National and historical symbols of Hungary

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Pusztaszabolcs

(Fejér County)

The coat of arms of Pusztaszabolcs is a shield erect framed or with a pointed base. It bears: gules, a lion rampant or. The background colour of the shield symbolises good soil. Across the top the name of the settlement in a concave row of letters. The colour of the flag is green.

A short history of Pusztaszabolcs

In the second half of the 19th century Pusztaszabolcs lived as a small sporadic village community, formed by the authorities in 1875 only in order that taxation would be made easier. In 1889 the settlement got the status of nagyközség . However, due to the lack of a central part, it had no core; it was rather a community of shared ideas, typical of Hungarian demesnes, the cohesive force of which was the ownership of the landlord. Until the last decade of the 19th century the area belonged to the Zichy family, but in 1896 the lands at Szabolcspuszta went into the possession of the baronial Fould-Springer family, whereas the ones at Felső-Cikola were bought by Alfréd Hirsch-Halász, a lawyer from Budapest. Further changes were brought by the fact that the railway was built between Budapest and Sárbogárd (1882) as well as between Budapest (-Pusztaszabolcs) and Paks, and Pusztaszabolcs and Székesfehérvár (1896). Until 1923, the village was divided into three farmsteads of the domain and a settlement around the railway. The loose community was replaced by a real political unit in 1924. In addition to this administrative transformation, development is further demonstrated by the following demographical data: in 1869 the number of inhabitants was 650, then 749 in 1880, 992 in 1900, 1571 in 1920, 2524 in 1941, 5101 in 1960 and 6483 in 2000. The growing population demanded that the local authorities arrange for better infrastructure and services to satisfy their needs, including medical care, a veterinary surgeon, a pharmacist, places of worship, the school, the kindergarten, shops, electricity, drinking water, gas, telephone, sewer, paved roads and streets, communal activities, a civic centre etc. These expectations are further raised by the vicinity of Budapest, Székesfehérvár, Dunaújváros and Százhalombatta, which also provide job opportunities.

Natural environment

Pusztaszabolcs and its environs belong to the definitely dry areas of Mezőföld, where the average annual rainfall is between 500 and 550 mm. Due to the low amount of rain and the high summer temperature (with an average of 21-21.5 degrees centigrade in July), the area of the village is characterised by droughty summer weather and a considerable annual lack of water (125 mm). However, the filled area is rich in subsoil water, whose average level is not deep (4-6 metres), which has a positive effect on agriculture. However, on the surface there are only periodical water courses. On the soaked and sandy loess excellent soil has formed, upon which the agricultural production of the village is based. About 90 per cent of the ploughland is covered with soil of excellent quality, favourable for the growing of various plants. The fields of Pusztaszabolcs also include the Cikola lakes, an anglers’ paradise.

The built-up area

The growth of the population has accelerated dramatically in the past 100 years. The settlers, first of all railwaymen and those who wanted to live in the conurbation of Budapest, have always had to create their living conditions themselves. The houses with an average of 11,500 square feet of plot are suitable for both recreation and household farming to support the family. Except for the blocks of flats built by the railway, the settlement’s appearance is homogeneous due to the dominance of bungalows and houses. The adobe houses built 80 years ago blend with recently built modern buildings. The churches (the Roman Catholic followed by the Calvinist) were built shortly before World War II. The positioning of the Roman Catholic church consecrated to St Imre makes the structure of the settlement unique. On the occasion of the consecration, the church was given a protected early Baroque organ, which had been used by the composer Franz Liszt in the Franciscan church of Budapest. For the renovation of the organ, one of the oldest of its kind in Hungary, the parish and the local authority are making joint efforts to find financial resources. Next to the rail barrier is exhibited an old steam locomotive, a favourite spot for many railway and locomotive-loving people.