Katalin Szende graduated in History, Archaeology and Latin philology from Eötvös Loránd University, Budapest. Her research concentrates on medieval towns in the Carpathian Basin and Central Europe, with particular regard to society, demography, literacy, everyday life, and topography. Szende is a board member of the International Commission for the History of Towns, series editor of the Hungarian Atlas of Historic Towns, and founding member and president of the Medieval Central Europe Research Network (MECERN).