Sátoraljaújhely

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Sátoraljaújhely
Pauliner church and friary
Pauliner church and friary
Country Flag of Hungary Hungary
County Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén
Area
 - Total 73.45 km² (28.4 sq mi)
Population (2001)
 - Total 18,352
 - Density 250/km² (647.5/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
 - Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 3980
Area code(s) 47
The Wine Church
The Wine Church

Sátoraljaújhely (archaic German: ; Slovak: Nové Mesto pod Šiatrom; Yiddish: איהעל (ihel)) is a town located in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in northern Hungary near the Slovak border. It is 82 km (51 mi) east from the county capital Miskolc.

Contents

[edit] History

Sátoralja (meaning "under the tent", referring to the tent-shaped hill nearby) was a settlement from the Conquest of Hungary until the Tatars destroyed the town. It was rebuilt in the 13th century, although there was disagreement among the citizens concerning the name; some wanted to keep the original name and some wanted to rename it új hely ("new place").

Sátoraljaújhely was granted town status in 1261 by King Stephen V, and a castle was built around this time, as well.

Sátoraljaújhely often has played an important role in the region's history. Revolts against Habsburg rule began there in the 17th and 18th centuries. After the Revolution of 1848, Sátoraljaújhely began swiftly developing owing to its location close to important trade routes leading to Poland, Russia, and Transylvania. The town's light industry led it to becoming the capital of the comitatus Zemplén in the 17th century.

Sátoraljaújhely has always been an important town in culture. Ferenc Kazinczy, one of the reformers of the Hungarian language, lived here in the 18th century. At the turn of the 20th century the town was home to a small but important Jewish community; some 4,500 of the town's 13,000 residents were Jewish. The community counted among its members Moses Teitelbaum and Michael Heilprin.

In the Treaty of Trianon Hungary lost its northern territories. The border was set to the Ronyva stream, splitting the city into two parts. One-fifth of the population and one-fourth of the territory of the town became part of Czechoslovakia. The newly created village got name Slovenské Nové Mesto (Szlovákújhely or Kisújhely in Hungarian). Two railway lines and the industrial zone were lost. The town's industry was being rebuilt during the interwar period, but the outbreak of World War II, continuous bombing, and the Soviet occupation left the town in very poor condition.

During the reorganisation of administration in 1950, the former comitatus Zemplén became a part of the united Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, and Sátoraljaújhely lost its county capital status.

Sátoraljaújhely was rebuilt again and is today a national ski centre and tourism destination.

[edit] Tourist sights

  • Historical downtown (with an atmosphere of 19th century towns)
  • Main Church and Comitatus Fountain at the town square
  • Wine Church, the only known church in Hungary not owned by any denomination, as it was used to store wine in past centuries.
  • Ferenc Kazinczy Mausoleum
  • Ferenc Kazinczy Museum
  • Waldbott-villa
  • Baroque town hall, a Renaissance building of the former Zemplén comitatus where Ferenc Kazinczy worked.
  • Former Financial Palace, a mark of the town's great economic importance in the 19th and the early 20th century.
  • Abandoned synagogue cemetery - Sátoraljaújhely was once home to Hungary's second-largest Jewish community.
  • Tomb of Rabbi Moses Teitelbaum
  • Chairlift

[edit] Famous residents

[edit] Nationalities

  • Hungarian 90.91%
  • Gypsy 6.37%
  • Slovakian 1.21%
  • German 0.96%
  • Other 0.55%
Abandoned Jewish synagogue and cemetery
Abandoned Jewish synagogue and cemetery

[edit] Sister cities

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 48°24′N, 21°40′E