Békés
Encyclopedia
Békés (ˈbeːkeːʃ; ) is a town in Békés county, Hungary
. It lies about 10 km (6 mi) north of Békéscsaba
and 190 km (118 mi) east of Budapest
.
In 1566 the castle of Gyula was occupied by the Ottoman
army, and Békés fell under Ottoman rule too. The Ottomans built a motte castle in the town, but it was destroyed in 1595 when the Ottomans had to defend Gyula against the Hungarians who tried to get it back. The area became deserted. It was only exactly 100 years later, in 1695 that Békés was freed from Ottoman rule.
During the freedom fight led by Prince Francis II Rákóczi
in the early 18th century the area of Békés was deserted again, for the last time. In 1720 John George Harruckern was granted Békés county via Royal Deed. He gave privileges to the serfs of the area, and gradually the population grew.
By the end of the 18th century the town already had its present five districts and the Protestant
, Roman Catholic
and Greek Orthodox
churches and the Jewish Synagogue
. The buildings of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches and the Jewish Synagogue
are all located within close proximity of each other. The annual floods of the Körös river meant a significant problem until the 1850s when the river was controlled.
In 1872 Békés was re-classified as a village. It was not until a hundred years later that it got its town status back.
Around the turn of the century Békés was rapidly developing and several new buildings were built. During the World Wars there were no significant battles in the area. Békés was freed from the Nazis
on October 6, 1944. After the war industrialization quickened. On April 15, 1973 Békés was granted town status.
Today, Békés is made of several ethnic groups, including Hungarians, Roma, and with its near proximity to the Romanian border, Romanians who constitute approximately 5% of the population.
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
. It lies about 10 km (6 mi) north of Békéscsaba
Békéscsaba
Békéscsaba is a city in Southeast Hungary, the capital of the county Békés.- Geography :According to the 2001 census, the city has a total area of .- Name :...
and 190 km (118 mi) east of Budapest
Budapest
Budapest is the capital of Hungary. As the largest city of Hungary, it is the country's principal political, cultural, commercial, industrial, and transportation centre. In 2011, Budapest had 1,733,685 inhabitants, down from its 1989 peak of 2,113,645 due to suburbanization. The Budapest Commuter...
.
History
The area of the present town has been inhabited since ancient times, due to its good soil and proximity to rivers. After Hungarians conquered the area, Békés and its surroundings were the property of the Csolt clan. Békés (the name means "peaceful") was originally the name of the castle which gave its name to the comitatus, and, like many castles, was possibly named after its first steward. Many documents from the 13th century prove that Békés was the county seat. After 1403, when the area became the estate of the Maróthi family, Békés slowly lost its importance and the role of the centre of the comitatus was gradually taken over by Gyula.In 1566 the castle of Gyula was occupied by the Ottoman
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
army, and Békés fell under Ottoman rule too. The Ottomans built a motte castle in the town, but it was destroyed in 1595 when the Ottomans had to defend Gyula against the Hungarians who tried to get it back. The area became deserted. It was only exactly 100 years later, in 1695 that Békés was freed from Ottoman rule.
During the freedom fight led by Prince Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi
Francis II Rákóczi Hungarian aristocrat, he was the leader of the Hungarian uprising against the Habsburgs in 1703-11 as the prince of the Estates Confederated for Liberty of the Kingdom of Hungary. He was also Prince of Transylvania, an Imperial Prince, and a member of the Order of the Golden...
in the early 18th century the area of Békés was deserted again, for the last time. In 1720 John George Harruckern was granted Békés county via Royal Deed. He gave privileges to the serfs of the area, and gradually the population grew.
By the end of the 18th century the town already had its present five districts and the Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
, Roman Catholic
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
and Greek Orthodox
Greek Orthodox Church
The Greek Orthodox Church is the body of several churches within the larger communion of Eastern Orthodox Christianity sharing a common cultural tradition whose liturgy is also traditionally conducted in Koine Greek, the original language of the New Testament...
churches and the Jewish Synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
. The buildings of the Roman Catholic and Greek Orthodox churches and the Jewish Synagogue
Synagogue
A synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer. This use of the Greek term synagogue originates in the Septuagint where it sometimes translates the Hebrew word for assembly, kahal...
are all located within close proximity of each other. The annual floods of the Körös river meant a significant problem until the 1850s when the river was controlled.
In 1872 Békés was re-classified as a village. It was not until a hundred years later that it got its town status back.
Nazism
Nazism, the common short form name of National Socialism was the ideology and practice of the Nazi Party and of Nazi Germany...
on October 6, 1944. After the war industrialization quickened. On April 15, 1973 Békés was granted town status.
Today, Békés is made of several ethnic groups, including Hungarians, Roma, and with its near proximity to the Romanian border, Romanians who constitute approximately 5% of the population.
Tourist sights
- Széchenyi square (main square) with several historical buildings
- City hall
- Protestant church (Zopf style)
- Roman Catholic church (1795)
- Greek orthodox church (one of the northernmost ones)
- Jewish Synagogue (partially restored, interior and woman's gallery preserve original form, now a community center and restaurant)
- School museum
- Several bridges on the backwaters of the regulated Körös riverKörös RiverKörös is the name of a 195 km long river in eastern Hungary. It is formed at the confluence of the rivers Fehér-Körös and Fekete-Körös near Gyula. The Sebes-Körös flows into the Körös near Gyomaendrőd...
; Békés is called the "city of bridges" because of them - Small-boat harbourBoat HarbourBoat Harbour is the name of various localities:*Boat Harbour, Tasmania, Australia*Boat Harbour, New South Wales, Australia*Boat Harbour , Sydney, Australia*Boat Harbour, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada*Boat Harbour West 37, Nova Scotia, Canada...
External links
Official site- Békés Mátrix + Community & News Webportal Of Bekes City - http://bekesmatrix.hu/ Official News Site Of Bekes