The development of the town slowed down in the 19th century and fell behind other towns in Nógrád, such as Balassagyarmat, Losonc, Salgótarján. Szécsény lost its town status in 1886 owing to the decision of Parliament. In spite of the situation, a town hall was built in 1905 and the municipality organized a brilliant commemorative Rákóczi festival on the 200th anniversary of the 1705 Diet. After the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, following the First World War, Szécsény became a frontier town, which has hindered its development until the present day. The Second World War did not keep out of Szécsény's way either. During the fighting raging in December 1944, the inhabitants suffered greatly. After the conclusion of the war, the reorganization of life started immediately. Nationalization and collectivization brought fundamental changes in everyday life. Until the end of the 1970s, Szécsény was an administrative center, being the chief town of the district. When the public administration system was reformed, the function of the seat of the district became extinct. As a result, several institutions and offices were closed down, e.g. the district court, the title registry, the central police station, and the high school. Two other settlements belong to Szécsény's current administration, though: Pösténypuszta, located beside the River Ipoly, and Benczúrfalva, away. The recession in the 1990s also damaged the local economy, but significant improvements in infrastructure were carried out, including sewer and gas networks and connection to the national telephone network. The institutions of the town also have changed. A second high school was founded in 1994, along with an ambulance station and nursing home. The agricultural vocational school and the art school, though, were transferred to the county seat. Szécsény lies in the northern part of Nógrád county on the Slovak border, at the edge of the Ipoly valley. The town is situated at a height of above sea level in a small basin along the River Ipoly at the intersection of Northern, Northeast, and Eastern Cserhát hills. The major part of the town was built on a plateau extending along the southern edge of the basin. The north-south flow of the river turns into east-west nearby. Its geographical position is 48° 5" N, 19° 32" E.