Vác

Vác


Vác Cathedral
Vác

Location of Vác

Coordinates: 47°46′31″N 19°07′52″E / 47.77518°N 19.13102°E / 47.77518; 19.13102Coordinates: 47°46′31″N 19°07′52″E / 47.77518°N 19.13102°E / 47.77518; 19.13102
Country Hungary
County Pest
Area
  Total 61.60 km2 (23.78 sq mi)
Population (2013)
  Total 33,475
  Density 543/km2 (1,410/sq mi)
Time zone CET (UTC+1)
  Summer (DST) CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code 2600
Area code(s) 27

Vác (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈvaːt͡s]; German: Waitzen; Slovak: Vacov; Yiddish: ווייצען) is a town in Pest county in Hungary with approximately 35,000 inhabitants. The archaic spelling of the name is Vácz.

Location

Vác is located 35 kilometres (22 miles) north of Budapest on the eastern bank of the Danube river, below the bend where the river changes course and flows south. The town is seated at the foot of the Naszály Mountain in the foothills of the Carpathians.

Modern Vác

Vác is a commercial center as well as a popular summer resort for citizens of Budapest. The cathedral, built 1761–1777, was modelled after St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. The episcopal palace houses a museum for Roman and medieval artifacts. The city is also known for its 18th-century arch of triumph and for its beautiful baroque city center.

History

Settlement in Vác dating as far back as the Roman Empire has been found.

Bishops from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Vác were influential within the Kingdom of Hungary, with many serving as chancellors or later becoming archbishops.

On 17 March 1241, due to the attack of Mongols the whole population was slaughtered, Vác ceased to exist and Mongols set up camp there.[1][2][3] After the departure of the Mongols Vác was rebuilt and inhabited by German colonists.[4]

The town was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1541. During the Habsburg Monarchy's wars against the Ottomans, the Austrians won victories against the Turks at Vác in 1597 and in 1684.

During the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848-49, the Honvédség routed the Austrian forces stationed in the city after a major battle (April 10, 1849); the Second Battle of Vác ended in Russian victory (July 17).

During World War II, Vác was captured on 8 December 1944 by Soviet troops of the 2nd Ukrainian Front in the course of the Budapest Offensive.

See also:

Demographics

Ethnicity

Religious denomination

According to the 1910 census, the religious make-up of the town was the following:

Gallery

International relations

Twin towns — Sister cities

Vác is a twinned with:[5]

References

Sources and external links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Vác.
Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Vác.
Wikisource has the text of the 1879 American Cyclopædia article Waitzen.
This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Sunday, May 01, 2016. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.