Location, approach
The settlement is situated in the eastern part of Transdanubia, in Fejér county, along the Pécs – Budapest railway line, 10 km’s away from the Danube river – in the Mezőföld region.
The settlement, which has a great history is a railway junction, from here we can reach Budapest, Pécs, Székesfehérvár, Dunaújváros via railways. It can be approached via two exits from the M6 motorway, from the M7 you have to exit at Velence. The capital city, Budapest, lies 50, the two major towns of Fejér county : Székesfehérvár 35 and Dunaújváros 30 km’s away from the settlement. Lake Velencei can be found 10 km’s away from the village.
The permanent population of Pusztaszabolcs is about 6500, this number makes it the county’s most populated incorporated municipality.

Natural environment
Pusztaszabolcs and its surroundings belong to the definitely dry regions of Mezőföld, where the average annual rainfall is ranging between 500-550 mm’s. With the limited rainfall and the high summer temperatures (the average temperatures in July are 21-21,5 C), the settlement’s region is characterized with frequent summer droughts and significant annual water shortage(125 mm.).
The banked up plain is rich in subsoil water. Usually shallow(4-6m), uniform subsoil water levels develop, which favourably influence the local agricultural activities and their outcome.
The surface waterflows are, without exception, all temporary.The washed loes and sandy loes were formed on an exceptional quality soil, which are the most basic factors of the settlement’s agricultural production.
90 % of the plough-lands can be favourably utilized with different kinds of plants. It is characterized by good and fertile soil.
The outskirts of Pusztaszabolcs include the area of Cikolai –lakes,which is an excellent fishing area.


The history of Pusztaszabolcs
The area of the settlement can look back to a long and colourful history. During the archaeological excavations different objects were brought to the surface from the Bronze-Age, Celtic and Roman times. All these objects are proofs that indicate that the population was attracted to the settlement by the good quality and irrigatable soil.
People of the Bronze Age settled those parts of Mezőföld that were inhabitable, covered with loes, in 1900-1200 BC. The archaeological excavations along the area of Felsőcikola brought up different objects to prove this theory. Most significant is the cinerary urn burial ground, observed in the place called ’Sziget’, with rich suplements, articles for personal use, dishes, ornamented bronze robes, bronze dagger.
In the same place, the Komló-hill and Taligás-hill are the places of a settlement from the early period of the Roman empire. In Pusztaszabolcs a stone carving can be found, which was made on a tomb by a Roman field officer. The tomb was made in memory of his wife, descending from the land of the batavs, from Novimagus in lower Germany (today Nijmegen in Netherlands).
The artistically rendering earthen vessels, jugs and the mound burial places that were found on the Cikola hills all point to a Celtic presence in the area. The countless archaeological findings, that are now museum exhibits, are unambiguous evidence to prove: those who lived here were advanced in craftmenship.
Pusztaszabolcs is also rich in objects from the Roman times. The places of occurence are almost the same as the living areas of the early times. Between the findings there is evidence again to prove the early craftmenship, but also bronze coins of emperor Antonius Pius, and ornamented platters, brick pieces which have gladiator scenes painted on them. These findings do not only emphasize the region’s economical and farming role, but also its cultural significance.
Pusztaszabolcs and its surroundings were not underpopulated even in the migration and the Hungarian conquest period. The Hungarians,together with the earlier settled avar nation and inner-Asian nations established a settlement here.The name of the settlement and the 10-11th century findings point to a settlement from the age of the Árpáds. Pusztaszabolcs possibly originates from the Szabolcs named, Előd-Szabolcs-Csák clan, related to the Árpád family. The prefix – Puszta – came into the settlement’s name later, during the organizing of settlement names.
We first meet the name of the settlement in 1302, in a written document:”the Káptalan from Székesfehérvár and the Csák brothers from Dudar, divide among themselves the village of ’Zabvos’ (Zabvos equals to Szabolcs, according to the study of Györffy György in 1971)”.
Pusztaszabolcs represented a significant value in the early feudalism, because of its agriculture based economical structure.
The area was a royal possession until the end of the 14th century, following this period, its development came to a standstill. The possessors often alternated one another, then the territory was transferred under Turkish authority. Supposedly, this was the time when the earlier medieval settlement was destroyed. The material goods and the people were put in service of expansion and as a result, the area became deserted.
The surroundings of the settlement, due to the good quality soil and the gradual repression of the Turks, quickly became populated again.
In the 17th century Serbian peasants lived in Szabolcs,in 80 houses.They were paying taxes to the Turkish sultan and the Austrian emperor, too.By the end of the 18th century, the lands were in the hands of the Zichy-family.
The number of estate servants who lived here in 1830 was 538. Farming and livestock breeding was pursued in the village, dominated by cultivation of grain and fodder crops, but later corn, rye and potato came to the front, while the settlement became famous because of its cattle- and horse breeding.
Due to economical upswing in the period of the 1867 Compromise, the organization of the community began. The loose structured settlement of those times kept its agricultural nature for many decades. But this did not exclude the settling of the industrial achievements, either.
The aim of one of the 1870 railway development plans was to make Pusztaszabolcs function as a main railway centre.
The putting into effect of the 42nd article of the Public Administration Law in 1870, the municipal board of Fejér county established a community called Szabolcs, in 1875.A law in 1898 gave the name Pusztaszabolcs to the settlement. The first map of the inner-and outer areas of the community was made in 1881. The surveying of the area was made by an architect, Koffon Ignácz, the design was compiled by Weisz Ferenc, a clerk paid by the day.
The text on the first map’s cover says: ’the incorporated municipality of Szabolcs, along with Csongrád, Alsó-and Felső Czikola puszta, in Fejér county, in 1881’.
In 1896 the redistribution of properties changed. The territories of Szabolcspuszta went into the hands of the baron Fould-Springer family, while the land of Felső-Cikola was bought by a lawyer from Budapest, Hirsch-Halász Alfréd.
The changes at the turn of the century were not present only in the rearranging of the lands. The organized education appeared (with approx. 250 pupils ).
In 1882 railway traffic began between Budapest-Sárbogárd, then, in 1896 between Budapest-Pusztaszabolcs-Paks and Pusztaszabolcs-Székesfehérvár. These brought in profound changes.
Railway service flats were built in the village centre and the infrastructure also developed in connection with the railways.
The railway personnel which settled down here at the turn of the century, considerably changed the social character of the village. The modern petit bourgeois ideology (pension fund, health-and social supplies, house insurance), produced further developments.
At the railways a better and a more predictable life, regular and ’higher’salary was waiting for the employees.
Between 1830 and 1921, due to the favourable factors, the population of the village increased in number to almost three times the previous number.
The first kindergarten opened in 1938, with 40 places. The community decree law ordinance was created in 1935. The local motion picture theatre opened in 1939. The population continued to increase in number between the two World Wars.
In 1941 an artesian well (107m) was digged out by the National Public Health Institute, a TB Clinic was set up in 1943. The village was in the battle front between 1944 and February 1945. Following this, even if slowly, the village life was back to normal.
The process-though quickly ran its course-was not an easy task. The village’s pig-, horse- and cattle stock’s significant part perished in the war. There was no flour, salt, oil. Petrol was on short supply. Due to the inflation, the prices were sky-high.
The base of the quick development after 1945 was made with the land reform. Between 1945 and 1952 many thousands of acres were distributed among people and 190 family houses were built. The growing population demanded that the prevailing community council should organize the infrastructure in a way to suit the growing demands of its inhabitants. Near the developments which were aimed at improving the quality of life, there was a boom in the house building scheme, too.
In the 25 years, following the II.WW., more than a thousand homes were built,among them blocks of flats,too.The mixing plant (crops storage unit and processing ) was built in 1957.
MÁV Sports field was handed over in 1958, a créche was inaugurated.
The Grammar and Vocational Secondary School was founded in 1963 (building was inaugurated in 1968). Previously a technical school’s correspondence course branch was operating in the village from 1960.
The machine mounting station was established in 1962.Next year,in 1963 the district agricultural co-operative ( ÁFÉSZ ) was established, with its headquarters in Pusztaszabolcs.
The state of the transport network has been improved continuously,pavement repairs and paving also took place. Due to the improvements Pusztaszabolcs received the status of ’incorporated municipality’.

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