Centre of Géza – Esztergom
Fact of the Hungarian figure „Myth of the Hungarian land-taking – Ópusztaszer”
Part of the „The story of the beginning” topic
Esztergom, one of Hungary’s oldest cities, holds a paramount place in the nation’s early history as the center of power during the reign of Géza, Grand Prince of the Hungarians. Before the establishment of the Hungarian state, Esztergom served as Géza’s principal seat, playing a crucial role in the political and cultural consolidation of the Magyar tribes. Géza, who ruled from 972 to 997, recognized the need to strengthen and unify the Magyar tribes against external threats and internal fragmentation.
In the central area of historical Hungary, on the right bank of the Danube, on a rocky hilltop opposite the mouth of the Garam River, on the site of the ancient castrum that fortified the Roman Empire’s Limes line, the castle of Esztergom was built in the second half of the 10th century, and for the next two and a half centuries it was the country’s main royal and ecclesiastical centre.
In the 12th century, Esztergom was referred to as the ‘metropolis’ of Hungary. The two fortified medieval towns and their surrounding suburbs are often referred to collectively as Esztergom, although some of them had separate names. Medieval tradition attributes the beginning of the construction of the castle and the prince’s palace in it, as well as the first church founded in honour of protomartyr Saint Stephen to Prince Géza. Géza’s son Stephen was born here around 970.
It was here that Stephen was baptised, crowned king in 1001 and founded the country’s first archbishopric, the Archbishopric of Esztergom, in the same year of his coronation.
Today, Esztergom is celebrated for its rich historical heritage, with landmarks such as the Esztergom Basilica standing as a testament to its past glory. The city remains a symbol of the early efforts to unify and modernize Hungary, reflecting the visionary leadership of Géza, who set the stage for the nation’s foundation.
