This was the place where our kings were crowned and buried. Here were
kept the king’s throne and the symbols of royal power, and people from
distant countries assembled in the city on the days appointed.
Székesfehérvár was established on hills surrounded by marshland by the
great emperor Géza, who reigned from 972 to 997. Under the rule of King
Saint Stephen (1001-1038) the town was a populous and extensive settlement.
King Stephen’s basilica was one of the monumental buildings of its time in
Europe, and remained the most important site in the mediaeval Hungarian
state for five centuries.
A great deal of building tool place in Székesfehérvár during the 12th
century, and by the 14th century the city, by now of strategic importance,
was surrounded by walls.
The Turks captured the city in 1543 and kept it under their rule for 145
years, during which time the basilica was ruined and the graves were
desecrated.
Turkish rule ended in 1688. From 1720 onwards a great deal of building
took place in the town, with townhouses being built in the baroque, rococo-,
and so-called copf styles, and it is these which imparted a new
atmosphere to the town and characterise its appearance today.
City of Opportunities
Székesfehérvár is located 60 km from the capital, Budapest, and has
106,000 inhabitants, of whom 60,000 are of working age, with a further
30,000 aged under 20.
The city's hinterland contains 31 settlements of varying sizes, with a
population of 100,000. Of this number, 54% of the workforce are employed in
manufacturing.
Székesfehérvár is one of the most rapidly developing places in the
world, and has attracted over two billion dollars of inward investment over
the last decade.
The town's three colleges have over 3,000 students. At the Kodolányi János
Foundation College the students can take degrees in tourism, communications,
and economics besides taking the degree in language teaching.
The town is also home to the Digital Regia project, which provides an
interactive medium of communications open to all the townspeople.
