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Vac (Pest, Hungary)

Vác város

Last modified: 2023-06-03 by zachary harden
Keywords: pest | vac | danube | vacov | waitzen |
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image by István Molnár, 10 March 2001



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Overview

Vác is a beautiful town on the left bank of the Danube River in Pest County in Hungary at the east gate of the Danube-Bend 35 km north from Budapest. The town is an important ferry. The town has got 35.535 inhabitants (1990 census) nearly all of them are Hungarians. Two of the Official Ethnic Minorities of Hungary has got ethnic council in the town. They are: Gipsy and Slovakian. The name of the town in Slovakian: Vacov, in German Waitzen.
The territory is populated from the Bronze Age. On the other bank of the river is a Roman fortification. (The Danube was the border of the Roman Empire. On the left bank was Pannonia Province.)
The first mention of the town was in 1075. It was a borough and it was and it is the seat of the Episcopacy of Vác founded by  King Saint Stephen. In Vác King Gáza I. is buried. In 1241 the Mongols (Tatars) who devastated the Kingdom of Hungary, leadered by Batu Khan burned up the city and killed its inhabitants. The bishop of Vác settled Germans to the city. In the Middle Ages Vác was one of the important cities of Hungary. In 1485 the city was the place of the diet convened by King Mathias Corvinus. 3 years after the occupying of Buda by the Ottomans (1541), Vác was occupied too. The Turkish years destroyed the Gothic-Renaissance city. After the relief of the castle in 1686 the town had got just a few settlers and ruins. In the next century was the second golden age in the history of the town. The bishop Migazzi had built the Baroque town in these years. At Vác was the end of the first Hungarian Railway line (Pest-Vác) in 1846.  In 1849  two battles of the independent war was here.
You can see:  Classicist Konstantin Square, the Baroque-Classicist Bishop's Cathedral (1761-1777), Baroque High Square, former Dominican Church (1699-1775), former Orthodox "Vác" Church (1795), City Hall (1735-1739), Baroque Old Hospital, Triumphal Arch, Pointed Tower (city wall ruins), Baroque Piarists Church (1725-1745), Bishop's Palace (1775), "Vak Bottya'n" Town Museum, Franciscan Church and Monastery (1721-1766), Ruins of Vác Castle, Baroque Stone Bridge (1757), the "Seven Chapels" (1734-1780) place of pilgrimage and the Red House (1731)
István Molnár, 11 July 2000

Vác kept the same colors as in the Historical Flag but changed from Spanish-like red-blue to simple red over blue. The colors came from the Coat of Arms.
Dov Gutterman, 23 October 2000

Images of the flag and its vertical version are based on pictures sent by the Mayor of the town. The coat of arms is one third of the flag. The last resolution (this is modified the original one) is the Res. No. 9/1995. (V. 08.)
The first seal which showed St. Mary and the child Jesus is from 1268. 'SIGILLUM CAPITULI WACIENSIS '. Vác is one of the first episcopacy of Hungary founded by King Géza before 1075.
The moon was showed at first on the seal from 1457 'SIGILLUM CAPITULI ECCLESIAE VACIENSIS'.
In 1526 an eagle and a star were on the seal too.
The city has used a seal showing St. Michael to the end of the 16th century. 'SIGILLUM CIVITATIS WACIENSIS '
From 1689 the town used the seal showing St. Mary. 'SIGILLUM CIVITATIS WACIENSIS O. AN. 1689 '
The symbols were at first on a shield in 1743. 'SIGILLUM EPISCOPALIS CIVITATIS: VACIENSIS '. This was the seal of Püspök-Vác town.
The shield was modified in 1841 and 1859.
Between 1902 and 1929 the inscription was: 'PEST-PILIS-SOLT-KISKUN VÁRMEGYE VÁCZ RENDEZETT TANÁCSU VÁROS 1902.'
Between 1929 and 1948 the inscription was: 'PEST-PILIS-SOLT-KISKUN VÁRMEGYE VÁC MEGYEI VÁROS'
The first mention about the colours of Vác is from 1764: blue and red.
István Molnár, 10 March 2001

At <www.dunaweb.hu>: Res. No. 4/1989 (XII.12.) of the Soviet of Vác town about the readopting the originally symbols of the town (in Hungarian). This resolution was modified by the Res. No. 9/1995. (V.08.) and the Res. No. 4/2000. (II.25.) of the Council of the town. The flag was readopted on 12th December 1989.
István Molnár, 7 June 2001


Vertical Flag


image by István Molnár, 10 March 2001


Historical Flag


image by António Martins, 28 February 2001

This flag appears at Dr. Széll Sándor: Városaink neve, címere és lobogója (1941) as "Vác, Pest-Pilis-Solt-Kiskun Co.".
István Molnár, 20 October 2000

Red, blue and red "Spanish" triband (1+2+1, horiz.).
António Martins, 28 February 2001


1974-1989 Flag


image by István Molnár

Source: A magyar városok címerei (Coats of arms of the Hungarian cities and towns); 1975.
István Molnár


Coat of Arms


image by István Molnár, 11 July 2000

On the coat of arms you can see the "Patronae Hungariae" with the child Jesus Christ.
István Molnár, 11 July 2000