About Csesznek, Veszprém, Hungary
E. Wade Hone, 2002
Located in Veszprém County, about 35 kilometers north of
Veszprém City on highway 82, Csesznek is one of the most humble, yet fascinating
places in Hungary. T
hough not tourist oriented in the sense of having
accommodations for non-residents, those that have ancestry from this medieval
settlement will want to visit or have photographs to help capture the vision of
it's culture, and the site is encouraged for all tourists traveling through the
area. For the many tourists visiting Lake Balaton, this town is only a short
drive and makes an excellent morning or afternoon excursion into Hungarian
history.
Records first mention Csesznek as early as 1234, with it's castle having been
built by the Csák Clan soon after the Mongol Invasion. Added to and changed by
several families over the years, including the Garai and Török families during
the mid and latter 1400s, the castle last served in a military manner in the
early 1700s housing Habsburg troops. By the latter 18th century it was
considered the district seat, having served as a fortress throughout centuries
of conflict, including those with the Turkish/Ottoman Empire. It is said that an
earthquake in 1810 damaged the castle, which has been under excavation and
restoration since 1967.
By 1881, Csesznek boasted a Roman Catholic population of 619, all part of the
Veszprém Diocese. Though it had it's own Roman Catholic church, the second
largest ecclesiastical majority, those belonging to the Reformed Church, had to
attend their servi
ces in neighboring Bakonyszentkirály, whose borders merge with
Csesznek to the north. The Reformed Church population in 1881 was listed at 298.
Other religious representations there at that time were thirteen Jewish inhabitants, who attended synagogue in Várpalota, and seven Evangelical
worshipers who attended their services in Bakonyszentlászlo. The Roman Catholic
church in Csesznek is said to have the oldest bell in the Bakony region.
Surviving records for each religious denomination in pre-twentieth century Csesznek are as follows:
