Hungary. Debrecen

Slovak: Debrecín; Romanian: Debrețin; Polish: Debreczyn; Latin: Debretinum

The place name ‘Debrezin’ is thought to derive from a personal name of Turkish origin (meaning: ‘may he/she live and move’).^[1] The name first appears in writing in 1235 in the Regestrum Varadiense (as villa Debrezun^[2]).

Debrezin is situated at^47° 31’ north latitude and^21° 38’ east longitude, 230 km east of Budapest and about 35 km west of the Romanian border.

Debrezin is situated in the Nyírség region of eastern Hungary, which has sandy soil.

Eastern Hungary (Kelet-Magyarország), the region beyond the Tisza (Tiszántúl), the Northern Great Plain (Észak-Alföld).

Hungary; Hajdú-Bihar County (Hajdú-Bihar Megye), county town; centre of the Debrecen district (Debreceni járás); town with county status.

The town is also known as ‘Calvinist Rome’ (initially a derisive nickname, but by the 19th century already a term of pride used by the local citizens), which reflects its significance in the context of the Hungarian Reformation . The designation of Debrecen as a ‘Cívis town’ (Hungarian: cívisváros) refers to the prosperous middle class of the settlement, which had developed into a market town and led a life that blended urban and rural lifestyles.

The area around Debrecen is home to the oldest finds associated with the Eastern Linear Pottery culture of the Middle Neolithic. During the final phase of the Neolithic period, the number of settlements rose dramatically. Based on archaeological finds, it is possible to speak of a distinct Copper Age in the Carpathian Basin (finds in the vicinity of Debrecen and the Trans-Tisza region). The weapons and pottery finds dating from the Bronze Age are of great significance. During the Roman Empire, the Debrecen area was inhabited by the Sigynni, Celts and Sarmatians; during the Migration Period, by the Gepids, Vandals, Visigoths, Huns, Avars (Grape-Vine Culture), Proto-Bulgarians and, finally, at the end of the 9th century, by the Hungarians who settled there.

Debrezin, which developed from several smaller settlements at the junction of north-south and west-east trade routes, reappears in written sources in the second half of the 13th century (e.g. in 1271 as Dubrychyn^[3]). According to these sources, the village was already owned by a single family at that time, who subsequently took their name from the settlement itself. In 1332, the town council was established, the first guilds were founded, and Debrecen developed into one of the centres of eastern Hungary. In 1361, King Louis the Great (Lajos I Nagy, 1326–1382, King of Hungary 1342–1382) granted the settlement the privilege of market town status. Following the extinction of the male line of the Debrezin family, the settlement passed into the possession of King Sigismund ( Zsigmondof Luxembourg, 1368–1437, King of Hungary King 1387–1437); in 1445, the Hunyadi family acquired Debrecen, including the future King Matthias Corvinus (Hunyadi Mátyás, 1443–1490, King of Hungary King 1458–1490), then in 1507 King Vladislav II of Bohemia and Hungary (II. Ulászló, 1456–1516, Hungarian King 1490–1516), who granted the town in 1509 to Johann Zápolya (Szapolyai János, 1487–1540, King of Hungary 1526–1540), the future (rival) king.

As a result of the First World War, the unrest that broke out following its end, the war waged by the Allied Powers against Béla Kun’s Hungarian Soviet Republic (1886–1938), the subsequent Romanian occupation and the consequences of the 1920 Treaty of Trianon, Debrecen faced further times of crisis. As the easternmost major city in a reduced Hungary, it took in numerous Magyars who had fled after 1918 from the territories of Transleithania that had become part of Romania or Czechoslovakia. At the end of the Second World War, the city suffered extensive damage as a result of heavy fighting. Following the Red Army’s advance, it once again became the country’s provisional capital for a time: the Provisional National Assembly held its sessions at the Reformed College, and the Provisional National Government operated from here for 100 days. During the 1956 uprising, the workers and students of Debrecen organised mass rallies, and as early as 23 October 1956, troops of the communist regime opened fire on them.

Debrecen’s German twin town is Paderborn.

At the turn of the 14th to the 15th century, Debrecen had a population of 4,500–5,000. In 1552 the figure was 12,000, in 1601 11,000, in 1693 12,500,^{[4] then} in 1784–1785 28,551,^[5] 48,800 in 1839,^[6] 48,000–51,000 between 1840 and 1849,^[7] 90,153 in 1910,^[8] 103,156 in 1920^[9] and 125,965 in 1941.^[10] According to the 2011 census, the population stood at 211,320, of whom 177,435 identified as Hungarian, 1,305 as Sinti and Roma, 554 as Germans, 504 as Romanians, 302 as Arabs, 188 as Ukrainians, 119 as Russians, 92 as Armenians, 87 as Slovaks, 83 as Ruthenians, 75 as Bulgarians, 75 as Poles, 72 as Greeks, 72 as Chinese, 64 as Vietnamese, 41 as Serbs, 16 as Croats, 3 as Slovenes and 1,009 as ‘other’; 31,931 gave no answer.^[11] Today, Debrecen is considered Hungary’s second-largest city.

There is evidence of significant waves of immigration to Debrecen – in connection with the ‘Turkish Wars’ – after 1526, then particularly after 1541 (mainly from Buda/Ofen) and 1552. According to written records, Sinti and Roma were already living in Debrecen in the second half of the 17th century.

The roots of Debrecen’s Jewish community date back to 1736, when Jakob Jakobovits settled here with his family from Hajdúsámson. From 1840 onwards, Jews were permitted to move into the royal free city without restriction, but they were not allowed to purchase property until 1863. In 1880, the number of Jews stood at 3,089; in 1910 at 8,406; in 1920 at 10,170; in 1930 at 10,044; and in 1941 at 9,142.^[12] In the half-century following the Compromise (1867), the Jewish community of Debrecen experienced its heyday, playing a significant role in the town’s development.

For trade and commerce, it was not only the local markets that were crucial in Debrecen. Debrecen’s fairs were already of supra-regional importance as early as the 13th century. From 1405 onwards, the town was granted the right to hold an annual fair (Landesmarkt), under which a market could be held twice a year; from 1407, three times a year; and from 1508, seven times a year. In 1477, the town was also granted the right of staple. Further privileges, such as exemption from customs duties, were granted between the end of the 15th and the 17th centuries. Important economic and trade links existed with numerous towns both within the country (e.g. in Upper Hungary and Transylvania) and abroad (including Vienna, Nuremberg, Breslau/Wrocław, Constantinople/Istanbul and Venice/Venezia). Central to these were the livestock trade (cattle) and the trade in salt, wine, grain and textiles. Among the foreign merchants were ‘Greeks’ (Greeks, Turks, Armenians, Raizens) and Germans (what is now Széchenyi Street was originally called ‘German Street’, Német utca, as the German merchants coming to the market or the fair lived on this street). Craft trades, with their guilds formed in the 14th–15th centuries – which became independent of the Church following the Reformation – also played an important role in Debrecen’s economy.

Rapid industrialisation took place particularly in the second half of the 19th century (including the steam tram in 1884, the horse-drawn tram in 1888, the establishment of the telephone network in 1888, electric street lighting in 1900 and the electric tram in 1911). The banking system expanded; by 1912 there were already 71 public limited companies, and the Bar Association, the first insurance companies and social welfare organisations were established. The expansion of the railway lines in 1857 turned Debrecen into a transport hub, enabling the city to occupy a leading economic position in the country until the border changes following the Treaty of Trianon and the global economic crisis of 1929 to 1933.

After the Second World War, heavy industry in particular flourished. Following the privatisations of the 1990s, the majority of industrial investments came under foreign ownership.

As no stones suitable for building could be found near Debrecen, deep and wide moats were dug to protect the settlement, with pointed tree trunks buried into their sides and beds. It was not until the reign of King Sigismund that the town was also surrounded by palisades. For Debrecen, which had neither city walls nor a castle, the diplomatic skills of the town council were of paramount importance at all times. The fact that this did not always guarantee safety is demonstrated by the destruction of the town by Habsburg troops under the command of the imperial general Giambattista Castaldo (1493–1563) during his army’s occupation of Eastern Hungary and Transylvania. In 1561, the imperial troops of Captain-General Lazarus von Schwendi (1522–1583) ravaged the town. On 2 August 1849, József Nagysándor (1803–1849) fought with his troops against the Russian army at Debrecen and suffered a heavy defeat in one of the final battles of the revolution.

In August 1944, the carpet bombing by Allied aircraft caused extensive damage.

The independent Protestant parish was established in 1882. The Baptist congregation took root in 1892. The Unitarian parish was founded in 1921. Today, numerous other religious communities can be found in the town (e.g. Mormons, Jehovah’s Witnesses).

In 1910, 68.3 per cent of the population were Reformed, 17.9 per cent Roman Catholic, 9.0 per cent Jewish and 2.9 per cent Greek Catholic.^[13] By 1941, these figures had changed as follows: 65.6 per cent were Reformed, 20.2 per cent Roman Catholic, 7.3 per cent Jewish and 5.2 per cent Greek Catholic.^[14]

Among the traditional costumes is a distinctive item of outerwear, the decorated shepherd’s cloak or shepherd’s tunic (debreceni cifraszűr), which is made primarily in the rural areas surrounding Debrecen by local tailors. The town’s culinary specialities include Debrecen sausage, Debrecen-style stuffed cabbage, Hortobágy-style meat pancakes, Hortobágy-style grey cattle goulash, the traditional shepherd’s dish ‘slambuc’ with noodles, potatoes and fried bacon, as well as honey gingerbread.

Also worthy of mention here are the ‘Großwald’ (Nagyerdő) leisure park, which covers 1,082 ha and was designated a nature reserve as early as 1937, featuring an open-air theatre that has existed since 1950, and the Botanical Garden (Botanikus Kert) – which has been part of the university campus since 1928 (having been relocated in 1807 and again in 1928 following the university’s move) – must also be mentioned here, as must the spa located within the “Großwald”: The first bathhouse was built in 1826, and in 1960 the facility was designated a spa.

Debrecen has played, and continues to play, an important role in both Hungarian and international sporting life. In the late 1920s, Bocskai FC was one of Hungary’s top football teams. The most famous gymnasts from Debrecen include Margit Nagy (1921–2001) and Lajos Tóth (1914–1984). The six-time Olympic sabre fencing champion Pál Kovács (1912–1995) was born in Debrecen. The international chess grandmaster Gedeon Barcza (1911–1986) also lived in the city. Since 2000, several high-profile international sporting events (European and World Championships in athletics, gymnastics and handball) have been held in Debrecen.

Debrecen is characterised today by a vibrant music scene. Folk dance groups and contemporary dance troupes are enjoying a golden age. The composer Miklós Kocsár and the pianist Tamás Vásáry were born in Debrecen.

The first printing works in Debrecen was founded in 1561 by Gallus Huszár (1512–1575), a Protestant preacher and the Hungarian translator of the ‘Heidelberg Catechism’. It is now known as the ‘Great Plain Printing House’ (Alföldi Nyomda). In the 1560s, around half of all books printed in Hungary were published here. By the end of 1600, there were already six bookbinders working in the city, who founded a guild in 1705 in accordance with the Statute of the Košice Bookbinders.

The writer, journalist and translator Sándor Adorján (1858–?), the journalist Ernő Ábrahám (1882–1945) and the journalist, television presenter and politician István Pálffy were all born in Debrecen.

The journal of literature, art and criticism Alföld (‘Great Plain’) has been published in Debrecen since 1954; today it appears monthly in both print and online formats. The quarterly journal *Mediárium* has been published since 2007 as the official publication of the Institute of Communication and Media Studies at the Ferenc Kölcsey Reformed University of Teacher Education. Since 2006, Ferenc Vitéz has been publishing the literary and arts journal *Néző-Pont* (“Viewpoint”).

The most important daily newspaper in the county and the city is the *Hajdú-Bihari Napló* (“Diary of Hajdú-Bihar County”). The city has several online newspapers as well as radio and television stations.

The poets Mihály Fazekas (1766–1828) and Mihály Csokonai Vitéz (1773–1805), as well as the writer, poet and translator Magda Szabó (1917–2007) were born in Debrecen. The town is also the birthplace of the writer and essayist György Konrád, a world-renowned figure in contemporary literature whose works have been translated into 13 languages and who has received, amongst other honours, the Herder Prize (1983), the Peace Prize of the German Book Trade (1991), the Charlemagne Prize (2001), the Grand Cross of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2003) and the Franz Werfel Human Rights Prize (2007); he also served as President of the International PEN from 1990 to 1993 and as President of the Academy of Arts, Berlin, from 1997 to 2003.

The writer, playwright and translator János Térey, who, amongst other works , wrote the dramatic trilogy *The Nibelung Housing Estate: A Fantasy Based on Richard Wagner* (*A Nibelung-lakópark, Fantázia Richard Wagner nyomán*) (2004), was born in the town. Furthermore, among those who lived in Debrecen for a time were the author of the Hungarian national anthem, Ferenc Kölcsey (1790–1838), the poet and translator János Arany (1817–1882), and the poet of the 1848–1849 Revolution, Sándor Petőfi (1823–1849), the poet and contributor to the influential journal *Nyugat* (‘West/Occident’) Endre Ady (1877–1919), the poet Árpád Tóth (1886–1928), the poet of modern Hungarian poetry, Lőrinc Szabó (1900–1957), as well as the master of modern Hungarian prose, Gyula Krúdy (1878–1933), and the writer Zsigmond Móricz (1879–1942).

On Medgyessy Avenue lies the Memorial Park, featuring statues of the most important poets and writers in Hungarian literature who had links to the city of Debrecen.

In 2013, the Reformed College and the Reformed Great Church were awarded the title of ‘National Memorial Site’ (Nemzeti Emlékhely).

• István Bitskey, Gábor Pusztai (eds.): Michiel de Ruyter és Magyarország [Michiel de Ruyter and Hungary]. Debrecen 2008.
• Debrecen története [History of Debrecen]. Vol. 1: Up to 1693. Edited by István Szendrey and György Ránki. Debrecen 1984. – Vol. 2: 1693–1849. Edited by István Rácz. Debrecen 1981. – Vol. 3: 1849–1919. Edited by Péter Gunst. Debrecen 1997. – Vol. 4: 1919–1944, edited by Gyula Tokody. Debrecen 1986. – Vol. 5: Studies on the History of Debrecen after 1944 [Studies on the History of Debrecen after 1944]. Edited by Géza Veress. Debrecen 1997. – Vol. 6: Index. Edited by Miklós Bényei. Debrecen 2000.
• József Hapák, György Módy, Béla Takács (eds.): Debrecen, the ‘cívis’ town. Debrecen 1994.
• Teofil Kovács: The Teaching of the German Language at the Reformed College of Debrecen (1769–1860). Debrecen 2008.
• Lajos Sápi: Debrecen: its settlement and architectural history. Debrecen 1972 (with a German-language summary).

The Debreceni Szemle (‘Debrecen Review’) is an academic journal that was relaunched in 1993 and is regarded as the successor to the journal of the same name published between 1927 and 1944.

• eng.debrecen.hu/# (The city’s official website in English).
• unideb.hu/en (Official website of the University of Debrecen in English).
• deutsches-kulturforum.hu/ (German Cultural Forum, Debrecen).
• www.dbvk.hu/szoborpark/?do=browse&page=2 (Virtual Statue Park of Debrecen).
• www.youtube.com/watch?v=CpqPlwjhU8I (Hungarian film about traditional costumes by the Hungarian Academy of Fine Arts):
• www.kezmuvesalapitvany.hu/index.php?menu_id=valuerepertory&id=7 (Hungarian website on traditional costumes)
• www.herder-institut.de/bildkatalog/wikidata/Q79880 (Images relating to Debrecen in the image archive of the Herder Institute, Marburg)

[1] Károly Mesterházy: Debrecen és környéke a népvándorlás és honfoglalás korában [Debrecen and its surroundings during the Migration Period and the Conquest]. In: Szendrey (ed.): The History of Debrecen. Vol. 1: Up to 1693, pp. 69–98, here p. 93.

[2] György Módy: From Village to Market Town. In: Szendrey (ed.): The History of Debrecen. Vol. 1: Up to 1693, pp. 99–129, here p. 100.

[3] Módy: A falutól (note 2), p. 104.

[4] István Szendrey: Debrecen a mezőváros [Debrecen, the market town]. In: Szendrey (ed.): The History of Debrecen. Vol. 1: Up to 1693, pp. 131–312, here p. 240.

[5] Zoltán Kováts: A népesedési viszonyok [Demographic Conditions]. In: Rácz (ed.): Debrecen története. Vol. 2: 1693–1849, pp. 15–69, here p. 21.

[6] Kováts: A népesedési (note 5), p. 45.

[7] Kováts: A népesedési (note 5), p. 45.

[8] Zoltán Kováts: Demographic Conditions [Population Trends]. In: Gunst (ed.): The History of Debrecen. Vol. 3: 1849–1919, pp. 41–63, here p. 48.

[9] Kováts: Demographic Conditions (note 8), p. 49.

[10] Lajos Tímár: Debrecen társadalma. Mezőgazdaságunk néhány sajátossága [Society in Debrecen. Some Characteristics of Our Agriculture]: In: Tokody (ed.): The History of Debrecen. Vol. 4: 1919–1944, pp. 83–161, here p. 88.

[11] Central Statistical Office [State Central Statistical Office], 2013: www.ksh.hu/docs/hun/xftp/idoszaki/nepsz2011/nepsz_03_09_2011.pdf (accessed 5 August 2016), p. 115.

[12] hajdu.zsidomult.hu/index.php/elveszett-koezoessegek/varosok-es-vm-osszesen

[13] Tímár: Debrecen társadalma (note 10), p. 89.

[14] Tímár: Debrecen társadalma (note 10), p. 89.

Tünde Radek: Debrezin/Debrecen. In: Online Encyclopaedia on the Culture and History of Germans in Eastern Europe, 2017. URL: ome-lexikon.uni-oldenburg.de/p32535 (accessed 30 July 2021).