Pilis () is a town in Pest County, Hungary.
History
The town was inhabited in
Prehistory times, but was abandoned at the end of the
Pannonia. Pilis was then first mentioned in 1326. It was destroyed during
Ottoman Hungary in the 16th century, and was reestablished only in 1711, by János Beleznay, the local landlord. He brought Slovak settlers from
Upper Hungary, and built a palace in 1717 for himself and his family. The
Beleznay family sold the town and its surroundings in the 19th century to the Nyári family, who renamed the palace to "Beleznay-Nyári palace".
Even though the town's ethnic composition has changed in the last centuries, there is still a sizable Slovaks minority which has its own local government that is responsible for keeping the Slovak traditions and memories of Pilis.
Etymology
The name comes from
Slavic languages Pleš – bald (area or mountain), an area with sparse or missing trees or vegetation.
There are similar names in several Slavic countries including e.g. Pleš, Slovakia (1319
Pilis).
Some point out the similarity between the Lithuanian word " pilis" (meaning castle) and the Hungarian town's name.
Notable people
-
Pál Csernai (1932–2013), football player and manager
-
Tibor Csernai (1938–2012), footballer
Twin towns – sister cities
Pilis is
Sister city with:
External links
