Győr Explained

Győr
Settlement Type:City with county rights
Official Name:Hungarian: Győr Megyei Jogú Város
Pushpin Map:Hungary Győr-Moson-Sopron#Hungary
Pushpin Relief:1
Subdivision Type:Country
Subdivision Type1:Region
Subdivision Name1:Western Transdanubia
Subdivision Type2:County
Subdivision Name2:Győr-Moson-Sopron
Subdivision Type3:District
Subdivision Name3:Győr
Leader Title:Mayor
Leader Name:Csaba András Dézsi[1] (Fidesz)
Leader Title1:Deputy Mayor
Leader Name1:Dr Tivadar Somogyi (Fidesz-KDNP)
Dr Dávid Fekete (Fidesz-KDNP)
Ákos Radnóti (Fidesz-KDNP)
Leader Title2:Town Notary
Leader Name2:Dr Szilárd Lipovits
Petra Tibold
Area Total Km2:174.62
Area Footnotes:[2]
Elevation M:108
Population Total:129301
Population Footnotes:[3]
Population Urban:246159
Population Urban Footnotes:(7th)[4]
Population As Of:1 January 2017
Population Density Urban Km2:auto
Population Density Metro Km2:auto
Population Demonym:győri
Demographics Type1:Population by ethnicity
Demographics1 Footnotes:[5]
Demographics1 Title1:Hungarians
Demographics1 Info1:84.5%
Demographics1 Title2:Germans
Demographics1 Info2:1.5%
Demographics1 Title3:Romani
Demographics1 Info3:0.8%
Demographics1 Title4:Others
Demographics1 Info4:1.7%
Demographics Type2:Population by religion
Demographics2 Title1:Roman Catholic
Demographics2 Info1:44.9%
Demographics2 Title2:Evangelicals
Demographics2 Info2:4.3%
Demographics2 Title3:Calvinists
Demographics2 Info3:4.1%
Demographics2 Title4:Other
Demographics2 Info4:1.5%
Demographics2 Title5:Non-religious
Demographics2 Info5:14.2%
Postal Code:9000 to 9030
Area Code:(+36) 96
Timezone:CET
Timezone Dst:CEST
Utc Offset:+1
Utc Offset Dst:+2
Blank Name:Motorways
Blank Info:M1, M19, M85
Blank6 Name Sec1:International Airport
Blank6 Info Sec1:Győr (QGY)
Blank2 Name:Distance from Budapest
Blank2 Info:121km (75miles) East
Blank1 Name Sec1:NUTS 3 code
Blank1 Info Sec1:HU221
Blank3 Name Sec2:MP
Blank3 Info Sec2:Róbert Balázs Simon (Fidesz)
Ákos Kara (Fidesz)

Győr ([6] [7] in Hungarian ɟøːr/; German: Raab|links=no; names in other languages) is the main city of northwest Hungary, the capital of Győr-Moson-Sopron County and Western Transdanubia region, and – halfway between Budapest and Vienna – situated on one of the important roads of Central Europe. It is the sixth largest city in Hungary, and one of its seven main regional centres. The city has county rights.

History

The area along the Danube River has been inhabited by varying cultures since ancient times. The first large settlement dates back to the 5th century BCE; the inhabitants were Celts. They called the town Ara Bona "Good altar", later contracted to Arrabona, a name which was used until the eighth century. Its shortened form is still used as the German (Raab) and Slovak (Ráb) names of the city.

Roman merchants moved to Arrabona during the 1st century BCE. Around 10 CE, the Roman army occupied the northern part of Western Hungary, which they called Pannonia. Although the Roman Empire abandoned the area in the 4th century due to constant attacks by the tribes living to the east, the town remained inhabited.

Around 500 the territory was settled by Slavs, in 547 by the Lombards, and in 568–c. 800 by the Avars, at that time under Frankish and Slavic influence. During this time it was called Rabba and later Raab. Between 880 and 894, it was part of Great Moravia, and then briefly under East Frankish dominance.The Magyars occupied the town around 900 and fortified the abandoned Roman fortress. Stephen I, the first king of Hungary, founded an episcopate there. The town received its Hungarian name Győr, which likely derives from Old Hungarian personal name Győr, who could be the county's first count.[8] The town was affected by all the trials and tribulations of the history of Hungary: it was occupied by Mongols during the Mongol invasion (1241–1242) and then was destroyed by the Czech army in 1271.

After the disastrous battle of Mohács, Baron Tamás Nádasdy and Count György Cseszneky occupied the town for King Ferdinand I while John Zápolya also was attempting to annex it. During the Ottoman occupation of present-day central and eastern Hungary[9] (1541 - late 17th century), Győr's commander Kristóf Lamberg thought it would be futile to try to defend the town from the Turkish army. He burned down the town and the Turkish forces found nothing but blackened ruins, hence the Turkish name for Győr, Yanık kale ("burnt castle").

During rebuilding, the town was surrounded with a castle and a city wall designed by the leading Italian builders of the era. The town changed in character during these years, with many new buildings built in Renaissance style, but the main square and the grid of streets remained.

In 1594, after the death of Count János Cseszneky, captain of Hungarian footsoldiers, the Ottoman army occupied the castle and the town. In 1598 the Hungarian and Austrian army took control of it again and occupied it.[10] During the Turkish occupation the city was called Yanık Kala (burned place, as a reference to the enormous damages caused by the siege).[11]

In 1683, the Turks returned briefly, only to leave after being defeated in the Battle of Vienna.

During the following centuries, the town became prosperous. In 1743 Győr was elevated to free royal town status by Maria Theresa. The religious orders of Jesuits and Carmelites settled there, building schools, churches, a hospital, and a monastery.

On 14 June 1809, during the War of the Fifth Coalition, this was the site of the Battle of Győr (Battle of Raab), where the army of Eugène de Beauharnais defeated the Hungarian "noble insurrection" (militia) and an Austrian corps under the Archdukes Joseph and Johann. Napoleon's forces occupied the castle and had some of its walls blown up. The leaders of the town soon realized that the old ramparts were not useful any more. Most of the ramparts were destroyed, allowing the town to expand.

In the mid-19th century, Győr's role in trade grew as steamship traffic on the River Danube began. The town lost its importance in trade when the railway line between Budapest and Kanizsa superseded river traffic after 1861. The town leaders compensated for this loss with industrialisation. The town prospered until World War II when several buildings were destroyed. Some large-scale strategic bombing devastated industrial and residential areas as well as the airport. It was targeted because the Rába factory was a main tank (Turán) and aeroplane (Bf 109) producer. One of these raids destroyed some parts of the maternity hospital.[12]

The 1950s and '60s brought more change: only big blocks of flats were built, and the old historical buildings were not given care or attention. In the 1970s the reconstruction of the city centre began; old buildings were restored and reconstructed. In 1989 Győr won the European award for the protection of monuments.

A 100-year-old Raba factory on the River Danube close to the historical centre is to be replaced by a new community called Városrét. The mixed-use community will have residential and commercial space as well as schools, clinics and parks.

The city's main theatre is the National Theatre of Győr, finished in 1978. It features large ceramic ornaments made by Victor Vasarely.

The city has several historical buildings, for example the castle, and the Lutheran Evangelic church.

Climate

Győr's climate is classified as oceanic climate (Köppen Cfb) closely bordering on a humid subtropical climate (Köppen Cfa). Among them, the annual average temperature is, the hottest month in July is, and the coldest month is in January. The annual precipitation is, of which July is the wettest with, while February is the driest with only . The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from on December 28, 1996, to on August 8, 2013.

Main sights

The ancient core of the city is Káptalan Hill at the confluence of three rivers: the Mosoni-Danube, Rába, and Rábca. Püspökvár, the residence of Győr's bishops, can be easily recognized by its incomplete tower. Győr's oldest buildings are the 13th-century dwelling tower and the 15th-century Gothic Dóczy Chapel. The cathedral, originally in Romanesque style, was rebuilt in Gothic and Baroque style.

Other sights include:

The Pannonhalma Archabbey is located some 20km (10miles) outside the town.

Renovation

After the year 2000 the city started many big construction and renovation projects.

The bigger changes include:

Economy

Audi AG subsidiary company Audi Hungaria Zrt. has a large factory in Győr, where the Audi TT sports car, the A3 Cabriolet,[13] A3 Limousine,[14] and many engines (1,913,053 engines in 2007) are built. The factory opened in 1994, at first producing inline-four engines for the Audi marque. Business then grew to assembling the Audi TT Coupé and TT Roadster. Eventually, V6 and V8 engines were also included, and after the acquisition of Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A., Audi then began to build V10 engines. The V10s for Audi vehicles are fully assembled here, but only the cylinder blocks for the Lamborghini V10.[15] Engines are also supplied to other Volkswagen Group marques, but over 90% of Audi vehicle engines are made here.[16] By 2020, the factory has a 12 MW solar roof, producing 9.5 GWh/year.[17]

Politics

The current mayor of Győr is Csaba András Dézsi (Fidesz-KDNP).

The local Municipal Assembly, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 23 members (1 Mayor, 16 Individual constituencies MEPs and 6 Compensation List MEPs) divided into this political parties and alliances:[18]

PartySeatsCurrent Municipal Assembly
 Fidesz-KDNP16M               
 Opposition coalition4                
 Civilians for Győr2                
 Association for Győr1                

List of mayors

List of City Mayors from 1990:

MemberPartyTerm of office
Ernő KolozsvárySZDSZ1990–1994
József BaloghMSZP1994–2006
Zsolt BorkaiFidesz2006–2019
Independent
Csaba András DézsiFidesz2020–

Notable people

Transport

The city is a national hub for rail and road traffic. The transport-geographical position of Győr is excellent. The most important railway connections are the Vienna-Budapest railway line, but the Győr-Sopron railway line owned by the Győr-Sopron-Ebenfurt railway company, as well as the Győr-Celldömölk railway line and the Győr-Veszprém railway run by MÁV. In Győr, several main transport routes meet each other (M1, M19, 1, 14, 81, 82, 83, 85), and the motorway is accessible from several parts of the city. Győr-Pér Airport can be reached from the city on Highway 81, 15 kilometers towards Székesfehérvár. At the 1734 km section of the Danube lies the port of Győr-Gönyű with its fully equipped 25 hectare serving terminal.

Sports

Győr is the home of the Győri ETO Sport Club, which has many sport divisions. The most popular sport in the city is handball, with the Győri ETO KC being the city's main team. ETO won the Champions League in 2013, 2014, 2017, 2018 and in 2019 and also reached the final in 2009, 2012 and in 2016. In addition, Győr reached the final of the EHF Cup Winners' Cup in 2006 and the final of the EHF Cup in 1999, 2002, 2004 and 2005.

WKW ETO FC Győr is a football team, currently (as of 2023/2024) in the Hungarian Second Division.[19]

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Hungary. Győr is twinned with:[20]

References

Notes

External links

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Attila, Rovó; Marianna, Biró . Index.hu – A fideszes Dézsi Csaba András megnyerte Győrben az időközi polgármester-választást . © 1999-2020 Index.hu Zrt. . 2020-01-26 . 2020-01-26 . hu.
  2. Web site: Gazetteer of Hungary, 1 January 2017. Hungarian Central Statistical Office . 2017-10-05 . en, hu . 52 . 2018-01-19.
  3. http://www.ksh.hu/apps/hntr.telepules?p_lang=EN&p_id=25584 KSH, Győr, 2017
  4. http://appsso.eurostat.ec.europa.eu/nui/show.do?dataset=urb_lpop1&lang=en Eurostat, 2016
  5. http://www.ksh.hu/apps/hntr.telepules?p_lang=EN&p_id=25584 KSH - Győr, 2011
  6. 8 September 2019.
  7. 8 September 2019.
  8. Book: Bényei . Ágnes . Az Árpád-kori Győr vármegye településneveinek nyelvészeti elemzése . Pethő . Gergely . Magyar Névarchívum . 1998 . 9634722857 . Hofmann . István . . 16 . The linguistic analysis of Győr county's place names from the age of the House of Árpád.
  9. Encyclopedia: Royal Hungary (historical region, Hungary) - . Britannica Online Encyclopedia . 2011-09-16.
  10. Book: Sugar. Peter F.. Hanák. Péter. Frank. Tibor. A History of Hungary. registration. 1990. Indiana University Press. Bloomington. 97.
  11. Web site: Győr ostroma. Borovszky Samu: Magyarország vármegyéi és városai Kézikönyvtár. www.arcanum.hu. hu. 2018-09-26.
  12. Web site: Az 1944. április 13-i győri terrorbombázás - Régi Győr. Endre. Kozma. regigyor.hu. hu. 2018-09-26.
  13. Web site: Start of production and world premiere for the Audi A3 Cabriolet in Hungary. Volkswagen AG. 30 November 2007. 30 August 2009. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20081120104505/http://www.volkswagenag.com/vwag/vwcorp/info_center/en/news/2007/11/Produktionsstart.html . 20 November 2008.
  14. Web site: World Industrial Reporter – Audi Hungaria Celebrates Start of Production of A3 Limousine. 2013-06-13. © 2013 Thomas Publishing Company. 2013-07-17. 2014-12-13. https://web.archive.org/web/20141213012659/http://www.worldindustrialreporter.com/audi-hungaria-celebrates-start-of-production-of-a3-limousine/. dead.
  15. Web site: Lamborghini Cars full specifications - First spyshots of the Lamborghini L140 model. LamboCars.com. 30 August 2009 . https://web.archive.org/web/20050418002240/http://www.lambocars.com/archive/newl140.htm . 2005-04-18.
  16. Web site: Audi ups Hungarian output . BBJ.hu . https://web.archive.org/web/20080621021618/http://www.bbj.hu/news/news_35128.html . 2008-06-21 . 2 January 2012.
  17. Web site: Largest Rooftop Solar System in Europe Goes Online ... on Audi Factory . . 10 October 2020.
  18. Web site: Városi közgyűlés tagjai 2019-2024 - Győr (Győr-Moson-Sopron megye). valasztas.hu. 2019-10-29.
  19. Web site: WKW ETO FC GYŐR - MLSZ adatbank. 2020-11-09. adatbank.mlsz.hu.
  20. Web site: Győr testvérvárosi kapcsolatai. gyor.hu. Győr. hu. 2021-03-23.