thumb|Castle at Mosonmagyaróvár

Mosonmagyaróvár (; ; also known by other alternative names) is a town in Győr-Moson-Sopron County in northwestern Hungary. It lies close to both the Austrian and Slovak borders and has a population of 32,752 ().

Mosonmagyaróvár used to be two separate towns, Magyaróvár (, ) and Moson (, ). The town of Moson was the original capital of Moson County in the Kingdom of Hungary, but the county seat was moved to Magyaróvár during the Middle Ages. The two towns were combined in 1939, and by now almost all signs of dualism have disappeared, as the space between the two towns has become physically and culturally developed. Due to the name's length, Mosonmagyaróvár is also referred to as Óvár amongst locals and Moson by foreigners. The Hansági Museum is located in Mosonmagyaróvár.

Etymology and names

The name Moson comes from Slavic *mъšьnъ 'mossy', in the wider meaning also 'moss-covered mud, marsh', elided from mъšьnъ (gradъ) 'castle in the marsh' (see also Mšeno, Mszana). The settlement was attested in written sources as Mussun in 1137. By 1908 there was already talk of unifying the two towns.

During the First World War, the Austrians maintained an armory in Magyaróvár. As a consequence of the Treaty of Trianon, most of Moson county was lost to non-Hungarian lands and all signs of the Habsburg rule were destroyed. What followed was another period of peace, during which time Moson and Magyaróvár were administratively unified as Mosonmagyaróvár. However, cultural differences, and even rivalry, were to persist well into the later twentieth century. During the Second World War, unemployment plummeted and the town's industry prospered. The town did not suffer much damage during the war; in 1946, its significant German population was deported. In 1948 bus services were created. During the later 1940s most of the town's institutions were nationalized by the communist regime. As many as 50 protesting civilians were killed during the revolution of '56, and the town was slow to recover. During the communist years, a new "town center" was developed between the existing Medieval centers of Moson and Magyaróvár, and there was significant development, including the opening of a university, new schools, and other public projects.

After the reestablishment of the current Representative Parliamentary Democracy in 1989, the Young Democrats controlled the city administration for a few years, expanding tourism and making developments to the gas and sewage infrastructure. Notably, the Piarist school was reopened.

Climate

Mosonmagyaróvár's climate is classified as continental climate (Köppen Cfb). The annual average temperature is , the hottest month in July is , and the coldest month is in January. The annual precipitation is , of which June is the wettest with , while February is the driest with only . The extreme temperature throughout the year ranged from on 28 December 1996 to on 8 August 2013.

Dentistry

Dentistry appears to be by far the largest economical activity in Mosonmagyaróvár, with approximately 350 practicing dentists . Worldwide, this is the highest number of dentists in ratio to the total population. The reason for this is found in the demand for low-cost dentistry by Austrians, who have been crossing borders to Hungary for decades. With Vienna nearby, Mosonmagyaróvár is within easy reach and official Hungarian government figures show that 160,000 Austrians cross the border yearly for dental care.

Compared to economically wealthy countries where dental care is expensive, low business overheads in Hungary allow clinics to offer their services at extremely competitive rates. Especially for low-income or uninsured patients, dental tourism makes Mosonmagyaróvár worth visiting.

Due to these factors, dental tourism has greatly grown in Mosonmagyaróvár. In addition to dentists, clinics and guided tour providers, the local hospitality industry as a whole lives off the dental tourist trade. With nearby international airports in Bratislava, Budapest and Vienna, Mosonmagyaróvár even attracts patients worldwide, travelling from as faraway as Greenland, Canada and the United States.

Broadcasting

East of Mosonmagyaróvár at , there is a broadcasting station for AM and FM. The AM transmitter, which works on 1116 kHz with 2.2 kW uses as antenna a mast radiator, the FM-transmitter a free-standing lattice tower.

Twin towns – sister cities

Mosonmagyaróvár is twinned with:

  • Berehove, Ukraine
  • Hattersheim am Main, Germany
  • Neusiedl am See, Austria
  • Olováry, Slovakia
  • Pezinok, Slovakia <!--both Neusiedl and Pezinok list Mosonmagyaróvár as its twin town-->
  • Piotrków Trybunalski, Poland
  • Šamorín, Slovakia
  • Senec, Slovakia
  • Sfântu Gheorghe, Romania
  • Stockerau, Austria

Notable people

  • Carl Flesch, violinist
  • Richard Hönigswald, philosopher
  • Nikolaus Lenau, poet
  • János Manninger, photographer and director
  • Katalin Pálinger, handball player
  • Antal Pusztai, classical guitarist

References

Notes

  • in Hungarian, English and German
  • Aerial photography: Mosonmagyaróvár