Due to its advantageous geographical position. Gyõr is an inhabited place for thousands of years. The first constant inhabitants of the place were the Celts in the 5th century before Christ, and they called the settlement Arrabona in Celtic language-a residue of the name is still existing in the German name of the town: Raab. In the first decades affer Christ, the Chapter Hill and the square presently called Széchenyi Square was captured by the Romans, establishing here a significant military and administration centre. The Hungarian conquerors arrived to this place around 900 after Christ. Mementos from that time are in the rich museum material consisting of gold-plated bronze tools and horse-furnitures, swords and stirrups.

When establishing the state, our King Stephen the Saint made Gyõr to be a centre of church and administration. The King's castle was built on the Chapter Hill being filled up in part artificially, using the residues of Roman fortresses as foundation-the enemies coming from the West.

The settlement besides the trunk road from Buda to Vienna was considered to be an important place from political and economical points of view even in the early Arpadian-age. Commerce was significant here, and its development was even supported and helped by the rulers. The town had distinguished position even in the field of science and culture. We may cite the scientist bishop of Gyõr, named Hartvik, being the author of King Stephen's biography and made also very important diplomatic missions. A big number of Agreements and peace treaties were concluded in this town. The role of the town played in the life of the whole country and the gallant behaviour of the people living here with the enemies were enhanced and reflected by the fact that King Vth Stephen gave the privilege of royal town to Gyõr in 1271.

The place, however, remained a significant one just like as it was in the Roman Empire, then in the Avar and Frank Ages: the road coming from the West crossed River Rába here in the Valley of River Danube, and it branched here towards Pápa, Veszprém and Fehérvár. Being a seat of the Bishop and the Bailiff, the town had school, the chapter performed administrative local tasks, and the craftsmen and tradesmen settled here could join to the traffic between East and West. The town laid on the way of pious and less peaceful pillgrims going to the Holy Land, and these roads were also showing the way to the armies of enemies as well. Attached to this development process, it was almost an unavoidable consequence, that the two begging orders, the Franciscans and the Dominicans appeared here. It is our own pity and problem, that we are unable to indicate the original homes, churches and monasteries of these orders on the map of Gyõr in the Middle Ages.

The big-traffic customs and thirtieth payment place of Gyõr was a reflection of the peaceful periods; the renewed wars made the building of a "fortress" necessary. At that time, the dwelling tower was built, which had to be "peeled off" using archeological methods from the oldest block of the Bishop's Castle in the near future. The fight with the Czech King II. Ottocar was well known and resulted in advantageous consequences: following such, Gyõr has got the highest privilege of that time from King V. Stephen-it became a royal town.

As a result of the ask of the citizens of Gyõr, such instrument of granting the privilege was repeated by King III. Andrew in 1295. From doing so, generally the following consequence may be drawn: the citizens of the town didn't utilize the possibilities arising from the instrument, and they had to be reminded on such. A more serious consequence was, that the town was received by Emperor Frederick, resulting from not too honest bargains, and he gave back the town only for a ransom of 3 thousand golden florins. But, since paid by the Bishop and the Chapter, the town got back where it was previously-under the Landlordship of two Church authorities-, though was liberated from the German Emperor.

Then, a long struggle should again be made through to get the title of free royal town back. Even more, there was a period before, when the existance of the town was also in danger.

At the batlleplace of Mohács, Balázs Paksi also died together with the other bishops in 1526, and following this, the struggle was going on for a period of about ten years only for the income of the bishop, and not being a real spiritual leader of the town, the inhabitants of the town were also suffering by. The Turkish Army burned the town up in 1529. Such remained though an episode in the history only, however, when the borders of the occupated area began to be steady following 1541, that is the capture of Buda, it became obvious, that it is vital to fortify Gyõr and to build a border forrest here for the protection of Vienna. This was done using the most up-to-date Italian fortress construction method of that time. Considering River Danube and River Rába, the town and the border fortress lived their lives between the two rivers, and among the walls built along the present Arany János, Ujkapu and Ujvilág streets. After all this, there was a general consternation and horror in Vienna, when the border forrest believed to be a secure one was captured in 1594 by the Turks. And, there was a fiesta all over Europe hearing four years later, that the town was re-captured by the ingenuity and the gallant heroism of Miklós Pállfy.

If it is asked again, what have we inherited from the town before 1598, the answer will be a very short list: a couple of houses reconstructed at many-many times, the Alsoky-house by the walls of the castle, a couple hundred meters of sections of the fortress walls, re-built houses difficult to be reconstructed in the Bishop's Castle, well-recognizable style changes in the Cathedral, and besides the Cathedral, the residues of the small Romanesque Age church-the exact age of the last one is unclarified yet, but it is possibly from the age of establishment of the Hungarian State.

All that means, that the town among the fortress walls was erected after the inhabitants moved back during the early years in the seventeenth century. The quadrate street-network became a well-fixed structure, the rhytm produced by the regular change of the public and dwelling houses (with workshops inside) established multifarious townscape. The proportions may well be felt by the fact, that the Apátúrház (Abbey's Residence) was built on the area which had been made free by purchasing 9 private houses. The block of the Jesuits is representing the new triumphant constructional and spiritual trend, the counter-reformation and baroque; while in the chapter, the significant arts of the literature are collected by Bishop Nápragi. A more popular version of practicing religion is made by the Franciscans. Having though a slight good-will from the captain of the castle, the Protestants may only practice their religions in the sub-urbs-however, such was absolutely not allowed from 1749 to 1783. Another, contemplative spiritualism and the Danubian baroque constructional style are represented by the Carmelites arriving at the turn of the l7th century to the l8th one.
Not so much later, as the pioneers of teaching girls, the Ursulian sisters commenced their activities, having their church in an intimately hidden manner at the corner of their school and monastery-this is not a frequent layout in the baroque. A function was also found to the third hill of the town-the medium one between that of Szabad- hegy and the Chapter Hill-by a suggestion from the Jesuits and cooperation of a Carmelite architect, and from that time, the hill is called Calvary Hill- the long line of the station buildings-located on the present Calvary street- is connecting this hill being likely inhabited already by the Romans and the Avars as well back to the town.

The town among the forrest walls became more and more crammed, and after the danger of the Turks terminated, the areas autside the walls became inhabited more and more quickly. Having a slight protection from River Rába, at the Western side of the town, the so-called éjváros (New Town) was commenced to be constructed even earlier, in the second half of the l6th century. First arrived those escaping from the Turks, then-in an organized and contracted manner-the Serbs in the early 1600 years, and the fire-hazardous and water-needing professions were also accomodated here. The Protestants settled back here and built a church also in 1783, the Serbs had their own church here beginning from the l6th century, a church was built here by the undeservadly forgotten small master of Gyõr, Antal Furman in 1842, and, from 1871, here stands the Synagogue, being by now in the possession of the town, and waiting for the renovation more and more impatiently.

The first results of the building up in the direction of South were a village like settlement along the Majrok and the Calvary street. Another direction of construction was towards Szabadhegy, continuing the line of the ancient Gate of Fehérvár,presently Baross street and bridge. These were old routes leading to the neighbouring towns like Pápa, Veszprém and Fehérvár-the novelty was always, that streets were constructed from the roads. This, however, happened in the l9th, 20th centuries, when the filling up of these low, marshy areas meant already an easier task. The rank of the town was increased, and its construction was accelerated by the building of the new hospital by the end of the last century. Early signs of increase towards the South were the organization of the Nádorváros and Szabadhegy parishes and parsonages, which were originally the intent of II. Joseph.

The same tendency may be illustrated by the moving away of the town centre. Originally, such was, naturally located at the Chapter Hill. Later, the administrative centre was located on the Main Square (presently Széchenyi Square) and its direct vicinity (town hall and county hall) as well as a part of the religious and cultural functions (Jesuits). The Town Hall moved in 1898 even more Southward-and the County Hall followd it in 1971.
The East-West transit traffic may also be well tracked. The oldest positions were those indicated by the Vienna Gate and Fehérvár Gate. Later, the traveller arrived in the town through Ujváros, crossed Petöfi Bridge which was reconstructed to have higher loadability and to bear bigger traffic, and arrived to the present St. Stephen (Szent István) street. The traffic crossing inside the town was desired until it did not disturb the life and air of the town, however, it was the interest of traders and restaurant-keepers to provide the possibility for spending money, if the visitors are already here. By now, it is of bigger interest to have the stillness and air cleanliness of the town. It is the business of those in the commerce to provide the possibility for travellers to spend their money also on the road built to avoid the town.

The formation of the town on the available area is well indicated by the establishment of the factories. First, such factories were seated not in the town itself, but in a small village, being built together with the town, but acting separately. This so-called Gyõrsziget (Gyõr Island) got its name from the fact, that it was originally an Island, until the River Rábca flowed on the place of the present Bercsényi Park. The Bishop allowed for the jews to settle in this village belonging under his landlordship, while the Town Magisteriate didn't allow to do so. This happened in 1791, resulting in the absurd situation, that the factories and the connected infrastructure began to be built at the same time or even earlier than in the neighbouring town. The real, great scale factories, turning also the faith of the town was naturally established later on, in the turning from the nineteenth to the twentieth century, at the area being to East-Southeast from the town, and this happened in a very well planned programme, leaded by the mayor Károly Zechmeister. Here, in the so-called Gyárváros (Factory Town) was built a colony of workers' houses standing on the same place till now, then, as the closing act of the district organization, the school was built, and in the 30-ies a representative product of the architecture of that age, the church of Gyárváros was construction of Nádorváros and Marcalváros, there are the schools and the St. Emerich (Szent Imre) and Holy Ghost (Szentlélek) churches, which are also significant products as architectural objects. The present and most new site of establishing factories is the surrounding of Industrial Channel, which was made originally, before the Ist World War for exactly such purpose as it is also indicated by its name.

If you look at an older map, even a hundred years old one, it may be observed how much, unbuilt and large free areas are available in the town. The greatest one, was that between Nádorváros and Szabadhely, but there were discontinuities in -város as well. This is because of the fact determining the location of the town now for thousands of years. Using the geographical terms: here we can find the depest point of the microlandscape called the Gyõr basin, where to all the here we can find the depest point of the microlandscape called the Gyõr basin, where to all the waters of the surrounding lands are flowing-not only as streams and rivers in the beds of the rivers and creeks, but also feeding the subsoil waters and the marshy areas as well. The water and river controlling and regulating activities made for hundreds of years and supperted sometimes also by parliament decisions made possibly secure by now the town itself, however, the marshy sports and damp places falling inside the town are forming a separate case. It was exactly for this reason difficult to construct the foundation of the secondary school for girls in the early years of the century, however such downplains are tried to eliminated by the development of technics and the land trading (the local name of a part of -város is coming also from the Hungarian word for these lowlands covered with marsh or little water-lapos).

Or these areas were captured by the poor people, like the banks of River Rábca on the Western part of -jváros. Beginning from 1930. that is the deepest point of the economic crisis, many people came here to rescue from the high rent liabilities, and they commenced to build houses using the sundried brick technology being general at that time. They didn't have electricity nor water supply-but a disapproval of the town leaders. Despite this, there were 150 houses built in two years, by the early forties, there were 2500 inhabitants living in this group of houses--called first as an outstanding example of denomination as Gömbös-estate (to qualify the prime minister of that time), then it was called Trianon estate (for the Trianon treaty was held to be the source of all the bad things even at that time), finally it was called Saint Elizabeth (Szent Erzsébet) estate (provided with chappel and altar picture).

At the end of the l9th century, the eclectic style became dominant in the architecture, an outstanding product of which is the Town Hall designed by Jenö Hübner, the appartement houses designed by Ignác Alpár, the buildings of the Savings Bank of Town and County Gyõr and the Financial Palace. Simultaneously with the development of big factories and plants, the need for building flats for the workers also arised. At the beginning of this century, the first estate of workers' houses was constructe, which was followed by the second estate ornamented with Hungarian motives-his was the so-called Gun Factory Workers' Housing Estate, during the Ist World War. Such War resulted in huge damages also in Gyõr, and thus the development of the town could be commenced only with taking a significant loan. In 1928 a design competition was opened on town development-however only a part of this became reality.

One of the significant products of the new architectural style in the Catholic Church of Gyárváros built in 1929. A great result of the other branch of modern style is the St. Emeric parish church in Nádorváros. In the period between the two World Wars there were appartement houses and yarded family houses were built. During the bombardment and siege in the Ilnd World War there was a huge ruination in both the public and private buildings and the industrial plants as well. The reconstruction lasted for years, and beginning from the early fifties, the housing estates not or almost not bearing valuable style marks was commenced to fulfill the great mass reguirements for housing. The brick houses are still maintaining themselves well, but, the concretepanel flat construction commenced from the end of sixties took absolutely over the place. During the years past, there were signs of development also in this respect, but, by now, this form of construction is completely eliminated.