Gyöngyös 6.22

Gyöngyös is a town in Heves county in Hungary, 80km east of Budapest. Situated at the foot of the Sár-hegy and Mátra mountains, it is the home of numerous food production plants, including milk production and sausage factories. It is also the home of many vineyards on the slopes of the Sárhegy.The Art-Nouveau and Baroque buildings around the main square were reconstructed after a disastrous fire started in the local hospital in 1917, destroying a number of buildings housing important Jewish institutions and leaving in all around 8,000 homeless.NameThe meaning of the town's name is "Made of Pearls"; Croats from Hungary call this city Đunđuš (pronounced as "Dyun-dyush"). The 16-17th century historian Miklós Istvánffy wrote that the name of the town comes from the Hungarian word for mistletoe (fagyöngy literally "wood-pearl"), which is abundant in the local woods.HistoryGyöngyös was home to a large Jewish community before World War II. In 1942, anti-Jewish laws were adopted in the province, affecting the Jews of the town. Following the occupation of Hungary by the German army in March 1944, 1800 Jews were locked in a ghetto. Some will be saved by an Hungaria Righteous Among the Nations but most of were deported to Auschwitz and killed.Sights to visitThere are many monuments and places of interest in the town, such as the Orczy mansion, home of the Mátra Museum, Saint Bartholomew's Church in the center of town, and its Treasury.