Google Earth Community: Hódmezövásárhely, Hungary

Welcome!

many times i have met friends from other countries they ask me about the name of my town.
then they usually find it funny as it has a well translateable name:
Hód-mezö-vásár-hely means Beaver-field-market-place.

so...
...in this thread i would like to give several informations of my interesting-named town
Hódmezövásárhely in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plain.

in this post you should get a general insight with a collection of placemarks for sightseeing
attached in KMZ.
numbers of map and placemarks are follow the text below.

EDIT 2007.10.14.: have put together all files from this thread.
For this post check the "sightseeing" folder and detailed map for streetnames!
check overlays and subfolders one by one!

Sightseeing in Hódmezövásárhely
The main square of the town, Kossuth Square (1) has been converted into a park and is now a popular place for locals to relax. The Town Hall, located in the southern part of the square was built in 1892/3 designed in eclectic style by Lajos Ybl. It contains a 56 metre tower with a beautiful panoramic view of the town. Windows of coloured lead glass allow light onto the landing on the stairs. From the entrance foyer, visitors may go into the ceremony hall embellished with large paintings. Several statues stand among the shady trees of Kossuth Square: the Equestrian Statue by János Pásztor commemorating the First World War can be found in front of the Town Hall. Nearby is the Memorial of 1848. Opposite these statues, and in front of the bank is the Kossuth Statue by Ede Kallós.
The western part of the square contains the neobaroque style Black Eagle building, built in 1905 according to the plans of Gyula Pártos, and has been renovated recently. It features large windows decorated with carvings.

Fekete Sas (Black Eagle)

An elegant hall used for balls, celebrations and performances. Beside the Black Eagle building stands a statue called „The Girl with a Jug” by János Pásztor. On the other side, near the Old Church, is the Memorial of János Szántó Kovács made by József Somogyi. The oldest brick building in the town is the Old Church, built in a Romanesque style in 1713-14. In 1741 it was surrounded by ramparts with loop-holes, now only a small part of these exist behind the church. The Old Grammar-School was built in 1820-22 in classicist style. The 1st floor now houses the permanent exhibition of the Alföldi Gallery, including the works of the alföldi school (Tornyai, Béla Endre, Rudnay) and other famous painters and sculptors.
The first artesian well of the town, „Bakay Well” was sunk by Béla Zsigmondi in 1880. It was moved from its original site to the small square between the Granary at the Old Church and the Student Hostel.

The Reformed School has been operating since 1722 and located to a new building in 1896. Today known as the Gábor Bethlen Grammar-School (2), a pantheon of the great sons of Vásárhely are on display.
A Flood Prevention Brickwall lies behind the Grammar-School. This is a 3 km wall built to protect the southern part of the town after the great flood in Szeged in 1879.
By Andrássy Street, the main street of the town, there’s a Centre Town Roman Catholic Church (3), situated on the left in the middle of a small park. Its centre nave built in 1852 and the two aisles built in 1860 were designed by Miklós Ybl. The coat of arms of the town landlords, the family of Count Károlyi, can be seen above the main entrance. Beyond the church can be found
a long, classicist steward house built in 1794, decorated by a tympanum in its centre.
The László Németh Town Library (4) can be seen on the right. It is named after László Németh, a Hungarian writer whose statute stands in front of the building. Inside an exhibition introduces his life and works.
In the middle of János Kálvin Square, there is an artesian well sunk by András János Nagy in 1882. The New Church (5), one of the largest baroque Reformed Churches on the Great Plain is located behind the well. The former building of the Jewish community standing in the north-eastern part of the square was built in 1893 and now houses a conservatory. The eclectic building of the Synagogue (6) can be seen to the right.
The recently construct-ed Saint Stephen’s Square (7) contains an
impressive Equestrian Statue of Saint Stephen by István Máté.
Behind it can be seen the Saint Stephen Roman Catholic Church, built in 1936 in the style of an old Christian basilica.

The János Tornyai Museum (8) can be found in a brick building designed by Gyula Sándy (16 Szántó Kovács János Street). It houses a permanent archaeological and ethnographical exhibition, as well as a temporary fine arts exhibition.
The Regional House of Folk Art is in the centre of the town (21 Árpád Street). It is a thatched roof peasant house built in the 18th century, and displays different items representing the folk art traditions of the town.

The Csúcsi Pottery House (110 Rákóczi Street) features the former workshop of the potter Sándor Vékony. It commemorates his memory and that of other potters. On the outskirts of the town, along the Szeged Road, is the Farm Museum of Kopáncs. The Csomorkány Church Ruins can be found on the Csomorkány Road, these are the remains of the church walls from the Arpadian age.

Csomorkány Church Ruins ( 46°26'18.61"N, 20°31'40.46"E ) more pics from geocaching.hu
NEW: 3D model of the ruins by BZoltan. Thank You Zolibácsi!

The town and its large surroundings have been inhabited for several thousands of years. The famous statue of the „Venus of Kökénydomb” dating from the neolithic age, as well as other archaeological findings from various ages, can be seen in the permanent archaeological exhibition in János Tornyai Museum.
Hód and Vásárhely appeared as separate villages in documents from the 13th century. By the middle of 15th century, a market-town (oppidum) was formed through the fusion of the small villages. It is mentioned in historical sources as the centre of the estates of János Hunyadi, a Hungarian hero who fought against the Turks. The town’s location next to the road leading from Csongrád to Csanád was beneficial for trade. In the Middle Ages, traditional markets and livestock markets provided for the living of the population. In addition the surrounding waters including Hód Lake were advantageous by way of fishing.
After the River Tisza was regulated the watercourse changed and some of the brooks and lakes dried resulting in expansion of agriculture.
The living area was expanded and new settlers came to the town increasing the population. In 1873 the town obtained an independent municipal right. The current appearance of the town centre was due to the significant building-works carried out at the turn of the century. In the 1890’s, the population was more than 55.000, making it the fifth largest town in Hungary. A new typical farm system developed on the sites of the villages destroyed during the Turkish era. One part of the population lived on farms, coming into the town during the winter months. The agriculture and animal husbandry provided the sources for living. The town has preserved its agrarian characters, and its famous handicraft and folk art traditions.
all quoted from this page

all the ever best pictures of my town HERE!

g

related post:

Hódmezövásárhely's
embroidery:

Hungarian Regional
Embroideries post

linkback to magyar trendi klub:
http://www.mtklub.hu/gec

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Edited by syzygy (07/09/08 01:39 AM)