De'breczin, a town of Hungary, in the midst of a wide plain, 130 miles E. of Pesth by rail. It is a large straggling place, indeed really a collection of villages. Notwithstanding its generally squalid character, Debrezin is possessed of some very handsome public buildings, including a town-hall. The Protestant college, with faculties of law and theology, has a valuable library, and physical and zoological collections, is the chief Reformed college in Hungary, and has 1500 students; there are also a Catholic academy, a commercial college, and an agricultural college. Agriculture is the dominant interest; enormous herds of cattle graze on the fertile plains around. There are also manufactures of soap, saltpetre, sausages, hams, and tobacco-pipes, which are famous throughout Hungary, and a great steam flour-mill. There is much trade in cattle, swine, and grain. Pop. (1890) 56,940, almost all Protestants. The 'Rome of the Calvinists,' Debrezin
(Hung. Debreczen) was long the headquarters of the Reformed faith, and its inhabitants suffered much for their religion. The town took a prominent part in the revolution of 1849, and was for some months in that year the seat of the national diet.