Szerencs
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Szerencs is a
town A town is a human settlement. Towns are generally larger than villages and smaller than cities, though the criteria to distinguish between them vary considerably in different parts of the world. Origin and use The word "town" shares an ori ...
in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
county A county is a geographic region of a country used for administrative or other purposesChambers Dictionary, L. Brookes (ed.), 2005, Chambers Harrap Publishers Ltd, Edinburgh in certain modern nations. The term is derived from the Old French ...
, Northern
Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...
. It lies away from Miskolc, and away from
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 has about 9,100 inhabitants.


History

Szerencs grew into a town where the Great Plain and the Zemplén mountains meet. It is the cultural and economic centre of Southern Hegyalja. This small town, with rich historical past, is called the Gate of Hegyalja and due to it was inhabited in ancient times. The first authentic written record about the one-thousand-year-old Szerencs dates back to a document from the 13th century. In 1241 the monastery of crusaders from St. John-order (the Joannists) stood here, which was named “Szerencs-Abbey of the Apostles called St. Peter and St. Paul”. The documents from the end of the 15th century refer to the settlement as a town. The most important part of the history of the town can be connected to the era of Zsigmond Rákóczi, around the 16th and 17th centuries. In 1605 in Szerencs on his land the parliament was convoked where István Bocskai was elected the Governor of Transylvania. Programme “Day of Szerencs town“ has been organized since 1998 to celebrate this historical event on 20 April, every year. István Bocskai gave Szerencs the status of a royal town with significant privileges in 1606. Among the Rákóczi Family the last lord of the Szerencs-castle was Ferenc Rákóczi II. In the 18th century, in the era of Mária Terézia, the settlement began to show slow economic development. Then this development came to a sudden stop and during the administrative reform of 1876 Szerencs was qualified as a large village, i.e. it lost its status as a medieval market town. Establishing industries at the end of the 19th century gave a new pace to the settlement. The greatest sugar factory and refinery at that time of Europe were built here during 8 months in 1889. The chocolate factory was built in 1923, and its products made the name of Szerencs known nationally. Between the two world wars the settlement developed, but not at an earlier rapid pace. Szerencs had a population of 6707 residents in 1930. The factories, the rolling mill and the quarry provided a decent living for the people living here. After 1945 Szerencs became the economic, cultural and administrative centre of the district and the modern development of the settlement began in 1960s. In 1984 the settlement was given town status again. In the 20th century Szerencs has become a town with its specific atmosphere as a result of urbanizational processes embedded in historical traditions. The educational institutions like the crčche, three nursery schools, two primary schools and two secondary schools, ensure socialization, trade-learning and preparations for higher education at a high level for nearly 3000 children and young people. International relations of Szerencs enrich the educational and cultural life of the town. Twin town co-operational agreements were concluded with Malchin (1989) and Geisenheim (1989) in Germany, Roznava (1991) in Slovakia and Hesperingen (1997) in Luxembourg. Twin town relations provide opportunities for exchange visits of students, tradition-keeping groups, families and the mutual introduction of cultural values. Nowadays, the town serves as the engine of the Multi-purpose Microregion of Szerencs Town comprising 18 settlements with its primary and medium level educational establishments, its health care, sports facilities and services. In recent years, several developments have taken place in the town (construction of a swimming pool, establishing an Industrial Park, creating a flowery city). New developments are also underway: block of flats building program, making up a rainwater and groundwater system, upgrading the existing ambulance center etc.). The ultimate goal is to create a small town of European standard.


Tourist sights

;Rákóczi Castle The history of the castle, built on the ruins of a Benedictine Abbey, goes back to the 1550s. During the war against the Turkish it saw several battles. Between 1586 and 1616 it was the residence of the Rákóczi family. In the second half of the 18th century three towers of the inner castle were demolished, but the southern tower remained. After the War of Independence, led by Ferenc Rákóczi II, the new landlords rebuilt it as a palace, so it lost its characteristics as a castle. The Huszárvár Hotel, the Zemplén Museum and the Town Cultural Centre are also housed here where the latter organises various programmes attracting tourists. Every June the Hegyalja Smallholders’ Days with grape-wine exhibition, wine competition and folklore programmes are held here. The Museum of the town rich in history, at the edge of Tokaj-Hegyalja, was opened in 1969. The permanent exhibition of the Zemplén Museum can be seen in six rooms on the first floor of the eastern wing. The exhibits are displayed in four groups. The largest one is placed in three rooms and called the History of Picture Postcards. This collection of picture postcards is still the biggest collection in Hungary: its estimated number is 900,000. ;Roman Catholic Church The Roman Catholic Church, built in baroque style in 1774, and the statue if Saint John from Nepomuk in front of it in Rákóczi Street, have architectural value. ;Calvinist Church The old Calvinist Church, built in Gothic style at the end of the 13th century, can also be found in Rákóczi Street. Zsigmond Rákóczi was buried here in 1609. His red marble tomb can be seen in the nave. ;Greek Catholic Church The Greek Catholic Church, in Ondi Street, was built in the beginning of the 18th century.


Twin towns – sister cities

Szerencs is twinned with: *
Geisenheim Geisenheim is a town in the Rheingau-Taunus-Kreis in the ''Regierungsbezirk'' of Darmstadt in Hessen, Germany, and is known as ''Weinstadt'' (“Wine Town”), ''Schulstadt'' (“School Town”), ''Domstadt'' (“Cathedral Town”) and ''Lindenstad ...
, Germany * Hesperange, Luxembourg *
Malchin Malchin () is a town in the Mecklenburgische Seenplatte district, in Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania, Germany. It offers some notable landmarks, such as two Brick Gothic town gates, a medieval defense tower, the Gothic town church of St. Johannis ...
, Germany *
Miercurea Nirajului Miercurea Nirajului ( hu, Nyárádszereda ) is a town in Mureș County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, an ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania. The following seven villages are administered by the town: * Beu / Székelybő * Dum ...
, Romania * Podgora, Croatia *
Pułtusk Pułtusk (pronounced ) is a town in northeast Poland, by the river Narew. Located north of Warsaw in the Masovian Voivodeship, it had a population of about 19,000 . Known for its historic architecture and Europe's longest paved marketplace ( in ...
, Poland *
Rožňava Rožňava ( hu, Rozsnyó, german: Rosenau, Latin: ''Rosnavia'') is a town in Slovakia, approximately by road from Košice in the Košice Region, and has a population of 19,182. The town is an economic and tourist centre of the Gemer. Rožňava ...
, Slovakia


References


External links

* in Hungarian {{Authority control Populated places in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén County