Szeged

Szeged is the third largest city in Hungary. It is the biggest city and main center of the Southern Great Plain. Szeged is also the county seat of Csongrád-Csanád county.

The University of Szeged is one of the best universities in the country. It is known for its important work in teaching and research.

Etymology

The name Szeged may come from an old Roman town called Partiscum. This town was founded in the 2nd century near where Szeged is today. In Latin, Partiscum was used for the city, and it also gave Szeged its name in Greek: Παρτίσκον Partiskon.

Another idea is that Szeged comes from a Hungarian word meaning “corner,” because the river Tisza turns near the city. Some think it comes from a Hungarian word for “island.” Others believe it refers to the dark color of the water where the Tisza and Maros rivers meet.

Szeged has many names in other languages. For example, it is called Seghedin in Romanian, Szegedin in German, and Segedín in Slovak and Czech.

History

Szeged and its area have been home to people since ancient times. The oldest known name of the city is Partiscum, mentioned by the writer Ptolemy. It is possible that Attila, king of the Huns, had his seat somewhere in this area. The name Szeged was first recorded in 1183, in a document from King Béla III.

In the second century AD, there was a Roman trading post on an island in the Tisza River. During the Mongol invasion, the town was destroyed but the people returned and rebuilt it. In the 14th century, Szeged became very important in Southern Hungary. King Sigismund of Luxembourg built a wall around the town, and in 1498, it became a free royal town.

Szeged was taken over by the Ottoman Army in 1543 and became part of the Ottoman Empire. It was taken back in 1686 and regained its status as a free royal town in 1715. In 1719, it received its coat of arms, which is still used today. During this time, new schools and theaters opened.

Szeged is famous for paprika, a spice made from dried capsicum fruits, and for dishes like szekelygulyas and halászlé. The people of Szeged were important in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. After a big flood in 1879, the city was rebuilt with wide avenues and new buildings.

After the First World War, Hungary lost some lands, and Szeged became closer to the border. The University of Szeged was moved there in 1921. During World War II, the city suffered, but it later grew with new neighborhoods and industries. Today, Szeged is a university town and a place where people like to visit. The Szeged Symphony Orchestra gives concerts at the Szegedi Nemzeti Színház.

Geography

Szeged is a city close to the southern border of Hungary. It sits near where the Maros River meets the Tisza River, and it lies in the middle of the Carpathian Basin. The border with Serbia is just a short distance away.

The city has a special kind of weather that mixes between having warm, humid summers and cold winters. It doesn’t rain too much, and the city gets a lot of sunshine, which is why it is called the “City of Sunshine.” In July 2022, the temperature reached a very hot 40.1 °C (104.2 °F).

Education

See also: University of Szeged

Szeged has many schools, including 62 kindergartens, 32 elementary schools, and 18 high schools. Two of its high schools are among the best in the country.

Szeged is an important place for higher learning, especially in the Southern Great Plain region. The University of Szeged is one of the oldest and largest universities in Hungary, founded in 1581. It is well-known around the world and attracts students from many countries. The university offers many different subjects to study.

The Biological Research Centre, supported by UNESCO, is known for its important scientific work. In the year 2000, scientists there made a key discovery in the field of biology. The Szent-Györgyi Albert Agóra is a cultural and scientific centre that hosts labs and exhibitions.

In 2018, a new science facility called the ELI Attosecond Light Pulse Source opened, helping scientists study light in new ways. The university also has a campus where students from across Europe come to study medicine.

Demographics

Szeged is a city in Hungary with a rich mix of people. Most of the people there are Hungarian, making up about 93.5% of the population. There are also smaller groups of Romani, German, Serb, Romanian, Croat, and Slovak people, as well as some who did not answer or whose background is unknown.

Religion

Szeged has many different kinds of people who believe in different things. In a count done in 2001, most people, about 54.5%, were Roman Catholic. Some were Calvinist at 6.7%, and a few were Lutheran at 1.6%. There were also smaller groups like Greek Catholic at 0.6%, other Christians at 1.3%, and people who believed in other things at 0.4%. About 21.8% of people said they were Atheist, meaning they did not believe in any god, and 13.1% did not answer or were not sure.

Economy

Szeged is an important place for food production in Hungary, famous for its paprika and companies like Pick Szeged. In 2026, BYD Auto plans to start making cars there.

Many other big companies have offices or factories in Szeged, such as AMSY International, RRE – Szeged, and ContiTech. The Hangár Expo and Conference Centre is a popular spot for big events and meetings.

Transport

Szeged is a key place for travel in the Southern Great Plain. Two big roads, called motorways, M5 and M43, run near the city. The M5 motorway connects Szeged to cities like Kecskemét, Kiskunfélegyháza, and Budapest in the north, and to Subotica, Novi Sad, and Belgrade in Serbia to the south. The M43 motorway splits from M5 near Szeged and goes to Makó, Arad, and Timișoara in Romania.

There are also many other roads from Szeged to nearby places like Nagylak, Röszke, Ásotthalom, Baja, Hódmezővásárhely, Orosháza, and Békéscsaba. Trains are important too, with lines connecting Szeged to Budapest, Makó, Hódmezővásárhely, Röszke, and Kiskunfélegyháza.

In November 2021, a special tram-train service started, linking Szeged with Hódmezővásárhely. There are also many buses that stop in Szeged, coming from both inside the country and other countries.

Motorways

• M5
• M43

Railways

• 121 (to Makó)
• 135 (to Hódmezővásárhely)
• 136 (to Röszke)
• 140 (to Kiskunfélegyháza)

Airport

Szeged Airport is the international airport of Szeged.

Public transport

Public transport in Szeged is managed by Szeged Transport Ltd., owned by the city, and Volánbusz, owned by the national government. The main services include 5 tram lines and 6 trolleybus lines, along with 38 bus lines. Hungarian State Railways runs trains within the area and to other cities, including Subotica.

Sport

Handball

The most popular sport in the city is handball. The city has a well-known club, SC Pick Szeged, which won a big competition in 2014. They play at the Pick Aréna, which opened in 2021.

Association football

The second most popular sport is football. Szeged has had several clubs playing in the top level Hungarian league. The only club playing now is Szeged 2011.

Speedway

Motorcycle speedway has been connected to the city for a long time. The first track was at the SZEAC athletics stadium. Later, a new track was built, and it held important events before closing due to noise issues.

Main sights

Politics

Szeged is led by its mayor, currently László Botka from the Association for Szeged. The city's local government, chosen in the 2024 local government elections, has 28 members who work together to help run the city.

The city has had many mayors since 1990, each helping to guide Szeged through different times.

Media

Szeged has many places to get news and entertainment, including television and radio stations, as well as newspapers you can read on paper or online.

The city has several TV channels such as Szeged TV and TiszapART TV. You can also listen to many radio stations like "Rádió 88" and MR1 Kossuth Rádió. There are daily newspapers and news websites like Délmagyarország and szeged.hu.

Notable people

Born in Szeged

See also: Category:People from Szeged

Szeged has been home to many famous people who were born there. Some of them are well-known in fields like sports, arts, science, and more. For example, there are Olympic champions, writers, and inventors who started their lives in this city.

Lived in Szeged

Many other notable individuals have lived in Szeged at some point in their lives. These include poets, mathematicians, Nobel prize winners, and writers who contributed to various fields while they were in the city.

International relations

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Hungary

Szeged has friendly partnerships with many cities around the world. Some of these partners include:

• Cambridge, United Kingdom (since 1987)
• Darmstadt, Germany (since 1990)
• Kotor, Montenegro (since 2001)
• Larnaca, Cyprus (since 1994)
• Liège, Belgium (since 2001)
• Łódź, Poland (since 2004)
• Nice, France (since 1969)
• Odesa, Ukraine (since 1957)
• Parma, Italy (since 1988)
• Pula, Croatia (since 2003)
• Rakhiv, Ukraine (since 1939, renewed in 1997)
• Subotica, Serbia (since 1966, renewed in 2004)
• Târgu Mureș, Romania (since 1997)
• Timișoara, Romania (since 1998)
• Toledo, Ohio, United States (since 1990)
• Turku, Finland (since 1971)
• Weinan, China (since 1999)

Partner cities

• Novi Sad, Serbia (since 2001)