Szeged ( , ; see also other alternative names) is the third largest city of

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 northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

, the largest city and regional centre of the

Southern Great Plain The Southern Great Plain ( hu, Dél-Alföld) is a statistical ( NUTS 2) region of Hungary. It is part of Great Plain and North (NUTS 1) region. The Southern Great Plain includes three counties: * Bács-Kiskun * Békés * Csongrád-Csanád See ...

and the

county seat A county seat is an administrative center, seat of government, or capital city of a county or civil parish. The term is in use in Canada, China, Hungary, Romania, Taiwan, and the United States. The equivalent term shire town is used in the US st ...

Csongrád-Csanád county Csongrád-Csanád ( hu, Csongrád-Csanád megye ) is the name of an administrative county (comitatus or ''megye'') in southern Hungary, straddling the river Tisza, on the border with Serbia and Romania. It shares borders with the Hungarian count ...

. The

University of Szeged , mottoeng = Truth. Bravery. Freedom. , established = , type = Public research university , founder = Emperor Franz Joseph I , affiliation = European University Association, Science Without Borders, Confucius Institute , budget = US$220 m ...

is one of the most distinguished universities in Hungary. The Szeged Open Air (Theatre) Festival (first held in 1931) is one of the main attractions, held every summer and celebrated as the Day of the City on 21 May.

Etymology

The name ''Szeged'' might come from an old Hungarian word for 'corner' (), pointing to the turn of the river

Tisza The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza be ...

that flows through the city. Others say it derives from the Hungarian word which means 'island'. Others still contend that means 'dark blond' () – a reference to the color of the water where the rivers

and

Maros Maros is a town in the South Sulawesi province of Indonesia close to the provincial capital of Makassar. It is the capital of the Maros Regency. Maros is the location of the Indonesian Cereals Research Institute, a branch of the Indonesia ...

merge. The city has its own name in a number of foreign languages, usually by adding a suffix ''-in'' to the Hungarian name:

Romanian Romanian may refer to: *anything of, from, or related to the country and nation of Romania **Romanians, an ethnic group **Romanian language, a Romance language *** Romanian dialects, variants of the Romanian language ** Romanian cuisine, tradition ...

;

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 **Ge ...

or ;

Serbo-Croatian Serbo-Croatian () – also called Serbo-Croat (), Serbo-Croat-Bosnian (SCB), Bosnian-Croatian-Serbian (BCS), and Bosnian-Croatian-Montenegrin-Serbian (BCMS) – is a South Slavic language and the primary language of Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia an ...

Greek Greek may refer to: Greece Anything of, from, or related to Greece, a country in Southern Europe: *Greeks, an ethnic group. *Greek language, a branch of the Indo-European language family. **Proto-Greek language, the assumed last common ancestor ...

(''Partiskon'');

Italian Italian(s) may refer to: * Anything of, from, or related to the people of Italy over the centuries ** Italians, an ethnic group or simply a citizen of the Italian Republic or Italian Kingdom ** Italian language, a Romance language *** Regional Ita ...

;

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

; Latvian ; Lithuanian ;

Polish Polish may refer to: * Anything from or related to Poland, a country in Europe * Polish language * Poles Poles,, ; singular masculine: ''Polak'', singular feminine: ''Polka'' or Polish people, are a West Slavic nation and ethnic group, w ...

; Slovak and

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus' Places * Czech, ...

; Turkish .

History

Szeged and its area have been inhabited since ancient times.

Ptolemy Claudius Ptolemy (; grc-gre, Πτολεμαῖος, ; la, Claudius Ptolemaeus; AD) was a mathematician, astronomer, astrologer, geographer, and music theorist, who wrote about a dozen scientific treatises, three of which were of importance ...

mentions the oldest known name of the city: ''Partiscum'' (

Ancient Greek Ancient Greek includes the forms of the Greek language used in ancient Greece and the ancient world from around 1500 BC to 300 BC. It is often roughly divided into the following periods: Mycenaean Greek (), Dark Ages (), the Archaic p ...

: Πάρτισκον)''.'' It is possible that Attila, king of the

Huns The Huns were a nomadic people who lived in Central Asia, the Caucasus, and Eastern Europe between the 4th and 6th century AD. According to European tradition, they were first reported living east of the Volga River, in an area that was part ...

had his seat somewhere in this area. The name Szeged was first mentioned in 1183, in a document of King Béla III. In the second century AD there was a

Roman 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 lette ...

trading post A trading post, trading station, or trading house, also known as a factory, is an establishment or settlement where goods and services could be traded. Typically the location of the trading post would allow people from one geographic area to tr ...

established on an island in the

, and the foundations of the Szeged castle suggest that the structure may have been built over an even earlier fort. Today only one corner of the castle still remains standing. During the

Mongol invasion The Mongol invasions and conquests took place during the 13th and 14th centuries, creating history's largest contiguous empire: the Mongol Empire (1206- 1368), which by 1300 covered large parts of Eurasia. Historians regard the Mongol devastati ...

the town was destroyed and its inhabitants fled to the nearby swamps, but they soon returned and rebuilt their town. In the 14th century, during the reign of

Louis the Great 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. ...

, Szeged became the most important town of Southern Hungary, and – as the Turkish armies got closer to Hungary – the strategic importance of Szeged grew. King Sigismund of Luxembourg had a

wall A wall is a structure and a surface that defines an area; carries a load; provides security, shelter, or soundproofing; or, is decorative. There are many kinds of walls, including: * Walls in buildings that form a fundamental part of the sup ...

built around the town. Szeged was raised to

free royal town Royal free city or free royal city (Latin: libera regia civitas) was the official term for the most important cities in the Kingdom of Hungary from the late 12th centuryBácskai Vera – Nagy Lajos: Piackörzetek, piacközpontok és városok Magy ...

status in 1498. Szeged was first pillaged by the

Ottoman Army The military of the Ottoman Empire ( tr, Osmanlı İmparatorluğu'nun silahlı kuvvetleri) was the armed forces of the Ottoman Empire. Army The military of the Ottoman Empire can be divided in five main periods. The foundation era covers the ...

on 28 September 1526, but was occupied only in 1543, and became an administrative centre of the Ottomans (see

Ottoman Hungary Ottoman Hungary ( hu, Török hódoltság) was the southern and central parts of what had been the Kingdom of Hungary in the late medieval period, which were conquered and ruled by the Ottoman Empire from 1541 to 1699. The Ottoman rule covered ...

). The town was a

sanjak Sanjaks (liwāʾ) (plural form: alwiyāʾ) * Armenian: նահանգ (''nahang''; meaning "province") * Bulgarian: окръг (''okrǔg''; meaning "county", "province", or "region") * el, Διοίκησις (''dioikēsis'', meaning "province" ...

centre first in Budin Eyaleti (1543–1596), after in

Eğri Eyalet Eğri Eyalet ( ota, ایالت اگیر; Eyālet-i Egīr, hu, Egri vilajet, sr, Jegarski ejalet or Јегарски ејалет) or Pashaluk of Eğri was an administrative territorial entity of the Ottoman Empire formed in 1596 with its capita ...

i. The town was freed from Turkish rule on 23 October 1686, and regained the free royal town status in 1715. In 1719, Szeged received its

coat of arms A coat of arms is a heraldic visual design on an escutcheon (i.e., shield), surcoat, or tabard (the latter two being outer garments). The coat of arms on an escutcheon forms the central element of the full heraldic achievement, which in its ...

(still used today) from

Charles III Charles III (Charles Philip Arthur George; born 14 November 1948) is King of the United Kingdom and the 14 other Commonwealth realms. He was the longest-serving heir apparent and Prince of Wales and, at age 73, became the oldest person t ...

. During the next several years, Szeged grew and prospered.

Piarist The Piarists (), officially named the Order of Poor Clerics Regular of the Mother of God of the Pious Schools ( la, Ordo Clericorum Regularium pauperum Matris Dei Scholarum Piarum), abbreviated SchP, is a religious order of clerics regular of the ...

monks arrived in Szeged in 1719 and opened a new grammar school in 1721. Szeged also held scientific lectures and theatrical plays. These years brought not only prosperity but also enlightenment. Between 1728 and 1744

witch trials A witch-hunt, or a witch purge, is a search for people who have been labeled witches or a search for evidence of witchcraft. The Witch trials in the early modern period, classical period of witch-hunts in Early Modern Europe and European Colon ...

were frequent in the town, with the

Szeged witch trials The Szeged witch trials, which took place in the city of Szeged in Hungary in 1728–1729, was perhaps the largest witch-hunt in Hungary. It led to the death of 14 people by burning, although witch trials had been banned by the decree of King Colo ...

of 1728–29 perhaps being the largest. The witch trials were instigated by the authorities, who decided on this measure to remove the problem of the public complaints about the drought and its consequences of famine and epidemics by laying the responsibility on people among them, which had fraternized with the Devil. In 1720, the ethnic Hungarian population of the town numbered about 13000 to 16000, while the number of the

Serb The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

inhabitants was 1300. Szeged is known as the home of paprika, a spice made from dried, powdered

capsicum ''Capsicum'' () is a genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family Solanaceae, native to the Americas, cultivated worldwide for their chili pepper or bell pepper fruit. Etymology and names The generic name may come from Latin , me ...

fruits. Paprika arrived in Hungary in the second half of the 16th century as an ornamental plant. About 100 years later the plant was cultivated as an herb, and paprika as we know it. Szeged is also famous for their szekelygulyas, a

goulash Goulash ( hu, gulyás) is a soup or stew of meat and vegetables seasoned with paprika and other spices. Originating in Hungary, goulash is a common meal predominantly eaten in Central Europe but also in other parts of Europe. It is one of the n ...

made with

pork Pork is the culinary name for the meat of the domestic pig (''Sus domesticus''). It is the most commonly consumed meat worldwide, with evidence of pig husbandry dating back to 5000 BCE. Pork is eaten both freshly cooked and preserved; ...

sauerkraut Sauerkraut (; , "sour cabbage") is finely cut raw cabbage that has been fermented by various lactic acid bacteria. It has a long shelf life and a distinctive sour flavor, both of which result from the lactic acid formed when the bacteria ferm ...

and

sour cream Sour cream (in North American English, Australian English and New Zealand English) or soured cream (British English) is a dairy product obtained by fermenting regular cream with certain kinds of lactic acid bacteria. The bacterial culture, ...

. And also famous for their

halászlé Fisherman's soup or halászlé () is a hot, spicy paprika-based fish soup. A folk item of Hungarian cuisine, it is a bright-red hot dish prepared with generous amounts of hot paprika and carp or mixed river fish. It is native to the Pannonian P ...

fish soup Fish soup is a food made by combining fish or seafood with vegetables and stock, juice, water, or another liquid. Hot soups are additionally characterized by boiling solid ingredients in liquids in a pot until the flavors are extracted, formin ...

made of carp and

catfish Catfish (or catfishes; order Siluriformes or Nematognathi) are a diverse group of ray-finned fish. Named for their prominent barbels, which resemble a cat's whiskers, catfish range in size and behavior from the three largest species alive ...

. The citizens of Szeged played an important part in 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 ...

. Lajos Kossuth delivered his famous speech here. Szeged was the last seat of the revolutionary government in July 1849. The Habsburg rulers punished the leaders of the town, but later Szeged began to prosper again; the railway reached it in 1854, and the town got its free royal town status back in 1860. Mark Pick's shop – the predecessor of today's Pick

Salami Salami ( ) is a cured sausage consisting of fermented and air-dried meat, typically pork. Historically, salami was popular among Southern, Eastern, and Central European peasants because it can be stored at room temperature for up to 45 days ...

Factory – was opened in 1869. Szeged, Dugonics tér a nagyárvízkor, szemben a Kálvária-sugárút

Today the inner city of Szeged has wide avenues. This is mainly due to the great

flood A flood is an overflow of water ( or rarely other fluids) that submerges land that is usually dry. In the sense of "flowing water", the word may also be applied to the inflow of the tide. Floods are an area of study of the discipline hydrol ...

of 1879, which wiped away the whole town (only 265 of the 5723 houses remained and 165 people died). Emperor

Franz Joseph Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I (german: Franz Joseph Karl, hu, Ferenc József Károly, 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 2 December 1848 until his ...

visited the town and promised that "Szeged will be more beautiful than it used to be". He kept his promise, and during the next years a new, modern city emerged from the ruins, with palaces and wide streets.

During the 20th century

After the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

Hungary lost its southern territories to

Serbia Serbia (, ; Serbian: , , ), officially the Republic of Serbia (Serbian: , , ), is a landlocked country in Southeastern and Central Europe, situated at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin and the Balkans. It shares land borders with Hungar ...

, as a result Szeged became a city close to the

border Borders are usually defined as geographical boundaries, imposed either by features such as oceans and terrain, or by political entities such as governments, sovereign states, federated states, and other subnational entities. Political borders c ...

, and its importance lessened, but as it took over roles that formerly belonged to the now lost cities, it slowly recovered. Following the Loss of

Transylvania Transylvania ( ro, Ardeal or ; hu, Erdély; german: Siebenbürgen) is a historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and south its natural border is the Carpathian Mountains, and to the west the Ap ...

to Romania, University of Kolozsvár (now Cluj-Napoca), moved to Szeged in 1921 (see

). In 1923 Szeged took over the role of episcopal seat from Temesvár (now

Timișoara ), City of Roses ( ro, Orașul florilor), City of Parks ( ro, Orașul parcurilor) , image_map = Timisoara jud Timis.svg , map_caption = Location in Timiș County , pushpin_map = Romania#Europe , pushpin_ ...

, Romania). It was briefly occupied by the

Romanian army The Romanian Land Forces ( ro, Forțele Terestre Române) is the army of Romania, and the main component of the Romanian Armed Forces. In recent years, full professionalisation and a major equipment overhaul have transformed the nature of the Lan ...

during Hungarian-Romanian War in 1919. It also became a center for right-wing forces which would install

Miklós Horthy Miklós Horthy de Nagybánya ( hu, Vitéz nagybányai Horthy Miklós; ; English: Nicholas Horthy; german: Nikolaus Horthy Ritter von Nagybánya; 18 June 1868 – 9 February 1957), was a Hungarian admiral and dictator who served as the regent ...

as the country's new leader after the overthrow of the

Hungarian Soviet Republic The Socialist Federative Republic of Councils in Hungary ( hu, Magyarországi Szocialista Szövetséges Tanácsköztársaság) (due to an early mistranslation, it became widely known as the Hungarian Soviet Republic in English-language sources ( ...

. During the 1920s the Jewish population of Szeged grew and reached its zenith. Szeged suffered heavily during

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 vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

. 6,000 inhabitants of the city were killed, In 1941, there were 4,161 Jews living in Szeged. After, March 19, 1944

German occupation German-occupied Europe refers to the sovereign countries of Europe which were wholly or partly occupied and civil-occupied (including puppet governments) by the military forces and the government of Nazi Germany at various times between 1939 an ...

, they were confined to a

ghetto A ghetto, often called ''the'' ghetto, is a part of a city in which members of a minority group live, especially as a result of political, social, legal, environmental or economic pressure. Ghettos are often known for being more impoverished t ...

together with the Jews from surrounding villages. In June, 1944, the ghetto was liquidated. The

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...

murdered the larger part of the 8,500 and some were forced into

forced labor Forced labour, or unfree labour, is any work relation, especially in modern or early modern history, in which people are employed against their will with the threat of destitution, detention, violence including death, or other forms of ex ...

in Strasshof Labor camp, Austria. Szeged was captured by

Soviet The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, it was nominally a federal union of fifteen nation ...

troops of the

2nd Ukrainian Front The 2nd Ukrainian Front (2-й Украинский фронт), was a front of the Red Army during the Second World War. History On October 20, 1943 the Steppe Front was renamed the 2nd Ukrainian Front. During the Second Jassy–Kishinev ...

on 11 October 1944 in the course of the

Battle of Debrecen The Battle of Debrecen, called by the Red Army the ''Debrecen Offensive Operation'', was a battle taking place 6–29 October 1944 on the Eastern Front in Hungary during World War II. The offensive was conducted by the 2nd Ukrainian Front ...

. During the communist era, Szeged became a centre of

light industry Light industry are industries that usually are less capital-intensive than heavy industry and are more consumer-oriented than business-oriented, as they typically produce smaller consumer goods. Most light industry products are produced for ...

and food industry. In 1965,

oil An oil is any nonpolar chemical substance that is composed primarily of hydrocarbons and is hydrophobic (does not mix with water) & lipophilic (mixes with other oils). Oils are usually flammable and surface active. Most oils are unsaturated ...

was found near the city. In 1962, Szeged became the county seat of

Csongrád Csongrád ( ro, Ciongrad; tr, Conğrad sr, Чонград, Čongrad, archaically also ''Црноград/Crnograd'') is a town in Csongrád County in southern Hungary. History At the time of the Hungarian Conquest (the end of 9th century) the ...

. Whole new districts were built, and many nearby villages (e.g. Tápé, Szőreg, Kiskundorozsma, Szentmihálytelek, Gyálarét) were annexed to the city in 1973 (as was a tendency during the

Communist era A Communist Era is a sustained period of national government by a single party following the philosophy of Marxism–Leninism. Many countries have experienced such a period of Communist rule. Current communist states China The Chinese Communist ...

). Today's Szeged is an important university town and a tourist attraction. The Szeged Symphony Orchestra (Szegedi Szimfonikus Zenekar) gives regular concerts at the Szegedi Nemzeti Színház.

Geography

Szeged is situated near the southern border of

, just to the south of the mouth of the Maros River, on both banks of the

Tisza River The Tisza, Tysa or Tisa, is one of the major rivers of Central and Eastern Europe. Once, it was called "the most Hungarian river" because it flowed entirely within the Kingdom of Hungary. Today, it crosses several national borders. The Tisza be ...

, nearly in the centre of the

Carpathian Basin The Pannonian Basin, or Carpathian Basin, is a large Sedimentary basin, basin situated in south-east Central Europe. The Geomorphology, geomorphological term Pannonian Plain is more widely used for roughly the same region though with a somewh ...

. The Hungarian frontier with Serbia is just outside the town.

Climate

Szeged's climate is transitional between

oceanic Oceanic may refer to: *Of or relating to the ocean *Of or relating to Oceania **Oceanic climate **Oceanic languages **Oceanic person or people, also called "Pacific Islander(s)" Places * Oceanic, British Columbia, a settlement on Smith Island, ...

Köppen Köppen is a German surname. Notable people with the surname include: * Bernd Köppen (born 1951), German pianist and composer * Carl Köppen (1833-1907), German military advisor in Meiji era Japan * Edlef Köppen (1893–1939), German author and ...

" Cfb" (Marine West Coast Climate/ Oceanic climate) and

continental Continental may refer to: Places * Continent, the major landmasses of Earth * Continental, Arizona, a small community in Pima County, Arizona, US * Continental, Ohio, a small town in Putnam County, US Arts and entertainment * ''Continental'' ( ...

(Köppen ''Dfb''), with cold winters, hot summers, and fairly low precipitation. Due to the high hours of sunlight reported annually, Szeged is often called ''City of Sunshine'' (). On 23 July 2022, a maximum temperature of was registered in Szeged.

Education

The city of Szeged has 62

kindergartens Kindergarten is a preschool educational approach based on playing, singing, practical activities such as drawing, and social interaction as part of the transition from home to school. Such institutions were originally made in the late 18th cent ...

, 32 elementary schools and 18 high schools. The two most prominent high schools (''Ságvári Endre Gyakorló Gimnázium'' and ''Radnóti Miklós Kísérleti Gimnázium'') are in the top fifteen in the country. Szeged is the higher education centre of the

and has built quite a reputation for itself. Thousands of students study here, many of whom are foreigners. The

is according to the number of students the second largest and the 4th oldest university of Hungary being established in 1581. Ranked as the top university of the country o
Academic Ranking of World Universities – 2005
and in the top 100 in Europe, it offers several programs on different fields of study. ELI-ALPS research center under construction

ELI-ALPS research center under construction

The ''

Biological Research Centre The Biological Research Centre (BRC) of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences ( hu, MTA Szegedi Biológiai Központ) is located in Szeged, Hungary. The research center was founded in 1971, created by Brunó F. Straub, who was director until 1977. As of ...

'' of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences, which was built with the help of

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

funds, has also been a considerable source of advanced research. Scientists at this laboratory were first in the world to produce ''artificial heredity material'' in the year 2000. The building has served as a home to many well known conferences and continues to make contributions to the world of science. The ''Szent-Györgyi Albert Agóra'' is a cultural scientific centre of Szeged which gives home to laboratories of the Biological Research Centre and to exhibitions of the

John von Neumann Computer Society The John von Neumann Computer Society ( hu, Neumann János Számítógép-tudományi Társaság) is the central association for Hungarian researchers of Information communication technology and official partner of the International Federation fo ...

especially their IT historical exposition. In 2018 the new scientific institution, the ''

ELI Eli most commonly refers to: * Eli (name), a given name, nickname and surname * Eli (biblical figure) Eli or ELI may also refer to: Film * ''Eli'' (2015 film), a Tamil film * ''Eli'' (2019 film), an American horror film Music * ''Eli'' (Jan ...

Attosecond Light Pulse Source'' (ELI-ALPS) opened in Szeged establishing a unique facility which provides light sources within an extremely broad frequency range in the form of ultrashort pulses with high repetition rate which is needed for different kinds of physical experiments especially in the field of

attosecond physics Attosecond physics, also known as attophysics, or more generally attosecond science, is a branch of physics that deals with light-matter interaction phenomena wherein attosecond (10−18 s) photons, photon pulses are used to unravel dynamical proc ...

. It is also one of the main options for medical students who come from all around Europe to study Medicine in their recognized international campus.

Demographics

Ethnic groups (2001 census): *

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

– 93.5% *

Romani Romani may refer to: Ethnicities * Romani people, an ethnic group of Northern Indian origin, living dispersed in Europe, the Americas and Asia ** Romani genocide, under Nazi rule * Romani language, any of several Indo-Aryan languages of the Roma ...

– 0.7% *

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

– 0.5% *

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

– 0.2% *

Romanians The Romanians ( ro, români, ; dated exonym '' Vlachs'') are a Romance-speaking ethnic group. Sharing a common Romanian culture and ancestry, and speaking the Romanian language, they live primarily in Romania and Moldova. The 2011 Roman ...

– 0.2% *

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, ...

– 0.1% * Slovaks – 0.1% * No answer (unknown) – 4.7% Feszület_Szeged_Felsővárosában

Religions (2001 census): *

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 let ...

– 54.5% *

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 ...

– 6.7% *

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 ...

– 1.6% *

Greek Catholic The term Greek Catholic Church can refer to a number of Eastern Catholic Churches following the Byzantine (Greek) liturgy, considered collectively or individually. The terms Greek Catholic, Greek Catholic church or Byzantine Catholic, Byzantine Ca ...

– 0.6% * Others (Christian) – 1.3% * Others (non-Christian) – 0.4% * Atheist – 21.8% * No answer (unknown) – 13.1%

Economy

Szeged is one of the centres of food industry in Hungary, especially known for its paprika and companies like

Pick Szeged Pick Szeged is a Hungarian company that produces a variety of meat products, most notably Winter salami. It was founded in 1869, and remains based in Szeged Szeged ( , ; see also #Etymology, other alternative names) is List of cities and t ...

, Sole-Mizo, Bonafarm etc. Other notable companies having their headquarters in Szeged are AMSY International, RRE – Szeged, Optiwella, Generál Printing House, RotaPack, Sanex Pro, Agroplanta, Karotin, Florin, Quadrotex and SZEPLAST. Others, like ContiTech, Duna-Dráva Cement, Szatmári Malom and Europe Match, are not based in the city, but have production facilities there. The Hangár Expo and Conference Centre provides space for international exhibitions and conferences.

Largest employers

Transport

Szeged is the most important transportation hub in the

. Two motorways, M5 and M43, lie along the city border. Through the

M5 Motorway The M5 is a motorway in England linking the Midlands with the South West England, South West. It runs from junction 8 of the M6 motorway, M6 at West Bromwich near Birmingham to Exeter in Devon. Heading south-west, the M5 runs east of West Brom ...

Szeged is connected to

Kecskemét Kecskemét ( , sk, Kečkemét) is a city with county rights central part Hungary. It is the eighth-largest city in the country, and the county seat of Bács-Kiskun. Kecskemét lies halfway between the capital Budapest and the country's th ...

Kiskunfélegyháza Kiskunfélegyháza (; german: Feulegaß) is a city in Bács-Kiskun County, Hungary. Geography Kiskunfélegyháza is located in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plain, southeast from Budapest. M5 motorway, Highway 5, 451, Budapest–Cegléd–Sz ...

and

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 ...

to the north and to Subotica,

Novi Sad Novi Sad ( sr-Cyrl, Нови Сад, ; hu, Újvidék, ; german: Neusatz; see below for other names) is the second largest city in Serbia and the capital of the autonomous province of Vojvodina. It is located in the southern portion of the Pan ...

and Belgrade in

to the south. The M43 Motorway – which splits from the M5 Motorway near Szeged – connects the city via Makó to Arad and

Romania Romania ( ; ro, România ) is a country located at the crossroads of Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe. It borders Bulgaria to the south, Ukraine to the north, Hungary to the west, Serbia to the southwest, Moldova to the east, and ...

. In addition, there are other roads running from the city to Makó and

Nagylak Nagylak ( ro, Nădlac or ) is a village in Csongrád-Csanád County, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary. Geography It covers an area of and in 2017 had a population of 433, 6% of whom is of Romanian Romanian may refer to: * ...

(main road 43), to

Röszke Röszke is a village in Csongrád county, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary. The nearest town is Szeged . Sándor Rózsa, the legendary Hungarian bandit was born here in 1813. Geography It covers an area of and has a popula ...

(main road 5), to

Ásotthalom Ásotthalom ( hr, Zlatara) is a village in Csongrád County, in the Southern Great Plain region of southern Hungary, near the border with Serbia. Geography It covers an area of and has a population of 3,856 people (2017). Politics The local m ...

and Baja (main road 55) and to Hódmezővásárhely,

Orosháza Orosháza is a city situated in the westernmost part of Békés county, Hungary, on the Békés ridge bordered by the rivers Maros and Körös. Orosháza is an important cultural, educational and recreational centre of the region. Main sigh ...

and

Békéscsaba Békéscsaba (; sk, Békešská Čaba; see also other alternative names) is a city with county rights in southeast Hungary, the capital of Békés County. Geography Békéscsaba is located in the Great Hungarian Plain, southeast from Budap ...

(main road 47). The Budapest-Szeged-rail line is an important rail connection, as well as the railway lines 121 (to Makó), 135 (to Hódmezővásárhely), 136 (to Röszke) and 140 (to Kiskunfélegyháza). A

tram-train A tram-train is a type of light rail vehicle that meets the standards of a light rail system (usually an urban street running tramway), but which also meets national mainline standards permitting operation alongside mainline trains. This all ...

system was constructed and inaugurated in November 2021, connecting Szeged with the neighbouring Hódmezővásárhely, thus creating the second most populous

urban agglomeration An urban area, built-up area or urban agglomeration is a human settlement with a high population density and infrastructure of built environment. Urban areas are created through urbanization and are categorized by urban morphology as cities ...

in the country, after the capital. There was a proposal for its extension, even through the Serbian border, to Subotica. The city is also a common stop for national and international long-distance buses.

Motorways

* M5 * M43

Railways

* 121 (to Makó) * 135 (to Hódmezővásárhely) * 136 (to Röszke) * 140 (to Kiskunfélegyháza).

Airport

Szeged Airport Szeged Airport is an airport serving Szeged, a city in Csongrád county, Hungary. The airport is located west of the city centre. Facilities The airport resides at an elevation of above mean sea level. It has one asphalt paved runway designate ...

is the international airport of Szeged.

Public transport

As of May 2018 Szeged had 39 local bus lines – 15 in the city centre and 24 in the suburbs. There are also 5 tram lines.

Sport

The most popular sport in the city is handball. The city has one well-known club the

2013–14 EHF Cup The 2013–14 EHF Cup was the 33rd edition of the EHF Cup and the second edition since the merger of the EHF Cup with the EHF Cup Winners' Cup. In the present format, the tournament began in early September with three knockout qualifying rounds, ...

-winner

SC Pick Szeged SC Pick Szeged is a Hungary, Hungarian handball club from Szeged, that plays in the Nemzeti Bajnokság I (men's handball), Nemzeti Bajnokság I and the EHF Champions League. The current name of the club is OTP Bank - Pick Szeged due to sponsorshi ...

playing in the

Nemzeti Bajnokság I The Nemzeti Bajnokság (, "National Championship"), also known as NB I, is the top level of the Hungarian football league system. The league is officially named OTP Bank Liga after its title sponsor OTP Bank. UEFA currently ranks the league 28th ...

. The second most popular sport is football in the city. Szeged had several clubs playing in the top level Hungarian league, the

. These are Szegedi AK, Szegedi Honvéd SE. The only currently operating club,

Szeged 2011 Szeged ( , ; see also other alternative names) is the third largest city of Hungary, the largest city and regional centre of the Southern Great Plain and the county seat of Csongrád-Csanád county. The University of Szeged is one of the most ...

play in the

Nemzeti Bajnokság II NB II, currently known as the Merkantil Bank Liga for sponsorship reasons, is the second tier of Hungarian football. At the end of the 2004–05 season, the tournament format was changed from one division of 14 teams to two divisions: ''Keleti' ...

Association football clubs

, currently competing in the

2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság III The 2018–19 Nemzeti Bajnokság III is Hungary's third-level football competition. On 11 July 2018, the three groups of the new season was finalised. Teams Changes Standings West Centre East Season statistics Top goalscorers - West Upda ...

* Szegedi Egységes Oktatási Labdarúgó SC, currently competing in the

Szegedi VSE Szegedi Vasutasok Sport Egyesülete is the Hungarian football club from the town of Szeged. History Szegedi Vasutasok Sport Egyesülete debuted in the 1941–42 season of the Hungarian League Hungarian may refer to: * Hungary, a country in Ce ...

, currently competing in the

Csongrád county championship Csongrád ( ro, Ciongrad; tr, Conğrad sr, Чонград, Čongrad, archaically also ''Црноград/Crnograd'') is a town in Csongrád County in southern Hungary. History At the time of the Hungarian Conquest (the end of 9th century) the ...

* Szegedi EAC, defunct * Szegedi AK, defunct * Szegedi Honvéd SE, defunct

Main sights

Politics

The current mayor of Szeged is

László Botka László Botka (born February 21, 1973) is a Hungarian politician. Botka was a member of the Hungarian Socialist Party between 1991 and 2019, and the current mayor of Szeged. Biography László Botka was born on February 21, 1973, in Tiszaföldv ...

(Association for Szeged). The local Municipal Assembly, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 33 members (1 Mayor, 23 Individual constituencies MEPs and 9 Compensation List MEPs) divided into this political parties and alliances:

List of mayors

List of City Mayors from 1990:

Media

The city offers a wide range of media – television and radio stations, and print and online newspapers.

TV stations

* Szeged TV * Tarjáni Kábeltévé Stúdió * TiszapART TV * Telin Televízió

Radio stations

* "Rádió 88" FM 95,4 MHz * All in Party Radio * Rádió Mi, 89,9 MHz * Lánchíd Rádió, FM 100,2 MHz * MR1 Kossuth Rádió, FM 90,3 MHz * MR2 Petőfi Rádió, 104,6 MHz * MR3 Bartók Rádió, 105,7 MHz * Dankó Rádió, 93,1 MHz
Rádió1
87,9 MHz

Daily newspapers and news portals

* Délmagyarország () * * * *

Notable people

Born in Szeged

Adrián Annus Adrián Annus (born 28 June 1973 in Szeged) is a Hungarian hammer thrower, who was stripped of his gold medal at the 2004 Summer Olympic Games in Athens for a doping violation in a highly publicized scandal. The disqualification received heig ...

(1975), hammer thrower *

Gábor Agárdy Gábor Agárdy ( hy, Գաբրիել Արկալիյան, 2 August 1922 – 19 January 2006) was a Hungary, Hungarian actor, also known as Gábor Agárdi. He was born Gábor Arklian in Szeged of Armenian people, Armenian descent. He was award ...

(1922–2006), actor *

Béla Balázs Béla Balázs (; 4 August 1884 in Szeged – 17 May 1949 in Budapest), born Herbert Béla Bauer, was a Hungarian film critic, aesthetician, writer and poet of Jewish heritage. He was a proponent of formalist film theory. Career Balázs was th ...

(1884–1949), writer, poet, film critic * Zsolt Becsey (1964), politician *

Joseph Csaky Joseph Csaky (also written Josef Csàky, Csáky József, József Csáky and Joseph Alexandre Czaky) (18 March 1888 – 1 May 1971) was a Hungarian avant-garde artist, sculptor, and graphic arts, graphic artist, best known for his early partici ...

(1888–1971) sculptor * Krisztián Cser (1977) opera singer, physicist *

Attila Czene Attila Czene (born 20 June 1974) is a former medley swimmer from Hungary, who won the gold medal in the 200 m individual medley at the 1996 Summer Olympics in Atlanta, Georgia. He competed in three consecutive Summer Olympics for his native co ...

(1974), Olympic champion medley swimmer *

János Csonka János Csonka (22 January 1852 in Szeged – 27 October 1939 in Budapest) was a Hungarian engineer, the co-inventor of the carburetor for the stationary engine with Donát Bánki, patented on 13 February 1893. Life Csonka, self-educated in ...

(1852–1939), engineer, co-inventor of the carburetor * Mihály Erdélyi (1895–1979), operetta composer * Sophie Evans (1976), adult movie star *

Ivan Fellegi Ivan Peter Fellegi, ( hu, Fellegi Péter Iván; born June 22, 1935) is a Hungarian-Canadian statistician and was the Chief Statistician of Canada from 1985 to 2008. Born in Szeged, Hungary, Fellegi was in his third year of studying mathematics ...

(1935),

Chief Statistician of Canada The chief statistician of Canada (french: statisticien en chef du Canada) is the senior Civil service, public servant responsible for Statistics Canada (StatCan), an agency of the Government of Canada. The office is equivalent to that of a Deputy m ...

Rajmund Fodor Rajmund Fodor (born 21 February 1976 in Szeged) is a Hungarian water polo player, who played on the gold medal squads at the 2000 Summer Olympics and 2004 Summer Olympics. He is nicknamed ''Rajmi'', and made his debut for the national team in 1 ...

(1976), Olympic champion water polo player * Jenő Huszka (1875–1960), composer * Éva Janikovszky (1926–2003), writer *

Ferenc Joachim Ferenc Joachim (May 21, 1882 – September 16, 1964) was a Hungarian painter of portraits and landscapes in oil, watercolors and pastels on canvas, board and paper. He studied and painted in Budapest and Western Europe. As an untitled member ...

(1882–1964), painter * Gyula Juhász (1883–1937), poet *

Esther Jungreis Esther Jungreis (April 27, 1936 – August 23, 2016, 19 Menachem Av, 5776) was a Jewish, Hungarian-born, American author, and public speaker. She was the founder of the international Hineni organization in the United States. A Holocaust survivor ...

, Orthodox Jewish outreach speaker * Judith Karasz (1912–1977), photographer and Bauhaus graduate * (1857?), architect *

Géza Maróczy Géza Maróczy (; 3 March 1870 – 29 May 1951) was a Hungarian chess player, one of the leading players in the world in his time. He was one of the inaugural recipients of the title International Grandmaster from FIDE in 1950. Early career G� ...

(1870–1951), chess grand master *

Anita Márton Anita Márton (; born 15 January 1989) is a Hungarian shot put The shot put is a track and field event involving "putting" (throwing) a heavy spherical ball—the ''shot''—as far as possible. The shot put competition for men has been a part ...

(1989), shot putter *

Tamás Molnár Tamás Molnár (born August 2, 1975) is a Hungarian former water polo player, who played on the gold medal squads at the 2000 Summer Olympics, 2004 Summer Olympics and 2008 Summer Olympics. He is one of ten male athletes who won three Olympi ...

(1975), Olympic champion water polo player *

Nickolas Muray Nickolas Muray (born Miklós Mandl; 15 February 1892 – 2 November 1965) was a Hungarian-born American photographer and Olympic saber fencer. Early and personal life Muray was born in Szeged, Hungary, and was Jewish. His father Samu Mandl was ...

(born Miklós Mandl; 1892–1965), Hungarian-born American photographer and Olympic fencer * Róbert Nagy (1967), speedway rider *

László Paskai László Paskai, O.F.M. (8 May 1927 – 17 August 2015) was a Hungarian cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church, He served as the archbishop of Esztergom-Budapest from 1987 to 2002. He was one of the cardinal electors who participated in the 2005 ...

(1927–2015), Archbishop of

Esztergom Esztergom ( ; german: Gran; la, Solva or ; sk, Ostrihom, known by alternative names) is a city with county rights in northern Hungary, northwest of the capital Budapest. It lies in Komárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the river Dan ...

Szilvia Peter Szabo Szilvia may refer to: *Szilvia Mednyánszky (born 1971), Hungarian sprint canoeist *Szilvia Péter Szabó (born 1982), the singer of the Hungarian band ''NOX'' *Szilvia Szabó (born 1978), Hungarian sprint canoeist {{given name