Székesfehérvár (; german: Stuhlweißenburg ), known colloquially as Fehérvár ("white castle"), is a city in central

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 ...

, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the

regional In geography, regions, otherwise referred to as zones, lands or territories, are areas that are broadly divided by physical characteristics (physical geography), human impact characteristics (human geography), and the interaction of humanity and t ...

capital of

Central Transdanubia Central Transdanubia ( hu, Közép-Dunántúl) is a statistical ( NUTS 2) region of Hungary. The capital is Székesfehérvár. It is part of Transdanubia (NUTS 1) region. Central Transdanubia includes counties of Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom, and ...

, and the centre of

Fejér County Fejér ( hu, Fejér megye, ) is an administrative county ( comitatus or megye) in Central Hungary. It lies on the west bank of the river Danube and nearly touches the eastern shore of Lake Balaton. It shares borders with the Hungarian counties ...

and

Székesfehérvár District Székesfehérvár ( hu, Székesfehérvári járás) is a district in central-western part of Fejér County. ''Székesfehérvár'' is also the name of the town where the district seat is found. The district is located in the Central Transdanubia, Ce ...

. The area is an important rail and road junction between

Lake Balaton Lake Balaton () is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and ...

and

Lake Velence Lake Velence (german: Welenzer See), an endorheic basin, is the third largest natural lake in Hungary. It is a popular holiday destination among Hungarians. The lake has an area of 26 km2, one third of which is covered by the common reed. Be ...

. Székesfehérvár, a royal residence (''székhely''), as capital of the

Kingdom of Hungary The Kingdom of Hungary was a monarchy in Central Europe that existed for nearly a millennium, from the Middle Ages into the 20th century. The Principality of Hungary emerged as a Christian kingdom upon the coronation of the first king Stephen ...

, held a central role in the Middle Ages. As required by the

Doctrine of the Holy Crown The Holy Crown of Hungary ( hu, Szent Korona; sh, Kruna svetoga Stjepana; la, Sacra Corona; sk, Svätoštefanská koruna , la, Sacra Corona), also known as the Crown of Saint Stephen, named in honour of Saint Stephen I of Hungary, was the ...

, the first kings of Hungary were crowned and buried here. Significant trade routes led to the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

and

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

, and to Buda and

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

. Historically the city has come under Ottoman and Habsburg control, and was known in many languages by translations of " white castle" – hr, Stolni Biograd, german: Stuhlweißenburg, la, Alba Regia, ota, İstolni Belgrad, sr, Stoni Beograd, sk, Stoličný Belehrad.

History

Pre-Hungarian

The place has been inhabited since the 5th century BC. In

Roman 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 lette ...

times the settlements were called ''Gorsium'' and ''Herculia''. After the Migration Period

was the part of the Avar Khaganate, while the Slavic and

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 ...

n presence is disputed. (There is no source for the name of the place before the late 10th century.) 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 ...

its Latin name was ''Alba Regalis''/''Alba Regia''. The town was an important traffic junction between

and

, several trade routes led from here to the

and

, and to Buda and

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

. (Today, the town is a junction of seven railroad lines.)

Early Hungarian

Grand Prince Géza Grand may refer to: People with the name * Grand (surname) * Grand L. Bush (born 1955), American actor * Grand Mixer DXT, American turntablist * Grand Puba (born 1966), American rapper Places * Grand, Oklahoma * Grand, Vosges, village and co ...

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 ...

was the nominal overlord of all seven Magyar tribes but in reality ruled only part of the united territory. He aimed to integrate Hungary into Christian Western Europe by rebuilding the state according to the Western political and social models. Géza founded the Hungarian town in 972 on four moorland islands between the Gaja stream and its tributary, the Sárvíz, one of the most important Hungarian tributaries of the Danube. He also had a small stone castle built. Székesfehérvár was first mentioned in a document by the

Bishopric of Veszprém In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

, 1009, as ''Alba Civitas''.

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 ...

granted

town rights Town privileges or borough rights were important features of European towns during most of the second millennium. The city law customary in Central Europe probably dates back to Italian models, which in turn were oriented towards the tradition ...

to the settlement, surrounded the town with a plank wall, and founded a school and a monastery. Under his rule the construction of the Romanesque

Székesfehérvár Basilica The Basilica of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary ( hu, Nagyboldogasszony-bazilika) was a basilica in Székesfehérvár ( la, Alba Regia), Hungary. From the year 1000 until 1527, it was the site of the coronation of the Hungarian monarch ...

began (it was built between 1003 and 1038). The settlement had about 3,500 inhabitants at this time and was the royal seat for hundreds of years. 43 kings were crowned in Székesfehérvár (the last one in 1526) and 15 kings were buried here (the last one in 1540). In the 12th century, the town prospered, churches, monasteries, and houses were built. It was an important station on the pilgrim route to the Holy Land. András II issued the

Golden Bull A golden bull or chrysobull was a decree issued by Byzantine Emperors and later by monarchs in Europe during the Middle Ages and Renaissance, most notably by the Holy Roman Emperors. The term was originally coined for the golden seal (a ''bull ...

here in 1222. The Bull included the rights of nobles and the duties of the king, and the

Constitution of Hungary The Fundamental Law of Hungary ( hu, Magyarország alaptörvénye), the country's constitution, was adopted by parliament on 18 April 2011, promulgated by the president a week later and entered into force on 1 January 2012. It is Hungary's first c ...

was based on it until 1848. It is often compared to England's Magna Carta. During the Mongol Invasion of Hungary (1241–1242), the invaders could not get close to the castle:

Kadan Kadan (also Qadan) was the son of the second Great Khan of the Mongols Ögedei and a concubine. He was the grandson of Genghis Khan and the brother of Güyük Khan. During the Mongol invasion of Europe, Kadan, along with Baidar (son of Chaga ...

ruled Mongol warriors could not get through the surrounding

marsh A marsh is a wetland that is dominated by herbaceous rather than woody plant species.Keddy, P.A. 2010. Wetland Ecology: Principles and Conservation (2nd edition). Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK. 497 p Marshes can often be found a ...

es because of flooding caused by melting snow. In the 13th–15th centuries, the town prospered, and several palaces were built. In the 14th century, Székesfehérvár was surrounded by city walls. After the death of King Mátyás (1490), the German army of 20,000 men of

Maximilian Maximilian, Maximillian or Maximiliaan (Maximilien in French) is a male given name. The name " Max" is considered a shortening of "Maximilian" as well as of several other names. List of people Monarchs *Maximilian I, Holy Roman Emperor (1459� ...

invaded Hungary. They advanced into the heart of Hungary and captured the city of Székesfehérvár, which he sacked, as well as the tomb of King Mátyás, which was kept there. His

Landsknecht The (singular: , ), also rendered as Landsknechts or Lansquenets, were Germanic mercenaries used in pike and shot formations during the early modern period. Consisting predominantly of pikemen and supporting foot soldiers, their front lin ...

s were still unsatisfied with the plunder and refused to go for taking Buda. He returned to the Empire in late December and the Hungarian troops liberated Székesfehérvár in the next year.

Ottoman period

The Ottomans conquered the city after a long siege in 1543 and only after a

sally Sally may refer to: People *Sally (name), a list of notable people with the name Military * Sally (military), an attack by the defenders of a town or fortress under siege against a besieging force; see sally port *Sally, the Allied reporting na ...

ended in most of the defenders including the commander, György Varkoch, being locked out by wealthy citizens fearing they might incur the wrath of the Ottomans by a lengthy siege. Except for a short period in 1601 when Székesfehérvár was reconquered by an army led by

Lawrence of Brindisi Lawrence of Brindisi (22 July 1559 – 22 July 1619), born Giulio Cesare Russo, was a Roman Catholic priest and a theologian as well as a member of the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. An accomplished linguist, in addition to his native Itali ...

, the city remained under Ottoman administration for 145 years, until 1688, with the Ottomans being preoccupied with the

Morean War The Morean War ( it, Guerra di Morea), also known as the Sixth Ottoman–Venetian War, was fought between 1684–1699 as part of the wider conflict known as the " Great Turkish War", between the Republic of Venice and the Ottoman Empire. Military ...

. They named the city ''Belgrade'' ("white city", from Serbian

Beograd Belgrade ( , ;, ; names in other languages) is the capital and largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. Nearly 1,166,763 million ...

) and built

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. In the 16th–17th centuries it looked like a Muslim city. Most of the original population fled. It was a sanjak centre in Budin Province as "İstolni Belgrad" during Ottoman rule.

Habsburg Monarchy

The city began to prosper again only in the 18th century. It had a mixed population:

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 ...

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

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

, and Moravians. By 1702, the

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 ...

of Nagyboldogasszony was blown up, thus destroying the largest cathedral in Hungary at that time, and the coronation temple. By the

, all kings of Hungary were obliged to be crowned in this cathedral, and to take part in coronation ceremony in the surroundings of the cathedral. The coronations after that time were held in Pozsony (now Bratislava). In 1703, Székesfehérvár regained the status of a

free royal town Royal free city or free royal city (Latin: libera regia civitas) was the official term for the most important cities in the Kingdom of Hungary from the late 12th centuryBácskai Vera – Nagy Lajos: Piackörzetek, piacközpontok és városok Magy ...

. In the middle of the century, several new buildings were erected (Franciscan church and monastery, Jesuit churches, public buildings, Baroque palaces). Maria Theresa made the city an episcopal seat in 1777. By the early 19th century, the German population was assimilated. On 15 March 1848, the citizens joined the

revolution In political science, a revolution (Latin: ''revolutio'', "a turn around") is a fundamental and relatively sudden change in political power and political organization which occurs when the population revolts against the government, typically due ...

. After the revolution and war for independence, Székesfehérvár lost its importance and became a mainly agricultural city. In 1909 ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper '' The Sunday Times'' (f ...

Engineering Contract List'' noted a bridge construction contract valued at £12,000 to be overseen by the Chief Magistrate.

Interwar period

New prosperity arrived between the two world wars, when several new factories were opened. In 1922 a radio station was established. It used two masts insulated against ground, each with a height of 152 metres. The last mast of the station was demolished in 2009.

World War II

In 1944, after the occupation of Hungary by

Nazi Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in ...

Germany, the city's Jewish population was confined to a

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...

and was eventually deported to the Auschwitz death camp, together with further 3,000 Jews from the area.city in central Hungary
at the Beit Hatfutsot (Jewish Diaspora Museum, Tel Aviv) website
by Dr. Eliezer Even (Koves) & Bemjamin Ravid, Jerusalem, 1997 The pre-war Jewish population consisted of Neolog (Reform) and

Orthodox Orthodox, Orthodoxy, or Orthodoxism may refer to: Religion * Orthodoxy, adherence to accepted norms, more specifically adherence to creeds, especially within Christianity and Judaism, but also less commonly in non-Abrahamic religions like Neo-pa ...

communities with their respective synagogues, and some of its members were active

Zionists Zionism ( he, צִיּוֹנוּת ''Tsiyyonut'' after ''Zion'') is a nationalist movement that espouses the establishment of, and support for a homeland for the Jewish people centered in the area roughly corresponding to what is known in Je ...

. In December 1944, Fehérvár came under Russian artillery fire, and stiff fighting broke out as the

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

advanced on the city. The Germans had chosen to concentrate their forces to protect the 15 mile gap between Fehérvár and

. Whereas most of the gap consisted of marsh and difficult ground, Fehérvár was the node for eight highways and six railways. Despite the heavy German defences, a Russian flying column broke through and occupied the city on 23 December; the Germans were able to push them out on 22 January 1945. In March 1945, the area was the battleground for the last major German offensive of World War II; but following its failure

Marshal Tolbukhin Fyodor Ivanovich Tolbukhin (russian: Фёдор Ива́нович Толбу́хин; 16 June 1894 – 17 October 1949) was a Soviet military commander and Marshal of the Soviet Union. Early life and military career Tolbukhin was born into ...

broke through the German lines once more and recaptured the city on 22 March. A Soviet

airfield An aerodrome ( Commonwealth English) or airdrome (American English) is a location from which aircraft flight operations take place, regardless of whether they involve air cargo, passengers, or neither, and regardless of whether it is for pub ...

was established at nearby

Szabadbattyán Szabadbattyán is a village in Fejér county, Hungary. Located about 10 km from Székesfehérvár and about 30 km from Lake Balaton. The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times. Archeological record go back to the Bronze Age ...

After WWII

Saint_Stephen's_Basilica_-_panoramio_-_fabiolah_(1)

In August 1951 over 150 people were killed when two trains collided in Fehérvár. After

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 opposing ...

, the city was subject to industrialization, like many other cities and towns in the country. The most important factories were the

Ikarus bus Ikarus was a bus manufacturer based in Budapest and Székesfehérvár, Hungary. It was established in 1895 as Imre Uhry's Blacksmith Workshop and Coach Factory ''( hun.: Uhry Imre Kovács- és Kocsigyártó Üzeme)'' and during the Communist e ...

factory, the Videoton radio and TV factory, and the Könnyűfémmű (colloquially Köfém)

aluminium Aluminium (aluminum in American and Canadian English) is a chemical element with the symbol Al and atomic number 13. Aluminium has a density lower than those of other common metals, at approximately one third that of steel. I ...

processing plant, since acquired by Alcoa. By the 1970s, Székesfehérvár had swelled to more than 100,000 inhabitants (in 1945 it had only about 35,000). Several housing estates were built, but the city centre preserved its Baroque atmosphere. The most important Baroque buildings are the cathedral, the episcopal palace and the city hall. In the past few decades, archaeologists have excavated medieval ruins (that of the Romanesque basilica and the mausoleum of St. Stephen of Hungary); they can now be visited. At the end of the Socialist regime, all the important factories were on the verge of collapse (some eventually folded) and thousands of people lost their jobs. However, the city profited from losing the old and inefficient companies, as an abundance of skilled labour coupled with excellent traffic connections and existing infrastructure attracted numerous foreign firms seeking to invest in Hungary. Székesfehérvár became one of the prime destinations for multinational companies setting up shop in Hungary (

Ford Ford commonly refers to: * Ford Motor Company, an automobile manufacturer founded by Henry Ford * Ford (crossing), a shallow crossing on a river Ford may also refer to: Ford Motor Company * Henry Ford, founder of the Ford Motor Company * Ford F ...

and IBM are some of them), turning the city into a success story of Hungary's transition to a market economy. A few years later Denso, Alcoa,

Philips Koninklijke Philips N.V. (), commonly shortened to Philips, is a Dutch multinational conglomerate corporation that was founded in Eindhoven in 1891. Since 1997, it has been mostly headquartered in Amsterdam, though the Benelux headquarters i ...

, and Sanmina-SCI Corporation also settled in the city.

Culture

Architecture

* Historical centre (Baroque, Classical) buildings * St Stephen Cathedral and ruins of

(one of the largest basilicas in medieval Europe), where the

Diets The Low Countries comprise the coastal Rhine–Meuse–Scheldt delta region in Western Europe, whose definition usually includes the modern countries of Luxembourg, Belgium and the Netherlands. Both Belgium and the Netherlands derived their ...

were held and the crown jewels kept, seat for the

coronation of the Hungarian monarch The coronation of the Hungarian monarch was a ceremony in which the king or queen of the Kingdom of Hungary was formally crowned and invested with regalia. It corresponded to the coronation ceremonies in other European monarchies. While in countr ...

and location of royal burials and memorials. * St Anna Chapel (Gothic, built around 1470) * "Ruin Garden": Ruins of medieval church founded by St Stephen * Episcopal Palace (Zopf style) * City Hall * Zichy Palace (Zopf style manor house, 1781) * Serbian Quarter (12 thatched peasant houses and a Byzantine-style church, won a

Europa Nostra Europa Nostra (Italian for "Our Europe") is a pan-European Federation for Cultural Heritage, representing citizens' organisations that work on safeguarding Europe's cultural and natural heritage. It is the voice of this movement to relevant inte ...

award in 1990) *

Bory Castle Bory may refer to: __NOTOC__ Places * Bory (Žďár nad Sázavou District), a municipality in the Czech Republic * Bory, a part of Plzeň in the Czech Republic, and a prison situated there * Bory, Levice District, a municipality and village in Slo ...

(20th century). A fantastic castle-like structure built by the sculptor

Jenő Bory Jenő Bory ( Székesfehérvár, 9 November 1879 – Székesfehérvár, 20 December 1959) was a Hungarian architect and sculptor. Background Bory received his degree in building engineering in Budapest in 1903. He enrolled in the Academy of Fine ...

and his wife with their own hands. * Vörösmarty Theater, the oldest theater of the country

Statues and memorials

* Golden Bull memorial. The ''

'' was an important charter of King András II, it was released here; the memorial is from 1972. * Globus crucifer (a stone image of the royal symbol of power of the same name) * Statue of György Varkoch at the supposed site of his death at the gates (see above) * Flower clock * Railway model exhibition

Museums and galleries

* King István Museum * Doll Museum * Black Eagle (Fekete Sas) Pharmacy Museum * City Museum * City Gallery * Csitáry spring (mineral water source)

Population

Ethnic groups (2001 census): *

- 95.7% *

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

- 0.8% * Roma - 0.5% * Others - 0.5% * No answer - 2.4% Religions (2001 census): *

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 ...

- 53.8%. The city stands in the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Székesfehérvár The Diocese of Székesfehérvár ( la, Dioecesis Albae Regalensis) is a diocese located in the city of Székesfehérvár in the Ecclesiastical province of Esztergom-Budapest in Hungary. History * 16 June 1777: Established as Diocese of Székesf ...

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 ...

- 12.1% *

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 ...

- 1.9% *

Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

- 0.5% * Other ( Christian) - 1% * Other (non-Christian) - 0.2% *

Atheists Atheism, in the broadest sense, is an absence of belief in the existence of deities. Less broadly, atheism is a rejection of the belief that any deities exist. In an even narrower sense, atheism is specifically the position that there no d ...

- 19.7% * No answer, unknown - 10.7%

Politics

The current mayor of Székesfehérvár is

András Cser-Palkovics Dr. András Cser-Palkovics (born 25 September 1974) is a Hungarian politician, member of the National Assembly (MP) for Székesfehérvár (Fejér County Constituency I) between 2010 and 2014. He was a Member of the Parliament from Fejér County R ...

(Fidesz). The local Municipal Assembly, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 21 members (1 Mayor, 14 Individual constituencies MEPs and 6 Compensation List MEPs) divided into this political parties and alliances:

List of mayors

List of City Mayors from 1990:

Transport

Székesfehérvár is an important hub for the Hungarian railway system (''MÁV''). Trains depart to the Northern Coast of Lake Balaton and towards the capital. The city is also reachable by regional buses from other major national destinations. There are numerous local buslines operating 7 days a week, operated by the company that also operates the regional buses in the region, KNYKK Zrt. (''Közép-Nyugat Magyarországi Közlekedési Központ).''

Sport

Alba Regia Sportcsarnok is an indoor stadium in the city. It hosts a number of sport clubs from amateur to professional level, with 2017 Hungarian basketball championship winner

Alba Fehérvár Alba Fehérvár are a Hungarian professional basketball club based in Székesfehérvár that compete Nemzeti Bajnokság I, the premier division of basketball in Hungary. Founded as the successor of Székesfehérvári MDSE, they took the Hungarian ...

being its most notable tenant. Other city sports clubs include: *

Videoton FC Videoton may refer to: * Videoton (company), Hungarian electronics company *Fehérvár FC, formerly known as Videoton FC, Hungarian football club See also *Vidéotron Vidéotron is a Canadian integrated telecommunications company active in cable ...

(football) *

Székesfehérvári MÁV Előre SC Székesfehérvári MÁV Előre Sport Club was a Hungarian football club from the town of Székesfehérvár, Hungary. History Székesfehérvári MÁV Előre Sport Club debuted in the 1977–78 season of the Hungarian League Hungarian may refe ...

(football) * Székeshfehervar Alba Volan HC (ice hockey) * Alba Fehérvár KC (handball) * Fehérvár Enthroners (American Football) * Székesfehérvári Kempo SE (martial arts) * Profi Kempo Akadémia - PKA

Notable people

Born in Székesfehérvár

Béla Balogh Béla Balogh (1 January 1885 in Székesfehérvár – 30 March 1945 in Budapest) was a Hungarian film director, one of the most prominent of the early 20th century. He was prominent in both silent and voiced productions, and is most known ...

, film director *

Katalin Bogyay Katalin Annamária Bogyay (born 20 August 1956) is a Hungarian ambassador, diplomat, journalist and the President of the United Nations Association of Hungary since April 2021. She has been a lecturer at the Corvinus University of Budapest sinc ...

, journalist, diplomat * Bendegúz Bolla, footballer *

, sculptor, architect *

István Deák István Deák (born 11 May 1926) is a Hungarian-born American historian, author and academic. He is a specialist in modern Europe, with special attention to Germany and Hungary. Life and work Deák was born at Székesfehérvár, Hungary into ...

, historian * Dávid Disztl, football player * George Fisher, Serbian leader of the Texas Revolution *

Ignác Goldziher Ignác (Yitzhaq Yehuda) Goldziher (22 June 1850 – 13 November 1921), often credited as Ignaz Goldziher, was a Hungarian scholar of Islam. Along with the German Theodor Nöldeke and the Dutch Christiaan Snouck Hurgronje, he is considered the ...

, orientalist *

Katarina Ivanović Katarina Ivanović (1811–1882) was a Serbian painter from the Austrian Empire (later Hungary in Austria-Hungary). She is regarded as the first Serbian female painter in modern art history. Biography Ivanović was born in Veszprém in the Austr ...

, early 19th century Serbian Biedermeier painter *

Péter Kuczka Péter Kuczka (Székesfehérvár, Hungary, 1 March 1923 – Budapest, Hungary, 8 December 1999) was a Hungary, Hungarian writer, poet and science fiction editor. He was also active as a comic writer. After finishing high school, Kuczka studied at ...

, writer *

Kornél Lánczos __NOTOC__ Cornelius (Cornel) Lanczos ( hu, Lánczos Kornél, ; born as Kornél Lőwy, until 1906: ''Löwy (Lőwy) Kornél''; February 2, 1893 – June 25, 1974) was a Hungarian-American and later Hungarian-Irish mathematician and physicist. Accor ...

, physicist * George Lang, restaurateur *

Lőrinc Mészáros Lőrincz Mészáros (born 24 February 1966) is a Hungarian businessman, and former politician, who served as Mayor of the hungarian village Felcsút between 2011 and 2018 . With an estimated wealth of 407.7 billion forint ($1.3 billion) ...

, richest person in Hungary, former politician close to Fidesz * Zsolt Nagy, footballer *

Viktor Orbán Viktor Mihály Orbán (; born 31 May 1963) is a Hungarian politician who has served as prime minister of Hungary since 2010, previously holding the office from 1998 to 2002. He has presided over Fidesz since 1993, with a brief break between ...

, Prime Minister of Hungary in 1998—2002 and 2010–present *

Lajos Simicska Lajos Simicska (born 28 January 1960) is a former Hungarian business magnate, a former politician of Fidesz, and he was the head of APEH, Hungary's internal revenue service between 1998–1999, during the first government of Viktor Orbán. He wa ...

, business magnate, former politician of Fidesz *Gyula Szekfű, historian *

Dominik Szoboszlai Dominik Szoboszlai (; born 25 October 2000) is a Hungarian professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for club RB Leipzig and the Hungary national team. Coming through the youth system, Szoboszlai made his senior debut in 2017 with Au ...

, football player *

Márk Tamás Márk Tamás (born 28 October 1993) is a Hungarian professional footballer who plays as a centre-back for Azerbaijan Premier League club Neftchi Baku.. Club career On 23 July 2023, Tamás signed a two-year contract with Neftçi PFK. Inter ...

, football player *

Miklós Ybl Miklós Ybl (6 April 1814 in Székesfehérvár – 22 January 1891 in Budapest) was one of Europe's leading architects in the mid to late nineteenth century as well as Hungary's most influential architect during his career. His most well-known wo ...

, architect

Buried royalty

Prince Saint Emeric of Hungary Emeric ( hu, Szent Imre herceg), also ''Emericus,'' ''Emerick, Emery, Emory'', and venerated as Saint Emeric (c. 1007 – 2 September 1031) was the son of King Stephen I of Hungary and Giselle of Bavaria. Life Family Emeric is assumedSauser ...

(1031) * King Saint Stephen (1038) * Coloman the Bookish (1116) *

Álmos the Blind Álmos (), also Almos or Almus (c. 820 – c. 895), was—according to the uniform account of Hungarian chronicles—the first head of the "loose federation" of the Hungarian tribes from around 850. Whether he was the sacred ruler (''kende'') o ...

(1129) *

Béla the Blind 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'' (''whit ...

(1141) *

Géza II Géza is a Hungarian given name and may refer to any of the following: * Benjamin Géza Affleck * Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians * Géza I of Hungary, King of Hungary * Géza II of Hungary, King of Hungary * Géza, son of Géza II of Hungar ...

(1162) * Stephen IV (1165) *

Agnes of Antioch Agnes of Antioch ( 1154 – c. 1184) was Queen of Hungary from 1172 until 1184 as the first wife of Béla III. The accidental discovery of her intact tomb during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 has provided an opportunity for patriotic demonstr ...

(1184) * Béla III (1196) * Ladislaus III (1205) *

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 ...

(1342) *

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. ...

(1382) * Albert the Magnanimous (1439) *

Matthias Corvinus Matthias Corvinus, also called Matthias I ( hu, Hunyadi Mátyás, ro, Matia/Matei Corvin, hr, Matija/Matijaš Korvin, sk, Matej Korvín, cz, Matyáš Korvín; ), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1458 to 1490. After conducting several m ...

(1490) *

Vladislaus II of Bohemia and Hungary Vladislaus II, also known as Vladislav, Władysław or Wladislas ( hu, II. Ulászló; 1 March 1456 – 13 March 1516), was King of Bohemia from 1471 to 1516, and King of Hungary and Croatia from 1490 to 1516. As the eldest son of Casimir IV Jagi ...

(1516) * Louis II (1526)

Fictional

* Albert Horn, character in

Louis Malle Louis Marie Malle (; 30 October 1932 – 23 November 1995) was a French film director, screenwriter, and producer who worked in both French cinema and Hollywood. Described as "eclectic" and "a filmmaker difficult to pin down," Malle's filmogr ...

's film ''

Lacombe, Lucien ''Lacombe, Lucien'' is a 1974 French war drama film by Louis Malle about a French teenage boy during the German occupation of France in World War II. Plot In June 1944, as the Allies are fighting the Germans in Normandy, Lucien Lacombe, a 17-y ...

''.

Twin towns – sister cities

Székesfehérvár is twinned with: *

Alba Iulia Alba Iulia (; german: Karlsburg or ''Carlsburg'', formerly ''Weißenburg''; hu, Gyulafehérvár; la, Apulum) is a city that serves as the seat of Alba County in the west-central part of Romania. Located on the Mureș River in the historica ...

, Romania *

Biograd na Moru Biograd na Moru (), shortened to simply Biograd (), is a town in northern Dalmatia, Croatia and is significant for being another capital of the medieval Kingdom of Croatia. Biograd is administratively part of the Zadar County. It is located on th ...

, Croatia *

Tuzla Tuzla (, ) is the third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inhabitants. Tuzla is the economic, cultural, e ...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina *

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands (county), West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1. ...

, United States *

Blagoevgrad Blagoevgrad ( bg, Благоевград ) is а town in Southwestern Bulgaria, the administrative centre of Blagoevgrad Municipality and of Blagoevgrad Province. With a population of almost inhabitants, it is the economic and cultural centre ...

, Bulgaria * Bratislava, Slovakia *

Sokobanja Sokobanja ( sr-cyr, Сокобања, ) is a spa town and municipality located in the Zaječar District of the eastern Serbia. As of 2011, the population of the town is 7,982, while population of the municipality is 16,021. Geography Sokobanja ...

, Serbia *

Cento The Middle East Treaty Organization (METO), also known as the Baghdad Pact and subsequently known as the Central Treaty Organization (CENTO), was a military alliance of the Cold War. It was formed in 24 February 1955 by Iran, Iraq, Pakistan, Tur ...

, Italy * Chorley, England, United Kingdom *

Erdenet Erdenet ( mn, Эрдэнэт, literally "with treasure") is the third-largest city in Mongolia, with a 2018 population of 98,045, and the capital of the aimag (province) of Orkhon. Located in the northern part of the country, it lies in a valley ...

, Mongolia *

Delčevo Delčevo ( mk, Делчево ) is a small town in the eastern mountainous part of North Macedonia. It is the municipal seat of the eponymous municipality. A festival in celebration of revolutionary leader Goce Delčev) is held every year on Au ...

, North Macedonia * Kemi, Finland * Kocaeli, Turkey *

Luhansk Luhansk (, ; uk, Луганськ, ), also known as Lugansk (, ; russian: Луганск, ), is a city in what is internationally recognised as Ukraine, although it is administered by Russia as capital of the Luhansk People's Republic (LPR). A ...

, Ukraine *

Miercurea Ciuc Miercurea Ciuc (; hu, Csíkszereda, ; german: Szeklerburg) is the county seat of Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, a mainly Hungarian-speaking ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, and is situated in the Olt Ri ...

, Romania * Opole, Poland *

Schwäbisch Gmünd Schwäbisch Gmünd (, until 1934: Gmünd; Swabian: ''Gmẽẽd'' or ''Gmend'') is a city in the eastern part of the German state of Baden-Württemberg. With a population of around 60,000, the city is the second largest in the Ostalb district and ...

, Germany *

Zadar Zadar ( , ; historically known as Zara (from Venetian and Italian: ); see also other names), is the oldest continuously inhabited Croatian city. It is situated on the Adriatic Sea, at the northwestern part of Ravni Kotari region. Zadar ser ...

, Croatia

References

Székesfehérvár, a királyi város
(Székesfehérvár, the royal city) ;Notes

External links

Székesfehérvár official site

Aerial photography: Székesfehérvár

Picture Gallery of Székesfehérvár

Székesfehérvár at funiq.hu
{{DEFAULTSORT:Szekesfehervar County seats in Hungary Cities with county rights of Hungary Populated places in Fejér County 972 establishments Former capitals of Hungary Populated places established in the 10th century Serb communities in Hungary 10th-century establishments in Hungary