Photo: Laszlo Fodor
The largest town in the Hajdusag Region, Hajduboszormeny was populated even in the
Stone Age, as testified by
artifacts from that period
exhibited at the local museum.
The first written mention of the town dates back to 1248, under the name of '
Nagyboszormeny'. Named after the Bulgarian-Turkish tribes, the people of the town were traders before the Tartar destruction. It was ranked a Scarborough in 1410. The so-called
heyducks were originally stockbreeders, traders, and they only later became soldiers in the War of Independence led by Bocskai. After these perilous times, the heyducks were granted arms, and in 1609 they were settled in Boszormeny, calling the city Hajduboszormeny thereafter.
During the Bach-period, when all the Hungarian towns were given German names, the city's name ended up being translated into "
Wütender Armenier", "
bősz örmény” in Hungarian, meaning
Ferocious Armenian. :-)
In the 17th and 18th centuries the city became the administrative center for the following six places: Boszormeny, Dorog, Hadhaz, Nanas, Szoboszlo and Vamospercs.
One of the peculiarities of the city is its concentric arrangement. The Bocskai Square, once functioning as the city market, is regarded as
one of the best-constructed main squares in Eastern Europe. It was built at the intersection of the four main roads crossing the town. The present shape of the Square was created in the reconstructions a century and a half ago.
An oil drill in the 1950s brought up
thermal water, and soon after that a spa was built in Hajduboszormeny in 1960, attracting spa-tourism to the city. After having the complex modernized in 2001, and the new medical center built in 2004, today
all type of rheumatic problems can be treated here.
The city provides a perfect venue for numerous countrywide and international festivals, such as the
International Big Band Festival,
Classical Guitar Festival, the
KOTTA (sheet music) Festival or the
International Sugar-beet Festival along with the
Truck-dragging Competition greatly contribute to the vivid cultural life of the region.
Links
Hajduboszormeny Home Page
Related articles
City Hall Hajduboszormeny
Located on Bocskai Square, the City hall was designed by Karoly Dobay and
built in eclectic style in 1905-07.
Statue of the Dancing Heyducks Hajduboszormeny
Created by Istvan Kiss in 1986,
this group of seven figures recalls the shared past of the seven towns of: Boszormeny, Dorog, Hadhaz, Nanas, Polgar, Szoboszlo and Vamospercs.
Calvinist Church Hajduboszormeny
It is most probable that a church building stood in that spot even in the years of the Arpad-dynasty. The ancient, gothic building was surrounded by a strong rampart, which had burnt down many times. Having been renovated and rebuilt on several occasions, this building is in romantic style today.
Museum of the Hajdusag Region Hajduboszormeny
The erstwhile Hall of the Hajdu District, this museum has offered room for
permanent exhibitions of folk art, history, and archaeology since 1924, and is named after the
permanent display on the heyducks (
hajdu).
Bocskai Gymnasium Hajduboszormeny
As early as the 1600s, this institution served as
Branch of the Calvinist College of Debrecen.
Zelemeri Church Ruins Hajduboszormeny
The ruins of the Zelemeri Gothic Church (
Zeleméri Csonkatorony)
are the last remnants of Zelemer, a village first mentioned in the papal tithes of 1332, and destroyed during the Middle Ages.
