Tatabánya: Hungary

Tatabánya: Hungary
Tatabánya is a city with county rights in Hungary in the Northern Transdanubian region. It is the capital of county Komárom-Esztergom. The city is located in the valley between the Gerecse and Vértes Mountains, some 55 km from the capital. By the virtue of its location, the city is a railway and road junction. Motorway M1 (E60, E75) from Vienna to Budapest passes through the outer city limits, the railway line Budapest–Vienna go through the city.
History
Archaeological findings prove that humans have been living here since the Stone Age. The three historic predecessor settlements of Tatabánya are Alsógalla, Felsőgalla and Bánhida. Bánhida is the earliest settlement, it was first mentioned in 1288
In the 16th century the Ottomans occupied the area. Around this time the inhabitants became Protestants. Later its feudal lords, the Esterházys populated the area with Roman Catholic German and Slovak settlers.
According to the 1787 census Alsógalla had 580, Felsőgalla had 842 inhabitants. The coal resources of the area were discovered around this time. Population began to grow, and a new mining colony was formed, later developing into the village of Tatabánya.
During the industrialization wave which took over the country after World War II several Hungarian towns were developed into large industrial cities. The four villages were united on October 1, 1947 under the name Tatabánya and it was elevated to town status. In 1950 it became the county capital of Komárom-Esztergom county (then called Komárom county.) In the 1980s it already had more than 80.000 inhabitants.
The industrial character of the city was significant until the fall of the Socialist government and the following political changes of 1989. After that the importance of heavy industry and mining decreased and the economic structure of the city has changed remarkably.
Tourist sights – The Turul monument, above the city on the top of Gerecse Mountain, is the largest bird statue in Central Europe. – The Szelim Cave and the forest park of Gerecse Mountain are popular tourist attractions.