airfield was established at nearby Szabadbattyán. After WWII In August 1951, over 150 people were killed when two trains collided in Fehérvár. After World War II, the city was subject to industrialization, like many other cities and towns in the country. The most important factories were the Ikarus bus factory, the Videoton radio and TV factory, and the Könnyűfémmű (colloquially Köfém) aluminium processing plant, since acquired by Alcoa. By the 1970s, Székesfehérvár had swelled to more than 100,000 inhabitants (in 1945 it had only about 35,000). Several housing estates were built, but the city centre preserved its Baroque atmosphere. The most important Baroque buildings are the cathedral, the episcopal palace and the city hall. In the past few decades, archaeologists have excavated medieval ruins (that of the Romanesque basilica and the mausoleum of St. Stephen of Hungary); they can now be visited. At the end of the Socialist regime, all the important factories were on the verge of collapse (some eventually folded) and thousands of people lost their jobs. However, the city profited from losing the old and inefficient companies, as an abundance of skilled labour coupled with excellent traffic connections and existing infrastructure attracted numerous foreign firms seeking to invest in Hungary. Székesfehérvár became one of the prime destinations for multinational companies setting up shop in Hungary (Ford and IBM are some of them), turning the city into a success story of Hungary's transition to a market economy. A few years later Denso, Alcoa, Philips, and Sanmina-SCI Corporation also settled in the city. Culture Architecture Historical centre (Baroque, Classical) buildings St Stephen Cathedral and ruins of Székesfehérvár Basilica (one of the largest basilicas in medieval Europe), where the Diets were held and the crown jewels kept, seat for the coronation of the Hungarian monarch and location of royal burials and memorials. St Anna Chapel (Gothic, built around 1470) "Ruin Garden": Ruins of medieval church founded by St Stephen Episcopal Palace (Zopf style) City Hall Zichy Palace (Zopf style manor house, 1781) Serbian Quarter (12 thatched peasant houses and a Byzantine-style church, won a Europa Nostra award in 1990) Bory Castle (20th century). A fantastic castle-like structure built by the sculptor Jenő Bory and his wife with their own hands. Vörösmarty Theater, the oldest theater of the country Statues and memorials Golden Bull memorial. The Golden Bull was an important charter of King András II, it was released here; the