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MAGYARORSZÁG HUNGARY
megye: Vas  

map

Kőszeg

DE: Güns

1518 Kőszeg Kőszeg is situated at an altitude of 265 m in western Hungary at the border to Austria. The place was first mentioned in 1248. The fortified town began to develop in the valley of the Gyöngyös (Günsbach) stream and took its name from the ancient castle Kőszeg above the town. The German name, Güns, also dates from that early period. Between 1445 and 1647 Kőszeg was administered by Lower Austria. The most famous event in the history of the town was the siege by a Turkish army in 1532. 800 men defended Kőszeg successfully against 60,000 Turkish soldiers and also prevented the advancement of the Turks towards Vienna. In 1648 Kőszeg obtained the status of a Free Royal Hungarian town. From 1695 until 1931 Kőszeg was a residence of the princes Esterházy. Since 1920, when the German-speaking parts of western Hungary became part of Austria (province Burgenland), Kőszeg is a border town.

The picture on the glass shows the neo-Gothic parish church of Kőszeg.


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