Heves megyei aprónyomtatványok 13/H
resume their siege. The castle—hv then fortified - -, was defended hv mercenaries, who surrendered following a brief struggle. For 91 years, the Turks were the masters at Eger. A reminder of their occupation is the minaret, one of the town’s finest historic monuments. In the 18th century, there was an upswing in the life of the town. It was at that time, that the present day centre of the town emerged. Its architectural masterpieces are worthy prides of the people of Eger. The Baroque relics dominate the inner-city, creating and exhailing a characteristic atmosphere. The over 150 historical and artistic monuments and ancient buildings, and the wonderful frescoes, paintings and sculptures recall the art of the past, but at the same time, they also serve as a model for historic monument protection. In the 18th—19th centuries, the town became a cultural centre. In addition to lower and medium grade educational institutes, the country’s first Hungarian language teacher’s training college was set up in Eger. The town also played a role in providing medical, ecclesiastical and juristic education. Capitalism had little impact on Eger. It had no major industrial plant of its own until the 1950s. Among the agricultural branches, the main role was played by viniculture. In addition to Eger castle, up to the present day, Eger wine is a major tourist attraction. However, many people visit Eger just to enjoy the artistic monuments, while others are attracted by the curative waters of the town. Already in the Middle Ages, the Eger spa waters were well known. In addition to being used for their curative effect, the thermal waters supply the swimming pools and thus ensure excellent sports facilities. This explains why Eger is one of Hungary’s major water sports centres. Present day developments reflect unprecedented change in the life of the town. The ancient character of the inner-city, rich in historic monuments, is carefully protected. No modern buildings, or rapidly built new housing estates disturb the architectural harmony, formed bv past ages. Large scale viniculture has been established on the fields of the “'Stars of Eger” cooperative farm. Now the town has a number of major industrial plants and its character of being a cultural centre is more explicit. Nearly one quarter of Eger’s 60,000 inhabitants study at the numerous educational institutes of the town. Eger, the seat of Heves County is often described today as the “conference” town. Every year it is the venue of numerous national and international programmes. It has become a tradition for educational television 31
