Banská Štiavnica
Banská Štiavnica | ||
---|---|---|
City | ||
Car plate BS | | |
Website | www.banskastiavnica.sk | |
Official name | Historic Town of Banská Štiavnica and the Technical Monuments in its Vicinity | |
Criteria | iv, v | |
Reference | 618 | |
Inscription | 1993 (17th Session) |
Banská Štiavnica (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈbanskaː ˈʂcɪɐʋɲitsa] ⓘ; German: Schemnitz; Hungarian: Selmecbánya (Selmec), pronounced [ˈʃɛlmɛd͡zbaːɲɒ]) is a town in central Slovakia, in the middle of an immense caldera created by the collapse of an ancient volcano. For its size, the caldera is known as the Štiavnica Mountains. Banská Štiavnica has a population of more than 10,000. It is a completely preserved medieval town. Because of their historical value, the town and its surroundings were proclaimed by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site on December 11, 1993.
History
The fate of Banská Štiavnica has been closely linked to the exploitation of its abundant resources of silver ore. According to evidence from excavations, the site was settled during the Neolithic period.
The first mining settlement was founded by
In the High and Late
The town was also a leading center of innovation in the mining industry. In 1627,
Its
In 1782, Banská Štiavnica was the third biggest town in the Kingdom of Hungary (with 23,192 or incl. suburbs 40,000 inhabitants), after Pozsony (today Bratislava) and Debrecen. But the town's development was too closely linked to the mining activity which had been progressively declining since the second half of the 19th century. Nowadays, Banská Štiavnica is an important center of recreation and tourism, benefiting from its rich historical heritage.
During World War II, Banská Štiavnica was taken by Soviet troops of the 53rd Army on 7 March 1945.[10]
Landmarks
The heart of the town is the historical Trinity Square (Slovak: Trojičné námestie) dominated by a monumental plague column. The square is used for frequent cultural events and there is also a mineralogical museum. Two castles, the so-called “old” one (Slovak: Starý zámok) and “new” one (Slovak: Nový zámok), have been transformed into museums.
The open air mining museum offers a 1.5-kilometre (0.93 mi) long underground excursion in mines dating from the 17th century. Visitors will receive helmets, cloaks and lamps to use during the tour.[11] It is also possible to have an English, German or Hungarian speaking guide if this is requested in advance. Another ancient mine open to the public (Slovak: Glanzenberg) is even older. This mine, situated just under the center of the town, has attracted numerous famous visitors, from Emperor Joseph II to Prince Albert of Monaco.
The town is surrounded by ancient artificial mining water reservoirs called tajchy. Sixty reservoirs were built in the 15th through 18th centuries in order to provide energy for the booming mining industry. They are connected by a more than 100-kilometre (62 mi) long network of channels. These extraordinary historical monuments are now used mainly for recreation.
Churches
In Kalvária Banská Štiavnica there is a complex of churches and chapels near Ostry vrch which was built in the eighteenth century by the Jesuits.
Demographics
Banská Štiavnica has a population of 10,674 (as of December 31, 2005). According to the 2001
Twin towns – sister cities
Banská Štiavnica is twinned with:[13]
- Hünenberg, Switzerland
- Moravská Třebová, Czech Republic
- Olsztynek, Poland
- Ptuj, Slovenia
- Sopron, Hungary
- Tatabánya, Hungary
Notable people
- Ulrika Babiaková, astronomer
- Jozef Karol Hell, Hungarian inventor and mining engineer
- Maximilian Hell, Hungarian astronomer
- Dezső Hoffmann, photographer
- Anton Hykisch, writer, diplomat and politician
- Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, Austrian scientist
- Irena Káňová, politician[14]
- Andrej Kmeť, scientist
- Domokos Kosáry, Hungarian historian
- Ľudovít Lačný, chess problem composer
- Master MS, Hungarian painter
- Samuel Mikovíny, mathematician, engineer and cartographer
- Alexander Pituk, Hungarian chess problem composer
- Emília Vášáryová, actress
- Magdaléna Vášáryová, actress and diplomat
- Andrej Sládkovič, Lutheran pastor, poet, critic, publicist and translator
Genealogical resources
The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive, "Statny Archiv in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia"
- Roman Catholic church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1627–1892 (parish A)
- Lutheran church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1594–1925 (parish A)
Gallery
See also
- List of municipalities and towns in Slovakia
- School traditions of Selmec
- Senica, Slovakia (German: Senitz)
References
- ^ Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (www.statistics.sk). "Hustota obyvateľstva - obce". www.statistics.sk. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ a b c d "Základná charakteristika". www.statistics.sk (in Slovak). Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
- ^ Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (www.statistics.sk). "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne)". www.statistics.sk. Retrieved 2024-02-08.
- ^ "SODB - Banská Štiavnica, 2011" (PDF).
- ^ "SODB - Banská Štiavnica, 2011" (PDF).
- ^ "Banská Štiavnica - Stredovek". Banskastiavnica.sk. Archived from the original on 2019-04-11. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
- ^ Memorial plaque, Academy of Mining and Forestry.
- ^ "Slovakia in the UNESCO Treasury - Banská Štiavnica". Cestaunesco.sk. Retrieved 2013-03-26.
- ^ "History of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava". Stuba.sk. Retrieved 2014-05-05.
- ^ https://www.soldat.ru/spravka/freedom/11-czechoslovakia.html. In Russian. Retrieved September 18, 2021.
- ^ "Banské múzeum v prírode | Slovenské banské múzeum". Muzeumbs.sk. Archived from the original on 2017-11-29. Retrieved 2017-03-07.
- ^ "Municipal Statistics from the Statistical Office of the Slovak republic". Archived from the original on May 13, 2007.
- ^ "Partnerské mestá". banskastiavnica.sk (in Slovak). Banská Štiavnica. Archived from the original on 2012-03-19. Retrieved 2021-04-07.
- ISBN 978-80-7090-070-3.
External links
- Banská Štiavnica travel guide from Wikivoyage
- Official website Archived 2008-08-04 at the Wayback Machine
- Map of Banská Štiavnica
- Tourist information about Banská Štiavnica Archived 2021-03-01 at the Wayback Machine
- History of Banská Štiavnica
- Banská Štiavnica Photo Gallery
- The Calvary Mount of Banská Štiavnica
- Surnames of living people in Banská Štiavnica