Levice (; hu, Léva, Hungarian pronunciation: ; german: Lewenz, literally lionesses) is a town in western

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 ...

. The town lies on the left bank of the lower

Hron The Hron ( sk, Hron; german: Gran; hu, Garam; la, Granus) is a long left tributary of the DanubeOld Slavic name of the town was ''Leva'', which means "the Left One". The town is located in the north-eastern corner of the Danubian Lowland (''Podunajská nížina''), east of Bratislava, south-east of

Nitra Nitra (; also known by other alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of about 78,353, it is the fifth l ...

, south-west of Banská Štiavnica, south-west of

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 ...

and from the border with

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Pannonian Basin, Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the ...

. It is the capital of the

Levice District Levice District ( sk, okres Levice; hu, Lévai járás) is a district in the Nitra Region of western Slovakia. It is the largest of Slovakia's 79 districts. The west of the district was in the Hungarian county A county is a geographic r ...

, which is the largest district in Slovakia at . The town's

heraldic Heraldry is a discipline relating to the design, display and study of armorial bearings (known as armory), as well as related disciplines, such as vexillology, together with the study of ceremony, rank and pedigree. Armory, the best-known bran ...

animal is lion (in Slovak ''lev''), and the town's colours are green and yellow.

History

Levice is first mentioned as Leua, one of the villages belonging to the parish of St. Martin's Church in Bratka ( hu, Baratka) in 1156. It was part of the

comitatus ''Comitatus'' was in ancient times the Latin term for an armed escort or retinue. The term is used especially in the context of Germanic warrior culture for a warband tied to a leader by an oath of fealty and describes the relations between a lo ...

Tekov (''Bars''). First attacked by the

Turks Turk or Turks may refer to: Communities and ethnic groups * Turkic peoples, a collection of ethnic groups who speak Turkic languages * Turkish people, or the Turks, a Turkic ethnic group and nation * Turkish citizen, a citizen of the Republic ...

in 1544, the town was set on fire while the castle was left unharmed. Between 1581 and 1589, the settlement was the seat of the Captaincy of Lower Hungary. The town was captured by the Turks in 1663 but recaptured only a year later by the Imperial Army led by General de Souches in the

Battle of Levice A battle is an occurrence of combat in warfare between opposing military units of any number or size. A war usually consists of multiple battles. In general, a battle is a military engagement that is well defined in duration, area, and force ...

, which took place beneath the town's castle. Léva-1672

During the anti- Habsburg revolution of 1709, the fort was blown up by

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 ...

es. After the break-up of

Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, often referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire,, the Dual Monarchy, or Austria, was a constitutional monarchy and great power in Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. It was formed with the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of ...

, the town became a part of

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

(confirmed by the

Treaty of Trianon The Treaty of Trianon (french: Traité de Trianon, hu, Trianoni békeszerződés, it, Trattato del Trianon) was prepared at the Paris Peace Conference and was signed in the Grand Trianon château in Versailles on 4 June 1920. It forma ...

in 1920). As part of the breakup of Czechoslovakia under the

Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement ( cs, Mnichovská dohoda; sk, Mníchovská dohoda; german: Münchner Abkommen) was an agreement concluded at Munich on 30 September 1938, by Germany, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It provided "cession to Germany ...

in World War II, the town again belonged to

from 1938 to 1945. At the end of the

Second World War 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 opposi ...

it was returned to the restored Czechoslovakia. In 1993 it became part of present-day

. It was the hometown of Hungarian-American Eugene Fodor (1905–1991), the founder of

Fodor's Fodor's is a publisher of English language travel and tourism information. Fodor's Travel and Fodors.com are divisions of Internet Brands. History Founder Eugene Fodor was a keen traveler, but felt that the guidebooks of his time were borin ...

travel book company.

Demographics

Census 2011: 34.844 inhabitants (100%)

Ethnicity

* Slovak 25.549 (73,3%) * Hungarian 2.927 ( 8,4%) * others 6.368 (18,3%)

Religious makeup

Roman Catholic (majority), Reformed Protestant (

Calvinist Calvinism (also called the Reformed Tradition, Reformed Protestantism, Reformed Christianity, or simply Reformed) is a major branch of Protestantism that follows the theological tradition and forms of Christian practice set down by John Ca ...

Moravian Brethren , image = AgnusDeiWindow.jpg , imagewidth = 250px , caption = Church emblem featuring the Agnus Dei.Stained glass at the Rights Chapel of Trinity Moravian Church, Winston-Salem, North Carolina, United States , main_classification = Proto-Prot ...

(the biggest congregation in Slovakia), Lutheran, Baptist,

Old Catholic Church The terms Old Catholic Church, Old Catholics, Old-Catholic churches or Old Catholic movement designate "any of the groups of Western Christians who believe themselves to maintain in complete loyalty the doctrine and traditions of the undivide ...

Adventist Adventism is a branch of Protestant Christianity that believes in the imminent Second Coming (or the "Second Advent") of Jesus Christ. It originated in the 1830s in the United States during the Second Great Awakening when Baptist preacher Wil ...

of the 7th Day, Modrý kríž (Blue Cross), several Charismatic and

Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a Protestant Charismatic Christian movement

communities, Jehovah's Witnesses, Muslim community (non-practising),

Jewish Jews ( he, יְהוּדִים, , ) or Jewish people are an ethnoreligious group and nation originating from the Israelites Israelite origins and kingdom: "The first act in the long drama of Jewish history is the age of the Israelites""The ...

community (non-practising), atheists

Economy

Production

Textiles, cosmetics, furniture, products from locally obtained Golden

Onyx Onyx primarily refers to the parallel banded variety of chalcedony, a silicate mineral. Agate and onyx are both varieties of layered chalcedony that differ only in the form of the bands: agate has curved bands and onyx has parallel bands. The ...

, machinery and construction components, cereals, meat, eggs, dairy products, soft drinks, malt, wine (Levická frankovka is a trademark for locally produced red-wine). One of Slovakia's two nuclear power plants is in Mochovce, north-west of Levice.

Education

There are 8 elementary schools (7 secular including 1 Hungarian, and 1 Roman Catholic school), Gymnazium Andreja Vrabla, a general High School, a Hungarian Calvinist High School (

Lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Generally in that type of school the t ...

), a Business Academy, a Pedagogical and Social Academy, a Secondary Technical School, a Secondary Agricultural School and various apprentice schools.

Main sights

*The Castle, built in a Gothic style as a trade-route guarding fort at the end of 13th century. *Dobo Château, built by István Dobó, a hero of the siege of

Eger Eger ( , ; ; also known by other alternative names) is the county seat of Heves County, and the second largest city in Northern Hungary (after Miskolc). A city with county rights. Eger is best known for its castle, thermal baths, baroque bui ...

, in the 1560s. Levacivertanlegi1

Places of worship

*St Joseph's Church, Roman Catholic, accompanied by a baroque Franciscan convent. It is found close to the entrance to the château, and dates from the turn of the 18th century. *St Michael's Church – Roman Catholic, found in St Michael's street (Sv. Michala). It is from the 2nd half of the 18th century *Church of the Holy Spirit – Roman Catholic, in the Rybniky quarter. It is from the start of the 21st century *Chapel of St Urban – Roman Catholic, F. Hecku street, 1770s *Evanjelický a. v. kostol – Lutheran, street, 1840s to 1930s *Zborový dom (Congregational House) – Lutheran, next to the latter *Kostol Reformovanej cirkvi – Calvinist, Sv. Michala street, end of 18th century *Zborový dom (Congregational House) – Brethren Church, S. Chalupku street, 1983–85 *Synagogue – Jewish, K. Kittenberger street, half of 19th century

Other sights

*Schoeller's Mill – built at the end of the 19th century, production was cancelled in 1998, rebuilt into a complex of luxury shops, offices, dwellings and entertainment facilities. *Main square – a good collection of

Art-Nouveau Art Nouveau (; ) is an international style of art, architecture, and applied art, especially the decorative arts. The style is known by different names in different languages: in German, in Italian, in Catalan, and also known as the Modern ...

and eclectic buildings. *Town hall – erected in 1902, second floor built-up while lifting the roof by a screw mechanism in 1927. *Teachers Academy – secondary school, E point of the Kalvaria hill, N of the main square, built in 1911 as a mix of the late Art-Nouveau and Italian

trecento The Trecento (, also , ; short for , "1300") refers to the 14th century in Italian cultural history. Period Art Commonly, the Trecento is considered to be the beginning of the Renaissance in art history. Painters of the Trecento included Giotto ...

-influenced historism.

Functionalist architectures

*District Court Building – corner of Mlynska and Zahradna streets, projected by Milan Michal Harminc *Fried's House – corner of L. Stura and Sv. Michala streets *Strasser's House – Sturova street, next to the Fried's House *Fertsek Brothers House – corner of Soltesova square and street *Munk's House – corner of Mlynska and Zahradna streets *Reitmann's House – Mlynska street, a passage to I. Krasku street *Eisler's House – corner of Mlynska and L. Stura streets *Police District Headquarters Building – former Seat of District Authority, crossing of Kalvinske square and Sv. Michala street *Health Insurance Company Building – M. R. Stefanik street, later Infant Hospital

Nearby places of interest

* Horšianska Dolina (Horša Valley) – nature preserve with unique plant and animal endemics, folk architecture in Horša * Kalinčiakovo – this village has a tiny but well preserved Romanesque church dating from the 12th century (see Romanesque church in Kalinčiakovo) and the swimming pool of Margita-Ilona *

Hronský Beňadik Hronský Beňadik (1920–1948: , 1948–1960: ; german: Sankt Benedikt; hu, Garamszentbenedek, until 1888: ; la, Sanctus Benedictus) is a village in central Slovakia. It has a population of 1233 (2005). According to the local tourist informatio ...

– medieval fort-monastery with Gothic entrance, tombs and memorabilia of Hungarian noblemen *

Želiezovce Želiezovce ( hu, Zselíz, (formerly) Zseliz (till 1895), Zeliz, Zeléz, german: Zelis (rare)) is a town in Slovakia in the Nitra Region in the Levice District, near the Hron river. Districts * Jarok ( hu, Nyitra-Ivánka) * Karolína * Mi ...

– Neoclassical residence of Count Eszterhazy, and Soví zámoček (Owl Château) where the Austrian composer

Franz Schubert Franz Peter Schubert (; 31 January 179719 November 1828) was an Austrian composer of the late Classical and early Romantic eras. Despite his short lifetime, Schubert left behind a vast ''oeuvre'', including more than 600 secular vocal wo ...

taught music * Santovka–

mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. Mineral water may usually be still or sparkling (carbonated/effervescent) according to the presence or absence of added gases. T ...

springs and swimming pool * Brhlovce– cave-like dwellings cut into volcanic rock, nominated as a

UNESCO World Heritage A World Heritage Site is a landmark or area with legal protection by an international convention administered by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). World Heritage Sites are designated by UNESCO for h ...

site * Čajkov– known for local

folk costume A folk costume (also regional costume, national costume, traditional garment, or traditional regalia) expresses an identity through costume, which is usually associated with a geographic area or a period of time in history. It can also indicat ...

s and the annual wine harvest festival * Pukanec– tiny mining town once enjoying the status of

Free royal town Royal free city or free royal city (Latin: libera regia civitas) was the official term for the most important cities in the Kingdom of Hungary from the late 12th centuryBácskai Vera – Nagy Lajos: Piackörzetek, piacközpontok és városok Magy ...

, still known for hand-made pottery * Sitno– volcanic peak in the

Štiavnica Mountains The Štiavnica Mountains (also Štiavnické Mountains; sk, Štiavnické vrchy, ) are a volcanic mountain range southern central Slovakia. They are part of Inner Western Carpathians and the Slovenské stredohorie Mountains. The area is protected ...

, Celtic funeral place, medieval castle ruins, and a botanic

nature reserve A nature reserve (also known as a wildlife refuge, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve or bioreserve, natural or nature preserve, or nature conservation area) is a protected area of importance for flora, fauna, or features of geological or ...

featuring rare

rose A rose is either a woody perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred species and tens of thousands of cultivars. They form a group of plants that can be ...

species

Notable people

Levice is the birthplace of the geographer Kálmán Kittenberger (1881–1958).
and of the Hungarian composer and pianist

Pál Kadosa Pál Kadosa (; 6 September 1903, Levice, Léva, Austria-Hungary (now Levice, Slovakia) – 30 March 1983, Budapest) was a pianist and Hungarians, Hungarian composer of the post-Béla Bartók, Bartók generation. His early style was influenced ...

Twin towns — sister cities

Levice is twinned with: *

Boskovice Boskovice (; german: Boskowitz) is a town in Blansko District in the South Moravian Region of the Czech Republic. It has about 12,000 inhabitants. The area of the historic town centre, Jewish quarter, château complex and castle ruin is well preser ...

, Czech Republic *

Érd Érd (; german: Hanselbeck; hr, Andzabeg) is a town in Pest County, Budapest metropolitan area, Hungary. It is a city with county rights. History The area has been inhabited since ancient times. Archaeological findings indicate that prehistoric ...

, Hungary * Náměšť na Hané, Czech Republic *

Ruda Śląska Ruda Śląska (formerly ) is a city in Silesia in southern Poland, near Katowice. It is a district in the Upper Silesian Metropolitan Union, a metropolis with a population of two million. It is in the Silesian Highlands, on the Kłodnica Rive ...

, Poland * Skierniewice, Poland

References

External links

Official town web site

Map of Levice

Portál Leviceonline.sk – regionálny internetový portál pre Levice a okolie

Levické internetové noviny Levičan.sk

MestoLevice.sk – online katalóg firiem
{{Authority control Cities and towns in Slovakia