Twin towns – Albertirsa (Hungary)

The agreement of cooperation between Znin and Albertisa was signed on 28th August 2005 in Znin. The signatories of the document were mayor of Albertirsa, Laszlo Fazekas, and mayor of Znin, Jaroslaw Jaworski.
Albertirsa is situated in south-eastern part of Pest district about 30 miles south-easterly from Budapest, the capital of Hungary, on the A4 road and the railway track from Budapest to Szolnok. Its current population is 11800.
Albertirsa was founded in 1950 as a result of merger of two towns, Alberti and Irsa, whose names most probably derived from the names of their former owners. The name “Alberti” first appeared in the book of the king Ladislaus IV (IV Laszlo in Hungarian) from the year 1277. “Irsa” was first mentioned in written sources in 1368. Evangelical Slovakians from Northern Hungary resettled the villages, which were deserted during the Turkish occupation of Hungary (C16th-17th), in 1711. They were brought there by Andras Varacskay, a landowner. In 1714 the king of Austria, Charles VI, granted Marton Szeleczky the ownership of Alberti. In 1784 Marton Szleczky's decentants obtained the right to organize fair trade and Alberti was proclaimed “an agricultural town”. In 1835 Adam Polizer (1835-1920), one of the pioneers of otology – the branch of medicine concerned with the ear and the organ of balance – was born in Alberti. The first train reached Alberti on 1st September 1947. Over the centuries people of different religions and denominations built their temples there, among them Protestants, Catholics, Jews and Baptists. The late-baroque Catholic temple was erected first, in 1746. Shortly, the evangelical and Calvinist churches were built. The merger of the two villages was conducted on 6th September 1950. On 1st July 2003 Albertirsa was granted a town charter. Its twin towns are: Gaggiano (Italy – since 1992), Bourg Saint Andeol (France – since 1998) and Malacky (Slovakia – since 2000).

Websites:
www.albertirsa.hu
www.kozpontiregio.hu