Dunaújváros
Encyclopedia
Dunaújváros is a Hungarian city in Central Transdanubia
, along the Danube
river. It is in Fejér county.
's right side.
The area has been inhabited since ancient times. When Western Hungary was a Roman
province under the name Pannonia, a military camp and a town called Intercisa stood in this place, at the border of the province. The Hungarians conquered the area in the early 10th century. The village Pentele, named after the medieval Greek saint, Pantaleon, was founded shortly after.
Between 1541 and 1688 the village was under Ottoman
rule, and during the 15-year war it was completely destroyed. During the freedom fight led by Prince Francis II Rákóczi
the place was deserted again. In the 18th century the village began to prosper. In 1830 the village got the right to hold two market days every week. In 1831 there was a cholera epidemic and the peasants revolted. In 1833 Pentele was granted town status (oppidum) by Ferdinand V. The citizens took part in the freedom fight in 1848-49.
started a major industrialisation programme, in support of its rearmament efforts. In 1949 Dunaújváros was chosen as site of the largest iron and steel works. Originally they were to be built close to Mohács
, but the Hungarian-Yugoslavia
n relations worsened, and this new site was chosen, farther away from the Yugoslav border. The city was designed to have 25.000 residents.
The construction of the city began on May 2, 1950 near Dunapentele. Within one year more than 1000 housing units were built and the factory complex was under construction. The city took the name of Joseph Stalin
officially on April 4, 1952; its name was Sztálinváros, "Stalin City" as a parallel to Stalingrad in the USSR.
The metal works were opened by 1954. The city had a population of 27,772 at this time; 85% of them lived in nice, comfortable apartments, while about 4,200 people still lived in uncomfortable barracks which originally provided "homes" for the construction workers.
In the middle of the 1950s, public transport was organized, buses carrying 24,000 passengers each day. During the 1950s many cultural and sports facilities were built, the Endre Ságvári Primary School being the largest school in Central Europe in the 1960s. The official and obligatory architectural style and art movement of the communist system was the socialist realism
. Per definition the style’s meaning was communist, its form was national, and its preferred mode of representation was the allegory
. There are several public statues and reliefs in the town, which represent the allegoric union of workers, peasants and intellectuals, surrounded by traditional folk motifs. Thanks to the inspiration of Bauhaus
the buildings and monuments of this era (1949-56), like the forge, the cinema, the theatre, the hospital and the city’s schools where characterized by a structural functionalism, but the ideological function resulted classicist decorations, like columns, tympanums and arcades, because of which the informal name of the style became ‘Stalin’s Baroque’.
In 1956, the construction was hindered by an earthquake and a flood, and in October by the start of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
. During the revolution the city used its historical name Dunapentele again. The Rákóczi radio station, which was created by the revolutionaries, was broadcasting from Dunapentele (in fact from a bus that was constantly moving around in the city so that it couldn't be located.) Even though the citizens of Dunapentele tried to defend their city, the Soviet army occupied the city on November 7, 1956. The city fell under martial law, Russian tanks were standing everywhere.
After the revolution the city was still the "trademark city" of socialism in Hungary, and was presented as such to foreign visitors. Among the visitors were Yuri Gagarin
and the Indonesian president Sukarno
. The city also provided scenery to popular movies.
In 1960, the ten-year-old city already had 31,000 residents to celebrate its anniversary.
On November 26, 1961 the city's name was changed to Dunaújváros (Duna|új|város meaning Danube-new-city; "New City upon Danube
". See also Tiszaújváros
) as a consequence of Stalin's death (1953) and the Hungarian Revolution
(1956).
In 1990 it became a city with county rights – as one of the then four, now five cities in the country that have this status but are not county capitals –, in accord with a new law that granted this status to all cities with a population over 50,000. Even though the population of Dunaújváros has been under 50,000 since 2008, it has kept its status as a city with county rights (along with Hódmezővásárhely
, which is in a similar situation).
The DUNAFERR factory complex is still is a determinant enterprise in the Hungarian steel industry, and a major employer in the area.
Today, "New Danube City" is home to many new infrastructures (Pentele Bridge
, direct highway link between Budapest
and Dunaújváros) and the new South Korean Hankook factory, Europe's biggest tire factory of Hankook. This and other projects make Dunaújváros a new Hungarian boomtown.
Thanks to its formal political and economic importance, the communist urban design
, the socialist realist architecture and its unique atmosphere the town is the considerable memento of communism. Many of the half-century old buildings have received the protection of historic monuments, and the town is in the focus of growing touristic interest.
, 6.3% other). Religions: 38.9% Roman Catholic, 8.3% Calvinist, 2% Lutheran, 37.8% Atheist, 0.2% other, 12.8% no answer.
with:
Central Transdanubia
Central Transdanubia is a statistical region of Hungary. It is part of Transdanubia region. Central Transdanubia includes counties of Fejér, Komárom-Esztergom, and Veszprém....
, along the Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
river. It is in Fejér county.
History
Dunaújváros is one of the newest cities of the country. It was built in the 1950s during the industrialization of the country under Socialist rule, as a new city next to an already existing village, Dunapentele.Dunapentele
Dunapentele was not built on until the 1950s. The construction started on the DanubeDanube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
's right side.
The area has been inhabited since ancient times. When Western Hungary was a Roman
Roman Empire
The Roman Empire was the post-Republican period of the ancient Roman civilization, characterised by an autocratic form of government and large territorial holdings in Europe and around the Mediterranean....
province under the name Pannonia, a military camp and a town called Intercisa stood in this place, at the border of the province. The Hungarians conquered the area in the early 10th century. The village Pentele, named after the medieval Greek saint, Pantaleon, was founded shortly after.
Between 1541 and 1688 the village was under 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...
rule, and during the 15-year war it was completely destroyed. 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...
the place was deserted again. In the 18th century the village began to prosper. In 1830 the village got the right to hold two market days every week. In 1831 there was a cholera epidemic and the peasants revolted. In 1833 Pentele was granted town status (oppidum) by Ferdinand V. The citizens took part in the freedom fight in 1848-49.
Dunaújváros
After the Second World War the new, Communist governmentPeople's Republic of Hungary
The People's Republic of Hungary or Hungarian People's Republic was the official state name of Hungary from 1949 to 1989 during its Communist period under the guidance of the Soviet Union. The state remained in existence until 1989 when opposition forces consolidated in forcing the regime to...
started a major industrialisation programme, in support of its rearmament efforts. In 1949 Dunaújváros was chosen as site of the largest iron and steel works. Originally they were to be built close to Mohács
Mohács
Mohács is a town in Baranya county, Hungary on the right bank of the Danube.-History:Two famous battles took place there:# Battle of Mohács, 1526# Battle of Mohács, 1687...
, but the Hungarian-Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
n relations worsened, and this new site was chosen, farther away from the Yugoslav border. The city was designed to have 25.000 residents.
The construction of the city began on May 2, 1950 near Dunapentele. Within one year more than 1000 housing units were built and the factory complex was under construction. The city took the name of Joseph Stalin
Joseph Stalin
Joseph Vissarionovich Stalin was the Premier of the Soviet Union from 6 May 1941 to 5 March 1953. He was among the Bolshevik revolutionaries who brought about the October Revolution and had held the position of first General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union's Central Committee...
officially on April 4, 1952; its name was Sztálinváros, "Stalin City" as a parallel to Stalingrad in the USSR.
The metal works were opened by 1954. The city had a population of 27,772 at this time; 85% of them lived in nice, comfortable apartments, while about 4,200 people still lived in uncomfortable barracks which originally provided "homes" for the construction workers.
In the middle of the 1950s, public transport was organized, buses carrying 24,000 passengers each day. During the 1950s many cultural and sports facilities were built, the Endre Ságvári Primary School being the largest school in Central Europe in the 1960s. The official and obligatory architectural style and art movement of the communist system was the socialist realism
Socialist realism
Socialist realism is a style of realistic art which was developed in the Soviet Union and became a dominant style in other communist countries. Socialist realism is a teleologically-oriented style having its purpose the furtherance of the goals of socialism and communism...
. Per definition the style’s meaning was communist, its form was national, and its preferred mode of representation was the allegory
Allegory
Allegory is a demonstrative form of representation explaining meaning other than the words that are spoken. Allegory communicates its message by means of symbolic figures, actions or symbolic representation...
. There are several public statues and reliefs in the town, which represent the allegoric union of workers, peasants and intellectuals, surrounded by traditional folk motifs. Thanks to the inspiration of Bauhaus
Bauhaus
', commonly known simply as Bauhaus, was a school in Germany that combined crafts and the fine arts, and was famous for the approach to design that it publicized and taught. It operated from 1919 to 1933. At that time the German term stood for "School of Building".The Bauhaus school was founded by...
the buildings and monuments of this era (1949-56), like the forge, the cinema, the theatre, the hospital and the city’s schools where characterized by a structural functionalism, but the ideological function resulted classicist decorations, like columns, tympanums and arcades, because of which the informal name of the style became ‘Stalin’s Baroque’.
In 1956, the construction was hindered by an earthquake and a flood, and in October by the start of the 1956 Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
. During the revolution the city used its historical name Dunapentele again. The Rákóczi radio station, which was created by the revolutionaries, was broadcasting from Dunapentele (in fact from a bus that was constantly moving around in the city so that it couldn't be located.) Even though the citizens of Dunapentele tried to defend their city, the Soviet army occupied the city on November 7, 1956. The city fell under martial law, Russian tanks were standing everywhere.
After the revolution the city was still the "trademark city" of socialism in Hungary, and was presented as such to foreign visitors. Among the visitors were Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Gagarin
Yuri Alekseyevich Gagarin was a Soviet pilot and cosmonaut. He was the first human to journey into outer space, when his Vostok spacecraft completed an orbit of the Earth on April 12, 1961....
and the Indonesian president Sukarno
Sukarno
Sukarno, born Kusno Sosrodihardjo was the first President of Indonesia.Sukarno was the leader of his country's struggle for independence from the Netherlands and was Indonesia's first President from 1945 to 1967...
. The city also provided scenery to popular movies.
In 1960, the ten-year-old city already had 31,000 residents to celebrate its anniversary.
On November 26, 1961 the city's name was changed to Dunaújváros (Duna|új|város meaning Danube-new-city; "New City upon Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
". See also Tiszaújváros
Tiszaújváros
Tiszaújváros is an industrial town in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, Northern Hungary, south-east of Miskolc, near the river Tisza.Tiszaújváros owes its existence to the industrialization wave that took over the then-socialist Hungary after World War II...
) as a consequence of Stalin's death (1953) and the Hungarian Revolution
1956 Hungarian Revolution
The Hungarian Revolution or Uprising of 1956 was a spontaneous nationwide revolt against the government of the People's Republic of Hungary and its Soviet-imposed policies, lasting from 23 October until 10 November 1956....
(1956).
In 1990 it became a city with county rights – as one of the then four, now five cities in the country that have this status but are not county capitals –, in accord with a new law that granted this status to all cities with a population over 50,000. Even though the population of Dunaújváros has been under 50,000 since 2008, it has kept its status as a city with county rights (along with Hódmezővásárhely
Hódmezovásárhely
Hódmezővásárhely , Romanian: Ioneşti) is a city in south-east Hungary, on the Great Hungarian Plain, at the meeting point of the Békés-Csanádi Ridge and the clay grassland surrounding the river Tisza...
, which is in a similar situation).
The DUNAFERR factory complex is still is a determinant enterprise in the Hungarian steel industry, and a major employer in the area.
Today, "New Danube City" is home to many new infrastructures (Pentele Bridge
Pentele Bridge (Hungary)
The Pentele Bridge or M8 Danube Bridge is built on Danube. This bridge joined Dunavecse and Dunaújváros city. The bridge was finished March 13. 2007. The Pentele bridge got her name after Dunapentele city. The bridge is in length and wide. It is part of the future M8 motorway...
, direct highway link between 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...
and Dunaújváros) and the new South Korean Hankook factory, Europe's biggest tire factory of Hankook. This and other projects make Dunaújváros a new Hungarian boomtown.
Thanks to its formal political and economic importance, the communist urban design
Urban design
Urban design concerns the arrangement, appearance and functionality of towns and cities, and in particular the shaping and uses of urban public space. It has traditionally been regarded as a disciplinary subset of urban planning, landscape architecture, or architecture and in more recent times has...
, the socialist realist architecture and its unique atmosphere the town is the considerable memento of communism. Many of the half-century old buildings have received the protection of historic monuments, and the town is in the focus of growing touristic interest.
Demographics
In 2001 Dunaújváros had 55,309 residents (92.5% Hungarian, 0.6% Roma, 0.6% GermanDanube Swabians
The Danube Swabians is a collective term for the German-speaking population who lived in the former Kingdom of Hungary, especially alongside the Danube River valley. Because of different developments within the territory settled, the Danube Swabians cannot be seen as a unified people...
, 6.3% other). Religions: 38.9% Roman Catholic, 8.3% Calvinist, 2% Lutheran, 37.8% Atheist, 0.2% other, 12.8% no answer.
Known people from Dunaújváros
- Márton VasMárton VasMárton Vas is a Hungarian international ice hockey right wing, who is currently under contract with EBEL side Alba Volán Székesfehérvár. As of 30 April 2011, he has been capped 127 times for the Hungarian national team...
(born 1980), ice hockey player - János VasJános VasJános Vas is a professional Hungarian ice hockey left wing currently playing in Tingsryds AIF of the Swedish Division 1 .Vas was drafted by the Dallas Stars of the National Hockey League...
(born 1983), ice hockey player - Balázs LadányiBalázs LadányiBalazs Ladanyi is a Hungarian professional ice hockey player.-Austrian Hockey League:-References:...
(born 1976), ice hockey player - Imre PeterdiImre PeterdiImre Peterdi is a Hungarian professional ice hockey player.-Austrian Hockey League:-References:...
(born 1980), ice hockey player - Tamás Lencsés (born 1979), ice hockey player
- Lajos Tőkési (born 1975), ice hockey player
- Viktor TokajiViktor TokajiViktor Tokaji is a Hungarian professional ice hockey defenceman who plays for Austrian Hockey League side Alba Volán Székesfehérvár.-Career:...
(born 1977), ice hockey player - Viktor SzéligViktor SzéligViktor Szelig is a Hungarian professional ice hockey defenceman. He is currently playing in France with Diables Rouges de Briançon.-Career:...
(born 1975), ice hockey player
Twin towns — sister cities
Dunaújváros is twinnedTown twinning
Twin towns and sister cities are two of many terms used to describe the cooperative agreements between towns, cities, and even counties in geographically and politically distinct areas to promote cultural and commercial ties.- Terminology :...
with:
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External links
- Official site (Hungarian only)
- Dunaújváros 2400 (detailed history, Hungarian only, with lots of pictures)
- Portal site (Hungarian only)
- Video news portal (Hungarian only)
- Statue park
- Bridge in Dunaújváros
- Aerial photography: Dunaújváros
- The city features prominently in the film The Ister. Official site