Page 5 - Nyíregyháza 2019

They made

the land

fertile and

prosperous

In the 10th and 11th centuries, Nyíregyháza belonged to
the Szabolcs castle stewardship. In 1209, it was mentioned
only as Nyír, but by 1236 the village had gained a church,
and also acquired the second part of its name. During the
15th century, it was a landowner’s market town, and then it
gained the privilege of a Hajdú town in 1613.
In 1753, Count Ferenc Károlyi decided to repopulate the
depopulated land. He issued his charter and promised sig-

nificant benefits to the Slovak settlers who arrived from

Békés County and Upper Hungary.
The population of the repopulated Nyíregyháza was in-

dustrious and hard-working. They transformed the sand
and wilderness into a fruitful area, rebuilt the town, and,
thanks to their devotion and hard work, made it prosper-
ous. In 1786, they obtained the status of market town, built
a church, and paid the eternal redemption twice, in 1803
and in 1824. Soon after, in 1837, Nyíregyháza became a free

town. Freed from feudal constraints, the town took its fate

in its own hands, and a hundred and twenty years after re-
population, it became the seat of the county.
The people of Nyíregyháza inherited the diligence and per-

severance of their ancestors, and the county seat has been
dynamically developing ever since. In May each year, the
town’s inhabitants pay tribute to the memory of their prede-
cessors during the Town Days programme series.

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