Kaposvár: Seat of Somogy County
The city with a population of nearly 70,000 is one of the economic and cultural centres of the region. It is situated on both banks of the River Kapos where Outer Somogy and the Zselic hills meet. By road, the city can be reached on main roads N 61 and N 67.
Deep drillings brought thermal water to the surface in Kaposvár and as a result, the city baths were built. The thermal water has proved to be therapeutical in the treatment of circulatory, locomotory and gynaecological complaints.
At the time of the Hungarian Conquest the region belonged to the fortification in Somogyvár. In 1061 Atha (Ottó), bailiff of Somogy founded a monastery for the Benedictine Order and the ruins of the Szentjakab Benedictine Abbey – built in Romanesque Style – are the oldest protected monuments of the city. After the reconstruction in 2001, the ruins are home to open-air theatrical and music evenings, fine art and literature workshops.
In 1555 the Ottoman Army occupied the fortress of Kapos, in 1686 the Imperial Austrian and Allied Forces recaptured the entire territory from the Turks and in 1702 the Vienna War Council ordered the town's castle blown up.
After 1712, the countryside came into the ownership of the Eszterházys and in 1749, the considerable growth of its population led to Kaposvár's designation as the chief town of Somogy County. Since 23 January 1873 Kaposvár has been a full-fledged town and after the change of the system (1989) this date became the traditional Day of the City.
Since 1993 Kaposvár has been a bishopric seat and the church of „Our Lady of the Assumption” was elevated to the ranks of a cathedral.
The centre of Kaposvár gained its present look mainly in the 2nd half of the 19th century and in the first two decades of the 20th century. The buildings – built mostly in Eclectic and some in Art Nouveau style – contribute to a special townscape. Kaposvár came first in the competition „Hungary in Bloom” in 2003, and in 2004 was awarded golden medal in the competition „Europe in Bloom” in France.
The main street – which is for pedestrians only - is a promenade with an intimate atmosphere.
The square - named after the statue of Lajos Kossuth made by János Kopits, which was erected in 1911 – with the fountains operating with sound effects, created a Mediterranean –style resting place on the square.
The redevelopment of the Kossuth square was finished in 2003, complete with ornate paving stones and islands of plants, lamp-standards and benches.
The other dominant building on the Kossuth street is the Townhall, built between 1902-1904 in Neo-Renaissance style.
The impressive building of the Csiky Gergely Theatre built in 1911 in Art Nouveau style, is an excellent example of the early ferro concrete architecture. The theatre is one of the most prestigious workshops of the country with an international reputation.
The memorial house of József Rippl-Rónai (1860-1927), world famous painter, graphic artist and applied artist can be found on the Róma hill.
The second half of the 19th century saw the shaping of Kaposvár’s cultural life. The city of millennium is represented by its ever-growing collections, traditional structure of cultural events, exhibition venues of fine and applied arts. The nation-wide well-known Vaszary Gallery hosts contemporary temporary exhibitions of fine and applied arts. It is also home to the permanent collection of Juan Gyenes, Kaposvár–born photographer of world wide reputation and also the Portrait Gallery of Hungarian Kings, by Győző Somogyi.
The works and life of János Vaszary, an important figure of the modern Hungarian painting, are on display in his birth place , which serves as a memorial museum today.
The works of the most significant painters of the 20th century were collected by Ödön Rippl-Rónai, brother of painter József Rippl-Rónai whose collection served as a basis of the present collection of Somogy County Museum.
The private collections and art galleries add to the local palette of fine and applied arts – the Steiner Collection of Cast Iron objects, the Mineral Collection, the Kaposfüred Gallery, the Terrarium, the Museum “The Commerce of Somogy Anno”, the Somogy Sports Museum, and the International Glass Workshop in Bárdudvarnok.
Situated 8 kms from Kaposvár, in Szenna the Open-Air Ethnographic Museum – which was awarded the Europa Nostra Award in 1992- awaits the visitor.
Kaposvár offers a wide range of cultural programmes throughout the year - the three most significant ones are the Spring Festival, the Town of Painters Festival and the Szentjakab Summer Evenings.
The city’s important cultural and art associations include the Berzsenyi Society of Literature and Art, the KaposART (Association of Fine and Applied Arts), SuBaBu Arts Association, and Association of Somogy Artists.
The music life is rich and varied – more than 100 musicians play in different orchestras (Kaposvár Chamber Orchestra, Youth Brass and String Band, Military Brass Band ) and nearly 200 adults are involved in different choirs – the Vikár Béla Mixed Choir, the Kaposvár Music Lovers’ Choir, Arcadelt Chamber Choir.
The Somogy Dance Ensemble, the Somogy „Aprók” (youth dance group), Kaposvár Dance Group and the amateur theatrical groups Füred Rock Circle and Roxinház are well known in the country as well as beyond the borders. The actors of the Déryné Travelling Company contribute to the local programmes of Kaposvár.
The local daily paper of the county is the Somogyi Hírlap, the weekly paper is called Kapos Extra. Other local papers include the “Somogy Sportja” featuring the county’s most important sports event and a cultural periodical titled „Somogy” published every other month.
The local TV station, “Kapos TV” broadcast 24 hours the day in and around Kaposvár and there are two radio stations operating in Kaposvár.
The Kaposvár Tourism Exhibition and Fair was acknowledged and is supported by the Ministry of Economy as the only specialist fair held outside Budapest
The Pannon Equestrian Academy is the centre of the Hungarian equestrian life, and home to the training of coaches and the new generation of riders in five different branches. The Masters’ Tournament (International Showjumping) in spring and the Volvo Dressage World Cup in autumn are organised in Kaposvár in the biggest covered equestrian hall of the country.
Since 1998 the city has been the proud holder of the title „National Sports City”.
In team sports Kaposvár is represented by a number of excellent sport clubs – namely the KOMETA Kaposvár SE ( 8 times national champion and cup winner) and the I. Magyar Manufaktúra RC in men’s volleyball and the BITT RC in women’s volleyball.
In basketball Kaposvár is represented by the Kaposvári Kosárlabda Klub (golden team of 2001) and in football by the Kaposvári Rákóczi FC.
In the City Baths the 50-metre covered swimming pool is available for the sportsmen all year around.
The 17 km long bicycle path around the Lake Deseda, the Donner Sports & Fitness Centre, the Matula Sport and Recreational Centre and the Sportshall are favoured by the lovers of leisure and recreational sports.
The Foundation Stone of the Ice hall was laid on 1st October 2004 and the ice rink has been available for the visitors since April 2005.
The University of Kaposvár was founded on 1 January 2001, with four faculties: faculty of Animal Sciences, Economic Sciences, Teachers’ Training College, Arts. The total number of students adds up to 4460.
Since 1999, the construction of the by-road has been continuing as part of the M9 clearway.
The total length of the bicycle roads amounts to 5,9 kms.
A commercial and entertainment centre was developed in Kaposvár in Berzsenyi street, near the city centre, where huge commercial and service unites (Kaposvár Plaza, TESCO, OBI, McDonalds, Lidl, etc.) are available for the locals.
Kaposvár has a wide network of international relations, and has 8 twin towns and 2 partner towns.