Hatvan

Hatvan ( German: Hottwan ) is a Hungarian town in Heves county, about 60 km north-east of Budapest ( " Hatvan " is the Hungarian word for sixty). The city has 22 419 inhabitants ( 2005), situated on the river Zagyva near the Matra Mountains.

History

In the vicinity of Hatvan settlement remains were excavated from the period between 5000-2500 BC. Remains of a watchtower were discovered near the Strázsa Mountain from Roman times. Since the 12th - 13th Century led by the medieval village Hatvan a trade route because a safe crossing of the Zagyva was possible here. From 1264 there was a Premonstratensian monastery in Hatvan. The place was in the 15th century, the rank of a borough before 1544 to 1686 the Turks occupied the place.

1746 Hatvan came into the possession of Count Antal Grassalkovich I, who built a castle here and brought German settlers from the Archdioceses of Cologne and Trier into the country. In the following years, a cloth mill began operations. After connecting Hatvans to the railway network, also settled in Italian, German and Czech workers, as well as Greek and Jewish merchants in the town. With the construction of a sugar factory in 1889 by the German industrialist family - Hatvany the industrial development of the town began. Hatvans traffic engineering position as a railway junction in 1944 led to the establishment of a transit camp for Hungarian Jews from the room Hatvan Gyöngyös and Pásztó, were carried out from which transports to concentration camps. The railway facilities of Hatvan were also target of the air attack of 21 September 1944 in which died about 600 people.

After the Second World War Hatvan was raised in 1945 to the rank of a city. At the time of the Hungarian People's Republic was the nationalization of agriculture and the local processing industry. From 1990 Hatvan transformed from a regional center for agricultural products, to an industrial and service location in the metropolitan area of Budapest. The built since that time, town twinning is a sign of the now internationally minded orientation of the place.

Twin Cities

• Finland Kokkola, Finland, since 1989
• Netherlands Maassluis, The Netherlands since 1992
• Italy Barberino Val d'Elsa, Italy since 1996
• JAROCIN Poland, Poland since 1997
• Romania Târgu Secuiesc, Romania, since 1998

Transport and the economy

Hatvan is connected to the Hungarian railway network since 1867. With connections to Budapest in the West, Füzesabony in the east, Salgótarján in the north and in the south Jászberény to Hatvan became an important railway junction, which is frequented daily by 160 passenger trains. There is also the M3 motorway (E71 ) a good road to Budapest and Debrecen in the direction.

The first enterprises that have settled in Hatvan based on products of agriculture. In 1884, the German industrialist family - Hatvany a sugar factory in Hatvan. After the nationalization at the time of the People's Republic of Hungary, it came 1991 on the re-privatization of the company, which belongs to the German North Sugar Group since 2003. Tomatoes, peas, cucumbers, peppers and other vegetables in agricultural production from around Hatvan be published since 1934 in the cannery Aranyfácán ( Golden Pheasant ). Other major employers in Hatvan are the Matáv AG (Hungarian Telecom), the mole AG (Hungarian engine oil plants), which TIGÁZ AG ( gas companies ), the Robert Bosch Elektronik GmbH and the LKH LEONI Kábelgyár Hungaria Kft

Sights and culture

At the central square of Hatvan, the Kossuth square, are the most important monuments of the city. The late baroque castle of the Counts Grassalkovich was built in 1754-1763 under the direction of architect Ignatius Oraschek and József Jung in two sections as a U-shaped building. The castle follows the " Grassalkovich style ", which was first applied in Gödöllő Castle. The garden behind was originally designed in the French style, and went to a park on the English model. Of the sculptures in the garden located Italian fountains and formerly 32 today only fragments exist.

The architects Oraschek / Jung drew on Kossuth Square also built the Church of St. Adalbert 1751-1755. There was previously a 1596 ruined medieval church at this point. In the adjacent, dating from the 18th century former textile factory is today, after several renovations, a department store. A further building on Kossuth Square is designed by Jozsef young former brewery. After severe war damage is now in the building, Lajos Hatvany Museum.

On the site of the 1596 ruined Premonstratensian monastery is the town hall Hatvan. Built in 1729 the building was initially built as a convent, then served as a school, Salt House and pharmacy before the city council moved here in 1862. Inside the building vaults of the original building have been preserved, the building exterior is the result of conversions from 1907.

Celebrities in Hatvan

Built under Antal Grassalkovich I. Hatvan castle was mainly in the period from the late 19th century to the 30s of the 20th century, a popular meeting place for intellectuals and artists. In the 1880s, the castle acquired the Jewish -born German family, which according to the place the name " Hatvany " gave themselves after the elevation to the peerage. Celebrity Neste members of this family were the Industrial Sándor Hatvany German, painter and art collector Ferenc Hatvany and the writer Lajos of Hatvany. Among the guests were Hatvany Zsigmond Móricz, Endre Ady, Attila József and Thomas Mann, who visited several times Hatvan.