/91 – 22 July 1540), was King of Hungary (as John I) from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Fer ...

, at other times the Ottomans attacked. Finally, in 1530, Ferdinand I occupied the castle. He put foreign mercenaries in the castle, and sent the chapter and the bishopric to

Nagyszombat Trnava (, german: Tyrnau; hu, Nagyszombat, also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, to the northeast of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a ''kraj'' (Trnava Region) and of an ''okres'' (Trnava ...

and

Pozsony Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approximately 140% of ...

(that is why some of the treasury, the archives and the library survived). In 1543 Sultan

Suleiman the Magnificent Suleiman I ( ota, سليمان اول, Süleyman-ı Evvel; tr, I. Süleyman; 6 November 14946 September 1566), commonly known as Suleiman the Magnificent in the West and Suleiman the Lawgiver ( ota, قانونى سلطان سليمان, Ḳ ...

attacked the castle and captured it. The castle then remained under the

Ottoman Empire The Ottoman Empire, * ; is an archaic version. The definite article forms and were synonymous * and el, Оθωμανική Αυτοκρατορία, Othōmanikē Avtokratoria, label=none * info page on book at Martin Luther University) ...

. Esztergom (as ''Estergon'') became the centre of an Ottoman sanjak controlling several counties, and also a significant castle on the northwest border of the

– the main clashing point to prevent attacks on the mining towns of the highlands,

Vienna en, Viennese , iso_code = AT-9 , registration_plate = W , postal_code_type = Postal code , postal_code = , timezone = CET , utc_offset = +1 , timezone_DST ...

and Buda. In 1594, during the unsuccessful but devastating siege by the walls of the Víziváros, Bálint Balassa, the first Hungarian poet who gained European significance, died in action. The most devastating siege took place in 1595 when the castle was reclaimed by the troops of Count Karl von Mansfeld and Count Mátyás Cseszneky. The price that had to be paid, however, was high. Most of the buildings in the castle and the town that had been built in the

were destroyed during this period, and there were only uninhabitable, smothered ruins to welcome the liberators. In 1605 the Ottomans regained control over the castle as well as the whole region again, maintaining their rule until 1683. Though the Ottomans were mainly engaged in building and fortifying the castle, they also built significant new buildings including mosques, minarets and baths. These structures, along with the contemporary buildings, were destroyed in the siege of 1683 resulting in the liberation of Esztergom - though some Turkish buildings prevailed up to the beginning of the 18th century. The last time the Ottoman forces attacked Esztergom was in 1685. During the following year Buda was liberated as well. During these battles

János Bottyán János Bottyán (1643, Esztergom, Hungary – 27 September 1709), also known as Blind Bottyán, Vak Bottyán János was a Hungarian kuruc general. Bottyán was born into a poor noble family of Protestant religion, his father was Kurulh Efimovit ...

, captain of the cavalry, later the legendary figure of the Rákóczi war of independence disappeared. All that had been rebuilt at the end of the century was destroyed and burnt down during

Ferenc Rákóczi Ferenc () is a given name of Hungarian origin. It is a cognate of Francis, Francisco, Francesco, François, Frank and Franz. People with the name include: * Ferenc Batthyány, Hungarian magnate and general * Ferenc Berényi, Hungarian artist ...

's long lasting, but finally successful siege. The destroyed territory was settled by Hungarian, Slovakian and German settlers. This was when the new national landscape developed. In the area where there had previously been 65 Hungarian villages, only 22 were rebuilt. Though the reconstructed town received its free royal rights, in size and significance it was only a shadow of its former self. Handcrafts gained strength and in around 1730, there were 17 independent crafts operating in Esztergom. Wine-culture was also of major significance. This was also the period when the Baroque view of the downtown area and the Víziváros (Watertown) were developed. The old town's main characteristic is the simplicity and moderateness of its citizen Baroque architecture. The most beautiful buildings can be found around the marketplace (Széchenyi square). In 1761 the bishopric regained control over the castle, where they started the preliminary processes of the reconstruction of the new religious center: the middle of the Várhegy (Castle Hill), the remains of Saint Stephen and Saint Adalbert churches were carried away to provide room for the new cathedral. Although the major construction work and the resettlement of the bishopric (1820) played a significant role in the town's life, the pace of Esztergom's development gradually slowed down, and work on the new Basilica came to a halt. By the beginning of the 20th century, Esztergom gained significance owing to its cultural and educational institutions as well as to being an administrative capital. The town's situation turned worse after the Treaty of Trianon of 1920, after which it became a border town and lost most of its previous territory. This was also the place where the poet Mihály Babits spent his summers from 1924 to his death in 1941. The poet's residence was one of the centers of the country's literary life; he had a significant effect on intellectual life in Esztergom. Esztergom had one of the oldest Jewish communities in Hungary. They had a place of worship here by 1050. King Charles I (Caroberto) gifted a plot to the community for a cemetery in 1326. According to the 1910 census, 5.1% of the population were Jewish, while the 1941 census found a population of 1510 Jews. The community maintained an elementary school until 1944. Jewish shops were ordered to be closed on April 28, 1944, and a short-lived ghetto was set up on May 11. The former Jewish shops were handed over to non-Jews on June 9. The inmates of the ghetto were sent to Komárom in early June, then deported to Auschwitz on June 16, 1944. Two forced labor units, whose members were mainly Esztergom Jews, were executed ''en masse'' near Ágfalva, on the Austrian border in January 1945. Soviet troops captured the town on December 26, 1944, but were pushed back by the Germans on January 6, 1945, who were finally ousted on March 21, 1945. The Mária Valéria bridge, connecting Esztergom with the city of Štúrovo in Slovakia was rebuilt in 2001 with the support of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been de ...

. Originally it was inaugurated in 1895, but the retreating German troops destroyed it in 1944. A new thermal and wellness spa opened in November 2005.

Architecture

One of the most important events of the 1930s was the exploration and renovation of the remains of the palace of the

Árpád Árpád (; 845 – 907) was the head of the confederation of the Magyar tribes at the turn of the 9th and 10th centuries. He might have been either the sacred ruler or '' kende'' of the Hungarians, or their military leader or '' g ...

period. This again put Esztergom in the center of attention. Following

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposi ...

, Esztergom was left behind as one of the most severely devastated towns. However, reconstruction slowly managed to erase the traces of the war, with two of Esztergom's most vital characteristics gaining significance: due to its situation it was the cultural center of the area (more than 8,000 students were educated at its elementary, secondary schools and college ). On the other hand, as a result of the local industrial development it has become a vital basis for the Hungarian tool and machinery industry. This town, with its spectacular scenery and numerous memorials, a witness of the struggles of Hungarian history, is popular mostly with tourists interested in the beauties of the past and art. However, the town seems to regain its role in the country's politics, and its buildings and traditions revive.

The castle and palace

The winding streets of the town, with its church towers create a historical atmosphere. Below Esztergom Basilica, at the edge of the mountain stand the old walls and bastions – the remains of the castle of Esztergom. The remains of one section of the royal palace and castle that had been built during the Ottoman rule had been buried in the ground up until the 1930s. Most parts of the palace were explored and restored in the period between 1934 and 1938, but even today there are archeological excavations in progress. Passing through the narrow stairs, alleys, under arches and gates built in Romanesque style, a part of the past seems to come to life. This part of the palace was built in the time of King Béla III. With his wife - the daughter of Louis VII - French architects arrived and constructed the late-Roman and early-Gothic building at the end of the 12th century. The frescoes of the palace chapel date from the 12th-14th centuries, while on the walls of the mottes, some of the most beautiful paintings of the early Hungarian Renaissance can be admired (15th century). From the terrace of the palace one can admire the landscape of Esztergom. Under the terrace are the houses and churches of the Bishop-town section, or '‘Víziváros'’ (Watertown) and the Primate's Palace. Opposite the palace is the Saint Thomas hill, and surrounded by the mountains and the

. The walls of the castle still stand on the northern part of the Basilica. From the northern one can admire the view of Párkány on the other side of the Danube as well as the Szentgyörgymező, the Danube valley, and the So-called ‘Víziváros’ (Watertown) districts.

Esztergom Basilica

Those traveling to Esztergom today can admire the most monumental construction of Hungarian Classicism, the Basilica, which silently rules the landscape above the winding Danube, surrounded by mountains. The building that might be considered the symbol of the town is the largest church in Hungary and was built according to the plans of Pál Kühnel, János Páckh and

József Hild József Hild (born Josef Hild, 8 December 1789 – 6 March 1867) was a Hungarian-German architect.Hild József

from 1822 to 1869.

Ferenc Liszt Franz Liszt, in modern usage ''Liszt Ferenc'' . Liszt's Hungarian passport spelled his given name as "Ferencz". An orthographic reform of the Hungarian language in 1922 (which was 36 years after Liszt's death) changed the letter "cz" to simpl ...

wrote the Mass of Esztergom for this occasion. The

classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

church is enormous: the height of the dome is ; it has giant arches and an enormous altar-piece by

Michelangelo Grigoletti Girolamo Michelangelo Grigoletti (29 August 1801 – 11 February 1870) was an Italian painter, active in a Neoclassical style. Biography Born at Pordenone to a humble family, he was encouraged by an uncle priest who arranged for him to enrol ...

. On one side, in the Saint Stephen chapel, the glittering relics of Hungarian and other nations’ saints and valuable jewellery can be seen. On the south side, the Bakócz Chapel, the only one that survived the

, can be seen. The builders of the

Basilica In Ancient Roman architecture, a basilica is a large public building with multiple functions, typically built alongside the town's Forum (Roman), forum. The basilica was in the Latin West equivalent to a stoa in the Greek East. The building ...

had disassembled this structure into 1600 pieces, and incorporated it into the new church in its original form. The treasury houses many masterpieces of medieval goldsmith's works. The western European masters’ hands are praised by such items as the crown silver cross that has been used since the 13th century, the ornate chalices, Francesco Francia's processional cross, the upper part of the well-known ‘ Matthias-Calvary’ which is decorated in the rare ronde-bosse enamel technique. The Treasury also has a vast collection of traditional Hungarian and European textiles, including chasubles, liturgical vestments and robes. The sound of the enormous bell hung in the southern tower can be heard from kilometers away. From the top of the large dome, visitors can see a breath-taking view: to the north, east and south the ranges of the

Börzsöny Börzsöny (; sk, Novohradské hory, New City Mountains) is a mountain range in Northern Hungary. Its tallest peak is the Csóványos with . It is the westernmost member of the North Hungarian Mountains, which belongs to the Inner Western Car ...

, Pilis and Gerecse mountains rule the landscape, while to the west, in the valley of the Danube one can see as far as the Small Plains.

Viziváros

The Víziváros (Watertown) section was named after being built on the banks of the Kis- and Nagy Duna (Small and Great

). Its fortresses, walls, bastions and Turkish can still be seen by the walk on the banks of the Danube. By the northern end of the wall, on the bank of the Nagy-Duna, an interesting memorial is put, a stone table with Ottoman Turkish writings commemorates Sultan

’s victorious siege of 1543. The narrow, winding streets within the walls hide the remains of Turkish

mosque A mosque (; from ar, مَسْجِد, masjid, ; literally "place of ritual prostration"), also called masjid, is a place of prayer for Muslims. Mosques are usually covered buildings, but can be any place where prayers ( sujud) are performed, ...

s and baths. Along the delightful streets of the Víziváros (Watertown), surrounded by Baroque and

Classicist Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...

buildings stands the Primate's Palace, designed by József Lippert (1880–82). The Keresztény Múzeum (Christian museum), founded by Archbishop János Simor, is located in this building. It houses a rich collection of Hungarian panel pictures and sculpture of the

as well as Italian and western-European paintings and handicrafts (13th-18th centuries). This is where one can admire the chapel-like structure of the late Gothic ‘Úrkoporsó’ (Lord's coffin) from Garamszentbenedek that is decorated by painted wooden sculptures (c. 1480), the winged altar-piece by Thomas of Coloswar (1427), paintings by Master M.S. (1506), the gothic altars from Upper Historical Hungary (Felvidék), handicrafts of Italian, German and Flemish artists from the 13th–17th centuries, tapestries and ceramics. The building of the Balassa Bálint Museum that was built in Baroque style on medieval bases and is located in Víziváros (Watertown), served as the first town hall of Esztergom county after the Turks had been driven out of the region. The parish-church in the centre of the Víziváros (Watertown), which was built by the Jesuits between 1728 and 1738, and the single-towered

churches are also masterpieces of Baroque architecture.

Cathedral Library

The Cathedral Library standing in the southern part of the town, which was built in 1853 according to plans by

József Hild József Hild (born Josef Hild, 8 December 1789 – 6 March 1867) was a Hungarian-German architect.Hild József

is one of the richest religious libraries of Hungary, accommodating approximately 250,000 books, among which several

codices The codex (plural codices ) was the historical ancestor of the modern book. Instead of being composed of sheets of paper, it used sheets of vellum, papyrus, or other materials. The term ''codex'' is often used for ancient manuscript books, with ...

and incunabula can be found, such as the Latin explanation of the ‘ Song of Songs’ from the 12th century, the ‘Lövöföldi Corvina’ originating from donations of King Matthias, or the , which includes the Hungarian translation of the Bible from 1516 to 1519. Along with Bakócz and Ulászló

gradual The gradual ( la, graduale or ) is a chant or hymn in the Mass, the liturgical celebration of the Eucharist in the Catholic Church, and among some other Christians. It gets its name from the Latin (meaning "step") because it was once chanted ...

s, they conserve also the Balassa Bible, in which Balassa's uncle, Balassa András wrote down the circumstances of his birth and death.

Szent Tamás-hegy

The main sight of the nearby ‘Szent Tamás-hegy’ (Saint Thomas Hill - Szenttamás) is the Baroque Calvary, with the

chapel on the top of the hill, which was built to commemorate the heroes who died for Esztergom. The hill was named after a church built by Bishop Lukács Bánffy in memoriam the martyr Saint

Thomas Becket Thomas Becket (), also known as Saint Thomas of Canterbury, Thomas of London and later Thomas à Becket (21 December 1119 or 1120 – 29 December 1170), was an English nobleman who served as Lord Chancellor from 1155 to 1162, and then ...

, who had been his fellow student at the University of Paris. The church and the small castle which the Turks built there were destroyed a long time ago. On its original spot, the top of the hill, the narrow winding streets and small houses that were built by the masters who were working on the construction of the Basilica at the beginning of the previous century, have an atmosphere that is similar to that of

Tabán Tabán usually refers to an area within the 1st district of Budapest, the capital of Hungary. It lies on the Buda (i.e. Western) side of the Danube, to the south of György Dózsa Square, on the northern side of Elisabeth Bridge and to the east o ...

in Buda. At the foot of the hill are the swimming pool and the Classicist building of the Fürdő Szálló (Bath Hotel). This is where Lajos Kossuth stayed in 1848 on one of his recruiting tours. On the southern slopes of the hill there is a Mediterranean, winding path with stairs that lead to the Baroque Saint Stephen chapel.

Széchényi Square and the Town Hall

The main square of the town is the Széchényi square. Of the several buildings of Baroque,

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

and

style, there is one that catches everyone's eyes: the Town Hall. Originally, it used to be the single-floor curia of Vak Bottyán (

, Bottyán the Blind), the Kuruc general (1689). The first floor was constructed on its top in 1729. The house burnt down in the 1750s. It was rebuilt in accordance with the plans of a local architect, Antal Hartmann. Upon its façade there is a red marble carving which presents the coat of arms of Esztergom (a palace within the castle walls, protected by towers, with the

s’ shields below.) On the corner of the building the equestrian statue of Vak Bottyán (created by István Martsa) commemorates the original owner of the house. The Trinity-statue in the middle of the square was created by György Kiss in 1900. In Bottyán János Street, near the Town Hall, there are well decorated Baroque houses. This is where the

church is located (built between 1700 and 1755). Opposite this building there is a Baroque palace which used to belong to the Sándor Earl family.

Other churches

In the direction of the Kis Duna, the downtown parish-church, built by the architect Ignác Oratsek can be admired. A bit farther is the

Church of Saint Anne. The orthodox church at 60 Kossuth Lajos street was built around 1770 by Serbian settlers in Esztergom.

Demographics

Languages and ethnic groups

The city and the neighbouring territories became devastated due to the Ottoman wars. Esztergom was repopulated by mostly ethnic

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

, some

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

and Slovaks in the late 17th and the early 18th centuries.András Vályi: Magyar Országnak leírása, Buda, 179
Online
/ref> According to András Vályi, the population of Esztergom was mostly Hungarian in 1796, and the German and Slovak minorities were conversant with the

Hungarian language Hungarian () is an Uralic language spoken in Hungary and parts of several neighbouring countries. It is the official language of Hungary and one of the 24 official languages of the European Union. Outside Hungary, it is also spoken by Hungarian ...

. Elek Fényes described Esztergom as mostly Hungarian by language in 1851.Elek Fényes: Magyarország geographiai szótára, Pest, 185
Online
/ref> Based on the 1880 census, the city (with Szentgyörgymező, Szenttamás and Víziváros) had 14,944 inhabitants, of whom there were 13,340 (89.3%) Hungarians, 755 (5.1%) Germans and 321 (2.1%) Slovaks by native language. According to the 2011 census the total population of Esztergom was 28,926, of whom there were 24,155 (83.5%) Hungarians, 729 (2.5%) Romani, 527 (1.8%) Germans and 242 (0.8%) Slovaks by ethnicity.Hungarian census, Komárom-Esztergom county, tables 4.1.6.1, 4.1.7.1
/ref> 13.6% of the total population did not declare their ethnicity. In Hungary people can declare multiple ethnic background, so other people declared Hungarian and a minority one together.

Religion

Historically, Esztergom has been the seat of the

Hungarian Catholic Church Hungarian Catholic Church may refer to: * Catholic Church in Hungary, incorporating all communities and institutions of the Catholic Church in Hungary (including the Latin Church) * Hungarian Byzantine Catholic Church (an Eastern Catholic church of ...

and the privilege of 1708 banned non-Catholics from the city (excluding the small

Serbian Orthodox The Serbian Orthodox Church ( sr-Cyrl, Српска православна црква, Srpska pravoslavna crkva) is one of the autocephalous (ecclesiastically independent) Eastern Orthodox Christian denomination, Christian churches. The majori ...

minority). Thus, the population was almost exclusively

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

in 1851. The 1869 census showed 14,512 people (with Szentgyörgymező, Szenttamás and Víziváros), 13,567 (93.5%) Roman Catholic, 718 (4.9%)

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

, 130 (0.9%) Hungarian Reformed (

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

), 68 (0.5%)

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

and 27 (0.2%)

Eastern Orthodox Eastern Orthodoxy, also known as Eastern Orthodox Christianity, is one of the three main branches of Chalcedonian Christianity, alongside Catholicism and Protestantism. Like the Pentarchy of the first millennium, the mainstream (or " canonical ...

. At the 2011 census, there were 13,127 (45.4%) Roman Catholic, 1,647 (5.7%) Hungarian Reformed, 211 (0.7%) Lutheran and 160 (0.6%) Greek Catholic. 3,807 people (13.2%) were irreligious and 418 (1.5%) Atheist, while 9,046 people (31.3%) did not declare their religion. Esztergom

Industry

The Magyar Suzuki Corporation plant opened in 1992, as the European base of the Japanese automotive manufacturer Suzuki. It has a production capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year and it is the biggest employing company in the city, with 3,100 employees.

Climate

Notable residents

* Andrew II (c. 1177 – 1235), also known as ''Andrew of Jerusalem'', King of Hungary and Croatia (1205 - 1235), Prince of Halych (1188 - 1189/1190, 1208/1209 - 1210). *

Arcadius Avellanus Arcadius Avellanus, born Mogyoróssy Arkád (6 February 1851 – 16 June 1935), was a Hungarian American scholar of Latin and a proponent of Living Latin. Mogyoróssy was born in Esztergom. Few details of his life in Europe are known with cer ...

(1851 – 1935), Hungarian-American scholar of Latin, proponent of Living Latin *

(1442 – 1521 in Esztergom) a Hungarian archbishop, cardinal and statesman. * Helene von Bolváry (1892–1943), Hungarian actress *

(1643 – 1709), a Hungarian kuruc general *

Charles I of Hungary Charles I, also known as Charles Robert ( hu, Károly Róbert; hr, Karlo Robert; sk, Karol Róbert; 128816 July 1342) was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1308 to his death. He was a member of the Capetian House of Anjou and the only son of ...

(1288–1342) crowned King of Hungary at Esztergom in 1301. * Ugrin Csák, archbishop of Kalocsa, Hungary (1219 - 1241) * Imre Csáky (1672 – 1732), Hungarian Roman Catholic cardinal * Blessed

Eusebius of Esztergom Eusebius of Caesarea (; grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος ; 260/265 – 30 May 339), also known as Eusebius Pamphilus (from the grc-gre, Εὐσέβιος τοῦ Παμφίλου), was a Greeks, Greek historian of Christianity, exegete, and C ...

(1200 - 1270), Hungarian canon, hermit, founder of the

Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit The Order of Saint Paul the First Hermit ( lat, Ordo Fratrum Sancti Pauli Primi Eremitæ; abbreviated OSPPE), commonly called the Pauline Fathers, is a monastic order of the Roman Catholic Church founded in Hungary during the 13th century. Thi ...

* Anett György (1996 -), Hungarian racing driver * Tamás Hajnal (1981-), Hungarian footballer * László Horváth (1962 -), Hungarian politician * Saint Irene of Hungary (1088 – 1134), Hungarian-born Byzantine empress * Judith of Hungary (ca. 969 - ca. 988), Hungarian princess, member of the House of Árpád * Márta Kurtág (1927 – 2019), classical pianist * Osvát Laskai (1450 – 1511), Hungarian Franciscan friar, preacher, teacher of theology, head of the friaries of Esztergom and Pest * Ludwig Lichtscheing (? - 1886), Hungarian rabbi *

Attila Menyhárd Attila Menyhárd is a Hungarian lawyer, a professor of civil law and the head of the Department at Eötvös Loránd University (hereafter ELTE), Faculty of Law, Civil Law Department in Budapest, Hungary. Biography Menyhárd earned his law ...

Ph.D., Hungarian lawyer, professor of civil law, head of the Civil Law Department on the Faculty of Law at the University of Budapest * Alojzije Mišić (1859 – 1942), Croatian Bishop of Mostar-Duvno and Apostolic Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan (1912 - 1942) *

Jozef Murgaš Jozef Murgaš (English Joseph Murgas) (17 February 1864 – 11 May 1929) was a Slovak inventor, architect, botanist, painter and Roman Catholic priest. He contributed to wireless telegraphy and helped in the development of mobile communicati ...

(1864 – 1929), Slovak inventor, architect, botanist, painter, and Roman Catholic priest, contributor to the wireless telegraphy and the development of mobile communications and wireless transmission of information and human voice. *

Tibor Pézsa Tibor Pézsa (born 15 November 1935) is a retired Hungarian fencer. He competed in the individual and team sabre A sabre (French: �sabʁ or saber in American English) is a type of backsword with a curved blade associated with the l ...

(1935 -), Hungarian fencer * László Ernő Pintér (1942 - 2002), Hungarian Franciscan priest, malacologist * Blessed

Sebestyén Sebestyén () is a Hungarian-language surname and given name, which is an equivalent of Sebastian. It may refer to: Surname * Balázs Sebestyén (born 1977), Hungarian television presenter * Béla Sebestyén (1885–1959), Hungarian football pl ...

(? - 1007), Hungarian Benedictine missionary, prelate and politician, Archbishop of Esztergom (1002 - 1007) *

Stephen I of Hungary Stephen I, also known as King Saint Stephen ( hu, Szent István király ; la, Sanctus Stephanus; sk, Štefan I. or Štefan Veľký; 975 – 15 August 1038), was the last Grand Prince of the Hungarians between 997 and 1000 or 1001, and the ...

(975 – 1038), the first King of Hungary. * Sándor Urbanik (born 1964), Hungarian race walker * Vladislaus II (1456 – 1516), King of Bohemia (1471 - 1516), King of Hungary and Croatia (1490 - 1516) * Blessed

Yolanda of Poland Yolanda of Poland or Yolanda of Hungary, also Blessed Yolanda (also known as Helen; 1235 – 11 June 1298) was the daughter of King Béla IV of Hungary and Maria Laskarina. She was the sister of Margaret of Hungary and Kinga of Poland (Cuneg ...

(1235 – 1298) Hungarian nun of the order of Poor Clares * Zlaudus (? - ca.1262), bishop of Veszprém in the Kingdom of Hungary (1245 - 1262), Chancellor of Hungary in 1226 * Nándor Zsolt (1887 - 1936), conductor, composer and the professor of violin at the Franz Liszt Academy of Music

Twin towns – sister cities

Esztergom is twinned with: *

Espoo Espoo (, ; sv, Esbo) is a city and municipality in the region of Uusimaa in the Republic of Finland. It is located on the northern shore of the Gulf of Finland, bordering the cities of Helsinki, Vantaa, Kirkkonummi, Vihti and Nurmijärvi ...

, Finland (1974) * Štúrovo, Slovakia (1991) * Bamberg, Germany (1992) * Cambrai, France (1992) *

Ehingen Ehingen (Donau) (; Swabian: ''Eegne'') is a town in the Alb-Donau district in Baden-Württemberg, Germany, situated on the left bank of the Danube, approx. southwest of Ulm and southeast of Stuttgart. The city, like the entire district of ...

, Germany (1992) *

Maintal Maintal is the second largest town of the Main-Kinzig district, in Hesse, Germany. It is situated on the river Main, between Frankfurt am Main and Hanau. Geography Neighbouring places The neighbouring countries of Maintal are Niederdorfelden ...

, Germany (1993) *

Gniezno Gniezno (; german: Gnesen; la, Gnesna) is a city in central-western Poland, about east of Poznań. Its population in 2021 was 66,769, making it the sixth-largest city in the Greater Poland Voivodeship. One of the Piast dynasty's chief cities, ...

, Poland (1994) *

Mariazell Mariazell ( Central Bavarian: ''Mariazöö'') is an Austrian city in the southeastern state of Styria. Well known for being a hub of winter sports and a pilgrimage destination, it is located north of Graz. It is picturesquely situated in the vall ...

, Austria (2002) *

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour. The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of ...

, United Kingdom (2004)

Gallery

File:Várhegy2.JPG, Castle Hill File:EsztergomBazilikaFotoThalerTamas.JPG, Esztergom Cathedral at night File:Esztergom-vár1.jpg, The ''White Tower'' of Castle File:Első királyunk szülőhelye.JPG, HNM Castle Museum File:Belvárosi r.k.plébániatemplom (6227. számú műemlék) 2.jpg, Downtown Church File:Esztergomi, vízivárosi római katolikus plébániatemplom 2021 01.jpg, Watertown Church File:Esztergom, Kerektemplom 2019.jpg, Saint Anne Church or ''Round Church'' File:Sotetkapu.JPG, Dark Gate File:Ister-kút (Esztergom, Széchenyi tér) 1.JPG, Ister-Fountain

Notes

References

External links

* * in Hungarian, English, German and Slovak
Aerial photography: Esztergom (Part 1)(Part 2)

Basilica of Esztergom

The Organ of The Esztergom Cathedral

Keresztény Múzeum (Christian Museum)

Szeretgom.hu - Online community portal, news, politics and cultural events in Esztergom
{{authority control Populated places in Komárom-Esztergom County Populated places on the Danube Spa towns in Hungary Former capitals of Hungary 972 establishments Romanesque architecture in Hungary Hungary–Slovakia border crossings Roman settlements in Hungary Populated places established in the 10th century Hungarian German communities Serb communities in Hungary 10th-century establishments in Hungary Cities with county rights of Hungary