Székesfehérvár

 

(sā'kĕshfĕ'hârvär) , Ger. Stuhlweissenburg, city (1991 est. pop. 109,100), W central Hungary. It is a county administrative center, a road and rail junction, and an industrial center, with industries producing radios, televisions, motorcycles, machine tools, and computer parts. It is also a market center for horses, wines, and farm produce. Dating from Roman times and known until the middle 16th cent. as Alba Regia, it was (1027–1527) the coronation and burial place of Hungary's kings. An important fortress town, Székesfehérvár was destroyed during the Turkish occupation of Hungary (1543–1688) and rebuilt in the 18th cent. It is the seat of a Roman Catholic bishopric and has two palaces, several churches, and a museum containing Roman antiquities. The city was heavily damaged during World War II.