Szolnok

Szolnok is a city in central Hungary, and it is the county seat of Jász-Nagykun-Szolnok county. The city sits along the banks of the Tisza river, right in the middle of the wide, open spaces of the Great Hungarian Plain. Because of its central location, Szolnok has long been an important place for culture and trade.

Over the years, Szolnok has grown into a lively city with many people visiting and living there. It is known for its history and beautiful places to see. One special thing about Szolnok is that it has a very good water polo team, which many people in Hungary admire.

Name and etymology

Szolnok was named after the first steward of the city, Szaunik or Zounok. The town was first officially mentioned in 1075 under the name Zounok. Over the centuries, it was recorded with different spellings such as Zounok, Saunic, Zounuc, and Zawnuch. These different spellings likely happened because of changes when Hungarian sounds were written using the Latin alphabet. Another idea is that the name Szaunik might not have been a personal name, but could have been related to the important salt trade in the area.

In many other languages, the city's Hungarian name is used just as it is (for example French: Szolnok, Spanish: Szolnok). The city also has its own special name in a few languages (for example German: Sollnock or Zolnock, Romanian: Solnoca, Russian: Сольнок).

Location and physical geography

Szolnok is in the middle of the Great Hungarian Plain, where the Tisza and Zagyva rivers meet. It is about 100 kilometres (62 miles) east-southeast from Budapest. The weather there is continental, meaning it has hot summers and mild winters. This area gets a lot of sunshine and has about 490 millimetres (19 inches) of rain each year.

Climate

Szolnok has a humid continental climate (Köppen: Dfa), which is close to a humid subtropical climate (Cfa). The average temperature in Szolnok is 11.4 °C (52.5 °F). July is the warmest month, with an average of 22.6 °C (72.7 °F), while January is the coldest, with an average of −0.5 °C (31.1 °F). The area gets about 531.7 millimetres (20.93 inches) of rain each year. January usually has the least rain, about 25.4 millimetres (1.00 inch), and June has the most, about 69.0 millimetres (2.72 inches). The temperature there can range from −24.5 °C (−12.1 °F) to 40.4 °C (104.7 °F).

History

Earliest settlement

People first lived in the area during the time of the ice age. They lived in tents made from reeds or in shelters made from animal hides. They hunted animals like mammoths and deer. Archaeologists have found old stone tools from that time.

Later, during a warmer time, people began to fish more. They made fishing hooks and nets from clay. They also made small statues and other items from clay. Near Szolnok, archaeologists found an old village from this time.

As time went on, people started to live in permanent villages. They grew crops and raised animals. You can see models of these old villages in a museum in Szolnok. Their houses were made of wood. They used carts to carry things and stored grain in big clay pots.

Middle Ages

Szolnok was first written about in the year 1075. It was a small market town and the center of its area. Kings built churches in villages, including one in Szolnok. The town grew because of trade along the Tisza river and roads. But it stayed a small market town for many years.

Later, a big war came through the area. The town was destroyed but rebuilt. A king helped the town grow again by giving it special rights.

In Ottoman Hungary

Because of its important location, Szolnok became a strong point for Hungary against invaders. When new rulers came, they tried to take the town. After a long fight in 1552, the town was taken over. For many years, new rulers controlled Szolnok and built new buildings like mosques and baths. Some of these old buildings can still be seen today.

Post-Ottoman Szolnok

After the new rulers were gone, Szolnok was damaged again in fights. The town was rebuilt and became important for trade along the Tisza river. Later, trains connected Szolnok to other cities.

20th century

In the early 1900s, Szolnok was damaged in wars. After the wars, the town began to rebuild with help. Factories were built, and new buildings opened, helping the town grow again. In 1990, Szolnok was officially recognized as an important city.

Demographics

In 2001, most people in Szolnok were Hungarian, with small groups of Gypsy people and others, mainly from Germany.

The city had its most people in 1989, with almost 82,000. After that, the number of people living there has been going down a little each year.

Main sights

Szolnok has several interesting places to visit. You can explore the Bath, the Beer Museum and Manufactory called Sörárium, and the Museum of Hungarian Aviation. Other notable spots include the Damjanich János Museum, The Synagogue, and the beautiful Tiszavirág Bridge.

Politics

Szolnok has a mayor who helps lead the city. The current mayor is Ferenc Szalay.

The city also has a group of people called the Municipal Assembly. They were chosen in elections in 2019 and have 18 members who help make decisions for the city.

List of mayors

Here is a list of the mayors of Szolnok since 1990:

Sport

Szolnok has several sports teams. There is a football team called Szolnoki MÁV FC. There was another football team named Szolnoki Légierő SK, but it is no longer active. The city also has a basketball team called Szolnoki Olaj KK. One of the most famous teams in Szolnok is the water polo team, known as Szolnoki Vízilabda SC.

Festivals

Szolnok holds two fun festivals each year. The Goulash Festival celebrates Hungarian food, and the Tiszavirág Festival enjoys the beauty of the Tisza river with music and games. Both festivals bring together families and friends for celebration and enjoyment.

Notable people

Born in Szolnok

Szolnok is a city where many interesting people were born. Some of them became famous engineers, like Ferenc Anisits, who helped start the BMW Diesel Development Center, and Csaba Horváth, who invented a special way to study tiny parts called HPLC. Others became important leaders, like Rev Peter Bedekovics, who works with the Hungarian Scout Association, and Gábor Iványi, a pastor who stands up for people’s rights. There are also musicians, like jazz singer Gina Kanizsa and swimmer Gábor Zombori, as well as athletes such as Olympic Judoka Hedvig Karakas. One of the most famous is Katalin Karikó, who won a big science prize called the Nobel Prize for her work in biochemistry at BioNTech.

Lived in Szolnok

Some well-known people lived in Szolnok for part of their lives. Bertalan Farkas was a cosmonaut, meaning he traveled into space. Martin Nedić was a poet from Croatia. Viktor Orbán became the prime minister of Hungary, and Gábor Szegő was a mathematician who lived and worked in Szolnok.

International relations

Szolnok has many friends in other countries. It is twinned with cities like Baia Mare in Romania, Bielsko-Biała in Poland, Eastwood in England, Forlì in Italy, Rakvere in Estonia, Reutlingen in Germany, Riihimäki in Finland, and several cities in China and Israel. This means these places work together and share ideas to help each other.

A public transport stop in Tallinn, Estonia, is named after Szolnok.