Kaposvár (; also known by other

alternative names Alternative or alternate may refer to: Arts, entertainment and media * Alternative (''Kamen Rider''), a character in the Japanese TV series ''Kamen Rider Ryuki'' * ''The Alternative'' (film), a 1978 Australian television film * ''The Alternative ...

) is a city with county rights in the southwestern part of

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croa ...

, south of

Lake Balaton Lake Balaton () is a freshwater lake in the Transdanubian region of Hungary. It is the largest lake in Central Europe, and one of the region's foremost tourist destinations. The Zala River provides the largest inflow of water to the lake, and ...

. It is one of the leading cities of Transdanubia, the capital of Somogy County, and the seat of the Kaposvár District and the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Kaposvár The Diocese of Kaposvár ( la, Dioecesis Kaposvarensis) is a Latin Rite suffragan diocese in the Ecclesiastical province of the Metropolitan Archdiocese of Veszprém, in southwestern Hungary. Its cathedral episcopal, Our Lady of the Assumption ...

Etymology and names

The name ''Kaposvár'' is derived from the Hungarian words ''kapu'' (gate) and ''vár'' (castle). Variants of the city's name include ''Ruppertsburg'' / ''Ruppertsberg'' / ''Kopisch'' (

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany (of or related to) **Germania (historical use) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law **Ger ...

), ''Kapoşvar'' (

Turkish Turkish may refer to: *a Turkic language spoken by the Turks * of or about Turkey ** Turkish language *** Turkish alphabet ** Turkish people, a Turkic ethnic group and nation *** Turkish citizen, a citizen of Turkey *** Turkish communities and mi ...

), ''Rupertgrad'' ( Slovene), and ''Kapošvar'' (

Croatian Croatian may refer to: * Croatia *Croatian language *Croatian people *Croatians (demonym) See also * * * Croatan (disambiguation) * Croatia (disambiguation) * Croatoan (disambiguation) * Hrvatski (disambiguation) * Hrvatsko (disambiguation) * S ...

Symbols

The shield of Kaposvár features a castle with a rounded arch port surmounted by three

battlements A battlement in defensive architecture, such as that of city walls or castles, comprises a parapet (i.e., a defensive low wall between chest-height and head-height), in which gaps or indentations, which are often rectangular, occur at interv ...

with loopholes on a hill of green grass. The flag of Kaposvár consists of the coat of arms placed over a yellow background.

Geography

Kaposvár is surrounded by the hills of the outer Somogy area around the

Kapos river A kapo or prisoner functionary (german: Funktionshäftling) was a prisoner in a Nazi camp who was assigned by the ''Schutzstaffel'' (SS) guards to supervise forced labor or carry out administrative tasks. Also called "prisoner self-administrat ...

and the forests of Zselic. It lies southwest of

Budapest Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...

. Historically, Kaposvár was a crossroads for trade which arrived by the Kapos river. The river also posed a hazard to the river valley region, and flood defense mechanisms were constructed to reduce the threat. Today, the city is a growing junction for railways and other transportation, such as the European Railway line from Budapest towards the

Mediterranean Sea The Mediterranean Sea is a sea connected to the Atlantic Ocean, surrounded by the Mediterranean Basin and almost completely enclosed by land: on the north by Western and Southern Europe and Anatolia, on the south by North Africa, and on the ...

History

Pre-Hungarian conquest

According to legend, the area of Kaposvár has been inhabited since around 5,000 BCE and the city itself was founded on seven hills. By around 400 BCE, Celtic tribes populated most of the area. From around 9 AD to 433 AD, it was a part of the Roman province of

Pannonia Pannonia (, ) was a province of the Roman Empire bounded on the north and east by the Danube, coterminous westward with Noricum and upper Italy, and southward with Dalmatia and upper Moesia. Pannonia was located in the territory that is now wes ...

. After the Roman withdrawal, tribes of

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

Illyrians The Illyrians ( grc, Ἰλλυριοί, ''Illyrioi''; la, Illyrii) were a group of Indo-European-speaking peoples who inhabited the western Balkan Peninsula in ancient times. They constituted one of the three main Paleo-Balkan populations, a ...

, and other groups inhabited the area. By 900 AD, there were Slavic and German villages in the area.

Middle Ages

The name of the settlement was first recorded in 1009 as Kapos in

Saint Stephen Stephen ( grc-gre, Στέφανος ''Stéphanos'', meaning "wreath, crown" and by extension "reward, honor, renown, fame", often given as a title rather than as a name; c. 5 – c. 34 AD) is traditionally venerated as the protomartyr or first ...

's memorandum of association, which established the borders of the

Roman Catholic Diocese of Pécs The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pécs ( Hungarian: ''Pécsi Egyházmegye'', la, Dioecesis Quinque Ecclesiensis) is a diocese of the Latin Rite of the Roman Catholic church in Hungary. The Cathedral of Pécs is dedicated to Saint Peter and Sai ...

. In 1061, Atha, the lord lieutenant of Somogy, founded a Benedictine

monastery A monastery is a building or complex of buildings comprising the domestic quarters and workplaces of monastics, monks or nuns, whether living in communities or alone ( hermits). A monastery generally includes a place reserved for prayer whic ...

in the settlement. The first castle in Kapos was built in the 1200s by King Béla IV in response to the

Mongol invasion of Hungary Mongol invasion of Hungary may refer to: * First Mongol invasion of Hungary, 1241–1242 ** Battle of Mohi * Second Mongol invasion of Hungary, 1285–1286 {{Disambig ...

Ottoman Rule

In the decades after the

Battle of Mohács The Battle of Mohács (; hu, mohácsi csata, tr, Mohaç Muharebesi or Mohaç Savaşı) was fought on 29 August 1526 near Mohács, Kingdom of Hungary, between the forces of the Kingdom of Hungary and its allies, led by Louis II, and thos ...

, Ottoman troops of

Suleiman Suleiman (Arabic: سُلِيمَان ''sulaymān''; or dictionary.reference.comsuleiman/ref>) is the Arabic name of the Quranic king and Islamic prophet Solomon meaning "man of peace", derived from the Hebrew name Shlomo. The name is also s ...

occupied the area, capturing the city's castle in September 1555 after a five day siege. The Ottomans occupied the city for 131 years, using it as a military camp and small administrative center. In 1686, Habsburg troops reconquered the castle, city, and its surrounding area from the Ottomans.

Habsburg Rule

At the beginning of the 18th century, the city entered into a period of decline. The castle of Kapos was razed by the Habsburgs in 1702, and the remaining structures were destroyed in

Rákóczi's War of Independence Rákóczi's War of Independence (1703–11) was the first significant attempt to topple the rule of the Habsburgs over Hungary. The war was conducted by a group of noblemen, wealthy and high-ranking progressives and was led by Francis II Rák ...

. The Esterházy family was responsible in part for the reconstruction and resettlement of the city. Kaposvár gained the right to hold markets in 1703, the first school was built in 1715, and a new church was built in 1748. In 1749, it was designated as the county seat and since then it has been the chief town of its county. Between 1710 and 1780, the population of the city doubled. In the 1800s, Kaposvár developed into an industrial hub, in part because of its location on the railway line between

Buda Buda (; german: Ofen, sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Budim, Будим, Czech and sk, Budín, tr, Budin) was the historic capital of the Kingdom of Hungary and since 1873 has been the western part of the Hungarian capital Budapest, on the ...

and

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Sl ...

. Also during the 19th century, new medical and cultural institutions were founded in the city such as a pharmacy, general hospital, and county library. The

city center A city centre is the commercial, cultural and often the historical, political, and geographic heart of a city. The term "city centre" is primarily used in British English, and closely equivalent terms exist in other languages, such as "" in Fren ...

also developed during this period, with the construction of the county hall and town hall.

Hungarian Revolution

The citizens of Kaposvár supported the

Hungarian Revolution of 1848 The Hungarian Revolution of 1848 or fully Hungarian Civic Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849 () was one of many European Revolutions of 1848 and was closely linked to other revolutions of 1848 in the Habsburg areas. Although t ...

, and the city rose up against the Habsburgs. The city was initially occupied by the Habsburgs, but the insurrectionists eventually took control. The sheriff of Kaposvár, Gáspár Noszlopy, led a territorial army and took control of Somogy County for three months. However, the independence movement failed and the city again fell under foreign rule.

Austro-Hungarian Rule

Under Austro-Hungarian rule, Kaposvár continued to grow and develop. The Donner district was established on the south side of the Kapos river, and a newspaper and casino were established in 1866. In 1872, a rail line was finished which ran through the city, as opposed to previous lines which only reached its outskirts. By the turn of the 20th century, numerous industrial companies were based in the city, including a large sugar factory and grain processing plant. The city shifted from agricultural production, and its urban area grew. The first planned city development was constructed while István Németh was mayor of the city from 1895 to 1911. Kaposvár Nagyboldogasszony Székesegyház

The cultural portfolio of the city grew at this time as well. The ''Somogyi Hírlap'', its first daily newspaper, was first issued in April 1904. In September 1911, a new theater opened, which was the largest and most modern theater in Hungary at the time. Additionally, film prospered in the city, and three cinemas were opened in the first decade of the 1900s.

20th century

During World War I, Kaposvár experienced hardship, and strikes and left wing ideas gained traction in the city. During the period of Revolutions and interventions from 1918 to 1920, agricultural associations were formed and industrial plants were socialized. However, the revolution ultimately failed and the city again fell into recession. In the 1930s, Kaposvár transitioned from an industrial city to a commercial and administrative center. When

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the World War II by country, vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great power ...

reached the city, almost one thousand inhabitants were killed or disappeared. In March 1944, German soldiers entered the city and deported its Jewish population. In December 1944, Soviet troops captured the city. After World War II, Kaposvár was able to recover quickly because the war did not cause much infrastructural destruction. New political parties formed, such as the

Communist Party A communist party is a political party that seeks to realize the socio-economic goals of communism. The term ''communist party'' was popularized by the title of '' The Manifesto of the Communist Party'' (1848) by Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels. ...

and Country Party. Under Communist rule, socialist industrialization commenced, with a new textile factory, meat plant, and electrical site. However, much of the small industry in the city disappeared. In 1956, Kaposvár joined the Hungarian revolution against the Soviets, but on 4 November Soviet tanks put down the insurrection in the city. After the 1956 revolution, the city's administrative border grew, and it incorporated several neighboring municipalities including

Kaposszentjakab Kaposszentjakab (formerly called Zselicszentjakab) is the site of a ruined Benedictine monastery. The monastery site and the surrounding village is now a suburb of the city of Kaposvár in southwestern Hungary. History The village was the place ...

in 1950, Kaposfüred and Toponár in 1970, and Töröcske in 1973.

Tourism

Kaposvár is home to numerous tourist sites, including: *

Cathedral of Kaposvár A cathedral is a church that contains the ''cathedra'' () of a bishop, thus serving as the central church of a diocese, conference, or episcopate. Churches with the function of "cathedral" are usually specific to those Christian denominations ...

* Csiky Gergely Theatre - one of the biggest theatres in Hungary * Ruins of Zselicszentjakab Abbey ( Romanesque and

Gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

) * Stadion Kaposvár Rákóczi * University of Kaposvár * Lake Deseda

Demographics

Kaposvár is the most populous city in Somogy County and the second most populous city in Southern Transdanubia after

Pécs Pécs ( , ; hr, Pečuh; german: Fünfkirchen, ; also known by other alternative names) is the fifth largest city in Hungary, on the slopes of the Mecsek mountains in the country's southwest, close to its border with Croatia. It is the administr ...

. The majority of its population is Hungarian (85.6%) according to the 2011 census. The largest minority ethnic group is the

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council * Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

(2.2%), the second largest are the

Germans , native_name_lang = de , region1 = , pop1 = 72,650,269 , region2 = , pop2 = 534,000 , region3 = , pop3 = 157,000 3,322,405 , region4 = , pop4 = ...

(1.1%) and third are the

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, ...

(0.2%). Religious affiliation of the citizens show a significant

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy *Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD *Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *''Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a letter ...

(44.7%) and Greek Catholic (0.2%) and considerable

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

(5.4%) and

Lutheran Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and Protestant Reformers, reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Cathol ...

(1.5%) communities. 18.1% are Non-religious.KSH - Kaposvár, 2011
/ref>

Economy

Kaposvár is still an industrial city and is home to companies such as the Austrian house construction company Wolf System, the Hungarian agricultural company KITE, Turkish textile producer Metyx''.'' and only sugar factory in the country Magyar Cukor Zrt.

Politics

The current mayor of Kaposvár is Károly Szita ('' Fidesz-KDNP''). The local Municipal Assembly, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 18 members (1 Mayor, 12 Individual constituencies MEPs and 5 Compensation List MEPs) divided into these political parties and alliances:

Sports

Kaposvár is a "National City of Sport" in Hungary. The most popular sports in the city are football, volleyball, and basketball. The most popular sports team in the city is Kaposvári Rákóczi FC who play in the Stadion Kaposvár Rákóczi.

Notable residents

Twin Towns – Sister Cities

Kaposvár is

twinned Twinning (making a twin of) may refer to: * In biology and agriculture, producing two offspring (i.e., twins) at a time, or having a tendency to do so; * Twin towns and sister cities, towns and cities involved in town twinning * Twinning inst ...

with: *

Bath Bath may refer to: * Bathing, immersion in a fluid ** Bathtub, a large open container for water, in which a person may wash their body ** Public bathing, a public place where people bathe * Thermae, ancient Roman public bathing facilities Plac ...

, England, United Kingdom * Cần Thơ, Vietnam * Darkhan, Mongolia * Glinde, Germany *

Koprivnica Koprivnica () is a city in Northern Croatia, located 70 kilometers northeast of Zagreb. It is the capital and the largest city of the Koprivnica-Križevci county. In 2011, the city's administrative area of 90.94 km2 had a total popu ...

, Croatia *

Miercurea Ciuc Miercurea Ciuc (; hu, Csíkszereda, ; german: Szeklerburg) is the county seat of Harghita County, Romania. It lies in the Székely Land, a mainly Hungarian-speaking ethno-cultural region in eastern Transylvania, and is situated in the Olt ...

, Romania * Rauma, Finland * Saint-Sébastien-sur-Loire, France * Schio, Italy *

Tver Tver ( rus, Тверь, p=tvʲerʲ) is a city and the administrative centre of Tver Oblast, Russia. It is northwest of Moscow. Population: Tver was formerly the capital of a powerful medieval state and a model provincial town in the Russia ...

, Russia *

Üsküdar Üsküdar () is a large and densely populated district of Istanbul, Turkey, on the Anatolian shore of the Bosphorus. It is bordered to the north by Beykoz, to the east by Ümraniye, to the southeast by Ataşehir and to the south by Kadıköy ...

, Turkey

Partnerships

Kaposvár also cooperates with: * Cixi, China *

Mostar Mostar (, ; sr-Cyrl, Мостар, ) is a city and the administrative center of Herzegovina-Neretva Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the historical capital of Herzegovina. Mostar is sit ...

, Bosnia and Herzegovina *

Villach Villach (; sl, Beljak; it, Villaco; fur, Vilac) is the seventh-largest city in Austria and the second-largest in the federal state of Carinthia. It is an important traffic junction for southern Austria and the whole Alpe-Adria region. , the ...

, Austria

Gallery

File:Kaposvár.jpg, The city centre File:Kaposvár Csiky Gergely Színház.JPG, Csiky Gergely Theatre File:Kaposvár pénzügyi palota.JPG, Palace of Finances of Kaposvár File:Rippl-Rónai múzeum.jpg, The County Hall of Somogy and the Rippl-Rónai Museum File:Kaposvár Bors Napkerék.JPG, A statue in the city centre File:Kaposvár Mária oszlop.JPG, The

Rococo Rococo (, also ), less commonly Roccoco or Late Baroque, is an exceptionally ornamental and theatrical style of architecture, art and decoration which combines asymmetry, scrolling curves, gilding, white and pastel colours, sculpted moulding, ...

Maria Column is one symbol of the city File:Kaposvár 1956 emlékmű.JPG, Monument of the

Hungarian Revolution of 1956 The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 10 November 1956; hu, 1956-os forradalom), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was a countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the Hung ...

File:Kaposvár Berzsenyi Dániel Általános Iskola.JPG, Dániel Berzsenyi Elementary School File:Kaposvár Temesvár utca.jpg, Temesvár street File:Kaposvar House of Rippl-Ronai.jpg, House of József Rippl-Rónai File:Kaposvári Egyetem 2011.JPG, University of Kaposvár

References

;Notes