Introduction of Leles

Its name comes from the ancient personal name Lelu. Some sources are introducing it as the village of the Holy Spirit, and its name comes from the words lél or lélek (soul). Leles belongs to the oldest ang largest settlements in the Bodrogköz.

According to archaeological records, its area has been inhabited since the Stone Age. First written records are from 1132 king Béla II. era. Bishop Boleszló of Vác founded the Premonstratensian provostship in 1180. The monastery is from the 13^th century to 1567 the place, where a lot of important certificates were written. In 1241 it was destroyed by the Mongols, but it was soon rebuilt and continued in its important role. In the beginning of the 16^th century the monastery was robbed out an since then it was strengthened like a fortress. Until the end of the First World War it belonged to the Jászó prepostery. The Premonstrarensians valuable archives, which contained more than a century old documents, were often replaced to other places. Rákóczi Ferenc II.  took them to Munkács, then Joseph II. in 1802 to Buda. A part of the documents were placed to Jászó.

Petőfi visited this region in 1847. The poet wrote about this place as very good ‘’pig fattening place’’ aiming on, how good you can eat in the vicarage.

The number of inhabitants of Leles is approximately 1870 mostly with Hungarian nationality. It has several shops, doctors surgery, pharmacy, post office, catholic and protestant churches.