Komárom-Esztergom County

Komárom-Esztergom is one of the counties in Hungary, located in the Central Transdanubia Region. It is named after two historic towns, Komárom and Esztergom, which have important historical meanings. The county sits along the Danube River and shares its northern border with Slovakia.

Its main city, or county seat, is Tatabánya. The area borders several other Hungarian counties, such as Győr-Moson-Sopron, Veszprém, Fejér, and Pest, as well as parts of Slovakia, including the Nitra Region. This location makes Komárom-Esztergom a place where cultures and histories meet.

History

Middle Ages

The areas that are now Komárom-Esztergom County were first set up as two separate counties, Komárom and Esztergom, by Stephen I of Hungary. Parts of these counties are now in Slovakia. Over time, the borders changed often, and the two counties were merged several times. When the castle at Esztergom was taken by the Ottomans in 1543, leaders moved away. Important castles like Érsekújvár, Komárom, and Tata helped stop the Ottoman armies for many years. Even when much of Hungary was under Ottoman rule, Komárom county kept working, and its castle was never taken.

After the Ottomans were driven out, leaders in Esztergom county came back in 1696. During a later war, these leaders stopped working, but they returned after the war ended. In 1786, the two counties were joined together with Tata as the main town, but they were separated again after a few years.

20th century

In 1919, after World War I, parts of the counties were taken over by Czechoslovakia. After a big treaty in 1920, many villages that used to be in Komárom and Esztergom counties became part of Czechoslovakia. In 1923, the two counties were merged into one called "Administratively pre-merged county of Komárom and Esztergom". Later changes brought some land back, and the counties were separated again before being merged for the last time in 1945 as Komárom-Esztergom county.

Demographics

Komárom-Esztergom County had a population of around 299,110 people in 2015, with about 132 people living in each square kilometer.

Most people in the county are Hungarians. Smaller groups include about 9,000 ethnic Germans, 4,000 Gypsies, and 3,000 Slovaks.

When it comes to religion, many people in the county follow the Roman Catholic faith, with smaller numbers following other Christian traditions such as the Reformed and Evangelical churches. Many people also do not follow any specific religion.

Regional structure

Politics

The Komárom-Esztergom County Council was elected in 2024. It has 15 members from different parties.

Presidents of the General Assembly

Municipalities

Komárom-Esztergom County has 2 urban counties, 10 towns, 3 large villages, and 61 villages.

Most people in the county live in towns, with 66% of the population settled there. The two main cities are:

• Tatabánya – the county seat
• Esztergom

Other important towns include Komárom, Oroszlány, Dorog, and Nyergesújfalu.

There are also many smaller villages in the county, such as Aka, Almásfüzitő, Annavölgy, and many more. Some of these villages are considered large villages.