Stone Age
As far back as the Stone Age this area was populated.
Ancient Times
The earliest evidence of occupation is from the Roman period. The Devil's Dykes (Hungarian: Ördögárok) is situated south from Gödöllő. It is also known as the Csörsz árka ("Csörsz Ditch") or the Limes Sarmatiae (Latin for "Sarmatian border"), are several lines of Roman fortifications built mostly during the reign of Constantine I (312-337).
Middle-Age
The earliest available written data on the property rights in Gödöllő date back to the early 14th century. At that time Gödöllő was separated from the community of Besnyő which had a larger population. The settlement was then owned by families of the lesser nobility. By the middle of the 15th century Gödöllő developed into a village.
Turkish Rule
After the disastrous defeat at Mohács in 1526, the invading Turkish troops occupied Buda and then Gödöllő, too. As a result of this, the population decreased to merely a few families. No data on property rights during the 160 year long Turkish rule remain.
By the mid-17th century, Gödöllő again became a village. Its then proprietor, Ferenc Hamvay, was the first owner who resided in the locality, in his country house in the village centre. At that time the village consisted of a few houses with walls of wattle and daub and thatched roofs in addition to the mansion and the reform church
Habsburg Rule
A decisive turn in the life of Gödöllő was brought about by Antal Grassalkovich I (1694-1771) who was one of the greatest noblemen of 18th-century Hungary. Grassalkovich, born of an impoverished family of the lesser nobility, began his career as a lawyer in 1715. A year later he was already working with the
