Kecskemét

Etymology

The name of the city stems from the Hungarian word kecske, meaning 'goat', and -mét, meaning 'pass'.

Geography

Kecskemét was established at the meeting point of a large sandy region and a sandy yellow soil. Its elevation is 120 m (394 ft) above sea level. The territory west of the city is covered by wind-blown sand and is characterised by the almost parallel northern-southern sand dunes and the plain between them. In the late 18th and the early 19th centuries, the pastures become depleted. Overgrazing by cattle had destroyed natural vegetation cover, and the movement of sand seriously endangered the town. The concentrated reforestation and planting of fruit and vines were carried out to restabilise the soil.

Kecskemét is in the centre of Kiskunság, one of Hungary's famous regions. The Kiskunság National Park was established in 1975 to preserve the many different regional species of plants and animals. It is a 'mosaic'-type national park and has units that are not connected.

Climate

The weather in the Kecskemét region of Kiskunság is characteristically continental warm and dry and is sometimes extreme. The amount of sunlight makes allows the region to produce agricultural products such as wheat, apricots, red peppers, and tomatoes. The warmest month in Kecskemét is July, with an average temperature of 22.2 °C (72.0 °F); the coldest is January, at −0.3 °C (31.5 °F).

Early spring and late autumn frosts are frequent on the Great Hungarian Plain. The possibility of frost usually ends only in mid-April. After the third week of October, the temperature is frequently below 0 °C (32 °F).

History

The first archaeological trace of a human in the area is about 5,000 years old. The Sarmatians invaded the area in the 1st Anno century BC; since then, the area has been continuously inhabited by a variety of cultures. János Hornyik, the first town historian, believed that the settlement known as Partiskum of the Sarmatian Jazygian was here. The consensus among historians is now that it is more likely that permanent settlement occurred only after the Hungarian conquest. In the early 13th century, there were seven villages in the area, each with a population of 200–300, which were formed near the village church, a typical rural pattern. They were all destroyed by the First Mongol invasion. Some of the villages revived at the time of colonisation by the Cumans.

As Kecskemét was at an important trading route, it grew as a customs-house and market-place; in 1368, it was identified in one of King Louis I of Hungary's charters as an oppidium (town). The town's active economic life and relatively dense population attracted more traders, craftsmen and residents, including Jews, who became an important part of the town.

During the Ottoman conquest, settlers from neighbouring villages sought shelter in Kecskemét, which was protected by defensive palisades. They also were escaping the oppression of the spahi landlords. In addition to the protection of its setting, the town of Kecskemét had arranged to pay tax directly to the pasha in Buda, thus gaining his protection and enjoying a special situation.

Kecskemét gradually absorbed the lands of those who had taken refuge in the town. Residents created a large common field for the animals that they bred. By the early 18th century, residents held nearly 30,000 cattle, which grazed on an almost 2,000-square-kilometre (770 sq mi) field.

In the late 18th century, animal breeding started to decline in economic importance, as the fields had become overgrazed and denuded. It took nearly 100 years before the region developed its next major agricultural commodity. In the 19th century, Kecskemét was already part of an important wine district, but the city increased in importance after the vine-pest destroyed most vineyards in the hilly regions. The damage was less significant in the plains, areas of loose, sandy soil. In the 1870s, landowners planted large plantations of grapevines around the town, which were the basis of the 20th-century vineyards and wine industry of the 20th century in Kecskemét. Cottage-type settlements grew up at the vineyards to house workers, a pattern still characteristic of the rural areas around the town. The growth of the wine industry stimulated those of the food industry and trade. The city is still known for its barackpálinka, an apricot brandy.

Economy

In March 2012, the German automobile manufacturer Daimler AG opened a plant nearby Kecskemét to manufacture the new B-Class, A-Class and CLA-Class models. The Stuttgart-based company invested €800 million (US$1.24 billion) to build the new plant, which is expected to create 3,000 new jobs in the region. According to the plans, more than 100,000 vehicles will be produced annually at the factory.

As of 2021, the largest companies were:

Mercedes-Benz – cars: 5,000 employees

Duvenbeck IMMO – logistics: 1,100 employees

ACPS Automotive – towbars: 1,000 employees

Knorr-Bremse – brakes: 950 employees

Phoenix Mecano – enclosures and mechanical components: 850 employees

CabTec – cable: 800 employees

Fornetti – baked goods: 800 employees

Univer Product – canned goods: 800 employees

Over the last few years, thousands of jobs have been created, causing an extremely low unemployment rate. In 2024, unemployment was 2,70%.

Public transport

With the 1900s industrialisation of Hungary, Kecskemét developed public transportation by trams for a population of 50,000. Not until after the Second World War would bus travel begin in the city. In 2010, with competitive funding from the EU, the city launched a number of trolleybus lines and in 2011 completely rebuilt the town centre as a trolleybus and pedestrian tourist zone.

Currently, bus travel is the only public transportation to many destinations. Bus destinations (as of 2 November 2022):

1 Noszlopy park - GAMF - Homokbánya kollégium

1D Homokbánya kollégium - Mercedes gyár I. kapu

2 Széchenyi tér - Rendőrfalu

2A Széchenyi tér - Gokart Stadion

2D Noszlopy park - Mercedes gyár I. kapu

2S Noszlopy park - Déli Ipartelep - SMP gyár

3 Széchenyi tér - Műkertváros - Nyíri Úti Kórház

3A Széchenyi tér - Műkertváros

4 Margaréta Otthon - Széchenyi tér - Repülőtér

4A Széchenyi tér - Kisfái

4C Széchenyi tér - Repülőtér

5 Széchenyi tér - Máriaváros

6 Széchenyi tér - Szeleifalu

7 Noszlopy park - Knorr Bremse - Szilády Nyomda

7C Noszlopy park - Mindszenti körút

Demographics

Kecskemét has 107,267 residents (as of 2001). The population is homogeneous, with a large Hungarian majority. A few thousand of the Romani minority live in the city; they formed their independent minority government in 1994. The demographics are 95% Hungarian, 0.8% Romani, 0.4% German, 0.2% Slovak; 4.8% other. The city had a thriving Jewish population before the Second World War, as represented by the grand synagogue. Most of the Jews were deported by the Nazi German forces in 1944 to concentration camps, where they were killed.

The vice president of the German minority in Kecskemet is Rozalia Neuendorf. Since 19 March 2007, there is also a minority self-government for Croats in Kecskemét.

Districts

Kecskemét is divided into 21+1 sections.

Belváros (Downtown)

I. Árpádváros (Árpádtown)

II. Máriaváros (Marytown)

III. Széchenyiváros (Széchenyitown)

IV. Bethlenváros (Bethlentown)

V. Rákócziváros (Rákóczitown)

VI. Erzsébetváros (Elisabethtown)

VII. Kossuthváros (Kossuthtown)

VIII. Hunyadiváros (Hunyaditown)

IX. Szent István-város (Műkertváros, Szolnoki-hegy) (Saint Stephen town)

X. Szent László-város (Rendőrfalu) (Saint Ladislaus town)

XI. Alsószéktó (Szeleifalu)

XII. Felsőszéktó (Petőfiváros, Sutusfalu)

XIII. Talfája

XIV. Katonatelep

XV. Repülőtér (Reptéri-lakótelep)

XVI. Matkó

XVII. Kadafalva

XVIII. Szarkás

XIX. Hetényegyháza

XX. Méntelek

XXI. Borbáspuszta

Main sights

City Hall

"Cifra Palota"

Co-Cathedral of the Ascension of the Lord, Kecskemét

Old Church

Synagogue

József Katona Theatre

Hungarian Museum of Photography

Museum of Hungarian Naive Artists

MiG-21 Monument

Activities

Adventure Spa & Waterslide Park

Kecskemét Baths

Kecskemét Wild Park

Katona József Theatre of Kecskemét

Kecskemét Arboretum

Events

Csiperó - Future of Europe International childrend and youth meeting

Kecskemét Animation Film Festival

Kecskemét Air Show

Politics

The current mayor of Kecskemét is Klaudia Szemereyné Pataki (Fidesz-KDNP).

The local Municipal Assembly, elected at the 2019 local government elections, is made up of 21 members (one mayor, 14 individual constituencies MEPs and six compensation list MEPs) divided into the following political parties and alliances:

List of mayors

List of city mayors from 1990:

Notable natives and residents

Nicolas Abraham (1919–1975), French psychoanalyst

Tamás Adamik (born 1937), Hungarian linguist and professor

József Katona (1791–1830), author

Zoltán Kodály (1882–1967), Hungarian composer, ethnomusicologist, educator, linguist and philosopher; a music conservatory was named in his honor; the train station was built on the site of his family's house

Ákos Kónya (born 1974), ultramarathoner

Kálmán Latabár (1902–1970), actor, comedian

Antal Szabó (1875–1926), painter

Kati Zsigóné (born 1953), artist

Twin towns – sister cities

Kecskemét is twinned with:

Friendly cities

Kecskemét also cooperates with:

Großenhain, Germany

Novi Sad, Serbia

Tábor, Czech Republic

Military

The MH 59th "Dezső Szentgyörgyi" Tactical Wing, the only jet fighter unit of the Hungarian Defence Forces, is based at Kecskemét air force base. The Kecskemét Air Show is held here every two years.

Sport

Kecskeméti TE, association football club

Kecskeméti LC, association football club