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Pécs ( , ; hr, Pečuh; german: Fünfkirchen, ; 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 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 administrative and economic centre of Baranya County, and the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pécs. A city dating back to ancient times, settled by the Celts and the Romans, it was made an episcopal see in early medieval Hungary. It has the oldest university in the country, and is one of its major cultural centers. It has a rich cultural heritage from the age of a 150-year Ottoman occupation. It is historically a multi-ethnic city where many cultures have interacted through 2000 years of history. In recent times, it has been recognized for its cultural heritage, including being named as one of the European Capital of Culture cities.


Name

The earliest name for the territory was its Roman name of ''Sopianæ''. The name possibly comes from the plural of the Celtic ''sop'' meaning "marsh". Contrary to the popular belief, the name did not signify a single city, and there are no traces of an encircling wall from the early Roman era, only from the 4th century. The medieval city was first mentioned in 871 under the name ("five cathedrals".) The name refers to the fact that when constructing the churches of the city, the builders used material from five old Christian chapels. In later Latin documents the city was mentioned as ''Quinque Ecclesiae'' ("five churches", a name identical in meaning to the German name ''Fünfkirchen'' and the Slovak name ). The name ''Pécs'' appears in documents in 1235 in the word ''Pechyut'' (with modern spelling: ''pécsi út'', meaning "road to/from Pécs") most likely derives from the Proto-Slavic ''*pęčь'' or from the Illyrian ''*penče'', both meaning five. In other languages: in Latin, ''Quinque Ecclesiae''; in Italian, ''Cinquechiese''; in Croatian, ''Pečuh''; in
Serbian Serbian may refer to: * someone or something related to Serbia, a country in Southeastern Europe * someone or something related to the Serbs, a South Slavic people * Serbian language * Serbian names See also

* * * Old Serbian (disambiguat ...
, (''Pečuj''); in Slovak, ''Päťkostolie''; in Czech, ; in Dutch, ; in German, ''Fünfkirchen''; and in
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 ...
, ''Peçuy''.


Geography

Pécs is located in the Carpathian Basin of Central Europe, in the center of the southern Hungarian county of Baranya. It is bordered by the Mecsek hills to the north, and by a rolling plain to the south. Pécs has a significant mining past. Mecsek dolomitic water is famous for its high density of minerals at constant poise. The city of Pécs is located near to the border of Croatia. Its southern part is rather flat whereas its northern part clings to the slope of the Mecsek mountains. It has a very favorable climate, and is bordered by a flourishing woody area. During hot summer nights a cooling air streams down from Mecsek to clean the air of the city. Pécs is bordered by plains to the south (elevation 120–130 m), while the Mecsek mountains rise up to elevations of 400–600 meters behind the city. Jakab-hill, located in the western Mecsek, is 592 m (1942 ft) tall, Tubes, straight above Pécs, is 612 m (2008 ft) tall, and Misina is 535 m (1755 ft) tall. Higher parts of the city climb up to 200–250 m (656 to 820 ft), mainly Pécsbánya, Szabolcsfalu, Vasas and Somogy. Woody areas generally start from elevations of about 300 m (984 ft). The Mecsek hills are marked by numerous valleys which play a key role in ameliorating the climate of the city in the absence of lakes and rivers. Waters coming down from the Mecsek hills flow into the Pécsi stream under the east–west rail road leading them eventually to the Danube.


History


Ancient Roman city

The area has been inhabited since ancient times, with the oldest archaeological findings being 6,000 years old. Before the Roman era the place was inhabited by Celts. The city of ''Sopianae'' was founded by Romans at the beginning of the 2nd century, in an area peopled by Celts and Pannoni tribes. By the 4th century, it became the capital of Valeria province and a significant early Christian center. The early Christian necropolis from that era became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in December 2000. When Western Hungary was a province of the Roman Empire (named ''
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 ...
''), the Romans founded several wine-producing colonies under the collective name of Sopianae where Pécs now stands, in the early 2nd century. The centre of Sopianae was where the Bishop's Palace now stands. Some parts of the
Roman aqueduct The Romans constructed aqueducts throughout their Republic and later Empire, to bring water from outside sources into cities and towns. Aqueduct water supplied public baths, latrines, fountains, and private households; it also supported mining o ...
are still visible. When Pannonia province was divided into four administrative divisions, Sopianae was the capital of the division named Valeria. In the first half of the 4th century, Sopianae became an important Christian city. The first Christian cemeteries, dating back to this age, are inscribed on the World Heritage List. By the end of the century, Roman rule weakened in the area, mostly due to attacks by Barbarians and Huns.


Early medieval city

When Charlemagne arrived in the area in 791, it was ruled by the Avars. Charlemagne, after conquering the area, annexed it to the Holy Roman Empire. It belonged to the Diocese of Salzburg.Kleindel: ''Österreich, Zahlen – Daten - Fakten'', Sonderausgabe A&M 2004, ISBN 3-902397-49-7 A document written in Salzburg in 871 is the first document mentioning the early medieval city under the name ''Quinque Basilicae'' (see above).) During the 9th century, the city was inhabited by Slavic and Avar peoples and was part of the Balaton Principality, a Frankish vassal state.


The Hungarian city in the Middle Ages

According to György Györffy's theory of place names, after the Hungarians conquered the Carpathian Basin, they retained a semi-nomadic lifestyle, changing pastures between winter and summer. Árpád's winter quarters – clearly after his occupation of Pannonia in 900 – were perhaps in Pécs.Lajos Gubcsi
Hungary in the Carpathian Basin
MoD Zrínyi Media Ltd, 2011
Later, when the Comitatus of Baranya was established, the capital of the comitatus was not Pécs but a nearby castle, Baranyavár ('Baranya Castle'). Pécs, however, became an important religious centre and episcopal seat. In Latin documents, the city was mentioned as ''Quinque Ecclesiae''. Around 1000, the area was inhabited by the
Black Magyars Black Hungarians ( la, Ungri Nigri) or Black Magyars were a (semi-)independent group of the Magyars before and after the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin at the end of the 9th century. The nomadic tribes sign the four cardinal points by co ...
. The Deed of Foundation of the Diocese of Pécs was issued in 1009. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Pécs was founded in 1009 by Stephen I, and the first university in Hungary was founded in Pécs in 1367 by Louis I the Great. (The largest university still resides in Pécs with about 34,000 students.) Peter Orseolo, the second king of Hungary, was buried in the cathedral in 1046. The location of his grave is unknown. This is because in 1064, when King
Solomon Solomon (; , ),, ; ar, سُلَيْمَان, ', , ; el, Σολομών, ; la, Salomon also called Jedidiah (Hebrew language, Hebrew: , Modern Hebrew, Modern: , Tiberian Hebrew, Tiberian: ''Yăḏīḏăyāh'', "beloved of Yahweh, Yah"), ...
made peace with his cousin, the later King Géza I, they celebrated Easter in Pécs. Shortly after the cathedral burnt down. The cathedral that stands today was built after this, in the second half of the 11th century. Several religious orders settled down in Pécs. The
Benedictine order , image = Medalla San Benito.PNG , caption = Design on the obverse side of the Saint Benedict Medal , abbreviation = OSB , formation = , motto = (English: 'Pray and Work') , foun ...
was the first in 1076. In 1181, there was already a hospital in the city. The first Dominican monastery of the country was built in Pécs in 1238. King Louis the Great founded a university in Pécs in 1367 following the advice of William, the bishop of Pécs, who was also the king's chancellor. It was the first university in Hungary. The founding document is almost word for word identical with that of the University of Vienna, stating that the university has the right to teach all arts and sciences, with the exception of theology. In 1459, Janus Pannonius, the most important medieval poet of Hungary became the bishop of Pécs. He strengthened the cultural importance of the city. Pécs was formed into one of the cultural and arts center of the country by bishop Janus Pannonius, great humanist poet.


Pécs under Ottoman rule

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 those ...
(1526) in which the invading Ottoman army defeated the armies of King Louis II, the armies of
Suleiman Suleiman (Arabic language, Arabic: سُلِيمَان ''sulaymān''; or dictionary.reference.comsuleiman/ref>) is the Arabic name of the Quranic king and Islam, Islamic prophet Solomon (name), Solomon meaning "man of peace", derived from the Heb ...
occupied Pécs. Not only was a large part of the country occupied by Ottomans, the public opinion of who should be the king of Hungary was divided, too. One party supported Ferdinand of Habsburg, the other party crowned John Zápolya in
Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár (; german: Stuhlweißenburg ), known colloquially as Fehérvár ("white castle"), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the regional capital of Central Transdanubia, and the centre of Fejér ...
. The citizens of Pécs supported Emperor Ferdinand, but the rest of Baranya county supported King John. In the summer of 1527 Ferdinand defeated the armies of Szapolyai and was crowned king on November 3. Ferdinand favoured the city because of their support, and exempted Pécs from paying taxes. Pécs was rebuilt and fortified. In 1529, the Ottomans captured Pécs again, and went on a campaign against Vienna. The Ottomans forced Pécs to accept King John (who was allied with them) as their ruler. John died in 1540. In 1541, the Ottomans occupied the castle of
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 ordered Isabella, the widow of John to give Pécs to them, since the city was of strategic importance. The citizens of Pécs defended the city against the Ottomans, and swore loyalty to Ferdinand. The emperor helped the city and defended it from further Ottoman attacks, but his advisers persuaded him into focusing more on the cities of
Székesfehérvár Székesfehérvár (; german: Stuhlweißenburg ), known colloquially as Fehérvár ("white castle"), is a city in central Hungary, and the country's ninth-largest city. It is the regional capital of Central Transdanubia, and the centre of Fejér ...
and Esztergom instead of Pécs. Pécs was preparing for the siege, but a day before, Flemish and Walloon mercenaries fled from the city, and raided the nearby lands. The next day in June 1543 the Bishop himself went to the Ottomans with the keys of the city. After occupying the city, the Ottomans fortified it and turned it into a real Ottoman city. The Christian churches were turned into mosques; Turkish baths and
minaret A minaret (; ar, منارة, translit=manāra, or ar, مِئْذَنة, translit=miʾḏana, links=no; tr, minare; fa, گل‌دسته, translit=goldaste) is a type of tower typically built into or adjacent to mosques. Minarets are generall ...
s were built, Qur'an schools were founded, there was a
bazaar A bazaar () or souk (; also transliterated as souq) is a marketplace consisting of multiple small Market stall, stalls or shops, especially in the Middle East, the Balkans, North Africa and India. However, temporary open markets elsewhere, suc ...
in place of the market. For a hundred years the city was an island of peace in a land of war. It was a sanjak centre in Budin Eyalet at first and Kanije Eyalet later as "Peçuy". The Ottoman era resulted in numerous landmarks, such as the mosque of Pasha Qasim the Victorious on Széchenyi square, the Tomb of İdris Baba, and the
Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque The Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque ( hu, Jakováli Hasszán dzsámija, tr, Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Camii) is a late 16th-century mosque in Pécs, southern Hungary. It was constructed when the region was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, around th ...
. The Ottoman chronicler İbrahim Peçevi (Ibrahim of Pécs), whose work forms the main body of reference for Ottoman history between 1520 and 1640, was a native of the city. In 1664, Croat- Hungarian nobleman Nicholas Zrínyi arrived in Pécs, with his army. Since the city was well into the Ottoman territories, they knew that even if they occupy it, they could not keep it for long, so they planned only to pillage it. They ravaged and burned the city but could not occupy the castle. Mediaeval Pécs was destroyed forever, except the wall encircling the historical city, a single bastion (Barbakán), the network of tunnels and
catacombs Catacombs are man-made subterranean passageways for religious practice. Any chamber used as a burial place is a catacomb, although the word is most commonly associated with the Roman Empire. Etymology and history The first place to be referred ...
beneath the city, parts of which are closed down, other parts are in possession of the famous Litke champagne factory, and can be visited today. Several Turkish artifacts also survived, namely three mosques, two minarets, remnants of a bath over the ancient Christian tombs near the cathedral, and several houses, one even with a stone cannonball embedded in the wall. After the castle of Buda was wrested from Ottoman rule in 1686, the armies went to capture the rest of Pécs. The advance guards could break into the city and pillaged it. The Ottomans saw that they could not hold the city, and burnt it, and withdrew into the castle. The army led by
Louis of Baden Louis William, Margrave of Baden-Baden (german: links=no, Ludwig Wilhelm von Baden-Baden; 8 April 1655 – 4 January 1707) was the ruling Margrave of Baden-Baden in Germany and chief commander of the Imperial army. He was also known as ''Türkenl ...
occupied the city on 14 October and destroyed the aqueduct leading to the castle. The Ottomans had no other choice but to surrender, which they did on 22 October (see Siege of Pécs). The city was under martial law under the command of Karl von Thüngen. The Viennese court wanted to destroy the city first, but later they decided to keep it to counterbalance the importance of Szigetvár, which was still under Ottoman rule. Slowly the city started to prosper again, but in the 1690s two plague epidemics claimed many lives. In 1688 German settlers arrived. Only about one-quarter of the city's population was Hungarian, the others were Germans or Southern Slavs. Census of taxpayers from 1698 lists 637 families for which Janja Živković Mandić concludes that 308 were of Croatian nationality (Catholics Croats, Racs, Šokci, Bunjevci, Illyrians, Slavs, Bosniaks) and the remaining 329 were Hungarians, Germans, Serbs or Greeks. According to same census István Tabo mentions 171 Hungarian, 349 Slavs and 79 Germans while Đuro Šarošac mentions that at that time in the city lived 325 Croats, 139 Hungarians, 92 Germans, 53 Vlachs and 28 Serbs. According to 1698 data, South Slavs comprised more than half of the population of the town. Because Hungarians were only a minority of the population, Pécs did not support the revolution against Habsburg rule led by Francis II Rákóczi, and his armies pillaged the city in 1704.


Pécs in early-modern times

A more peaceful era started after 1710. Industry, trade and viticulture prospered, manufactures were founded, a new city hall was built. The feudal lord of the city was the
Bishop of Pécs A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or offic ...
, but the city wanted to free itself from episcopal control. Bishop
George Klimó George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd President ...
, an enlightened man (who founded the first
public library A public library is a library that is accessible by the general public and is usually funded from public sources, such as taxes. It is operated by librarians and library paraprofessionals, who are also Civil service, civil servants. There are ...
of the country) would have agreed to cede his rights to the city, but the Holy See forbade him to do so. When Klimó died in 1777, Queen
Maria Theresa Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina (german: Maria Theresia; 13 May 1717 – 29 November 1780) was ruler of the Habsburg dominions from 1740 until her death in 1780, and the only woman to hold the position ''suo jure'' (in her own right). ...
quickly elevated Pécs to free royal town status before the new bishop was elected. This cost the city 83,315 forints. According to the first census (held in 1787 by the order of Joseph II), there were 1,474 houses and 1,834 families in Pécs, a total of 8,853 residents, of which 133 were priests and 117 were noblemen. In 1785, the Academy of Győr was moved to Pécs. This academy eventually evolved into a law school. The first stonework theatre of the city was built in 1839. At that time or Maria Theresia and her son Josef II, the Danube Swabians from Germany was settled in the City.


Pécs during the 19th century and later

The industry developed a lot in the second half of the 19th century. By 1848, there were 1,739 industrial workers. Some of the manufactures were nationally famous. The iron and paper factories were among the most modern ones of the age. Coal mining was relevant. A sugar factory and beer manufactures were built, too. The city had 14,616 residents. During the revolution in 1848–49, Pécs was occupied by Croatian armies for a short time, but it was freed from them by Habsburg armies in January 1849. After the
Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 The Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867 (german: Ausgleich, hu, Kiegyezés) established the dual monarchy of Austria-Hungary. The Compromise only partially re-established the former pre-1848 sovereignty and status of the Kingdom of Hungary ...
Pécs developed, like all the other cities and towns of the country. From 1867, Pécs is connected to the nearby town Barcs by railway, and since 1882 it is also connected to Budapest. In 1913, a tram system has been founded, but it was extinguished in 1960. At the end of World War I, Baranya county was occupied by Serbian troops, and it was not until August 1921 that Pécs could be sure that it remains part of Hungary. The University of Pressburg (modern-day
Bratislava Bratislava (, also ; ; german: Preßburg/Pressburg ; hu, Pozsony) is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Slovakia. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, it is estimated to be more than 660,000 — approxim ...
, Slovakia) was moved to Pécs after Hungary lost Pressburg according to the Treaty of Trianon. During World War II, Pécs was captured by Soviet troops of the
3rd Ukrainian Front The 3rd Ukrainian Front (Russian: Третий Украинский фронт) was a Front of the Red Army during World War II. It was founded on 20 October 1943, on the basis of a Stavka order of October 16, 1943, by renaming the Southwester ...
on 29 November 1944 in the course of the Budapest Offensive. The city suffered only minor damages, even though a large tank-battle took place south of the city, close to the Villány area late in the war, when the advancing Red Army fought its way towards Austria. Until the end of World War II, the majority Inhabitants was Danube Swabians. Some of the former German Settlers was expelled to Germany and Austria in 1945-1948, about the
Potsdam Agreement The Potsdam Agreement (german: Potsdamer Abkommen) was the agreement between three of the Allies of World War II: the United Kingdom, the United States, and the Soviet Union on 1 August 1945. A product of the Potsdam Conference, it concerned th ...
. Germans of Hungary are still a minority in the City. A history of Hungary from 1945-1990, "under Soviet domination" can be found in A Concise History of Hungary. After the war, development became fast again, and the city grew, absorbing several nearby towns. In the 1980s, Pécs already had 180,000 inhabitants. After the end of Socialist era (1989–1990), Pécs and its county, like many other areas, were hit hard by the changes, the unemployment rate was high, the mines and several factories were closed, and the war in neighboring Yugoslavia in the 1990s affected the tourism. Pécs was also the centre of the Nordic Support Group (NSG) consisting of units from Denmark, Norway, Sweden, Finland, and Poland, as part of the IFOR and later SFOR NATO deployments, after the Dayton Agreement and following peace in former Yugoslavia; the first units were deployed to Pécs in late 1995 and early 1996. The NSG handled the relaying of supply, personnel and other logistical tasks between the participating countries and their deployed forces in Bosnia-Herzegovina. In 1998 Pécs was given the UNESCO prize "''Cities for Peace"'' for maintaining its cultural minorities, and also for its tolerant and helping attitude toward refugees of the Yugoslav Wars. In 2007 Pécs was third, and in 2008 it was second "''Livable City"'' (The LivCom Awards) in the category of cities between 75,000 and 200,000 inhabitants. In 2010, Pécs was selected to be the European Capital of Culture alongside
Essen Essen (; Latin: ''Assindia'') is the central and, after Dortmund, second-largest city of the Ruhr, the largest urban area in Germany. Its population of makes it the fourth-largest city of North Rhine-Westphalia after Cologne, Düsseldorf and D ...
and Istanbul. The city motto is "The Borderless City". After receiving the title major renewal started in the city. Renewed public places, streets, squares and neighbourhoods, new cultural centers, a concert hall, a new library and center and a cultural quarter were designed.


Main sights

A good example of the city's history and interesting past can be seen in the main square, where the Gazi Kasim Mosque still stands, and, although consecrated as a church following the retreat of the Ottoman Turks centuries ago, the crescent moon of Islam is still visible on the cupola, surmounted by a cross. Indeed, Pécs is the richest town in Hungary in terms of Turkish architecture, with the ruins of Memi Pasa's Baths and the mausoleum of miracle worker Idris Baba, just two other notable remains. The
Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque The Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque ( hu, Jakováli Hasszán dzsámija, tr, Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Camii) is a late 16th-century mosque in Pécs, southern Hungary. It was constructed when the region was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, around th ...
, dating from the mid-1500s, still functions as an active mosque today. It is open to the public except during Friday services from 2.30 to 3.30 pm. * Necropolis of Sopianae (UNESCO World Heritage Site) * Cella Septichora (4th century) * The Cathedral (11th century, renovated in the 19th century). * Hungarian Bishop's Palace (12th century) * University of Pécs (1367), building of the Faculty of Science and Faculty of Humanities in Ifjúság street. It includes a Botanical Garden. *
Klimo Library The Klimo Library (), ''Klimo Collection'' () or ''Episcopal Library'' () established in 1774 is the first public library of Hungary. It was established in Pécs by György Klimó, Roman Catholic Diocese of Pécs, Bishop of Pécs and it is still ...
(1774). The first public library in Hungary, which was founded by bishop
George Klimo George may refer to: People * George (given name) * George (surname) * George (singer), American-Canadian singer George Nozuka, known by the mononym George * George Washington, First President of the United States * George W. Bush, 43rd Presiden ...
. * Barbakán "Tower" (15th century) * Ruins in Tettye (1505–1521) * Széchenyi square (main square) * The mosque of pasha Qasim (1543–1546). Originally gothic Church: St. Bertalan Cathedral from the 13th century *
Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque The Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque ( hu, Jakováli Hasszán dzsámija, tr, Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Camii) is a late 16th-century mosque in Pécs, southern Hungary. It was constructed when the region was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, around th ...
(16th century) * Downtown (Houses from the Middle Ages.
Baroque The Baroque (, ; ) is a style of architecture, music, dance, painting, sculpture, poetry, and other arts that flourished in Europe from the early 17th century until the 1750s. In the territories of the Spanish and Portuguese empires including t ...
, Classicism, Rococo,
Art Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...
Houses) * Nádor Hotel (1846) in Széchenyi Square * County House in Széchenyi Square * City Hall in Széchenyi Square * Synagogue (1869) * Building of the
Hungarian Academy of Sciences The Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( hu, Magyar Tudományos Akadémia, MTA) is the most important and prestigious learned society of Hungary. Its seat is at the bank of the Danube in Budapest, between Széchenyi rakpart and Akadémia utca. Its ma ...
(1884) *
National Theatre of Pécs The National Theatre of Pécs is the main theatre of Pécs, Hungary. History Theatrical plays became a regular attraction in the city from the beginning of the 19th century in German and Hungarian language. Most often they were arranged in larger ...
(''Nemzeti Színház''), inaugurated in 1895. * Eosin glaze of Zsolnay fountain * Posta (Post) Palace * Hungaricum House * Janus Pannonius Museum * Renaissance Museum * Csontváry Museum * Zsolnay Museum * Victor Vasarely Museum *
Amerigo Tot Amerigo Tot (born Imre Tóth; 27 September 1909 – 13 December 1984) was a Hungarian sculptor and occasional actor. Born in Fehérvárcsurgó, Austria-Hungary he moved to Rome towards the end of the 1920s, where he lived for the rest of his l ...
Museum *
Ethnographic Museum Ethnographic museums conserve, display and contextualize items relevant to the field of ethnography, the systematic study of people and cultures. Such museums include: List by country/region Albania * Ethnographic Museum of Kavajë, * Gjirokast ...
in Pécs * Natural History Museum in Pécs * Szerecsen Chemist's Museum * Gallery of Pécs * Museum Street * Zsolnay Mausoleum * Bóbita (punch and judy show) * Janus (Pannonius) Theatre * Croatian Theatre in Pécs * Third Theatre * Zoological Garden in Pécs * Love padlocks * Magasház (formerly – was deconstructed in 2016) * TV-Tower in Mecsek Mountain (1960)


Demographics

The majority of the citizens with 84.0% are Hungarians according to the 2011 census. The city's Germans are the largest minority with 4.2%. Followed by 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 ...
(2.0%), the Croats (1.2%) and the Romanians (0.2%). The largest religious group is the Catholics with 39.7% Roman Catholic and 0.3% Greek Catholic. The second largest denomination is the
Calvinists 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 ...
(5.2%), the third the Lutherans (1.3%). 27.8% of the population is non-religious. Due to the number of international students studying and living in Pécs, a notable diversity of non-permanent citizen could be obviously seen around the city.


Climate


Economy

Historically Pécs was well known in Hungary for its industry with several factories, but after the fall of the Iron Curtain many have not managed the economic transition well and went bankrupt (e.g. Pécsi Kesztyűgyár, Pécsi Bőrgyár, Littke Pezsgőgyár etc.). Until some years ago, it had a coal and uranium mine, now only its
sand mine Sand mining is the extraction of sand, mainly through an open pit (or sand pit) but sometimes mined from beaches and inland dunes or dredged from ocean and river beds. Sand is often used in manufacturing, for example as an abrasive or in concre ...
exists and is operated by the Hungarian-owned ''Quartz'' mining company. The nationally (and to a limited extent internationally) famous porcelain factory, the '' Zsolnay Porcelain'' is the greatest pride of Pécs. The walls and roofs of several public and private buildings in the city are decorated with the company's porcelains contributing to Pécs's unique cityscape. The ''Pécsi Sörfőzde'' ( Pécs Brewery) is one of the four main Hungarian breweries (the others being
Dreher Breweries Dreher (Kőbánya) Brewery (Dreher Sörgyárak) in Budapest is owned by Asahi Breweries. Its main products are the Dreher Gold, Arany Ászok and Kőbányai Világos pilsener-style lagers but it also brews Dreher Bak (a double bock), a full-bodie ...
,
Borsod Brewery Borsodi Brewery or Brewery of Borsod (Borsodi Sörgyár Rt.) is a brewery located in the village of Bőcs, near Miskolc, the capital of Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in northeastern Hungary. History Construction of a 22,000 m2 brewery began in ...
,
Heineken Hungária The Heineken Hungaria Breweries Plc., as a Hungarian subsidiary of the international Heineken Group. It has two sites in Hungary in Sopron and Martfű, based on the former Sopron Brewery (Soproni Sörgyár) and Martfű Brewery (Martfűi Sörgyár ...
), but the only one of them owned fully by Hungarians. It produces a special beer, that is known for not being strained before bottling. The Hungarian textilmanufacturer ''Rovitex Hungária'', the American crane manufacturer Terex, the Hungarian scale manufacturer ''Pécsi Mérlegstúdió'', the Hungarian furniture manufacturer ''Megyeri Bútor'', the Hungarian cutting-tool manufacturer ''FORSZ'', the German switchboard manufacturer HB-Kapcsolószekrénygyártó (part of the Bader Gruppe), the Hungarian recycling company ''Alcufer'', the Hungarian agricultural vehiclemanufacturer ''HIDROT'', the Hungarian animal husbandry tool manufacturer ''Önitató'', the tobacco factory ''Pécsi Dohánygyár'' (owned by
British American Tobacco British American Tobacco plc (BAT) is a British multinational company that manufactures and sells cigarettes, tobacco and other nicotine products. The company, established in 1902, is headquartered in London, England. As of 2019, it is the large ...
), the Hungarian automotive spare parts manufacturer ''Matro'', the Hungarian safe manufacturer ''Strauss Metal'', the Hungarian packaging machine manufacturer ''SOMAPAK'', the Hungarian plastics producer ''Termoplast'', the ''Bocz Printing House'', the Hungarian pickles manufacturer ''Babina'', the Hungarian plastic product manufacturer ''Karsai Pécs'', the Hungarian metal manufacturer ''Riner Metal'' based there and have their production facilities in the city. There is a gradual development of modern high-tech industry, with Finnish electronics manufacturing company Elcoteq the largest industrial employer in the city, the Hungarian ''Z Elektronika'' electronics manufacturer and the Hungarian TG Netcom IT network manufacturer. The German transportation company,
Dachser Dachser Group SE & Co. KG is a German freight company founded by Thomas Dachser in 1930. Their headquarters are stationed in Kempten in the Allgäu region. In January 2005, Thomas Dachser's grandson, Bernhard Simon, took over as head of the Mana ...
has a logistics centre in Pécs. The ''Biokom'' waste management and recycling company (owned by the city) is responsible for the transport and recycling of waste in the whole territory of Pécs and the surrounding areas. The energy used in the settlement is produced mainly by the two
biomass power plant Energy crops are low-cost and low-maintenance crops grown solely for energy production by combustion (not for food). The crops are processed into solid, liquid or gaseous fuels, such as pellets, bioethanol or biogas. The fuels are burned to g ...
s of ''Pannonpower'' (part of Veolia) which consists of a 49,9 MW woodchip-fired and a 35 MW agricultural by-product-fired powerplants. The country's largest solar cell field is also in Pécs, thanks to the city's southern location and longer sunny hours, which can produce about 10 MW energy a year. The solar power plant is operated by ''MVM Hungarowind'' (part of the
MVM Group MVM Group (Magyar Villamos Művek Zártkörűen működő Részvénytársaság, literally: ''Hungarian Electrical Works Private Limited Company'') is a Hungarian power company, the only one in the country responsible for the production, distribu ...
). The Expo Center Pécs Exhibition and Conference Centre provides place for international exhibitions and conferences.


Education

The University of Pécs was founded by
Louis I of Hungary Louis I, also Louis the Great ( hu, Nagy Lajos; hr, Ludovik Veliki; sk, Ľudovít Veľký) or Louis the Hungarian ( pl, Ludwik Węgierski; 5 March 132610 September 1382), was King of Hungary and Croatia from 1342 and King of Poland from 1370 ...
in 1367. It is the oldest university in Hungary, and is among the first European universities. In the recent past it used to be divided in two universities, one for Medicine and Orthodontics (POTE) and a larger one for other studies: JPTE (Janus Pannonius Tudományegyetem). The POTE (Pécs University Medical School, now known as the Medical School) has a large English program for general medicine and dentistry (with students from America, Asia, Africa, and European countries - including many Scandinavians) and a new German program. On 1 January 2000 these universities were combined under the name University of Pécs (acronym: PTE - Pécsi Tudományegyetem - University of Pécs). Nowadays, the University of Pécs has become the most internationalized university in Hungary with around 5000 international students out of the total of approximately 20000 students (around 25%).


Politics

The current mayor of Pécs is
Attila Péterffy Attila Péterffy (born February 26, 1969) is a Hungarian politician and mechanical engineer. In the 2019 Hungarian local elections, he was elected as the Mayor of Pécs Pécs ( , ; hr, Pečuh; german: Fünfkirchen, ; also known by other #Nam ...
(Pécs Jövője, Öt Torony). The local Municipal Assembly, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 26 members (1 Mayor, 18 Individual constituencies MEPs and 7 Compensation List MEPs) divided into this political parties and alliances: Fidesz policies in Pécs have included a law making
homelessness Homelessness or houselessness – also known as a state of being unhoused or unsheltered – is the condition of lacking stable, safe, and adequate housing. People can be categorized as homeless if they are: * living on the streets, also kn ...
illegal (2014) and an official call to property owners not to make space available for an NGO supported by OSF (2017).


List of mayors

List of City Mayors from 1990:


Transport


Vehicular traffic

* The M6/M60 motorway connects Pécs and Budapest with the driving time between the two cities taking about hours now. The entire route opened on 31 March 2010. Route 6 crosses the city giving it an east–west axle and leaves it towards Barcs by the Croatian border. Secondary routes are: * Route 57: Pécs - Mohács, * Route 58: Pécs -
Drávaszabolcs Drávaszabolcs is a village in Baranya county, Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the no ...
, * Route 66: Pécs - Kaposvár.


Railway

Pécs is connected to Budapest through Pusztaszabolcs, and has direct connections to Mohács, Nagykanizsa. Designed by Ferenc Pfaff, the main railway station was built in 1900 and became a listed building in 2008. The building itself was built in the style of Renaissance Eclecticism, and it features reliefs depicting
James Watt James Watt (; 30 January 1736 (19 January 1736 OS) – 25 August 1819) was a Scottish inventor, mechanical engineer, and chemist who improved on Thomas Newcomen's 1712 Newcomen steam engine with his Watt steam engine in 1776, which was fun ...
and George Stephenson designed by Klein Ármin and made by Zsolnay factory A mass transit hub -including a bus terminal, a bus stop and a cab rank zone- is situated on the square in front of the railway station.


Mass transport

Volvo and Kravtex-Credo buses provide the only form of public transport in Pécs, though a tram line did operate from 1913 to 1960, when it was shut down due to changing transportation policy. Most of the remnants of this older system have been removed, though a few rails may still be seen around the city.


Airport

A new airport opened in Pécs
Pécs-Pogány International Airport Pécs-Pogány Airport ( hu, Pécs-Pogány repülőtér) or ''Pécs South Airport'' is a small commercial airport serving Pécs, a city in Baranya County in Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. ...
in March 2006. Its main traffic is supplied by smaller charter planes.


Sport

* Pécsi MFC,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club playing in the Nemzeti Bajnokság II * Pécsi Vasutas SK,
football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...
club playing in the Baranya megye (regional) league *PEAC-Pécs first-class women's professional basketball team * Pécsi VSK, men's water polo team *
Pécsi Indiánok SK Pécsi Indiánok SK is a Hungarian rugby Rugby may refer to: Sport * Rugby football in many forms: ** Rugby league: 13 players per side *** Masters Rugby League *** Mod league *** Rugby league nines *** Rugby league sevens *** Touch (sport) ** ...
, rugby club


Notable people born in Pécs

* Károly Balogh Mankóbüki president of the Royal Court of Pécs. * Marcel Breuer, architect and furniture designer * Pál Dárdai, football player *
Petar Dobrović Petar Dobrović ( sr-Cyrl, Петар Добровић; ; 14 January 1890 – 27 January 1942) was a Serbian painter and politician. Biography Dobrović was born in Pécs, Kingdom of Hungary. A proponent of Serbian colorism, he was known for ...
, Serb painter and president of the short-lived Baranya-Baja Republic *
József Eötvös (musician) József Eötvös (born 1962, Pécs) is a classical guitarist, from Pécs, Hungary. Eötvös studied with Roland Zimmer and Franz Just at the Hochschule für Musik "Franz Liszt", Weimar. He won several international competitions between 1985 and ...
, guitarist *
Dezső Ernster Dezső Ernster (23 November 1898 – 15 February 1981) was a Hungarian opera singer who sang leading bass roles with the New York Metropolitan Opera from 1946 to 1963. In 1929, he created the role of Baron d'Houdoux in Hindemith's ''Neues vom Tag ...
, Metropolitan Opera bass * Sigismund Ernuszt, bishop of Pécs * Lipót Fejér, mathematician * Alfréd (Fred) Forbát, Bauhaus architect * Zoltán Gera, football player * Leopold Hirschfeld, brewer, founder of the Pécsi Sörfőzde *
János Horvay János Horvay (May 29, 1874 - November 19, 1944) was a Magyars, Hungarian sculptor, who earned reputation with his statues about Lajos Kossuth, leader of the Hungarian national uprising in 1848–49. However his most important work, the great K ...
, sculptor * Katinka Hosszú, swimmer, 3 x gold medallist at the 2016 Olympic Games * Zsuzsanna Jakabos, swimmer *
Jenő Jandó Jenő Jandó (; born 1 February 1952) is a Hungarian pianist and Professor of the Franz Liszt Academy of Music in Budapest, Hungary. Background and education Jandó studied piano at the Liszt Academy with Katalin Nemes and Pál Kadosa, la ...
, pianist *
György Klimó György Klimó (4 April 1710 – 2 May 1777 ) was Bishop of Pécs and founder of the Klimo Library and printing press. Biography Klimó came from a serf family. He studied first in Pressburg, then in Pest (present-day Bratislava and Budapest ...
, bishop of Pécs, founder of press and public library *
Dezső Lauber Dezső Lauber (23 May 1879 – 5 September 1966) was a Hungarian all-round sportsman and architect. He was born in Pécs and died in Budapest. Lauber was an all-round champion athlete in the late 19th and early 20th century, competing in ...
, sportsman and architect * László Lénárd, neuroscientist, physician * Kató Lomb, interpreter, language master *
Maximinus (Praetorian Prefect) Maximinus was a Roman barrister and Praetorian Prefect of the later fourth century AD. Origins Maximinus was born in Sopianae, Pannonia. His family was of Carpic origin. Maximinus' father was an accountant in the provincial government office ...
*
Farkas Molnár Farkas "Wolfgang" Ferenc Molnár (1897–1945) was a Hungarian architect, painter, essayist, and graphic artist. He is associated with the first generation of Bauhaus movement, and was active in Budapest. Biography Farkas Molnár was born in ...
(1897–1945) was a Hungarian architect, painter, essayist, and graphic artist. * Janus Pannonius, bishop of Pécs * İbrahim Peçevi (Ibrahim of Pécs), Ottoman historian and chronicler * Karl (Freiherr) von Pflanzer-Baltin *
Anton von Rosas Anton von Rosas (23 December 1791 – 31 May 1855) was an Austrian ophthalmologist born in Pécs, Hungary. He studied medicine at the Universities of Pest and Vienna, earning his doctorate in 1814. He later became an assistant to Georg Joseph ...
, ophthalmologist *
Joe Rudán József "Joe" Rudán (born 5 June 1963 in Pécs) is the vocalist of Hungarian heavy metal band Pokolgép since 1990 to 2010. He is also a bass guitarist, but now he doesn't play on bass guitar in any of his current bands. Bands 1978: Ewerest – b ...
, singer *
László Sólyom László Sólyom ( hu, Sólyom László, ; born 3 January 1942) is a Hungarian political figure, lawyer, and librarian who was President of Hungary from 2005 until 2010. Previously he was Chief Justice of the Constitutional Court of Hungary f ...
, president of Hungary * Béla Tarr, film director * Olga Tass, Olympic gymnast * Victor Vasarely, artist *
Balázs Zamostny Balázs Zamostny (born 31 January 1992) is a Hungarian forward who plays for Tiszakécske. Club career On 28 June 2022, Zamostny moved to Tiszakécske Tiszakécske is a town in Bács-Kiskun county, Hungary and the administrative centre of t ...
(born in 1992), Hungarian footballer


Twin towns – sister cities

Pécs 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: * Arad, Romania *
Beyoğlu Beyoğlu (, ota, بك‌اوغلی, script=Arab) is a district on the European side of İstanbul, Turkey, separated from the old city (historic peninsula of Constantinople) by the Golden Horn. It was known as the region of Pera (Πέρα, meani ...
, Turkey *
Cluj-Napoca ; hu, kincses város) , official_name=Cluj-Napoca , native_name= , image_skyline= , subdivision_type1 = Counties of Romania, County , subdivision_name1 = Cluj County , subdivision_type2 = Subdivisions of Romania, Status , subdivision_name2 ...
, Romania * Fellbach, Germany *
Graz Graz (; sl, Gradec) is the capital city of the Austrian state of Styria and second-largest city in Austria after Vienna. As of 1 January 2021, it had a population of 331,562 (294,236 of whom had principal-residence status). In 2018, the popul ...
, Austria * Kraków, Poland *
Kütahya Kütahya () (historically, Cotyaeum or Kotyaion, Ancient Greek, Greek: Κοτύαιον) is a city in western Turkey which lies on the Porsuk River, Porsuk river, at 969 metres above sea level. It is inhabited by some 578,640 people (2022 estimate) ...
, Turkey * Lahti, Finland * Novi Sad, Serbia * Olomouc, Czech Republic *
Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...
, Croatia * Seattle, United States * Shiraz, Iran *
Shkodër Shkodër ( , ; sq-definite, Shkodra) is the fifth-most-populous city of the Republic of Albania and the seat of Shkodër County and Shkodër Municipality. The city sprawls across the Plain of Mbishkodra between the southern part of Lake Shkod ...
, Albania * Sliven, Bulgaria * Terracina, Italy * Tucson, United States * Tuzla, Bosnia and Herzegovina * Zagreb, Croatia The city also has an informal friendship link with Peterborough, England.


Gallery

File:Pécs székesegyház.JPG, Cathedral File:Pécs levéltár.JPG, Archives of Pécs File:Jókai Square, Pécs.jpg, Inner city File:Szechenyi square new Pecs.JPG, Mosque of Pasha Qasim File:Pécs, Király St. and Színház Sq. corner.jpg, Király Street File:PTE-BTK-TTK.jpg, University of Pécs File:Lyceum templom Pécs.JPG, Király Street File:Post office Pécs 2010.jpg, Posta Palace File:Pecs04.jpg, Eosin glaze of Zsolnay fountain File:Jokai ter Pecs.jpg, Jókai Square File:Pécs, Lóránt Palace 01.jpg, City Centre File:Hotel Nádor Pécs.JPG, Nádor Hotel File:Hungary Pecs 2005 June 053.jpg, Chapel File:Tettye Havihegyi kápolna.JPG, Havihegy Chapel File:Tettye Romok.JPG, Ruins in Tettye File:Pécs - Saint Sebastian church 01.jpg File:Hungary Pecs 2005 June 030.jpg, Synagogue File:Yakovali Hassan Mosque 1.jpg,
Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque The Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Mosque ( hu, Jakováli Hasszán dzsámija, tr, Yakovalı Hasan Paşa Camii) is a late 16th-century mosque in Pécs, southern Hungary. It was constructed when the region was part of the Turkish Ottoman Empire, around th ...
File:Pécs MTA-székház.jpg, Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Pécs File:Hungary Pecs 2005 June 076University.jpg, University of Pécs - Faculty of Humanity and Natural Sciences File:Hungary Pecs 2005 June 032.jpg,
Lajos Kossuth Lajos Kossuth de Udvard et Kossuthfalva (, hu, udvardi és kossuthfalvi Kossuth Lajos, sk, Ľudovít Košút, anglicised as Louis Kossuth; 19 September 1802 – 20 March 1894) was a Hungarian nobleman, lawyer, journalist, poli ...
statue File:02 Pecs, Hungary - Great Synagogue.jpg, Kossuth square and Great Synagogue File:Hungary pecs - francia emlekmu.jpg, French (Napoleonic War) monument File:Pecs Tettye 02.jpg, Tettye File:Megyeszékhely - Baranya megye - Pécs.jpg, Aerial view File:Pécs látképe.jpg, Panorama File:Pannonpower-Pécs.jpg, Pannonpower Energy Station File:Pecs 2010 Logo.svg, Logo of the 2010 European Capital of Culture


See also

* Love padlocks * Music of Pécs * Pécs Brewery *
Lake Pécs Lake Pécs ( Hungarian: Pécsi-tó) is a lake in Hungary. The lake is located north of the village of Orfű, in Baranya county; surrounding villages are Mecsekrákos and Tekeres. It is within the Mecsek mountain range, which separates the lake fro ...


References


History of Pécs
;Notes


External links


Official homepage

Baranya County Museums' Directorate

Pécs in 360 panoramic images

Aerial photography: Pécs


Hrvatska nazočnost u "gradu s pet crkava", Oct 7, 2007 (page about Croats in Pécs)


Pécs szállás (accommodation)

Pécs at funiq.hu

Csakis itt Pécsen! – videoclip
{{DEFAULTSORT:Pecs County seats in Hungary Cities with county rights of Hungary Populated places in Baranya County World Heritage Sites in Hungary Baranya (region) History of Baranya (region) Hungarian German communities Roman settlements in Hungary