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The coronavirus has shaken the whole world, not only in terms of health but also economically. No sector has been impacted more than Tourism.

In a recent interview, Gábor Gődény, managing director of the VisitDebrecen, Debrecen’s Tourism Agency, talked about the impact of the coronavirus on both tourism and the economy and looked to the aftermath. He addressed the question of how quickly the city’s tourism industry can revive after the coronavirus.  

The local history exhibitions of the Péter Méliusz Juhász Library present the history of Debrecen over the last hundred years in a series of exhibitions. Due to the Coronavirus, the exhibitions can be viewed virtually only on the library’s website.

The exhibitions are organized as by The Méliusz Library within the framework of the TOP-6.9.2 Local Community Development in Debrecen 1/2/3 district.

The aim of the tender is to strengthen the local identity, help the establishment of the communities operating in the city district and to support their operation. The material of the exhibitions is selected from the documentary library of the local history collection and from the photos offered by the residents. Its goal is to get residents involved in the community life of their own part of the city.

Spring brings a burst of life, this year it does so regardless of the coronavirus that has locked humanity down. Newborns are arriving just like last year.

Following the birth of a Palawan leopard back in November 2018, the zoo welcomed another healthy leopard offspring at the end of February. The six-week-old male leopard is growing up very fast. His current weighs 660 g and just recently got his very first vaccine. In Hungary, members of this subspecies can only be found in Debrecen; and in a total of six zoos around the world. 

Debrecen Zoo along with three other European zoos helped to found a conservation breeding program for Palawan leopards (Prionailurus bengalensis heaneyi), with the aim of establishing a stable and genetically viable zoo population for future reintroduction to the wild. 

*UPDATE – ALL CELEBRATIONS ARE CANCELLED DUE TO COVID19 VIRUS*

The 11th of April is celebrated each year because this day marks the date when Debrecen was established as a Free Royal city and the independence it was granted.

Debrecen city was first documented in 1235, as Debrezun. Some believe that the name derives from the Turkic word “debresin”, while others say that it has Slavic origin and means ‘well-esteemed’. 

Debrecen thrived during the middle of the 13th century, becoming more important than some of the small villages of the area.  This was due to its location on important trading routes from East to West, as a result of which it became an important trading post.

One of the most characteristic architectural monuments of the City of Debrecen, is the Town Hall, a classicist building which stands on Piac street.

The building was home to elected city officials including the judiciary, and other officers of elected bodies. The Old town hall has been characterized by frugality for centuries. Until the 19th century, the city spent relatively little on “ordinary” (city-owned) houses and their decoration. 

The first town hall was built in 1531 by expansion from the construction of single-storey residential buildings over the centuries. In 1802, the city leaders wanted to build a new town hall, but due to lack of money, neither the plans ofMihály Péchy nor Ferenc Povolny was realized. 

Going North from the main square, towards the Main Railway Station, we cannot pass by Batthány Street without talking about some hidden gems and those lost to history. 

Batthány Street is named after Count Lajos Batthyány (1807-1849) who was the first Prime Minister of Hungary, he was born in Bratislava, Slovakia and was later executed by firing squad in Pest on 6 October 1849, the same day as the 13 Martyrs of Arad.

Until the middle of the 19th century,  the street was called Kis-Varga Street, and then  “Harmincados köz” (“thirtieth” in English). The name used to refer to the fact that the royal tax office was located there. 

There are many wonderful travel guides about Debrecen, but few about the important places of this city in the context of history. This article focuses on the history of the old town square of Debrecen.

Kossuth Square.

Over time Debrecen has changed, just like any city, as to how much is open to interpretation and your own perspective.  The tram lines have been a long term fixture of Kossuth Square, which was once a green oasis. Gardeners created plant islands in every corner of the square. 

Dominating the Kossuth Square is the most famous symbol of the city, the Reformed Great Church. Before it was built, in the 13th Century, St. Andrew Church stood in its place, built by the Dósa family.  Later in the 16th century, St. Andrew Church was destroyed by fire and rebuilt again in the gothic style.

While social distancing efforts are afoot to slow the global pandemic, nature’s seasons move on, oblivious to humanities woes. Nature lives and thrives!

Nothing proves this more than the streets and squares of Debrecen in full bloom.

With the sunshine and good weather, the revival of nature has begun. Spring has finally arrived! Magnolia and Golden Rain bushes bloom beautifully all over Debrecen, Hyacinths, Daffodils open and the trees are turning green.

The main street of Debrecen, known as Piac street, was once lined with trading houses, and it remained a centre of trade and for hundreds of years. The very first multi-floor dwellings of the town were built here. While the buildings are of simple construction, their facades have many beautiful decorations that deserve special attention.

One of these buildings is the Rickl House at No. 39-41 on Piac Street. The great-grandfather of the world-famous author Magda Szabó (from her mom’s side), József Rickl, was a German merchant, he built this classicist building for his renowned supermarket and his family in the 1820s.

The building bearing the name Zenede has a long illustrious history associated with music culture and music education, mostly because of the ties to the man that the building is named after, the composer and the children’s educator Zoltán Kodály.

Today the building is home to the Zoltán Kodály Vocational Secondary School of Music, a fitting legacy since he was deeply devoted to the importance of music in children’s education. He became world-famous for inventing a music teaching method that has been used ever since, all over the world to teach children music.

Every square meter of Debrecen’s downtown has something of a cultural and historical significance. If you want to get to know the city, you should open your eyes and discover its hidden treasures beyond the obvious sights. To help you see beyond the obvious we have collected for you the most beautiful gates in Debrecen with the help of architect Attila Harangi and photographer Viktor Löki.

1. Reformed Great Church

The emblem of Debrecen represents Puritan Classicism in Calvinist Rome. The largest Reformed Church in the country was built between 1805 and 1821  according to the plans of Mihály Péchy. The Reformed Great Church was built on the foundation walls of the medieval Gothic-style church of St. Andrew, which was completely destroyed in the devastating fire in 1802. The impressive gate ornament of the church reflects the ancient heritage of Debrecen. If you visit Reformed Great Church, take time to appreciate the massive copper handle with intricate symbols.

The founders of the virtual festival entitled “Stay Home!” are 50 organizers, festivals, clubs, and events. Their aim is to mobilize domestic artists and make the audience follow the rules and stay at home.

“Millions of people go to national festivals and concerts every year. Fans will hopefully listen to their favorite artists and stay at home. The main mission of this initiative is to encourage it”, said Norbert Lobenwein, founder of the VOLT Festival and one of the key figures behind the initiative. 

The “Stay at Home! Festival” encourages the Facebook audience to take the rules seriously and stay at home by bringing the artists to the home of the fans.

Kossuth and Széchenyi Streets are among the oldest and busiest streets of Debrecen. Széchenyi Street was previously called Német (German) Street before 1860 as it was where Germans gathered to trade on the internationally recognized Debrecen markets. Kossuth Street was previously called Nagy-Cegléd Utca before 1894 when it was renamed.

But who was Kossuth and Széchenyi and why were streets renamed after them in Debrecen and throughout Hungary? What was their connection to each other, and Debrecen?

Who Was Count István Széchenyi?

Considering that there have been a few isolated cases of COVID-19 infection in Hungary, we would like to ask that you carefully consider the following information and that you follow the guidance provided below.