The Eighth Hungarian Tribe, 1985 (12. évfolyam, 1-11. szám)
1985-11-01 / 11. szám
CSONGRAD MEGYE/COUNTY Csongrad County, in the south of Hungary, with a population of 459,000 plays a powerful role in the country’s economic and cultural scene. The three rivers that traverse the county, the Tisza, Maros and Koros, have had a decisive historic role, for the conquering Magyars settled along their banks. Szeged, the county seat, stands at the junction of the rivrs Tisza and Maros. Szentes and Csongrad are cities along the Tisza, while Mako is located on the bank of the Maros, with Hodmezovasarhely not far away. These rivers have brought both blessing and catastrophe throughout history. Linking Szeged with distant regions and ensuring brisk trade, the Tisza has been a major factor in determining the history of the city, a rank it holds since about 1245. The waters have been the source of grave problems too. Since the calamity of 1879, when the Tisza overflowed its banks and destroyed almost the whole town, the citizens of Szeged still feel indebted to the cities of London, Brussels and Rome, etc. who rallied to help save their beloved hometown from complete destruction. For Opusztaszer, near Szeged, the years 896 and 1945 are memorable anniversaries. The first date marks the settlement of the conquering Magyars in their new homeland. Many of Szeged’s historic buildings already stood at the time of the 1848-49 Warr of Independence and end of World War I. The last 38 years have brought dynamic advances in all walks of life. Production has widened the county’s scope of activity that was restrictedalmost exclusively ' to agriculture and the food industry earlier. Industry today provides work for more than 65,000 people. Food and textile production are flourishing better than ever, while new branches of the heavy industry, such as rubber and cable manufacturing have also taken off. Oilmining has won Szeged the reputation of Hungary’s “capital” of natural gas and oil production. Hodmezovasarhely is the center of upto-date electronic scale production. As a result of years of industrialization, today the city has good reason to be proud of its agricultural machine industry, textile industry and modern pottery. Mako, east of Szeged, is famous for its onions and machine industry. Page 12 Csongrad and Szentes, formerly known only for their milling and timber industries, have become famous makers ol furniture, food freezers, ventilation installations as well as other electrical products. The county provides more than half the country’s oil, natural gas, scales, bathroom appliances, kitchenware, hemp, salami and red pepper. As a source of energy for heating hothouses, the county’s natural endowment of thermal waters helps provide fresh market produce out of season. The county’s meat products are known all over Hungary. In fact, one of its processed meats, the world-famous Pick salami is to Szeged what wine is to Tokaj or china to Herend. Csongrad County has come a long way in public education, culture and science. Its health service, housing, water and gas supplies and public transportation all have shown signs of notaable improvement. Csongrad County is justly proud of its geographical, social and ethnographical features and art traditions. The county has given the country many a famous writer, painter and scholar, not to mention its politician and revolutionary heroes who have made their marks in Hungarian history. This corner of Hungary has been the home of great schools of art and thought, such as the workshop of the painters of the Great Plain, the art school of Hodmezovasarhely and the Szeged school of mathematics. The county has always welcomed eminent scholars and scientists devoted to the study of linguistics, law, chemistry, geography, literature or medicine. One of these scientists is Nobel Prize-winning professor Albert Szent- Gyorgyi. This rich cultural heritage is the root of the county’s intellectual wealth and network of new institutions today. Among these mention must be made of he Biological Center of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences in Szeged, the Corngrowing Research Institute and a horticultural center at Szentes, Hungary’s oldest literary journal, Tiszataj (Tisza-Region) the one and only children’s literature magazine Kincskereső (Treasure-Seeker) are published in Szeged. The famous openair performances of Szeged were launched in the 1930s and reorganized in 1959. Since then this annual summer festival has attracted large crowds of people from Hungary and abroad. Szeged is also a university town, with some 9,000 students attending its colleges and universities. The secrets of the county’s dynamic progress are to be found in systematical development and the concerted efforts. Yet, there is still much that needs to be done. Industry needs to be modernized, the damages caused to agriculture by inland waters must be checked, the Tisza ought to be used more widely as a means of transport and irrigation, thermal water should be made available for increasing the number of hot-houses, and medicinal waters should be put to the service of medical treatment on a larger scale. As we draw up our plans we always take account of our given circumstances and never lose sight of the great dedication of our residents, who contribute the best of their knowledge and ability to the cultural and natural improvement of Csongrad County. We aim to preserve all the natural beauty and riches of our “homeland” and to change what needs alteration so as to provide joy and happiness to the subsequent generations. Sándor Szabó Eighth Hungarian Tribe
