Papa

Pápa is one of the centres of the Reformed faith in Transdanubia, as the existence of numerous ecclesiastical heritage sites and museums suggest. Due to the multitude of heritage buildings the centre of the town is now protected.

The town evolved from the 11 villages that occupied the current territory of the town during the Middle Ages. Large landowning families and various religious orders played an important role in the development of Pápa as a city: the Franciscans settled here in 1475 and the Paulines in 1638.

Reform doctrines swept in at the start of the Reformation. The first Hungarian translation of the Catechism of Heidelberg was printed in 1577. Thus, after Sopron and Sárvár , this town became the third most important centre of Protestantism in Transdanubia. A Reformed Church school operated here as early as in 1531, which was later expanded with a faculty of theology and an academy of law. The castle of Pápa already stood in the 15th century, and in Turkish times it became part of the system of border fortresses.

Construction of the current town centre began in the late 18th century, when it looked surprisingly similar to how it does today, hence its heritage protection status. The castle was converted into a palace, the lake that used to protect the castle from the east was drained, and a monumental church was built on the main square.

Jews were permitted to settle in 1748, which helped Pápa to grow into a regional trade centre. By the 19th century, Hungary's third most significant Jewish community had gathered and the third largest synagogue was built here in 1846. Between 1929 and 1945 Pápa was a county town and from 1945 to 1983 a district town.

World War II caused immeasurable losses. The palace and the synagogue were severely damaged, the archives were destroyed, and very few members of the large Jewish community survived.

Pápa won the János Hild memorial medal in 1989 for restoration work in the town. After the change of the system the Reform church and educational traditions were reawakened: a new grammar school was built, the Reformed College recommenced its activities and higher education began once again.

How to get there:
By railway, Pápa is on the Győr-Celldömölk line; trains serve the tow from Győr, Budapest, and Tatabánya. There are local coaches runnig to Pápa from Veszprém and Győr. By car, take Route 83, the town is south of Győr and northwest of Veszprém.