Köszeg had a lead role in the garrison county of Vas and was the only free royal town in the Kingdom of Hungary, dating back to the 13th century. Remarkably much of the town walls and gates still remain.
In the 17th century a school was founded and named for Jurisics Miklos, who defeated the Turks at their third invasion attempt in the 1500’s. This beautiful Gymnasium is no longer in use; the school is now an internationally-acclaimed IB boarding school tucked into the forest and mountains around the city.
This Köszeg wine tavern is built into 14th century medieval walls.
More beautiful architecture…
A memorial to those who lost their lives in the Great War.
On our way to lunch we came upon this pretty boutique, whose owner was closing shop for the mittagspause. I stopped to peek into the storefront windows when she offered to open the store for me. I was delighted!
Leaving the town afterwards we stopped to view the old synagogue, which seems to be in the throes of restoration. Köszeg’s Jewish population was rounded up in late 1944 and placed in the town’s labor camp. With the impending arrival of the Red Army in 1945, the camp’s survivors were forced into a 300km death march to Ebensee, Austria, a sub camp of Mauthausen and among the most brutal of the Nazi concentration camps. We expect there will be points of quiet humility along our travels in these parts, and the sights are always difficult to view.
1 Pingback