Szentes facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Szentes
Town
Near the center of the town with Lutheran Church
Flag Coat of arms
Szentes Location in Csongrád County Show map of Csongrád County Szentes Location in Hungary Show map of Hungary
Country	Hungary
County	Csongrád
District	Szentes
Area
• Total	353.25 km2 (136.39 sq mi)
Population  (2015)
• Total	27,898
• Density	78.9752/km2 (204.545/sq mi)
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	6600
Area code	(+36) 63

Szentes is a town located in the southeastern part of Hungary. It is found in Csongrád-Csanád County, close to the Tisza river. Szentes is an important place for culture and education in its region. It is the third largest town in Csongrád-Csanád County by population. Only Szeged and Hódmezővásárhely are bigger.

Discovering Szentes's Past

The area around Szentes has been home to people for a very long time. Humans lived here even in the neolithic period, which was the New Stone Age. An important ancient statue, the Szegvár-tűzkövesi idol, was found here. It is one of the few ancient artworks showing a male god from that time.

Ancient Travelers and Settlers

Later, during a time called the Migration Period, many different groups of people moved through this region. Archaeologists have found hundreds of ancient graves here. These graves belong to groups like the Iazyges, Sarmatians, Gepids, Huns, and Avars. Some stories even say that Attila the Hun had a famous camp in this area. It was supposedly located where the Tisza and Körös rivers meet.

Early Records of Szentes

The town of Szentes was first written about in 1332. It was called "Scenthus" back then. Records show that people living there were descendants of the Ond tribe, one of the seven original tribes of Hungary. There was also a stone church in the town, dedicated to Andrew the Apostle. Local stories say that Csongrad castle was near the town until the Mongols invaded Hungary.

Life Under Ottoman Rule

After Hungary lost a big battle to the Ottoman forces in 1526, life changed for Szentes. People in Szentes had to pay taxes to three different rulers at once. Many people who could leave the area did so. The region suffered a lot under Ottoman rule. Some towns completely disappeared. Things got even worse during the Long Turkish War. More towns were destroyed, and many people from Szentes had to hide in the nearby wetlands to stay safe.

In 1647, Ottoman forces defeated Ferdinand III near Szentes. However, the Ottomans soon had to leave the area. In 1693, Crimean Tatars attacked Szentes and the surrounding area. They burned and robbed the land while looking for food. In 1709, a terrible disease called the Plague hit the town. Over 1,000 people in Szentes died from it.

Szentes and the 1848 Revolution

The people of Szentes played an important role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848. This was a time when Hungarians fought for their freedom from the Habsburgs. A famous leader, Kossuth Lajos, even visited Szentes to ask people to join the army. After the Habsburgs stopped the revolution, many young men from Szentes were forced to join the Imperial Army as punishment. The town's mayor was also sentenced to hard labor.

Famous People from Szentes

Many talented people have come from Szentes. Here are a few:

• Árpád Balázs (born 1937), a classical music composer.
• János Bácskai (born 1954), an actor.
• János Berkes (born 1946), an opera singer known for his tenor voice.
• István Bugyi (1898–1981), a surgeon. The local hospital is named after him!
• Dóra Dúró (born 1987), a politician.
• Jozsef Gera (born 1937), an aircraft engineer who used to be a chief at NASA.
• László Gyimesi (born 1948), a pianist.
• Mihály Horváth (1809–1878), a Roman Catholic bishop.
• Tamás Kecskés (born 1986), a footballer.
• Zsolt Koncz (born 1977), a footballer.
• László Márkus (1881–1948), a writer and director for plays, and a member of the Hungarian Opera.
• András Mészáros (born 1941), a former cyclist.
• Ibolya Nagy (1864–1946), an actress.
• Lajos Őze (1935–1984), an actor.
• László Papp (1905–1989), a wrestler.
• István Szelei (born 1960), a fencer.
• Lajos Szilassi (born 1942), a mathematician.
• Konrád Verebélyi (born 1995), a footballer.
• Zséda (born 1974), a singer.
• László Terney (1947–1998), an architect.
• László Ujréti (born 1942), an actor and voice actor.
• Péter Szalay (born 1962), a quantum chemist and theoretical chemist.

Szentes's Sister Cities

Szentes has "twin towns" or "sister cities" around the world. This means they have special friendly relationships and often share culture and ideas.

Gallery

See also

In Spanish: Szentes para niños