Bonus trip · Underground Walk
Witch Island
Floodplain forest on the Tisza bank, behind the clinics · Boszorkánysziget
It isn't even an island. In 1728 twelve people were burned here, accused of witchcraft.
In 1728–1729 Szeged saw one of the largest witch hunts in Hungary. According to 2024 historical research, there were at least 25 trials and 15 death sentences.
Drought, flood, famine: people looked for a scapegoat. The first suspect was a midwife, Anna Kökényné Nagy. Under interrogation she named friends and acquaintances.
On 23 July 1728 six men and six women were burned at the stake on a then uninhabited, wooded peninsula on the Tisza. That's why it is called Witch Island today.
Among them was Dániel Rózsa, the 82-year-old former chief judge and the richest man in town. His accusers said he was the leader of the witches.
In 1756 Maria Theresa ordered that witch-trial verdicts be confirmed by a higher court. That largely ended the trials. The last person executed for witchcraft in Hungary died in 1777.
Today it's floodplain forest: dog walkers, runners and picnickers come here. Local legend says whispers can be heard among the trees on foggy evenings.
Open in the app →Animated scene, old photos, stamps and the full map. Free, nothing to install.Facts and labels
- True23 July 1728: six men and six women were burned.
- TrueDániel Rózsa, 82, was a former chief judge and the richest man in town.
- TrueThe “island” is really a peninsula, today floodplain forest.
- True1756: Maria Theresa made verdicts subject to approval by a higher court.
- AllegedlyWhispers in the fog: local legend.
People say
Locals used to say that after the witch trial of 1728, witches' screams echoed through the floodplain forest. People still say that faces sometimes appear here in the dust or on the bark of the trees, and that figures emerge from the fog.
What we know: The 1728 Szeged witch trial itself is a documented historical event.
Where it was said: Hátborzongató helyek Szeged környékén (Szeged365) · Boszorkányok nyomában: Szeged titkos szigete (Life.hu) · Szeged witch trials (Wikipedia)