Esztergom (Hungarian pronunciation:[ˈɛstɛrɡom]^ⓘ;German:Gran;Latin:Solva orStrigonium;Slovak:Ostrihom, known byalternative names) is acity with county rights in northernHungary, 46 kilometres (29 miles) northwest of the capitalBudapest. It lies inKomárom-Esztergom County, on the right bank of the riverDanube, which forms the border withSlovakia there. Esztergom was thecapital of Hungary from the 10th until the mid-13th century when KingBéla IV of Hungary moved the royal seat toBuda.

Esztergom
City with county rights
Top left:Dark Gate, Top upper right: Esztergom Cathedral, Top lower right: Saint Adalbert Convention Center, Middle left:Kis-Duna Setany (Little Danube Promenade), Middle right: Saint Stephen's Square, Bottom: Esztergom Castle Hill and Danube River
Flag Coat of arms
Nicknames:  Hungarian Rome, Hungarian Sion,[1] City ofSt. Stephen
Esztergom Show map of Hungary Esztergom Show map of Europe
Coordinates:47°47′8″N18°44′25″E / 47.78556°N 18.74028°E /47.78556; 18.74028
Country	Hungary
Region	Central Transdanubia
County	Komárom-Esztergom
District	Esztergom
Established	around 972
Capital of Hungary	972–1249
Government
• Mayor	Ádám Hernádi [hu] (2019–)
Area
• Total	100.35 km2 (38.75 sq mi)
Population  (2020)
• Total	28,165[2]
Time zone	UTC+1 (CET)
• Summer (DST)	UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code	2500–2509
Area code	(+36) 33
Website	www.esztergom.hu

Esztergom is the seat of theprímás (seePrimate) of theCatholic Church in Hungary, and the former seat of theConstitutional Court of Hungary.The city has aChristian Museum with the largestecclesiastical collection in Hungary. Itscathedral,Esztergom Basilica, is the largest church in Hungary. Near the Basilica there is a campus of thePázmány Péter Catholic University.

The Roman town was calledSolva. The medieval Latin name wasStrigonium.^[3] The first early medieval mention is "ſtrigonensis [strigonensis] comes" (1079–1080).^[4]

The first interpretation of the name was suggested byAntonio Bonfini. He tried to explain it fromIstrogranum, "city at the confluence ofIster (the Greek name of theDanube river) andGran (the Latin name of the riverHron)". This interpretation is still popular.^[5][6][7]Viktor Récsey [hu] attempted to derive the name from Germanic languages. After the conquest of the country byCharlemagne, the Franks should give the name Osterringun to their easternmost castle; as a comparison, a reference is made to the town ofÖstringen.Pavel Jozef Šafárik tried to explain the name from Slavicostřehu (locus custodius, munitus).^[8]Gyula Pauler [hu] suggested a Slavic personal nameStigran without a deeper analysis of its origin.^[9]

In 1927,Konrad Schünemann summarized these older views and proposed the origin in a Slavic stemstrěg ("custodia", guard).^[10] This theory was later extended byJán Stanislav who also explained the origin of the initial vowel missing in Latin and later Czech sources (Střehom).^[11] The introduction of a vowel before the initial consonant group is a regular change in the Hungarian language (Stephan →István,strecha →esztercha), but the initial "O" in later Slavic forms can be explained by an independent change–an incorrect decomposition of the Slavic prepositional form. Both authors noticed the high number of Slavic placenames in the region (Vyšegrad,Pleš,Kokot,Drug,Komárno, Toplica, etc.) and similar Slavic names in other countries (Strzegom,Střehom [cs],Stregowa, etc.). Both authors believed that the stemstrěg was a part of the Slavic personal name, butŠimon Ondruš suggests a straightforward etymology. TheProto-Slavicstregti – to watch, to guard, presentparticiplestregom,strägom – a guard post.^[12][a] The later Slavic form was created by an incorrect decomposition as follows:vъ Strägome (in Strägom) →vo Strägome →v Osträgome like SlovakBdokovce →Obdokovce,Psolovce →Obsolovce.^[12]

Lajos Kiss [hu] considered the name to be of uncertain origin, potentially derived also from Slavicstrgun (a tanner) orProto-Bulgaricestrogin käpe,estrigim küpe – a leather armor.^[4][12] However, the last theory is sharply criticized byŠimon Ondruš as obsolete and unreliable, because of its dependency on later sources, the high number of Slavic names in the region and missing adoption of the word in the Hungarian language.^[12]

Other names of the town are CroatianOstrogon, PolishOstrzyhom, SerbianOstrogon andEstergon (also Turkish), SlovakOstrihom and CzechOstřihom (the archaic name isStřehom). The German name is Gran (German:Gran^ⓘ), like the German name of river Garam.^[13]

Right across theDanube on the Slovak side, there is a populated place ofŠtúrovo which in Hungarian is known as Párkány. The word Parkan in Belarusian, Polish, and Ukrainian languages is a common word forfenceline.

Esztergom is one of the oldest towns in Hungary.^[14] Esztergom, as it existed in theMiddle Ages, now rests under today's town. The results of the most recent archeological excavations reveal that the Várhegy (Castle Hill) and its vicinity have been inhabited since the end of theIce Age 20,000 years ago. The first people known by name were theCelts fromWestern Europe, who settled in the region in about 350 BC. A flourishing Celtic settlement existed on the Varhegy until the region was conquered byRome. Thereafter it became an important frontier town ofPannonia, known by the name ofSalvio Mansio,Salvio, orSolva. By the seventh century the town was calledStregom and laterGran, but soon reverted to the former, which evolved into Esztergom by the thirteenth century. TheGerman andAvar archaeological finds found in the area reveal that these people settled there following theperiod of the migrations that were caused by the fall of theRoman Empire.^{[citation needed]}

At about 500 AD, Slavic peoples immigrated into thePannonian Basin. In the 9th century, the territory was mostly under Frankish control, and it might have been part ofGreat Moravia too. InOld Slavonic language, it was calledStrěgom ("guard"), as it was strategic point of control for the Danube valley.^{[citation needed]}

TheMagyars entered the Pannonian Basin in 896 AD and conquered it systematically, succeeding fully in 901.^{[citation needed]} In 960, the ruling prince of the Hungarians,Géza, chose Esztergom as his residence. His son,Vajk, who was later calledSaint Stephen of Hungary, was born in his palace built on the Romancastrum on the Várhegy (Castle Hill) around 969–975. In 973, Esztergom served as the starting point of an important historical event: during Easter of that year, Géza sent a committee to the international peace conference ofEmperor Otto I inQuedlinburg. He offered peace to the Emperor and asked for missionaries.^{[citation needed]}

The prince's residence stood on the northern side of the hill. The center of the hill was occupied by abasilica dedicated toSt. Adalbert, who, according to legend, baptised St. Stephen. The Church of St. Adalbert was the seat of the archbishop of Esztergom, the head of the Roman Catholic Church in Hungary. By that time, significant numbers of craftsmen and merchants had settled in the city.^{[citation needed]}

Stephen's coronation took place in Esztergom on either Christmas Day 1000 or January 1, 1001. From the time of his rule up to the beginning of the 13th century, the only mint for the country operated here. During the same period, the castle of Esztergom ("Estergon Kalesi" inTurkish) was built. It served not only as the royal residence until the Mongolsiege of Esztergom in 1241 (during thefirst Mongol invasion), but also as the center of the Hungarian state, religion, andEsztergom county. Thearchbishop of Esztergom was the leader of the ten bishoprics founded by Stephen. The archbishop was often in charge of important state functions and had the exclusive right to crown kings.^{[citation needed]}

The settlements of royal servants, merchants and craftsmen at the foot of the Várhegy (Castle Hill) developed into the most significant town during the age of theÁrpád dynasty– these being the most important area of the economic life of the country. According to the FrenchmanOdo of Deuil, who visited the country in 1147, "the Danube carries the economy and treasures of several countries to Esztergom".^{[citation needed]}

The town council was made up of the richest citizens of the town (residents ofFrench,Spanish,Dutch, andItalian origin) who dealt with commerce.^{[citation needed]} The coat of arms of Esztergom emerged from their seal in the 13th century. This was the town where foreign monarchs could meet Hungarian kings. For example,Emperor Conrad II metGéza II in this town (1147). Another important meeting took place when the German EmperorFrederick Barbarossa visitedBéla III. The historians traveling with them all agree on the richness and significance of Esztergom.Arnold of Lübeck, the historian with Frederick Barbarossa, called Esztergom the capital of Hungarian people ("quae Ungarorum est metropolis").^{[citation needed]}

In the beginning of the 13th century, Esztergom was the center of the country's political and economic life. This is explained by the canon ofNagyvárad,Rogerius of Apulia, who witnessed the first devastation of the country during the Tatar invasionsiege of Esztergom and wrote in hisCarmen Miserabile ("Sad Song"): "since there was no other town like Esztergom in Hungary, theTatars (siege of Esztergom) were considering crossing the Danube to pitch a camp there", which was exactly what happened after the Danube froze.^{[citation needed]} The capital of the Árpád-age was destroyed in a vicious battle. Though, according to the documents that remained intact, some of the residents (those who escaped into the castle) survived and new residents settled in the area and soon started rebuilding the town, it lost its leading role.Béla IV gave the palace and castle to the archbishop, and changed his residence toBuda. Béla IV and his family, however, were buried in theFranciscan church in Esztergom which had been destroyed during the invasion and which had been rebuilt by Béla IV in 1270.^{[citation needed]}

Following these events, the castle was built and decorated by the bishops. The center of the king's town, which was surrounded by walls, was still under royal authority. A number of different monasteries did return or settle in the religious center.^{[citation needed]}

Meanwhile, the citizenry had been fighting to maintain and reclaim the rights of towns against the expansion of the church within the royal town. In the chaotic years after the fall of theHouse of Árpád, Esztergom suffered another calamity: in 1304, the forces ofWenceslaus II, theCzech king occupied and raided the castle. In the years to come, the castle was owned by several individuals:Róbert Károly and thenLouis the Great patronized the town. In 1327 Kovácsi, the most influential suburb of the town, lying in the southeast, was united with Esztergom. The former suburb had three churches with mainly blacksmith, goldsmith, and coiner residents.^{[citation needed]}

In the 14th and 15th centuries, Esztergom saw events of great importance and became one of the most influential acropolises of Hungarian culture along withBuda. Their courts, which were similar to the royal courts ofBuda andVisegrád, were visited by such kings, scientists, and artists asLouis the Great,Sigismund of Luxembourg, KingMatthias Corvinus,Galeotto Marzio,Regiomontanus, the famous astronomerMarcin Bylica andGeorg von Peuerbach,Pier Paolo Vergerio andAntonio Bonfini, King Matthias's historian, who, in his work praises the constructive work ofJános Vitéz, King Matthias's educator. He had a library and an observatory built next to the cathedral. As Bonfini wrote about his masterpiece, his palace and terraced gardens: "he had a spacious room for knights built in the castle. In front of that, he built a wonderfulloggia of red marble. In front of the room, he built the Chapel ofSibyls, whose walls were decorated with paintings of the sybils.^{[citation needed]} On the walls of the knights' room, not only the likeness of all the kings could be found, but also the Scythian ancestors. He also had a double garden constructed, which was decorated with columns and a corridor above them. Between the two gardens, he built a round tower of red marble with several rooms and balconies. He had Saint Adalbert's Basilica covered with glass tiles". King Matthias's widow,Beatrix of Aragon, lived in the castle of Esztergom for ten years (1490–1500).^{[citation needed]}

The time of the next resident, ArchbishopTamás Bakócz (d. 1521) gave the town significant monuments. In 1507 he had Italian architects build theBakócz chapel, which is the earliest and most significantRenaissance building which has survived in Hungary. The altarpiece of the chapel was carved from white marble byAndrea Ferrucci, a sculptor fromFiesole in 1519.^{[citation needed]}

TheOttoman conquest ofMohács in 1526 brought a decline to the previously flourishing Esztergom as well.^{[citation needed]} In theBattle of Mohács, the archbishop of Esztergom died. In the period between 1526 and 1543, when two rival kings reigned in Hungary, Esztergom was besieged six times. At times it was the forces ofFerdinand I orJohn Zápolya, at other times the Ottomans attacked. Finally, in 1530, Ferdinand I occupied the castle. He put foreign mercenaries in the castle, and sent the chapter and the bishopric toNagyszombat andPozsony (that is why some of the treasury, the archives and the library survived).^{[citation needed]}

In 1543,SultanSuleiman the Magnificentattacked the castle and captured it. The castle then remained under theOttoman Empire.^{[citation needed]}

Esztergom (asEstergon) became the centre of an Ottomansanjak controlling several counties, and also a significant castle on the northwest border of theOttoman Empire – the main clashing point to prevent attacks on the mining towns of the highlands,Vienna andBuda. In 1594, during the unsuccessful but devastating siege by the walls of theVíziváros,Bálint Balassa, the first Hungarian poet who gained European significance, died in action. The most devastating siege took place in 1595 when the castle was reclaimed by the troops of CountKarl von Mansfeld and CountMátyás Cseszneky. The price that had to be paid, however, was high. Most of the buildings in the castle and the town that had been built in theMiddle Ages were destroyed during this period, and there were only uninhabitable, smothered ruins to welcome the conquerors.^{[citation needed]}

In 1605the Ottomans regained control over the castle as well as the whole region again,maintaining their rule until 1683.^{[citation needed]} Though the Ottomans were mainly engaged in building and fortifying the castle, they also built significant new buildings including mosques, minarets and baths. These structures, along with the contemporary buildings, were destroyed in thesiege of 1683 resulting in the re-conquest of Esztergom - though some Turkish buildings prevailed up to the beginning of the 18th century. The last time the Ottoman forces attacked Esztergomwas in 1685. During the following year Buda was conquered as well. During these battlesJános Bottyán, captain of the cavalry, later the legendary figure of theRákóczi war of independence disappeared. All that had been rebuilt at the end of the century was destroyed and burnt down duringFerenc Rákóczi's long lasting, but finally successful siege.^{[citation needed]}

The destroyed territory was settled byHungarian,Slovakian andGerman settlers. This was when the new national landscape developed. In the area where there had previously been 65 Hungarian villages, only 22 were rebuilt. Though the reconstructed town received its free royal rights, in size and significance it was only a shadow of its former self.^{[citation needed]}

Handcrafts gained strength and in around 1730, there were 17 independent crafts operating in Esztergom. Wine-culture was also of major significance. This was also the period when theBaroque view of the downtown area and theVíziváros (Watertown) were developed. The old town's main characteristic is the simplicity and moderateness of its citizen Baroque architecture. The most beautiful buildings can be found around the marketplace (Széchenyi square).^{[citation needed]}

In 1761, the bishopric regained control over the castle, where they started the preliminary processes of the reconstruction of the new religious center: the middle of the Várhegy (Castle Hill), the remains of Saint Stephen and Saint Adalbert churches were carried away to provide room for the new cathedral.^{[citation needed]}

Although the major construction work and the resettlement of the bishopric (1820) played a significant role in the town's life, the pace of Esztergom's development gradually slowed down, and work on the new Basilica came to a halt.^{[citation needed]}

By the beginning of the 20th century, Esztergom gained significance owing to its cultural and educational institutions as well as to being an administrative capital. The town's situation turned worse after theTreaty of Trianon of 1920, after which it became a border town and lost most of its previous territory.^{[citation needed]}

This was also the place where the poetMihály Babits spent his summers from 1924 to his death in 1941. The poet's residence was one of the centers of the country's literary life; he had a significant effect on intellectual life in Esztergom.^{[citation needed]}

Esztergom had one of the oldest Jewish communities in Hungary. They had a place of worship here by 1050. KingCharles I (Caroberto) gifted a plot to the community for a cemetery in 1326.^{[citation needed]}

According to the 1910 census, 5.1% of the population were Jewish, while the 1941 census found a population of 1510 Jews. The community maintained an elementary school until 1944. Jewish shops were ordered to be closed on April 28, 1944, and a short-livedghetto was set up on May 11. The former Jewish shops were handed over to non-Jews on June 9. The inmates of the ghetto were sent to Komárom in early June, then deported toAuschwitz on June 16, 1944. Two forced labor units, whose members were mainly Esztergom Jews, were executeden masse nearÁgfalva, on the Austrian border in January 1945.^{[citation needed]}

Soviet troops captured the town on December 26, 1944, but were pushed back by the Germans on January 6, 1945, who were finally ousted on March 21, 1945.^{[citation needed]}

TheMária Valéria bridge, connecting Esztergom with the city ofŠtúrovo in Slovakia was rebuilt in 2001 with the support of theEuropean Union. Originally it was inaugurated in 1895, but the retreating German troops destroyed it in 1944. A new thermal and wellness spa opened in November 2005.^{[citation needed]}

One of the most important events of the 1930s was the exploration and renovation of the remains of the palace of theÁrpád period. This again put Esztergom in the center of attention. FollowingWorld War II, Esztergom was left behind as one of the most severely devastated towns. However, reconstruction slowly managed to erase the traces of the war, with two of Esztergom's most vital characteristics gaining significance: due to its situation it was the cultural center of the area (more than 8,000 students were educated at its elementary, secondary schools and college ). On the other hand, as a result of the local industrial development it has become a vital basis for the Hungarian tool and machinery industry.

This town, with its spectacular scenery and numerous memorials, a witness of the struggles of Hungarian history, is popular mostly with tourists interested in the beauties of the past and art. However, the town seems to regain its role in the country's politics, and its buildings and traditions revive.

The winding streets of the town, with its church towers create a historical atmosphere. BelowEsztergom Basilica, at the edge of the mountain stands the old walls and bastions – the remains of the castle of Esztergom. The remains of one section of the royal palace and castle that had been built during the Ottoman rule had been buried in the ground up until the 1930s.

Most parts of the palace were explored and restored in the period between 1934 and 1938, but even today there are archeological excavations in progress. Passing through the narrow stairs, alleys, under arches and gates built inRomanesque style, a part of the past seems to come to life. This part of the palace was built in the time of KingBéla III. With his wife - the daughter ofLouis VII - French architects arrived and constructed the late-Roman and early-Gothic building at the end of the 12th century.

The frescoes of the palace chapel date from the 12th-14th centuries, while on the walls of the mottes, some of the most beautiful paintings of the early Hungarian Renaissance can be admired (15th century). From the terrace of the palace one can admire the landscape of Esztergom. Under the terrace are the houses and churches of the Bishop-town section, orVíziváros (Watertown) and the Primate's Palace. Opposite the palace is the Saint Thomas hill, and surrounded by the mountains and theDanube. The walls of the castle still stand on the northern part of the Basilica. From the northernrondella one can admire the view of Párkány on the other side of the Danube as well as theSzentgyörgymező, the Danube valley, and the So-called 'Víziváros' (Watertown) districts.

Those traveling to Esztergom today can admire the most monumental construction of Hungarian Classicism, the Basilica, which silently rules the landscape above the winding Danube, surrounded by mountains.

The building that might be considered the symbol of the town is the largest church in Hungary and was built according to the plans ofPál Kühnel,János Páckh andJózsef Hild from 1822 to 1869.Ferenc Liszt wrote the Mass of Esztergom for this occasion. Theclassicist church is enormous: the height of thedome is 71.5 metres (235feet); it has giant arches and an enormous altar-piece byMichelangelo Grigoletti. On one side, in the Saint Stephen chapel, the glittering relics of Hungarian and other nations' saints and valuable jewellery can be seen. On the south side, theBakócz Chapel, the only one that survived theMiddle Ages, can be seen. The builders of theBasilica had disassembled this structure into 1600 pieces, and incorporated it into the new church in its original form.

The treasury houses many masterpieces of medieval goldsmith's works. The western European masters' hands are praised by such items as the crown silver cross that has been used since the 13th century, the ornate chalices, Francesco Francia's processional cross, the upper part of the well-known 'Matthias-Calvary' which is decorated in the rareronde-bosseenamel technique. The Treasury also has a vast collection of traditional Hungarian and European textiles, including chasubles, liturgical vestments and robes.

The sound of the enormous bell hung in the southern tower can be heard from kilometers away. From the top of the large dome, visitors can see a breath-taking view: to the north, east and south the ranges of theBörzsöny,Visegrád,Pilis andGerecse mountains rule the landscape, while to the west, in the valley of the Danube one can see as far as the Small Plains.

The Víziváros (Watertown) section was named after being built on the banks of the Kis- and Nagy Duna (Small and GreatDanube). Its fortresses, walls, bastions andTurkishrondellas can still be seen by the walk on the banks of the Danube. By the northern end of the wall, on the bank of the Nagy-Duna, an interesting memorial is put, a stone table with Ottoman Turkish writings commemorates SultanSuleiman the Magnificent's victorious siege of 1543. The narrow, winding streets within the walls hide the remains of Turkishmosques and baths.

Along the delightful streets of the Víziváros (Watertown), surrounded byBaroque andClassicist buildings stands the Primate's Palace, designed byJózsef Lippert (1880–82). TheKeresztény Múzeum (Christian museum), founded by ArchbishopJános Simor, is located in this building. It houses a rich collection of Hungarian panel pictures and sculpture of theMiddle Ages as well as Italian and western-European paintings and handicrafts (13th-18th centuries). This is where one can admire the chapel-like structure of the lateGothic 'Úrkoporsó' (Lord's coffin) fromGaramszentbenedek that is decorated by painted wooden sculptures (c. 1480), the winged altar-piece byThomas of Coloswar (1427), paintings byMaster M.S. (1506), the gothic altars from Upper Historical Hungary (Felvidék), handicrafts of Italian, German and Flemish artists from the 13th–17th centuries, tapestries and ceramics.

The building of the Balassa Bálint Museum that was built inBaroque style on medieval bases and is located in Víziváros (Watertown), served as the first town hall of Esztergom county after the Turks had been driven out of the region.

The parish-church in the centre of the Víziváros (Watertown), which was built by theJesuits between 1728 and 1738, and the single-toweredFranciscan churches are also masterpieces ofBaroque architecture.

The Cathedral Library standing in the southern part of the town, which was built in 1853 according to plans byJózsef Hild is one of the richest religious libraries of Hungary, accommodating approximately 250,000 books, among which severalcodices andincunabula can be found, such as the Latin explanation of the 'Song of Songs' from the 12th century, the 'Lövöföldi Corvina' originating from donations of King Matthias, or theJordánszky Codex [hu], which includes the Hungarian translation of the Bible from 1516 to 1519. Along with Bakócz and Ulászlógraduals, they conserve also the Balassa Bible, in which Balassa's uncle, Balassa András wrote down the circumstances of his birth and death.

The main sight of the nearby 'Szent Tamás-hegy' (Saint Thomas Hill -Szenttamás) is theBaroque Calvary, with theClassicist chapel on the top of the hill, which was built to commemorate the heroes who died for Esztergom. The hill was named after a church built by BishopLukács Bánffy in memoriam the martyr SaintThomas Becket, who had been his fellow student at the University of Paris. The church and the small castle which the Turks built there were destroyed a long time ago. On its original spot, the top of the hill, the narrow winding streets and small houses that were built by the masters who were working on the construction of the Basilica at the beginning of the previous century, have an atmosphere that is similar to that ofTabán inBuda. At the foot of the hill are the swimming pool and the Classicist building of the Fürdő Szálló (Bath Hotel). This is whereLajos Kossuth stayed in 1848 on one of his recruiting tours.

On the southern slopes of the hill there is a Mediterranean, winding path with stairs that lead to theBaroque Saint Stephen chapel.

The main square of the town is the Széchényi square. Of the several buildings ofBaroque,Rococo andClassicist style, there is one that catches everyone's eyes: the Town Hall. Originally, it used to be the single-floor curia of Vak Bottyán (János Bottyán, Bottyán the Blind), theKuruc general (1689). The first floor was constructed on its top in 1729. The house burnt down in the 1750s. It was rebuilt in accordance with the plans of a local architect, Antal Hartmann. Upon its façade there is a red marble carving which presents the coat of arms of Esztergom (a palace within the castle walls, protected by towers, with theÁrpáds' shields below.) On the corner of the building the equestrian statue of Vak Bottyán (created by István Martsa) commemorates the original owner of the house.

The Trinity-statue in the middle of the square was created by György Kiss in 1900. In Bottyán János Street, near the Town Hall, there are well decorated Baroque houses. This is where theFranciscan church is located (built between 1700 and 1755). Opposite this building there is a Baroque palace which used to belong to the Sándor Earl family.

In the direction of the Kis Duna, the downtown parish-church, built by the architect Ignác Oratsek can be admired. A bit farther is theClassicist Church of Saint Anne. Theorthodox church at 60 Kossuth Lajos street was built around 1770 bySerbian settlers in Esztergom.

The city and the neighbouring territories became devastated due to theOttoman wars. Esztergom was repopulated by mostly ethnicHungarians, someGermans andSlovaks in the late 17th and the early 18th centuries.^[17] According to András Vályi, the population of Esztergom was mostly Hungarian in 1796, and the German and Slovak minorities were conversant with theHungarian language.^[17] Elek Fényes described Esztergom as mostly Hungarian by language in 1851.^[18]Based on the 1880 census, the city (with Szentgyörgymező, Szenttamás and Víziváros) had 14,944 inhabitants, of whom there were 13,340 (89.3%) Hungarians, 755 (5.1%) Germans and 321 (2.1%) Slovaks by native language.^[19]

According to the 2011 census the total population of Esztergom was 28,926, of whom there were 24,155 (83.5%) Hungarians, 729 (2.5%)Romani, 527 (1.8%) Germans and 242 (0.8%) Slovaks by ethnicity.^[20] 13.6% of the total population did not declare their ethnicity.^[21] In Hungary people can declare multiple ethnic backgrounds, so other people declared Hungarian and a minority one together.^[22]

Historically, Esztergom has been the seat of theCatholic Church in Hungary and theprivilege of 1708 banned non-Catholics from the city (excluding the smallSerbian Orthodox minority).^[23] Thus, the population was almost exclusivelyRoman Catholic in 1851.^[18]

The 1869 census showed 14,512 people (with Szentgyörgymező, Szenttamás and Víziváros), 13,567 (93.5%) Roman Catholic, 718 (4.9%)Jewish, 130 (0.9%)Hungarian Reformed (Calvinist), 68 (0.5%)Lutheran and 27 (0.2%)Eastern Orthodox.^[24]

At the 2011 census, there were 13,127 (45.4%) Roman Catholic, 1,647 (5.7%) Hungarian Reformed, 211 (0.7%) Lutheran and 160 (0.6%)Greek Catholic. 3,807 people (13.2%) wereirreligious and 418 (1.5%)Atheist, while 9,046 people (31.3%) did not declare their religion.^[20]

TheMagyar Suzuki Corporation plant opened in 1992, as the European base of the Japanese automotive manufacturerSuzuki. It has a production capacity of 300,000 vehicles per year and it is the biggest employing company in the city, with 2,682 employees (statistical average 2022).^[25]

• Andrew II (c. 1177 – 1235), also known asAndrew of Jerusalem, King of Hungary and Croatia (1205–1235), Prince of Halych (1188 - 1189/1190, 1208/1209 - 1210).[27]
• Arcadius Avellanus (1851 – 1935), Hungarian-American scholar of Latin, proponent of Living Latin
• Tamás Bakócz (1442 – 1521 in Esztergom) archbishop, cardinal and statesman.^[28]
• Helene von Bolváry (1892–1943), actress
• János Bottyán (1643 – 1709), aHungariankuruc general
• Charles I of Hungary (1288–1342) crowned King of Hungary at Esztergom in 1301.^[29]
• Ugrin Csák, archbishop of Kalocsa, Hungary (1219–1241)
• Imre Csáky (1672 – 1732), Roman Catholic cardinal
• BlessedEusebius of Esztergom (1200–1270), canon, hermit, founder of theOrder of Saint Paul the First Hermit
• Anett György (1996 -), racing driver
• Tamás Hajnal (1981–), footballer
• László Horváth (1962 -), politician
• SaintIrene of Hungary (1088 – 1134), Hungarian-born Byzantine empress
• Judith of Hungary (ca. 969 - ca. 988), princess, member of theHouse of Árpád
• Márta Kurtág (1927 – 2019), classical pianist
• Osvát Laskai (1450 – 1511), Franciscan friar, preacher, teacher of theology, head of the friaries of Esztergom and Pest
• Attila Menyhárd, lawyer, professor of civil law, head of the Civil Law Department on the Faculty of Law at theUniversity of Budapest
• Alojzije Mišić (1859 – 1942), CroatianBishop of Mostar-Duvno andApostolic Administrator of Trebinje-Mrkan (1912–1942)
• Jozef Murgaš (1864 – 1929), Slovak inventor, architect, botanist, painter, and Roman Catholic priest, contributor to the wireless telegraphy and the development of mobile communications and wireless transmission of information and human voice.
• Tibor Pézsa (1935 -), fencer
• László Ernő Pintér (1942–2002), Franciscan priest, malacologist
• BlessedSebestyén (? - 1007), Benedictine missionary, prelate and politician, Archbishop of Esztergom (1002–1007)
• Stephen I of Hungary (975 – 1038), the first King of Hungary.^[30]
• Sándor Urbanik (born 1964), Hungarian race walker
• Vladislaus II (1456 – 1516), King of Bohemia (1471–1516), King of Hungary and Croatia (1490–1516)
• BlessedYolanda of Poland (1235 – 1298) nun of the order of Poor Clares
• Zlaudus (? - ca.1262), bishop of Veszprém in the Kingdom of Hungary (1245–1262), Chancellor of Hungary in 1226
• Nándor Zsolt (1887–1936), conductor, composer and the professor of violin at theFranz Liszt Academy of Music

Esztergom istwinned with:^[31][32]

•  
  Castle Hill
•  
  Esztergom Cathedral at night
•  
  TheWhite Tower of Castle
•  
  HNM Castle Museum
•  
  Downtown Church
•  
  Watertown Church
•  
  Saint Anne Church orRound Church
•  
  Dark Gate
•  
  Ister-Fountain

• Archdiocese of Esztergom-Budapest
• Uherský Ostroh,Ostroh

• "Gran" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. XI (9th ed.). 1880. p. 44.
• "Esztergom" .Encyclopædia Britannica. Vol. 9 (11th ed.). 1911. p. 803.
• Official website in Hungarian, English, German and Slovak

47°47′8″N18°44′25″E / 47.78556°N 18.74028°E /47.78556; 18.74028