This is a list of notable people from

Košice Košice is the largest city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary. With a population of approximately 230,000, Košice is the second-largest cit ...

Slovakia Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, 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 west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's m ...

A

* Edita Angyalová (born 1979), MP (2002-2007)

B

* Frigyes Bán, Hungarian film director *

János Batsányi János Batsányi (9 May 1763 in Tapolca – 12 May 1845 in Linz) was a Hungarian poet. In 1785, he published his first work, a patriotic poem, "The Valour of the Magyars". In the same year he obtained a job as clerk in the treasury of the Hu ...

, poet and Hungarian language regenerate, worked and lived in Košice * Gyula Benczúr, painter, started to learn in secondary school in Košice * Jiří Bicek, ice-hockey player, won Stanley cup 2003 with

New Jersey Devils The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey. The Devils compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference (NHL), Eastern Conference. The club w ...

* Stephen Bocskay,

prince of Transylvania The Prince of Transylvania (, , , Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 77.) was the head of state of the Principality of Transylvania from the late-16th century until the mid-18th century. John Sigismund Zápolya was the first to adopt the title in 1 ...

, died in Košice

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* Michal Čekovský, basketball player, currently with the

Maryland Terrapins The Maryland Terrapins, commonly referred to as the Terps, consist of 19 men's and women's college sports in the United States, varsity intercollegiate athletic teams that represent the University of Maryland, College Park in National Collegiate ...

* Erik Černák, professional ice hockey player, born in Košice * Lajos Csordák, painter, was born and died in Košice

D

* Erna Diez (1913-2001), archaeologist * David Dobrik (born 1996), YouTube personality * Vladimír Dravecký (born 1985), Slovak ice-hockey player for the HC Oceláři Třinec, in the Czech Extraliga * Gabriela Dzuríková (born 1973), actress

E

János Esterházy Count János Eszterházy (; rarely ; March 14, 1901 – March 8, 1957) was a prominent politician of Hungarian ethnicity in inter-war Czechoslovakia and later in the First Slovak Republic. He was a member of the Czechoslovak Parliament and ...

, ethnic Hungarian politician in former

Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia ( ; Czech language, Czech and , ''Česko-Slovensko'') was a landlocked country in Central Europe, created in 1918, when it declared its independence from Austria-Hungary. In 1938, after the Munich Agreement, the Sudetenland beca ...

, won parliament mandate in Košice in 1935 * Edith Eger, Holocaust survivor, psychologist and author of “The Choice”

G

Radola Gajda Radola Gajda, born as Rudolf Geidl (14 February 1892 – 15 April 1948) was a Czech military commander and politician. Early years Geidl's father was an officer in the Austro-Hungarian Army based in Kotor. His mother was a poor Montenegrin nob ...

, commander of the

Russia Russia, or the Russian Federation, is a country spanning Eastern Europe and North Asia. It is the list of countries and dependencies by area, largest country in the world, and extends across Time in Russia, eleven time zones, sharing Borders ...

Czechoslovak Legion The Czechoslovak Legion ( Czech: ''Československé legie''; Slovak: ''Československé légie'') were volunteer armed forces consisting predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting on the side of the Entente powers during World War I and the ...

, fascist

politician A politician is a person who participates in Public policy, policy-making processes, usually holding an elective position in government. Politicians represent the people, make decisions, and influence the formulation of public policy. The roles ...

, was given command of the 11th Division in Košice in 1922 * Dr. William Ganz, cardiologist co-invented the

pulmonary artery catheter A pulmonary artery catheter (PAC), also known as a Swan-Ganz catheter or right heart catheter, is a balloon-tipped catheter that is inserted into a pulmonary artery in a procedure known as pulmonary artery catheterization or right heart cathete ...

, born in Košice * Béla Gerster,

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs, and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

of the

Corinth Canal The Corinth Canal () is a canal in Greece that connects the Gulf of Corinth in the Ionian Sea with the Saronic Gulf in the Aegean Sea. Completed in 1893, it cuts through the narrow Isthmus of Corinth and "separates" the Peloponnese peninsula fro ...

and co-architect of the

Panama Canal The Panama Canal () is an artificial waterway in Panama that connects the Caribbean Sea with the Pacific Ocean. It cuts across the narrowest point of the Isthmus of Panama, and is a Channel (geography), conduit for maritime trade between th ...

, born in Košice *

Jozef Gönci Jozef Gönci (born 18 March 1974, in Košice) is a Slovakia, Slovak Shooting sports, sport shooter, specialising in the 50 metre rifle three positions, 50 m Rifle and 10 m Air Rifle. Gönci won independent Slovakia's first ever Olympic Medal, a ...

, Slovak sport shooter and Olympic bronze medallist twice

H

* Barbara Haščáková (1979-2023), singer * Elchanan Heilprin (1921-2015), rabbi, born in Košice, in former Czechoslovakia *

Martina Hingis Martina Hingis (, ; born 30 September 1980) is a Swiss former professional tennis player. She was ranked as the world No. 1 in women's singles by the Women's Tennis Association (WTA) for 209 weeks ( fifth-most of all time) and as the world No. ...

(born 1980), Swiss naturalised tennis player, born in Košice, in former Czechoslovakia * Žofia Hruščáková (born 1995), basketball player

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* Julia Indichova, American reproductive healthcare activist and author, born in Košice, in former Czechoslovakia

J

Július Jakoby Július Jakoby (born as Gyula Jakoby, Košice, Kingdom of Hungary, 28 March 1903 – Košice, Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, 15 April 1985) was a Slovak painter of Hungarians in Slovakia, Hungarian ancestry. Jakoby was a prominent figure of Sl ...

, painter, born and died in Košice * Vladimír Janočko, Slovak football player, born in Košice * Christián Jaroš, Slovak ice hockey player for the

Ottawa Senators The Ottawa Senators (), officially the Ottawa Senators Hockey Club and colloquially known as the Sens, are a professional ice hockey team based in Ottawa. The Senators compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Di ...

* Tomáš Jurčo, Slovak ice hockey player for the

Springfield Thunderbirds The Springfield Thunderbirds are a professional ice hockey team based in Springfield, Massachusetts. They are the American Hockey League (AHL) affiliate of the National Hockey League's St. Louis Blues. The Thunderbirds play their home games at th ...

in the AHL

K

* Peter Kažimír, State Secretary of Finance (2006-2010), MP (2010-2012), Minister of Finance (2012-2019), Central Bank governor (since 2019) *

Ferenc Kazinczy Ferenc Kazinczy (), (in older English: Francis Kazinczy, October 27, 1759 – August 23, 1831) was a Hungarian author, poet, translator, neologist, an agent in the regeneration of the Hungarian language and literature at the turn of the 19th c ...

, Hungarian author, regenerator of the Hungarian language, studied, lived and worked in Košice * Karol Kisel, Slovak footballer, born in Košice * Gyula Kosice, Argentine sculptor, plastic artist, theoretician and poet * Alex Král, Czech footballer born in Košice * Juraj Kuniak, Slovak poet and writer, born in Košice *

Andrej Kvašňák Andrej Kvašňák (19 May 1936 – 18 April 2007) was a Slovaks, Slovak association football, football player. Born in Košice, he played for Czechoslovakia national football team, Czechoslovakia, for which he played 47 matches and scored 13 goa ...

, legendary Slovak football player

M

* Božena Mačingová (1922–2017), Slovak writer, author of books for children and young adults * Pál Maléter (1917–1958), military leader of the

1956 Hungarian Revolution The Hungarian Revolution of 1956 (23 October – 4 November 1956; ), also known as the Hungarian Uprising, was an attempted countrywide revolution against the government of the Hungarian People's Republic (1949–1989) and the policies caused by ...

, started to serve as a professional army officer in the Hungarian military in Košice *

Sándor Márai (; Archaic English name: Alexander Márai; 11 April 1900 – 21 February 1989) was a Hungarian people, Hungarian writer, poet, and journalist. Biography Márai was born on 11 April 1900 in the city of Košice, Kassa, Kingdom of Hungary, Hun ...

(1900–1989), Hungarian writer, born in Košice *

Martin Marinčin Martin Marinčin (; born 18 February 1992) is a Slovak professional ice hockey defenceman for HC Oceláři Třinec of the Czech Extraliga (ELH). He was drafted in the second round, 46th overall, by the Edmonton Oilers in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. ...

(born 1992), Slovak ice-hockey player for the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

team in the NHL * Samuel Migaľ (born 1982), Slovak politician

N

Ladislav Nagy Ladislav Nagy (; born 1 June 1979) is a Slovak former professional ice hockey player. He played eight seasons as a left winger in the National Hockey League (NHL) with the St. Louis Blues, Phoenix Coyotes, Dallas Stars, and Los Angeles Kings ...

, ice-hockey player and former NHL player * Imre Németh, Hungarian hammer fall champion, born in Košice

P

* Pavol Paška, Speaker of the

National Council of Slovakia The National Council of the Slovak Republic (, abbreviated to ''NR SR'') is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral and consists of 150 members, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation with seats dis ...

(2006-2010, 2012-2014) * Róbert Petrovický, Slovak ice hockey and former NHL player, born in Košice * István Pongrácz, martyr killed by George I Rákóczi's soldiers in 1619 * Jozef Psotka, mountaineer, born in Košice

R

* Veronika Rabada (born 1984), singer *

Arpád Račko The statue of the Košice's Coat-of-arms Arpád Račko (July 17, 1930 – January 2, 2015) was a Slovak sculptor. He was born in Szolnok, Hungary and lived in Košice. Arpád Račko studied at the prestigious Academy of Creative Arts in Prague ...

(1930–2015), sculptor, worked in Košice * Francis II Rákóczi (1676–1735),

Prince of Transylvania The Prince of Transylvania (, , , Fallenbüchl 1988, p. 77.) was the head of state of the Principality of Transylvania from the late-16th century until the mid-18th century. John Sigismund Zápolya was the first to adopt the title in 1 ...

and leader of anti-Habsburg uprisings, stayed in Košice and his remains are buried there

S

* Blessed Sister Sára Salkaházi, Sister of Social Service, martyr murdered by the

Arrow Cross Party The Arrow Cross Party (, , abbreviated NYKP) was a far-right Hungarian ultranationalist party led by Ferenc Szálasi, which formed a government in Hungary they named the Government of National Unity. They were in power from 15 October 1944 to ...

Budapest Budapest is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns of Hungary, most populous city of Hungary. It is the List of cities in the European Union by population within city limits, tenth-largest city in the European Union by popul ...

* Marek Sapara, football player * Anna Karolína Schmiedlová, tennis player *

Rudolf Schuster Rudolf Schuster (born 4 January 1934) is a Slovak politician, who served as the second president of Slovakia from 1999 to 2004. He was elected on 29 May 1999 and inaugurated on 15 June. In the presidential elections of April 2004, in which he so ...

, former Košice mayor and the second president of

(1999–2004) * Radoslav Školník, professional Slovak footballer, born in Košice * Juraj Slafkovský, ice hockey player for the

Montreal Canadiens The Montreal Canadiens (), officially ' ( Canadian Hockey Club) and colloquially known as the Habs, are a professional ice hockey team based in Montreal. The Canadiens compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic D ...

. Selected first overall in the 2022 NHL Draft *

Koloman Sokol Koloman Sokol (12 December 1902 – 12 January 2003) was one of the most prominent Slovak painters, graphic artists and illustrators. He was a founder of modern Slovak graphic art. Biography Koloman Sokol was born in Liptovský Mikuláš. H ...

, artist, founder of Slovak graphic art, deemed "Slovak Picasso", studied in Košice * Egon Steuer,

head coach A head coach, senior coach, or manager is a professional responsible for training and developing athletes within a sports team. This role often has a higher public profile and salary than other coaching positions. In some sports, such as associat ...

of the national

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appro ...

team of the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

, born in Košice * Aurel Stodola, engineer, physicist and inventor, studied in Košice * Marek Svatoš, former ice hockey player for the

Colorado Avalanche The Colorado Avalanche (colloquially known as the Avs) are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver. The Avalanche compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division (NHL), Central Division in the Western Con ...

Ferenc Szálasi Ferenc Szálasi (; 6 January 1897 – 12 March 1946) was a Hungarian military officer, politician, Nazi sympathizer and founder of the far-right Arrow Cross Party who List of prime ministers of Hungary, headed the government of Hungary duri ...

, politician leader of the

, born in Košice

T

* Zuzana Tlučková (born 1962), actress * Ladislav Troják (1914-1948), ice hockey player * Rastislav Trtík (1961-2024), handball player and coach

V

* Cyril Vasiľ (born 1965), eparchial Bishop of

Slovak Catholic Eparchy of Košice The Eparchy of Košice is an eparchy (diocese) of the Slovak Greek Catholic Church that is situated in south-eastern Slovakia. It's episcopal seat is the Cathedral of the Nativity of the Mother of God in the city of Košice. The eparchy is a ...

W

* Barbora Wrzesiński (born 1994), basketball player

Z

* Peter Žiga (born 1972), Minister of Environment (2012-2016) and Economy (2016-2020) of Slovakia

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:List of people from Kosice * ! Kosice People from Kosice