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Levice (; , Hungarian pronunciation: ; ) is a town in western
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 ...
. The town lies on the left bank of the lower
Hron The Hron (; ; ; ) is a long left tributary of the DanubeP ...
river. The Old 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 ::''The Serbian lowland is treated under Danubian Plain (Serbia)'' The Danubian Lowland or Danube Lowland () is the name of the part of Little Alföld (Slovak: ''Malá dunajská kotlina'') situated in Slovakia, located between the Danube, the Litt ...
(''Podunajská nížina''), east of
Bratislava Bratislava (German: ''Pressburg'', Hungarian: ''Pozsony'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of the Slovakia, Slovak Republic and the fourth largest of all List of cities and towns on the river Danube, cities on the river Danube. ...
, south-east of
Nitra Nitra (; also known by other #Etymology, alternative names) is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra (river), Nitra. It is located 95 km east of Bratislava. With a population of ...
, south-west of
Banská Štiavnica Banská Štiavnica (; ; , ) 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 ...
, south-west of
Zvolen Zvolen (; ; ) is a city in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers. It is famous for several historical and cultural attractions. It is surrounded by Poľana mountain from the East, by Kremnické vrchy from the ...
and from the border with
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much 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 south, Croatia and ...
. It is the capital of the
Levice District Levice District (; ) 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 of Bars until 1918, while the east of the district was in Hont County ...
, 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 branc ...
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 () in 1156. It was part of the
comitatus Comitatus may refer to: *Comitatus (warband), a Germanic warband who follow a leader * ''Comitatus'', the office of a Roman or Frankish comes, translated as count. * ''Comitatus'', translated as county, a territory such as governed by medieval cou ...
Tekov (''Bars''). First attacked by the Turks 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, which took place beneath the town's castle. During the anti-
Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...
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 inde ...
es. After the break-up of
Austria-Hungary Austria-Hungary, also referred to as the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the Dual Monarchy or the Habsburg Monarchy, was a multi-national constitutional monarchy in Central Europe#Before World War I, Central Europe between 1867 and 1918. A military ...
, the town became part of
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 ...
according to demarcation lines drawn by Entente forces in late 1918, with Czechoslovak troops reaching the city in January 1919 and Hungary giving up claim over it in 1920 by signing the Trianon treaty. As part of the breakup of Czechoslovakia under the
Munich Agreement The Munich Agreement was reached in Munich on 30 September 1938, by Nazi Germany, the United Kingdom, the French Third Republic, French Republic, and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreement provided for the Occupation of Czechoslovakia (1938–194 ...
in World War II, the town again belonged to
Hungary Hungary is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning much 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 south, Croatia and ...
from 1938 to 1945. At the end of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...
it was returned to the restored Czechoslovakia. In 1993 it became part of present-day
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 ...
. It was the hometown of Hungarian-American Eugene Fodor (1905–1991), the founder of Fodor's travel book company.


Demographics

Census 2021: 31,974 inhabitants (100%)


Ethnicity

* Slovak 26,652 (83.4%) * Hungarian 2,644 (8.3%) *
Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...
195 (0.6%) * Romani 124 (0.4%)


Religious makeup

Roman Catholic (majority), Reformed Protestant (
Calvinist Reformed Christianity, also called Calvinism, is a major branch of Protestantism that began during the 16th-century Protestant Reformation. In the modern day, it is largely represented by the Continental Reformed Protestantism, Continenta ...
), Moravian Brethren (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 undiv ...
,
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 Willi ...
of the 7th Day, Modrý kríž (Blue Cross), several
Charismatic Charisma () is a personal quality of magnetic charm, persuasion, or appeal. In the fields of sociology and political science, psychology, and management, the term ''charismatic'' describes a type of leadership. In Christian theology, the term ...
and
Pentecostal Pentecostalism or classical Pentecostalism is a movement within the broader Evangelical wing of Protestantism, Protestant Christianity that emphasizes direct personal experience of God in Christianity, God through Baptism with the Holy Spirit#Cl ...
communities,
Jehovah's Witnesses Jehovah's Witnesses is a Christian denomination that is an outgrowth of the Bible Student movement founded by Charles Taze Russell in the nineteenth century. The denomination is nontrinitarian, millenarian, and restorationist. Russell co-fou ...
,
Muslim Muslims () are people who adhere to Islam, a Monotheism, monotheistic religion belonging to the Abrahamic religions, Abrahamic tradition. They consider the Quran, the foundational religious text of Islam, to be the verbatim word of the God ...
community (non-practising),
Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...
community (non-practising), atheists


Economy


Production

Textiles, cosmetics, furniture, products from locally obtained Golden
Onyx Onyx is a typically black-and-white banded variety of agate, a silicate mineral. The bands can also be monochromatic with alternating light and dark bands. ''Sardonyx'' is a variety with red to brown bands alternated with black or white bands. ...
, 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 A nuclear power plant (NPP), also known as a nuclear power station (NPS), nuclear generating station (NGS) or atomic power station (APS) is a thermal power station in which the heat source is a nuclear reactor. As is typical of thermal power s ...
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 {{Infobox school , name = Gymnázium Andreja Vrábla Levice , native_name = , latin_name = , logo = , seal_image = , image = GAVLV.jpg , image_size = ...
, 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. Basic science and some introduction to ...
), 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 #Names and etymology, 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 Castle of Eger, its ...
, in the 1560s.


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 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. The Trecento is considered to be the beginning of the Italian Renaissance or at least the Proto-Renaissance in art history. The Trecento was als ...
-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: ; ; , until 1888: ; ) is a village in central Slovakia. It has a population of 1233 (2005). According to the local tourist information officer, this is the site referred to in what may be the first wr ...
– medieval fort-monastery with Gothic entrance, tombs and memorabilia of Hungarian noblemen * Želiezovce– 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 period (music), Classical and early Romantic music, Romantic eras. Despite his short life, Schubert left behind a List of compositions ...
taught music * Santovka
mineral water Mineral water is water from a mineral spring that contains various minerals, such as salts and sulfur compounds. It is usually still, but may be sparkling ( carbonated/ effervescent). Traditionally, mineral waters were used or consumed at t ...
springs and swimming pool * Brhlovce– cave-like dwellings cut into volcanic rock, nominated as a
UNESCO World Heritage World Heritage Sites are landmarks and areas with legal protection under an international treaty A treaty is a formal, legally binding written agreement between sovereign states and/or international organizations that is governed by int ...
site * Čajkov– known for local
folk costume Folk costume, traditional dress, traditional attire or folk attire, is clothing of an ethnic group, nation or region, and expresses cultural, religious or national identity. An ethnic group's clothing may also be called ethnic clothing or ethnic ...
s and the annual wine harvest festival *
Pukanec Pukanec ( / ''Puk(k)an(t)z'', ; ) is a village and municipality (historical town) in the Levice District in the Nitra Region of southern Slovakia. Etymology The name is probably derived from a personal name Baka, Bak, Bukan/Pukan or potentially ...
– tiny mining town once enjoying the status of Free royal town, still known for hand-made pottery * Sitno– volcanic peak in the
Štiavnica Mountains The Štiavnica Mountains (also Štiavnické Mountains; , ) are a volcanic mountain range southern central Slovakia. They are part of Inner Western Carpathians and the Slovenské stredohorie Mountains. The area is protected by Štiavnica Moun ...
,
Celt The Celts ( , see Names of the Celts#Pronunciation, pronunciation for different usages) or Celtic peoples ( ) were a collection of Indo-European languages, Indo-European peoples. "The Celts, an ancient Indo-European people, reached the apoge ...
ic 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, funga, or features of geologic ...
featuring rare
rose A rose is either a woody perennial plant, perennial flowering plant of the genus ''Rosa'' (), in the family Rosaceae (), or the flower it bears. There are over three hundred Rose species, species and Garden roses, tens of thousands of cultivar ...
species


Notable people

* Eva Borušovičová (1970–2025), director, screenwriter, writer, born in Levice * Juraj Cintula (born 1953), attempted assassin of Slovak Prime Minister
Robert Fico Robert Fico (; born 15 September 1964) is a Slovak politician who has served as the prime minister of Slovakia since 2023. He previously served as prime minister from 2006 to 2010 and from 2012 to 2018. He founded the left-wing political party D ...
* Eugene Fodor (1905–1991), writer; born in Levice * Pál Kadosa (1903–1983), composer and pianist; born in Levice *
Kálmán Kittenberger Kálmán Kittenberger (Léva, 10 October 1881 - Nagymaros, 4 January 1958) was an Austro-Hungarian traveller, natural history, natural historian, biologist and collector. He was born in Léva, now in Slovakia (''Levice''). He made six travels t ...
(1881–1958), geographer; born in Levice * Peter Lovaš (born 1978), para table tennis player, born in Levice * Mia Pohánková (born 2008), tennis player, born in Levice *
Géza Steinhardt Géza Steinhardt ( né Géza Szekeres; 1873–1944) was a Hungarian stage and film actor, theater director, film producer, screenplay writer, and author. He was a Jewish and known for his comic roles. Steinhardt was murdered in the Holocaust duri ...
(1873–1944), Hungarian Jewish actor; born in Levice


Twin towns — sister cities

Levice is twinned with: * Boskovice, Czech Republic *
Érd Érd (; ; , ) 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 humans lived here 50,000 year ...
, Hungary * Náměšť na Hané, Czech Republic * Ruda Śląska, Poland *
Skierniewice Skierniewice () is a city in central Poland with 45,184 inhabitants (2023), situated in the Łódź Voivodeship. It is the capital of Skierniewice County. Through the town runs the small river Łupia, also called Skierniewka. Located in the hist ...
, 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 Tekov First Vienna Award