Sátoraljaújhely

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Sátoraljaújhely map

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population:

16882 person

area:

7347 km²

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Sátoraljaújhely (-Hungarian, Slovak: Nové Mesto pod Šiatrom, German: Neustadt am Zeltberg) is a town located in Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county in northern Hungary near the Slovak border. It is 82 km away from the county capital Miskolc.

History

Sátoralja (meaning "under the tent", referring to the tent-shaped hill nearby) was a settlement from the Conquest of Hungary until the Tatars destroyed the town. It was rebuilt in the 13th century, although there was disagreement among the citizens concerning the name; some wanted to keep the original name and some wanted to rename it új hely ("new place").

Sátoraljaújhely was granted town status in 1261 by King Stephen V, and a castle was built around this time, as well.

Sátoraljaújhely often has played an important role in the region's history. Revolts against Habsburg rule began there in the 17th and 18th centuries. After the Revolution of 1848, Sátoraljaújhely began swiftly developing owing to its location close to important trade routes leading to Poland, Russia, and Transylvania. The town's light industry led it to becoming the capital of the comitatus Zemplén in the 17th century).

Sátoraljaújhely has always been an important town in culture. Ferenc Kazinczy, one of the reformers of the Hungarian language, lived here in the 18th century.

In the Treaty of Trianon Hungary lost its northern territories. The border was set to the Ronyva stream, splitting the city into two parts. One-fifth of the population and one-fourth of the territory of the town became part of Czechoslovakia. Two railway lines and the industrial zone were lost. The town's industry was being rebuilt during the interwar period, but the outbreak of World War II, continuous bombing, and the Soviet occupation left the town in very poor condition.

During the reorganisation of administration in 1950, the former comitatus Zemplén became a part of the united Borsod-Abaúj-Zemplén county, and Sátoraljaújhely lost its county capital status.

Sátoraljaújhely was rebuilt again and is today a national ski centre and tourism destination.