Žiar nad Hronom (slang: Žiar, german: link=no, Heiligenkreuz, hu, Garamszentkereszt; until 1920 ''Svätý Kríž'' and until 1955 ''Svätý Kríž nad Hronom'') is a city in

Banská Bystrica Region The Banská Bystrica Region ( sk, Banskobystrický kraj, ; hu, Besztercebányai kerület, ) is one of the eight regions of Slovakia. It is the largest region by area, and has a lower population density than any other region. The Banská Bystric ...

, Slovakia.

Name development

The name of the settlement has gone through multiple developments. Prior to 1237, the settlement was known as a ''place with a toll station''. In 1237, first name of the settlmenet emerges, as a combination of

Latin Latin (, or , ) is a classical language belonging to the Italic branch of the Indo-European languages. Latin was originally a dialect spoken in the lower Tiber area (then known as Latium) around present-day Rome, but through the power of the ...

and Hungarian, with the town called ''Cristur'' (later ''Kerestúr''), which translates to ''The Cross of the Lord''. Back then, the settlement was split between the dominions of the Šášov castle and the Benedictine Abbey of Hronský Beňadik. In 1773, the village was known as ''Holy Cross'', in various language versions, including

(''Sancta Crux''), Hungarian (''Szent Kereszt''), German (''Heiligs Creütz'') or Slovak (''Swaty Kriss''). Similar names were recorded in 1808, despite minor influence caused by linguistic developments. In 1873, Hungarian name ''Barsszentkereszt'' is used, but the same changes at the turn of the 19th and 20th century into ''Garamszentkereszt'' (translates to: ''The Holy Cross upon

Hron The Hron ( sk, Hron; german: Gran; hu, Garam; la, Granus) is a long left tributary of the Danube First Czechoslovak Republic The First Czechoslovak Republic ( cs, První československá republika, sk, Prvá česko-slovenská republika), often colloquially referred to as the First Republic ( cs, První republika, Slovak: ''Prvá republika''), was the first Czechoslo ...

, the settlmenet was known as ''Svätý Kríž nad Hronom'' in Slovak, copying the earlier Hungarian name. Although, historically synonymous with the settlement, the name ''Kerestúr'' was used by Zemplínska Teplica in the early 20th century.In May 1953, when aluminium manufacturing and metallurgy began to flourish in the settlement, it impacted the life and the name of the city. In combination with the anti-religious sentiment of the

Czechoslovak Socialist Republic The Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, ČSSR, formerly known from 1948 to 1960 as the Czechoslovak Republic or Fourth Czechoslovak Republic, was the official name of Czechoslovakia from 1960 to 29 March 1990, when it was renamed the Czechoslovak ...

, the name was changed to the current version ''Žiar nad Hronom'', which translates to ''glare upon Hron''.

Geography

It is located in the Žiar Basin, on the

Hron The Hron ( sk, Hron; german: Gran; hu, Garam; la, Granus) is a long left tributary of the DanubeBanská Bystrica and 170 km from Bratislava. In addition to the main settlement, the city includes two annexed neighbourhoods: ghost village of Horné Opatovce (since 1969) and a Šášovské Podhradie, south-east of the city, annexed in 1971. The city is the administrative seat of

Žiar nad Hronom District Žiar nad Hronom District ( sk, okres Žiar nad Hronom) is a district in the Banská Bystrica Region of central Slovakia. Until 1918, the district was part of the county of Tekov. Municipalities The names in bold represent towns. * Bartošova ...

. Average year temperature is 8 °C, with frequent rainfall.

History

Earliest settlement

Celtic tribes had lived in the area, as documented by sizable archeologic discoveries dating to 6th century. Following the 10th century, the local population was mostly Slavic and the Celtic culture and settlement had receded.

Middle Ages

The first written record is dated to 1075, when a charter, issued by Hungarian king

Géza I of Hungary Géza I (; hu, I. Géza; 104025 April 1077) was King of Hungary from 1074 until his death. He was the eldest son of King Béla I. His baptismal name was Magnus. With German assistance, Géza's cousin Solomon acquired the crown when his fathe ...

, had established the Benedictine Abbey of Hronský Beňadik. On 4 February 1246 the landowner and the Archbishop of Esztergom, Stephen I Báncsa, had elevated the status of the settlement, submitting surrounding villages to the dominion and granting the citizens further rights. The settlement was submitted to the Šášov Castle. In the same period, the village had developed into a small town and became known as an administrative and cultural core of the region, due to the growth of commerce and the rise of trade

guild A guild ( ) is an association of artisans and merchants who oversee the practice of their craft/trade in a particular area. The earliest types of guild formed as organizations of tradesmen belonging to a professional association. They sometimes ...

Late Middle Ages and early Modernity

The following period, until the 16th century, saw the flourishment of

s, like that of tailors or shoemakers. A chateau (

manor house A manor house was historically the main residence of the lord of the manor. The house formed the administrative centre of a manor in the European feudal system; within its great hall were held the lord's manorial courts, communal meals w ...

) was erected and became the town's landmark in 1631, building on a preceding structure, on the orders of Péter Cardinal Pázmány. Later, it became a summer residence for the Archbishop of Esztergom. The manor had undergone multiple renovations due to various unrests and uprisings. One such uprising in the area was a late sequel of Anti-Habsburg rebellions, which lasted until 1621. Following the suppression of the uprising Habsburg army had remained in the area to protect from the advancing Ottoman troops, which had worried the local population. The Ottomans, eventually, had failed to conquer Banská Štiavnica some 25 kilometers south. Even later 17th century was not easy for the local population, as the region had suffered from continued armed conflicts and plague, originating in

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical ...

. During the conflicts the town and the Šášov castle, a hub of the rebels, were besieged and conquered. The area was badly struck by the events and it had recovered for a long time, as its economy had to be renewed. The town received the right to host fairs in 1690. After the establishment of

Diocese of Banská Bystrica In church governance, a diocese or bishopric is the ecclesiastical district under the jurisdiction of a bishop. History In the later organization of the Roman Empire, the increasingly subdivided provinces were administratively associat ...

and following a renovation, the chateu became the seat of the Bishop and a representative building. Štefan Moyses had resided here in the 19th century.

20th century

The city becomes a seat of a

District A district is a type of administrative division that, in some countries, is managed by the local government. Across the world, areas known as "districts" vary greatly in size, spanning regions or county, counties, several municipality, municipa ...

in 1923. The district was split between districts based in Kremnica and Nová Baňa. This was caused by the administrative reorganisation of the

. The city had regained the status of the district seat in the 1960 and retained it after Slovak independence in 1993. The cities importance declined after 1996, when cities of

Žarnovica Žarnovica (german: Scharnowitz; hu, Zsarnóca) is a town and municipality in the Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region in Slovakia. The town is situated in the Hron river valley. It has a population of around 6,000 people. History The fi ...

and Nová Baňa and nearby villages, which were previously a part of the

, became the seats of two independent administrative districts. During

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...

the city was occupied by the German Army until 1945, when it was liberated by the advancing

Red Army The Workers' and Peasants' Red Army ( Russian: Рабо́че-крестья́нская Кра́сная армия),) often shortened to the Red Army, was the army and air force of the Russian Soviet Federative Socialist Republic and, afte ...

. The city and the surrounded areas were known hubs for partisan fighters of the

Slovak National uprising The Slovak National Uprising ( sk, Slovenské národné povstanie, abbreviated SNP) was a military uprising organized by the Slovak resistance movement during World War II. This resistance movement was represented mainly by the members of the ...

. Major socio-economic growth in the city began with the development of an aluminium plant, which was established in 1953, under the name Slovak National Uprising Works (''Závody Slovenského národného povstania''). This had caused a boom of employment opportunities in the city. Industrial development had essentially completed the transformation of the village or a small town into a city, as it encouraged construction of schools and housing, in form of standardised apartment blocks, as well as individual construction. Overall, the city became largely self-sufficient. Between 1969 and 1991 the city had annexed nearby villages of Lutila and Ladomerská Vieska, which are now independent. Šášovské Podhradie and a ghost village of Horné Opatovce, annexed in the same period, remain a part of the city to this day.

Demographics

The population of the city grew until 1996 and dropped below 20,000 in 2002, not exceeding the mark since. According to the 2001 census, the town had 19,945 inhabitants. 94.27% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 1.97% Roma, 0.95%

Czechs The Czechs ( cs, Češi, ; singular Czech, masculine: ''Čech'' , singular feminine: ''Češka'' ), or the Czech people (), are a West Slavic ethnic group and a nation native to the Czech Republic in Central Europe, who share a common ancestry, ...

and 0.69%

Hungarians Hungarians, also known as Magyars ( ; hu, magyarok ), are a nation and ethnic group native to Hungary () and historical Hungarian lands who share a common culture, history, ancestry, and language. The Hungarian language belongs to the Urali ...

. The religious make-up was 62.07% Roman Catholics, 25.54% people with no religious affiliation and 3.19%

Lutherans Lutheranism is one of the largest branches of Protestantism, identifying primarily with the theology of Martin Luther, the 16th-century German monk and reformer whose efforts to reform the theology and practice of the Catholic Church launched ...

. In 2011 census, had shown a population of 19 883 citizens. Of these 78.9% identified themselves as Slovaks, 2.84% as Roma, 0.5% as Czechs and 0.4% as Hungarians. Over 18% did not chose a national identification. The 2011 census was first national census with this option. In the same year, 48.75% of the city identified as

Roman Catholic Roman or Romans most often refers to: *Rome, the capital city of Italy * Ancient Rome, Roman civilization from 8th century BC to 5th century AD * Roman people, the people of ancient Rome *'' Epistle to the Romans'', shortened to ''Romans'', a let ...

, 2.4% identified as Lutheran. Only one person identified as a Jew, despite city's significant Jewish population before the war.

Economy

The main employer is company Nemak Slovakia, member of

Nemak Nemak, S.A.B. de C.V., known as Nemak, is a global automotive parts manufacturing company headquartered in García, Nuevo León, a municipality next to the City of Monterrey, Nuevo León, México. The company manufactures a wide range of automotiv ...

Group, worldwide largest producer of aluminum powertrain parts for vehicles and the metallurgy factory company Slovalco, formerly called ''Závody Slovenského národného povstania'' ("

Slovak National Uprising The Slovak National Uprising ( sk, Slovenské národné povstanie, abbreviated SNP) was a military uprising organized by the Slovak resistance movement during World War II. This resistance movement was represented mainly by the members of the ...

Works"), built in the 1950s.

Healthcare

Hospital in Žiar nad Hronom is a part of the network of regional hospitals – Svet zdravia, a.s, which is owned by

Penta Investments Penta is a Central Europe investment group founded in 1994 in Slovakia by Czech Marek Dospiva and Slovaks Jaroslav Haščák, Juraj Herko, Martin Kúšik and Jozef Oravkin. Today, the group actively develops companies and projects, primarily ...

Culture

Landmarks

* Šášov castle – A ruin of

gothic Gothic or Gothics may refer to: People and languages *Goths or Gothic people, the ethnonym of a group of East Germanic tribes **Gothic language, an extinct East Germanic language spoken by the Goths **Crimean Gothic, the Gothic language spoken b ...

castle, dated first half of the 13th century, guarding the

Hron The Hron ( sk, Hron; german: Gran; hu, Garam; la, Granus) is a long left tributary of the DanubeŠášovské Podhradie. The first written record dates back to 1253. The castle became a royal castle in the 14th century. It had multiple owners in the difficult 17th century. It was captured by the anti- Habsburg

Kuruc Kuruc (, plural ''kurucok''), also spelled kurutz, refers to a group of armed anti-Habsburg insurgents in the Kingdom of Hungary between 1671 and 1711. Over time, the term kuruc has come to designate Hungarians who advocate strict national ind ...

troops of

Emeric Thököly Emeric Thököly de Késmárk ( hu, késmárki Thököly Imre; sk, Imrich Tököli; ; tr, Tököli İmre; 25 September 1657 13 September 1705) was a Hungarian nobleman, leader of anti-Habsburg uprisings like his father, Count István Thökö ...

and later regained by the imperial army. As its importance declined and due to numerous falls, the fortress was abandoned in the 18th century. *

Church of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross – A single-nave, classical church with two towers and a rectangular presbytery. It was built on top of an older structure at the initiative of the Bishop of Banská Bystrica Gabriel Zerdahely. The facade is dominated by a portico of Toscan pillars, topped by a triangular tympanum, bearing Bishop Zerdahely's coat of arms. The segmented attic is decorated by a

inscription reading: "Fugite partes adversae" (''"Begone, all evil powers!"'', as written in the prayer of

exorcism Exorcism () is the religious or spiritual practice of evicting demons, jinns, or other malevolent spiritual entities from a person, or an area, that is believed to be possessed. Depending on the spiritual beliefs of the exorcist, this may be ...

by St. Anthony of Padua). The towers are lined with

pilaster In classical architecture, a pilaster is an architectural element used to give the appearance of a supporting column and to articulate an extent of wall, with only an ornamental function. It consists of a flat surface raised from the main wal ...

s and topped with a crowning ledge. A crypt below the church contains the remains of Štefan Moyses and Michal Chrástek. *

Church of

St. Lawrence Saint Lawrence or Laurence ( la, Laurentius, lit. " laurelled"; 31 December AD 225 – 10 August 258) was one of the seven deacons of the city of Rome under Pope Sixtus II who were martyred in the persecution of the Christians that the Roma ...

in Horné Opatovce – The historically gothic structure with polygonal presbytery and an ejected tower was reconstructed between 1710 and 1711, 1777 and finally in 1911, which added some Neo-Roman elements. Facade is decorated by

frieze In architecture, the frieze is the wide central section part of an entablature and may be plain in the Ionic or Doric order, or decorated with bas-reliefs. Paterae are also usually used to decorate friezes. Even when neither columns nor ...

, supportive pillars and

chambranle In architecture and joinery, the chambranle is the border, frame, or ornament, made of stone or wood, that is a component of the three sides round chamber doors, large windows, and chimneys. When a chambranle is plain and without mouldings, it is ...

s. The tower is topped by a pyramid helmet. *Bishop's chateau – The four-wing, three-level building with two corner towers and from the late-

Renaissance The Renaissance ( , ) , from , with the same meanings. is a period in European history The history of Europe is traditionally divided into four time periods: prehistoric Europe (prior to about 800 BC), classical antiquity (800 BC to AD ...

and Baroque era, from 1631. It is built on top of medieval foundation. The last major reconstruction took place between 1850 and 1869, when the upper floor was built. Chateau's facade is decorated by

windows and window cornices. The chateau neighbours a park, which was developed in the second half of the 18th century.

Monuments

* Štefan Moyses Statue at

Matica slovenská Matica Slovenská (en. Slovak Matica) is a Slovak national, cultural and scientific organization headquartered in Martin, Slovakia. It was founded in 1863 and revived in 1919. The organisation has facilities in the Slovak Republic as well a ...

Square *Ladislav Exnár Monument at Dr. Jánsky Street *Michal Chrástek Monument *Karol Dúbravský Monument

Museums

*Archeological Exposition and Gallery of the Archeological Institute of

Slovak Academy of Sciences The Slovak Academy of Sciences ( sk, Slovenská akadémia vied, or SAV) is the main scientific and research institution in Slovakia fostering basic and strategic basic research. It was founded in 1942, closed after World War II, and then reestab ...

Observatories

*Regional Maximilián Hell Observatory and Planetarium

Events

Natives' Meeting in Horné Opatovce

The village of Horné Opatovce had been through a turbulent period after the construction of aluminium plant in Žiar nad Hronom. The plant was in the immediate proximity of the village. When the production had commenced, technological standards and processes were insufficient to sustain the life in the settlement. Fauna had begun to disappear from the area and the public health had deteriorated. The village was repeatedly covered by fine ashes from the nearby plant chimneys.

The government A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state. In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is a ...

had decided to abolish the village by decree in 1969. Majority of the original population had resettled to then-expanding town of Žiar nad Hronom, as well as nearby village of Hliník nad Hronom, or other major cities across the country. Natives and their relatives meet annually in the St. Lawrence Church in the village and commemorate their village of origin.

Žiar Fair

''Žiarsky jarmok'' (translates to 'Fair of Žiar nad Hronom') is annual event hosted in October. It is a continuation of a historic tradition of trading fairs hosted by towns and cities across the country, where craftsman, artisans and other smiths met and traded their works. The Fair was one of the better-known fairs across

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

. Contemporarily, it is popular for its entertainment, rides, musical performances, traditional food or game stalls.

City ball

During the ball season (in

the season usually lasts between the

Epiphany Epiphany may refer to: * Epiphany (feeling), an experience of sudden and striking insight Religion * Epiphany (holiday), a Christian holiday celebrating the revelation of God the Son as a human being in Jesus Christ ** Epiphany season, or Epiph ...

, lasting until Ash Wednesday), the municipality organises a City ball. It serves as an opportunity for socialisation of citizens, as well as persons of domestic and foreign cultural, social and professional lives. It enjoys relatively high turnouts and good reviews among the attendees.

City Fest

City Fest is an annual one-day summer festival, taking place in Štefan Moyses Park. It usually take place in August. It enjoys large crowds from the city, region and beyond. Annually, it features leading artists of Slovak and Czech pop music. Usually, in the early hours, it features children's artists, followed by local and regional musicians in the afternoon, followed by headliners until the night.

Transportation

The city is intersected by the R1 Expressway, with an exit near Šášovské Podhradie. Road I/9 leads to

Prievidza Prievidza (; hu, Privigye, german: Priwitz) is a city in the central-western Slovakia. With approximately 46,000 inhabitants it is the second biggest municipality in the Trenčín Region and 11th largest city in Slovakia generally. Name The ...

. R2 serves for transit purposes, surpassing the city, connecting on to I/9 and R1. R2 line was required due to urban roads having insufficient capacity, to accommodate contemporary traffic. The connection to the highway system and the geographical location make Žiar nad Hronom a notable crossroad. Road I/65 passes through Horné Opatovce and the neighbouring village of Ladomerská Vieska.

Public transportation

Public transport in the city is appropriate for its size and population, consisting entirely of a bus fleet. Services are more frequent in the morning and in the afternoon. Its serves two major purposes: commute of the workforce to and from the industrial park south of the city and the commute of children to and from schools. It also serves the population of nearby villages, mainly Lutila and Ladomerská Vieska.

Train

The

Nové Zámky Nové Zámky (; hu, Érsekújvár; german: Neuhäus ; la, Novum Castrum; tr, Uyvar) is a town in Nové Zámky District in the Nitra Region of southwestern Slovakia. Geography The town is located on the Danubian Lowland, on the Nitra River, ...

–

Zvolen Zvolen (; hu, Zólyom; german: Altsohl) is a town in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers, close to Banská Bystrica. It is surrounded by Poľana mountain from the East, by Kremnické vrchy from the West ...

railway passes through the city, allowing travel to Bratislava, as well as Košice. The train station became more notable with the construction of the SNP Works in the 1950s, due to the railways being a major mean of sourcing raw materials and shipment of the products.

Education

There are 4 primary schools in the city (numbered I., II., IV. and a

Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...

Štefan Moyses' Primary School), for children aged 6–15. Additionally, there are multiple kindergartens in the city. Middle (high) schools, for students aged 15–19, number five: * Milan Rúfus' Gymnasium at

Ján Kollár Ján Kollár ( hu, Kollár János; 29 July 1793 – 24 January 1852) was a Slovak writer (mainly poet), archaeologist, scientist, priest, politician, and main ideologist of Pan-Slavism. Life He studied at the Lutheran Lyceum in Pressburg ( ...

St. *Private Business Academy *Private Technical High Schools *Hotel Academy *Private Pedagogical and Social Academy EBG

Economy

At the start of the 20th century, the town was an agricultural settlement, with citizens cultivating the fields of the Žiar Basin. After

, the only aluminium plant ( ZSNP) in

Czechoslovakia , rue, Чеськословеньско, , yi, טשעכאסלאוואקיי, , common_name = Czechoslovakia , life_span = 1918–19391945–1992 , p1 = Austria-Hungary , image_p1 ...

was developed in the town, with production commencing in 1953, securing thousands of work places. The Works have been a base for town's transformation into an industrial city. With the growth of the aluminium plant came the population boom, supported by domestic migration. The SNP Works were privatised in 2002, with Penta winning over 40% of the shares. Some of the old parts of the plant are no longer in use. The industrial park now houses multiple private companies.

Twin towns – sister cities

Žiar nad Hronom is twinned with: * Svitavy, Czech Republic

Mayors of Žiar nad Hronom

* Ing. Marián Futák – economist * MVDr. Jaroslav Cíger – veterinarian * JUDr. Márius Hrmo – lawyer * 2002 – 2012: Mgr. Ivan Černaj – entrepreneur, resigned in November 2012 * 2012 – (expected 2022): Mgr. Peter Antal – lawyer, former MP

References

External links

Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ziar Nad Hronom Cities and towns in Slovakia