Szentes


Szentes is a town in south-eastern Hungary, Csongrád county, near the Tisza river. The town is a cultural and educational center of the region. It is the third most populous town in Csongrad county after Szeged and Hódmezővásárhely. Szentes is 82,6 km away from Kerekegyháza.

History

The area around Szentes has been inhabited since the Neolithic. The Szegvár-tűzkövesi idol, one of the Neolithic period's only depictions of a male deity, was discovered in the area. During the barbarian invasions, many ethnic groups moved through the region, and there is archeological evidence of hundreds of graves belonging to Iazyges, Sarmatians, Gepids, Huns, and Avars. According to certain accounts, the legendary camp of Atilla the Hun was found in this area, at the confluence of the Tisza and the Körös rivers. The town was first documented about the land-division in 1332 and called "Scenthus". It was said to be inhabited by descendants of the tribe of Ond, one of the seven tribes of Hungary, and it was also documented as containing a stone church dedicated to Andrew the Apostle. According to local tradition, Csongrad castle stood on the town's boundaries until the time of the First [Mongol invasion of Hungary|first Mongol invasion].
Following the Hungary's defeat by Ottoman forces at the battle of Mohács, taxes were levied from Szentes by three different powers, meaning those who were able to leave the area, fled. The region suffered immensely under Ottoman rule, and entire towns were wiped off the map. The region further suffered during the Long Turkish War, with more towns going extinct, and many of Szentes' inhabitants seeking refuge by dwelling in the nearby wetlands. In 1647, Ferdinand III was defeated by Ottoman forces outside Szentes, but the Ottoman forces had to withdraw from the region. In 1693, Szentes and the surrounding region was scorched and pillaged by Crimean Tatars looking for food following their failed attempt to capture Gyula. In 1709, the town suffered an outbreak of the Plague, killing over 1000 of its inhabitants.
The townsfolk played an active role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848, and it was visited by Kossuth Lajos himself to recruit troops. After the Habsburgs crushed the revolution, many young men were forcibly enlisted in the Imperial Army as punishment, and the mayor was sentenced to hard labour.

Notable people

Szentes is twinned with: