Debrecen, the third largest town in Hungary after Budapest and Miskolc, lies in the lowlands east of the Tisza, on Highway 4; it is the traditional cultural and economic center of the region and, since 1950, its capital. In spite of having developed into a modern industrial and college town, away from
the center Debrecen has managed to retain its rural, small town atmosphere. The Great Reformed Church and the Reformed College serve as a reminder that Debrecen proudly bears the title of "Calvinist Rome", the stronghold of Protestantism in Hungary.
History
Following the merging of several smaller settlements in the Middle Ages, the place where Debrecen now stands became a regional trade center for livestock and agriculture, and in 1361 it was elevated to the status of a town. In the 16th C fifty craftsmen plied their trades here, and formed themselves into fourteen guilds. When the Reformation spread to Hungary Debrecen became a stronghold of Calvinism; those of other religious persuasions were prevented by the townsfolk from settling here or were forced to leave. In 1538 the Reformed College was founded and the town became a spiritual center for Calvinistic teachings. This prosperous trading town also enjoyed special status under the Turks, who took over Debrecen in 1535 but allowed the people to continue to practice both their businesses and their Calvinistic religion. It was a different story with the Catholic Habsburgs, who freed the town from Turkish rule in the 17th C but encountered resistance from the good people of Debrecen when they tried to introduce the Counter-Reformation, meeting a barrier of nationalist aspirations and religious convictions. During the 1848 Revolution Lajos Kossuth made the town the headquarters of the freedom fighters and the seat of his government. It was in the Great Reformed Church that he issued the declaration of Hungary's independence from the House of Habsburg. A century later, in 1944, Debrecen was once again the scene of historic events: on December 21st that year the Provisional National Assembly met here and Debrecen became the capital of those parts of Hungary which had by then been liberated. It retained this status until March 1945, when the Government was able to return to Budapest.
The town of Debrecen is home to one of the best football teams in Hungary. They won the national championship in 2005, 2006 and 2007.
Debrecen hosted the first IAAF World Road Running Championships in 2006 and also the 2007 European SC Swimming Championships.
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