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{{short description|City in Slovakia}}
{{Infobox Slovak town |
{{Use dmy dates|date=February 2020}}
image_coat_of_arms = Banska Bystrica Erb.svg|
{{Infobox settlement
subject_name = Banská Bystrica|
slovak_region = ] | | name = Banská Bystrica
| native_name =
slovak_district = ]|
| other_name =
coordinates = {{coor dms|48|43|57|N|19|08|57|E|type:city_scale:20000}} |
| settlement_type = City
altitude = 362 |
<!-- images, nickname, motto -->
population = 81,704 <small>(2005)</small>|
| image_skyline = <!-- images and maps -----------> {{multiple image
area = 103.37 |
| border = infobox
prefix = 48 |
| perrow = 1/2/2/2/2
psc = 97401 |
| total_width = 250
car_plate = BB |
| image1 = Banska Bystrica SNP Square.jpg
image_location = Map_slovakia_banska_bystrica.png
| image2 = Veža BB.JPG
| image3 = Museum of Slovak National Uprising.jpg
| footer = From the top, ], The Barbakan, ]}}
| image_caption =
| image_flag = Banska bystrica-banska bystrica-flag.svg
| flag_border = no
| flag_size = 120px
| image_shield = Coat of Arms of Banská Bystrica.svg
| shield_size = 90px
| motto =
| nickname =
| etymology = "Mining creek"
<!-- location -->
| subdivision_type = ]
| subdivision_name = {{SVK}}
| subdivision_type1 = ]
| subdivision_name1 = ]
| subdivision_type2 = ]
| subdivision_name2 = ]
| subdivision_type3 =
| subdivision_name3 =
| subdivision_type4 =
| subdivision_name4 =
<!-- maps and coordinates -->
| image_map =
| map_caption =
| pushpin_map = Slovakia Banská Bystrica Region#Slovakia
| pushpin_relief = 1
| pushpin_map_caption = Location of Banská Bystrica in the ]
| coordinates = {{coord|48|44|07|N|19|08|43|E|display=inline,title}}
| coordinates_footnotes =
<!-- government type, leaders -->
| leader_title = Mayor
| leader_name = Ján Nosko
<!-- established -->
| established_title = First mentioned
| established_date = 1255
<!-- area -->
| area_footnotes =<ref>{{cite web |url=https://datacube.statistics.sk/#!/view/sk/VBD_DEM/om7014rr/v_om7014rr_00_00_00_sk |title=Hustota obyvateľstva - obce |author=Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (www.statistics.sk) |date= |website=www.statistics.sk |publisher= |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref>
| area_total_km2 = 103.38
| area_total_sq_mi =
| area_land_sq_mi =
| area_water_sq_mi =
<!-- elevation -->
| elevation_footnotes = <ref name="base_info">{{Cite web |url=http://datacube.statistics.sk/#!/view/sk/VBD_SK_WIN/om5001rr/v_om5001rr_00_00_00_sk |title=Základná charakteristika |language=sk |date=2015-04-17 |website=www.statistics.sk |publisher= Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic|access-date=2022-03-31}}</ref>
| elevation_m = 368
| population_as_of = {{Tooltip|2022|2022-12-31}}
| population_footnotes =<ref>{{cite web |url=https://datacube.statistics.sk/#!/view/sk/VBD_DEM/om7101rr/v_om7101rr_00_00_00_sk |title=Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) |author=Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic (www.statistics.sk) |date= |website=www.statistics.sk |publisher= |access-date=2024-02-08}}</ref>
| population_total = 74590
| population_density_km2 = auto
| population_density_sq_mi=
| population_demonym =
<!-- time zone(s) -->
| timezone1 = ]
| utc_offset1 = +1
| timezone1_DST = ]
| utc_offset1_DST = +2
<!-- postal codes, area code -->
| postal_code_type = Postal code
| postal_code = 974 01<ref name="base_info"/>
| area_code_type =
| area_code = +421 48<ref name="base_info"/>
| geocode =
| iso_code =
| blank_name = ]
| blank_info = BB
<!-- website, footnotes -->
| website =
| footnotes =
|area_note= ({{Tooltip|2022|2022-06-31/2022-07-01}})
}} }}
'''Banská Bystrica''' is a ] in central ]. It is the capital of a '']'' (]) and an '']'' (]). In 2005, the town had population of 81,704.


'''Banská Bystrica''' ({{IPA|sk|ˈbanskaː ˈbistritsa|-|Sk-Banská_Bystrica.ogg}}, also known by other ]<!-- Please maintain the naming conventions ]#2.The lead and ] and don't add alternative English or unofficial foreign names here-->) is a city in central ], located on the ] River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the ], the ], and the ]. With approximately 76,000 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia.<ref name="statistics"/><ref name="urbanaudit">{{cite web|url=http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityProfiles.aspx|title=Urban Audit|access-date=14 December 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071217141925/http://www.urbanaudit.org/CityProfiles.aspx|archive-date=17 December 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The present-day town was founded by ] settlers, invited by the Hungarian ]-kings, during the ] (as part of the '']''),<ref name="Hungarian Catholic Lexicon"/> however it was built upon a former ]/]/] settlement. A part of ] after the Hungarian conquest. During the reign of ] it obtained the municipal privileges of a ] of the ] in 1255 and resettled with Germans from Thüringen. The ] town acquired its present picturesque look in the ] when the prosperous burghers built its central churches, mansions, and fortifications. It is the capital of the '']'' (more specifically ]) and the '']'' (]). It is also the home of ]. As a historical town with an easy access to the surrounding mountains, Banská Bystrica is a popular winter and summer ].
A medieval mining town with access to mountains, Banská Bystrica is a popular winter and summer resort, especially for vacationers from the Slovakia's capital ]. It has bus and train connections to the rest of the country, as well as to ] and ]; there are also flights to the latter city from the ] Airport. Banská Bystrica is the home of ] (''Univerzita Mateja Bela'').


==Etymology== == Etymology ==
Due to its multicultural character, Banská Bystrica has had several names, used simultaneously thorough the history. The oldest known names, the ] ''Villa Nova'' (meaning "new town") and the old ] name ''Neusohl'' ("New Zvolen") reflect the fact that the first settlers came from the nearby town of ] (henceforth known in German as ''Altsohl'', literally "Old Zvolen"). The current ] (''Banská Bystrica'') and ] (''Besztercebánya'' - originating from an older name documented as ''Byzterchebana'' in the 13th century ) names include two distinct roots: the name of the local river ("Bystrica", originally "Bystrice", meaning appr. "quick river" in Slovak) and the Hungarian and Slovak words for "mining" (the adjective ''Banská'' or the noun ''baňa'' (Slovak) / "''bánya''" (Hungarian), respectively).


The ] name Banská Bystrica includes two roots: the adjective ''Banská'' from ] ''baňa'' – "mine",<ref name="Ondruš">{{cite journal|title=Význam a pôvod slov báň – baňa|journal=Slovenská Reč|year=1971|first=Šimon|last=Ondruš|issue=2|page=12|url=http://www.juls.savba.sk/ediela/sr/1971/1/sr1971-1-lq.pdf}}</ref> and the name of the local river ''Bystrica'' (from Slavic ''bystrica'' – "swift stream").<ref name="krsko">{{cite journal|title=Názvy potokov v Banskej Bystrici a okolí|journal=Bystrický Permon|date=June 2003|first=Jaromír|last=Krško|volume=1|issue=2|page=8}}</ref> The name of the town in {{langx|hu|"Besztercebánya"}} also comes from the ''Beszterce'' stream (from the Slavic name of the stream, ''Bystrica''), and the suffix ''bánya'' is connected to the mines of the town.<ref></ref> The river lent its name to the town as early as 1255 when the ] name ''Villa Nova Bystrice'' (meaning "New Town of ''Bystrica''") was recorded<ref name="graus">{{cite journal|title=''K najstaršej podobe erbu Banskej Bystrice'' (On the oldest form of the coat of arms of Banská Bystrica)|journal=Bystrický Permon|date=February 2003|first=Igor|last=Graus|volume=1|pages=6–8|url=http://www.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_menu=3568&firmy_Slovenska_flag=0|format=PDF|access-date=2 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622065659/http://www.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_menu=3568&firmy_Slovenska_flag=0|archive-date=22 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> in the document in which King ] granted the town royal privileges.<ref>Fejes Bálint: ''Zólyom vármegye rövid története'', Belvedere, University of Szeged, Hungary, 1993 </ref><ref>{{cite book|author=Lucy Mallows|title=Slovakia: The Bradt Travel Guide|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=E-xg8GbdZykC&pg=PA231|year=2007|publisher=Bradt Travel Guides|isbn=978-1-84162-188-3|page=231}}</ref>
==Geography==
]
Banská Bystrica lies at an altitude of 362 metres and covers an area of 103.37 km². It is situated in the upper ] river basin. The town is surrounded by three mountain chains: ], ], and ]. All three are ]s because of their environmental value. Despite the proximity of these mountains, the local landscape is dominated by the much lower ] hill, which is a popular place of recreation.


Several variations of ''Bystrica'' (Byztherze, Bystrice, Bystrzice etc.) were then regularly used without the adjective identifying it as a mining town until the late 16th century. Although the first written record of the name ''Byzterchebana'' dates from 1263, it was rarely used afterwards.<ref name="balaz">{{cite journal|title=''Malé zamyslenie nad najstaršími podobami pomenovania Banskej Bystrice'' (A little contemplation over the oldest forms of the name of Banska Bystrica)|journal=Bystrický Permon|date=June 2008|first=Jan|last=Balaz|volume=6|issue=2|page=3|url=http://www.permon.eu/resources/BP-2008-02-1.pdf|access-date=3 July 2008}}</ref>{{unreliable source?|date=October 2012}} The ] name ''Neusohl'' ("New Zvolen") (first recorded in 1300) and later its Latin version (''Neosolium'') reflected the fact that some early settlers came from the nearby town of ] (at the time known in German as ''Altsohl'', literally "Old Zvolen"). The two names{{Vague|date=February 2013}} have been used in parallel and even complementary (as in ''Novizolii Bistriciensis'') throughout the history of the town. In the late 16th century the use of the mining adjective became more frequent (as in ''Bystrzicze na baniech'' or ''Bystricze Banska'', both from 1530).<ref name="balaz" /> This evolution resulted in the current form of the name, first recorded in 1773 as ''Banska Bystrica''. In the ], the German name ''Neusohl'' was used until the ], when the Hungarian name ''Besztercebánya'' became the official one.<ref>Die Poststempel auf der Freimarken-Ausgabe 1867 von Österreich und Ungarn, Edwin Mueller, 1930 (en allemand)</ref> The parallel use of Slovak or German names in the written record did not, however, cease in this period.<ref name="donovalova" /> ''Banská Bystrica'' became the official name of the town in 1920.
==History==
] hill]]
The early history of Banská Bystrica is connected with the exploitation of abundant deposits of ] (and to a lesser extent of silver, gold, and iron). The tools used by prehistoric miners in a locality called ] are dated as early as 2000-1700 BC.


== History ==
In 1255, King ] of ] granted Banská Bystrica extensive municipal privileges in order to attract skilled settlers from the ]. The town, called ''Neusohl'' by these ], flourished as a regional mining center. In the second half of the 13th century, a remarkable ] church was built in the town. In 1494, the company ''Ungarischer Handel'' ("Hungarian Trade" in German), was founded by the affluent ] and ] families. Depending mainly on the mines around Banská Bystrica, the company became the leading world producer of copper by the 16th century.


]
The ]'s northern ] led the ] to fortify the town with modern stone walls in 1589. Banská Bystrica was one of the foremost centers of the ] in Slovakia and the town had to fight for its rights against the ruling dynasty of ] ]n ]s, as well as against the Ottoman Turks and powerful Hungarian ]s. In 1620 Prince ] of ], a Protestant, was elected King of Hungary at the ] in Banská Bystrica.
{{multiple image|perrow=2|total_width=300
|image1 = Besztercebanyacivertanlegi1.jpg|caption1 = The town centre of Banská Bystrica (seen from above)
|image2 = Besztercebanyacivertanlegi2.jpg|caption2 = The town centre of Banská Bystrica (seen from above)
|image3 = Besztercebanyacivertanlegi3.jpg|caption3 = The town barbican (seen from above)
|image4 = Besztercebanyacivertanlegi4.jpg|caption4 = The town centre of Banská Bystrica (seen from above)
}}


]
As the copper deposits were almost depleted, the development in the subsequent centuries was based on new industries (], ], ]). Banská Bystrica also became the seat of a Catholic bishopric and several institutions of higher educations. During ], the town was the center of anti-] opposition in Slovakia. The ], one of the largest movements of anti-Nazi resistance in Europe, was launched from Banská Bystrica on ], ]. Banská Bystrica was an administrative, economic, and cultural center for central Slovakia throughout the 20th century. Because of the unprecedented development of the University of Matej Bel in the 1990s, it has gained the character of a ].


The earliest history of Banská Bystrica was connected to the exploitation of its abundant deposits of copper (and to a lesser extent of silver, gold, and iron). The tools used by prehistoric miners at the locality called ] have been dated to 2000–1700 BC.<ref name="macelova">{{cite journal|title=Počiatky prospektorstva a ťažby medenej rudy na Španej Doline|journal=Bystrický Permon|date=June 2003|first=Marta|last=Mácelová|volume=1|issue=2|pages=3–10}}</ref> People of the ] built their settlements at Špania Dolina, ], ], and ]. Ancient ] locations are still reflected in the local ] ''Hrádok'', meaning "a small fort (later: castle)".<ref name="archeologia">{{cite web| title= Archeológia| publisher= Stredoslovenské múzeum v Banskej Bystrici| url= http://www.stredoslovenskemuzeum.sk/archeologia.htm| access-date= 3 May 2007| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20070501003240/http://www.stredoslovenskemuzeum.sk/archeologia.htm| archive-date= 1 May 2007| url-status= dead| df= dmy-all}}</ref> The territory was inhabited by the ] tribe of the ] (]) in the 3rd century BC. The ] of the ] took over the place during the ], leaving for instance a ] of silver artifacts in ''Netopierska jaskyňa'' (Bat Cave).
==Places of interest==
]
Banská Bystrica has a large network of hiking paths all around the town. In wintertime, it attracts fans of ] and ], as there are a number of ski resorts close to the town, including the ] resort famous for ].


The present city was built upon a former Slavic settlement.<ref name="archeologia"/> After the ] it was incorporated in the ] of the ]. The first known stone church was built by ] immigrants in the then still independent settlement of ] in the first half of the 13th century, when the area belong to the king.<ref name="Hungarian Catholic Lexicon"/> According to Slovak archaeologists Banská Bystrica started as a permanent settlement in the 9th century. Other sources claim that due to the ], in 1243–44, the town ceased to exist.{{dubious|date=March 2013}} In 1255 King ] granted Banská Bystrica extensive municipal privileges, in order to attract more skilled settlers.<ref name="Hungarian Catholic Lexicon">{{cite news|url=http://www.lexikon.katolikus.hu/B/Beszterceb%C3%A1nya.html| title=Besztercebánya – Hungarian Catholic Lexicon |publisher=Pazmany Peter Catholic University|access-date=12 February 2013}}</ref><ref name="BBhistory">{{cite web | publisher = City of Banská Bystrica | url = http://eng.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_kat_for_menu=2363&firmy_slovenska_flag=0 | title = Banská Bystrica – History | year = 2007 | access-date = 1 September 2007 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070915173930/http://eng.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_kat_for_menu=2363&firmy_slovenska_flag=0 | archive-date = 15 September 2007 | url-status = dead}}</ref> Descendants of the German immigrants to this and other counties became later known as the ]. The city flourished as a regional mining center.<ref name="BBhistory"/><ref name="habsudova"/> It built the Late ] Church of the Virgin Mary in the second half of the 13th century. During the same period, Banská Bystrica obtained its own ] inspired by the coat of arms of the ruling dynasty of the ], also used as the historical flag of the Kingdom of Hungary.<ref name="graus"/><ref>Klíc k našim mestum' by Karel Liška and Ludvík Mucha, ed. Práce in Prague, 1979</ref> The local craftsmen were organized in fifty ]s, with the butchers' guild being the oldest.<ref name="donovalova">{{cite book | last = Donovalová | first = Katarína | title = Poznaj svoje mesto – Banská Bystrica: Výberová regionálna bibliografia dejín mesta od najstarších čias po súčasnosť | publisher = R.G.T. PRESS | year = 2003 | location = Dunajská Streda | url = http://vkmk.sk.neutrino.vasadomena.sk/storage/PoznajSvojeMestoBB.pdf | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070928091239/http://vkmk.sk.neutrino.vasadomena.sk/storage/PoznajSvojeMestoBB.pdf | archive-date = 28 September 2007}}</ref>
Most historical monuments are concentrated near the picturesque main square ({{lang-sk|Námestie SNP}}), which in summertime is covered by flowers and street cafes. The square is dominated by a leaning ] built in 1552, an ancient "]" (Slovak: ''Morový stĺp''), an interesting fountain, and a black ] raised to the honor of the Soviet soldiers killed during the liberation of the town in 1945. Most buildings on the square and the surrounding streets are well-preserved ], ], and ] ] houses. The most interesting among them are Benicky's house and Thurzo's house (Slovak: ''Thurzov dom''), the latter hosting a museum with a regional archaeological collection and remarkable Gothic ]s.


The affluent ] and ] families founded the prosperous ''Ungarischer Handel'' company (German for "Hungarian Trade") in 1494. Depending mainly on the mines around Banská Bystrica, the company had become a leading world producer of copper by the 16th century.<ref name="habsudova">{{cite journal|title=Mineral and political wealth of Banská Bystrica mining region has flown|journal=]|date=8 July 2002|first=Zuzana|last=Habšudová|url=http://www.spectator.sk/articles/view/9780|access-date=15 December 2007}}</ref> With the most sophisticated mining technologies in Europe, an advanced accounting system, and benefits including ] for its 1,000 employees, ''Ungarischer Handel'' was one of the largest and most modern early-capitalist firms.<ref name="habsudova"/><ref name="zuffa">{{cite journal|title=''Banskobystrický mediarsky podnik'' (Banska Bystrica Copper Company)|journal=Bystrický Permon|date=April 2003|first=Milan|last=Žuffa|volume=1|issue=1|pages=6–7}}</ref> An early record of the miners' industrial action is from 1526 when the City Council needed to take refuge within the confines of City Castle. The ]'s ] led the ] to improve the city's fortifications with modern stone walls in 1589, but the Turks never occupied the region.<ref name="donovalova"/> Banská Bystrica became one of the foremost centers of the ] in the ] in the 16th century.<ref name="slovensko">{{cite book| author=Tibenský, Ján| title =Slovensko: Dejiny| publisher=Obzor| year =1971| location =Bratislava|display-authors=etal}}</ref> Later on, the city had to fight for its ] guaranteed by the ] against the ruling dynasty of the Austrian Roman Catholic ], for its physical independence against ] and for its self-governance against the Kingdom of Hungary's powerful ]s.<ref name="slovensko"/> In 1620, Prince ] of ], a Protestant, was ] of Hungary by the ] meeting at Banská Bystrica.
From the fortifications, a ] protecting the main gate, three ]s and a part of the historical walls have been preserved. Banská Bystrica also has a museum located at the Memorial of the ], which offers a large military collection, including an ] of tanks, artillery, airplanes, and ]s from World War II.


The village of ], now a borough of Banská Bystrica, was granted the economically important right to hold annual fairs (''Radvanský jarmok'') in 1655. The fair was transferred to Banská Bystrica's main square in the 20th century. The copper deposits had been all but depleted by the 18th century, but new industries, such as ], paper, and textiles, developed. In 1766 the city became the capital of ]<ref name="BBhistory"/> when Banská Bystrica also became the seat of a ] (1776) and of several institutions of higher education.<ref name="donovalova"/> ] expanded in the 19th century with the foundation of a permanent municipal hospital (1820), a municipal theater (1841), and a municipal museum (1889). The railway reached the town from Zvolen in 1873.<ref name="BBhistory"/>
==Municipal Castle==
]
The oldest part of Banská Bystrica is the ] complex within walking distance of the main square. The town castle served as the administrative center of the town and it also protected king's treasury. The Church of Assumption of the ] (Slovak: ''Farský kostol''), built in the ] and Gothic styles, contains precious Gothic altars and sculptures. One of the altars was carved by famous ]. The church was built in the 13th century, well before the town got its first royal privileges. The ancient cemetery around the church is partly conservated. The Church of the ] was built in 1452 by ] as a challenge of some sort to the "German" Church of the Virgin Mary. The Matthias House (Slovak: ''Matejov dom'') was built in ] as a five-story late-Gothic ] with a Gothic portal and stone console balcony. It served as a temporary residence of the king ] and his queen consort Beatrix. The old Renaissance town hall, dated from 1500, has been transformed into a gallery.


After ] lost the ], Banská Bystrica along with the entire northern part of ] was given to ] by the ] in 1920.
==Demographics==
]
In 2005, the town had a total population of 81,704. The population density was 790/km². For every 100 females there were 89.5 males. According to the 2001 census, the religious makeup was 46.6% ], 30.2% people with no religious affiliation, and 13.9% ]. 94.7% of inhabitants were ] and 1.4% ]. As indicated by their last names, many inhabitants are direct descendants of medieval ] settlers. Before World War II, the population of the town also included significant ] and ] minorities and most people mastered Slovak, German, Hungarian, and sometimes also ] and ] languages.


During World War II, Banská Bystrica became the center of anti-] opposition in Slovakia when the ], one of the largest<ref name="pynsent">{{cite book | last = Pynsent| first = Robert B | title = Questions of identity : Czech and Slovak ideas of nationality and personality | publisher=Central European University Press | year = 1994| location = Budapest; New York }}</ref> anti-Nazi resistance events in Europe, was launched from the city on 29 August 1944.<ref name="BBhistory"/> The insurgents were defeated on 27 October,<ref>{{cite book |last1=Bartl |first1=Július |last2=Skvarna |first2=Dusan |title=Slovak History: Chronology & Lexicon |date=2002 |publisher=Bolchazy-Carducci |isbn=0865164444 |page=324 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=3orG2yZ9mBkC&pg=PA324 |access-date=31 October 2019}}</ref> and Banská Bystrica was briefly occupied by the German forces before it was liberated by Soviet and Romanian troops on 26 March 1945.<ref name="donovalova"/> After the war, Banská Bystrica became the administrative, economic, and cultural hub of central Slovakia. It has been a ] since the 1950s. Its largest ] was founded in 1992.
==Famous people==
]
* ], director and actor
* ], ice hockey player
* ], composer
* ], composer
* ], ice hockey player
* ], wrtiter
* ], ice hockey player
* ], inventor
* ], ice hockey player
* ], Jewish soldier
* ], ice hockey player
* ], writer
* ], diplomat
* ], writer
* ], ice hockey player


==Sister cities== == Geography ==
Banská Bystrica lies at an altitude of {{convert|362|m|ft|0}} ] and covers an area of {{convert|103.37|km2|sqmi|1}}.<ref name="statistics">{{cite web| title = Municipal Statistics | publisher=Statistical Office of the Slovak republic | url = http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html | access-date = 3 May 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20070513023228/http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html |archive-date = 13 May 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> It is about halfway between Slovakia's two largest cities, {{convert|208|km|mi|0}} north-east from Slovakia's capital ] and {{convert|217|km|mi|0}} west of ]. A chain of discrete suburbs and villages connects it with Zvolen, another major town {{convert|20|km|mi|0}} to the south.
Banská Bystrica has several sister cities around the world:
* {{flagicon|England}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Czech Republic}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Hungary}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Russia}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Israel}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Greece}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Bulgaria}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Poland}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Croatia}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Italy}} - ], ],
* {{flagicon|Germany}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Hungary}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Montenegro}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Poland}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Serbia}} - ], ], since ]
* {{flagicon|Serbia}} - ], ], since ]


Banská Bystrica is situated in the Hron River valley ({{langx|sk|Pohronie}}). The Hron River curves through the city from the east to the south. The city nests among three mountain chains: the ] to the north-east, the ] to the north-west, and the ] to the west. All three are ]s because of their environmental value. Banská Bystrica hosts the headquarters of the ]. Despite the proximity of these ]s, the local landscape is dominated by the much lower ] Mountain, {{convert|510|m|ft|0}}, which is a popular place of recreation.<ref name="kubisova">{{cite journal|title=Urpín = odveký strážca mesta|journal=Bystrický Permon|date=October 2003|first=Dana|last=Kubišová|volume=1|issue=3|page=12}}</ref>
==See also==
*]


Banská Bystrica lies in the ] and has a ] with four distinct seasons. It is characterized by a significant variation between hot summers and cold, snowy winters.<ref name=msn>{{cite web | url = http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?&wealocations=wc%3a2869&setunit=C | title = Monthly Averages for Banská Bystrica, Slovakia | access-date = 15 November 2007 | publisher = MSN | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080606013743/http://weather.msn.com/monthly_averages.aspx?&wealocations=wc%3A2869&setunit=C | archive-date = 6 June 2008 | url-status = dead }}</ref>
==External links==
{{Clear}}
{{commonscat|Banská Bystrica}}
{{Weather box
*
|width = auto
*
|location = Banská Bystrica (]) 1991−2020, extremes 1961–2020
*
|metric first = yes
*
|single line = yes
*
|Jan record high C = 13.3
|Feb record high C = 17.9
|Mar record high C = 24.7
|Apr record high C = 30.4
|May record high C = 32.3
|Jun record high C = 35.8
|Jul record high C = 37.8
|Aug record high C = 37.8
|Sep record high C = 34.5
|Oct record high C = 28.3
|Nov record high C = 21.5
|Dec record high C = 15.5
|year record high C = 37.8
|Jan high C = 0.7
|Feb high C = 4.6
|Mar high C = 10.1
|Apr high C = 17.1
|May high C = 21.8
|Jun high C = 25.3
|Jul high C = 27.2
|Aug high C = 27.2
|Sep high C = 21.4
|Oct high C = 14.9
|Nov high C = 7.9
|Dec high C = 1.8
|year high C = 15.0
|Jan mean C = -2.6
|Feb mean C = -0.6
|Mar mean C = 4.0
|Apr mean C = 10.1
|May mean C = 15.0
|Jun mean C = 18.4
|Jul mean C = 20.1
|Aug mean C = 19.4
|Sep mean C = 14.2
|Oct mean C = 8.9
|Nov mean C = 4.1
|Dec mean C = -1.3
|year mean C = 9.1
|Jan low C = -6.2
|Feb low C = -5.1
|Mar low C = -1.1
|Apr low C = 3.1
|May low C = 7.8
|Jun low C = 11.6
|Jul low C = 13.2
|Aug low C = 12.7
|Sep low C = 8.5
|Oct low C = 4.4
|Nov low C = 0.7
|Dec low C = -4.3
|year low C = 3.8
|Jan record low C = -30.0
|Feb record low C = -27.4
|Mar record low C = -26.2
|Apr record low C = -7.3
|May record low C = -4.4
|Jun record low C = -0.2
|Jul record low C = 2.7
|Aug record low C = 0.0
|Sep record low C = -4.0
|Oct record low C = -10.8
|Nov record low C = -22.6
|Dec record low C = -26.7
|year record low C = -30.0
|precipitation colour = green
|Jan precipitation mm = 45.6
|Feb precipitation mm = 41.7
|Mar precipitation mm = 44.0
|Apr precipitation mm = 44.5
|May precipitation mm = 72.2
|Jun precipitation mm = 81.2
|Jul precipitation mm = 91.3
|Aug precipitation mm = 64.4
|Sep precipitation mm = 56.2
|Oct precipitation mm = 62.9
|Nov precipitation mm = 58.9
|Dec precipitation mm = 52.0
|year precipitation mm = 714.9
|unit precipitation days = 1.0 mm
|Jan precipitation days = 7.6
|Feb precipitation days = 7.1
|Mar precipitation days = 7.2
|Apr precipitation days = 6.8
|May precipitation days = 9.8
|Jun precipitation days = 9.2
|Jul precipitation days = 9.5
|Aug precipitation days = 7.2
|Sep precipitation days = 6.9
|Oct precipitation days = 7.9
|Nov precipitation days = 8.6
|Dec precipitation days = 8.3
|year precipitation days = 96.1
|Jan snow days = 11.8
|Feb snow days = 9.6
|Mar snow days = 5.8
|Apr snow days = 1.2
|May snow days = 0.0
|Jun snow days = 0.0
|Jul snow days = 0.0
|Aug snow days = 0.0
|Sep snow days = 0.0
|Oct snow days = 0.6
|Nov snow days = 4.1
|Dec snow days = 9.3
|year snow days = 42.4
|Jan humidity = 84.2
|Feb humidity = 77.2
|Mar humidity = 70.6
|Apr humidity = 64.3
|May humidity = 65.4
|Jun humidity = 67.1
|Jul humidity = 66.9
|Aug humidity = 68.8
|Sep humidity = 74.5
|Oct humidity = 80.2
|Nov humidity = 83.9
|Dec humidity = 85.8
|year humidity = 74.1
|Jan sun = 64.1
|Feb sun = 93.7
|Mar sun = 151.2
|Apr sun = 200.9
|May sun = 241.0
|Jun sun = 247.1
|Jul sun = 270.7
|Aug sun = 255.6
|Sep sun = 172.0
|Oct sun = 113.4
|Nov sun = 62.1
|Dec sun = 52.0
|year sun = 1923.8
| source 1 = ]<ref name=WMOCLINO>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230820202114/https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Slovakia/CSV/SLIAC_11903.csv
| archive-date = 20 August 2023
| url = https://www.nodc.noaa.gov/archive/arc0216/0253808/1.1/data/0-data/Region-6-WMO-Normals-9120/Slovakia/CSV/SLIAC_11903.csv
| title = Sliač Climate Normals 1991–2020
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1991–2020)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 20 August 2023}}</ref><ref name=NOAA>{{cite web
| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20230820202215/https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-VI/S1/11903.TXT
| archive-date = 20 August 2023
| url = https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/normals/WMO/1961-1990/RA-VI/S1/11903.TXT
| title = Sliač Climate Normals 1961–1990
| work = World Meteorological Organization Climatological Standard Normals (1961–1990)
| publisher = National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
| access-date = 20 August 2023}}</ref>
}}

== Demographics ==
] Mountain, is the core of the original settlement]]

{{Historical populations
|align=left
|1720|2646
|1869|25950
|1918|10776
|1950|22651
|1970|44749|1980|62688|1991|83698|2001|83056|2011|80003|2021|76018}}

In 2013, the city had a total population of 79,368, making it the 6th-largest municipality in Slovakia in 2005.<ref name="statistics"/><ref name="urbanaudit"/> The population density was 790 per square kilometer in 2005.<ref name="duriancik">{{cite journal|title=Banská Bystrica vo svetle posledného sčítania obyvateľstva domov a bytov|journal=Bystrický Permon|date=June 2006|first=Jozef|last=Ďuriančik|volume=4|issue=2|pages=6–8|url=http://www.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_menu=3568&firmy_slovenska_flag=0|format=PDF|access-date=3 June 2007|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070622065659/http://www.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_menu=3568&firmy_slovenska_flag=0|archive-date=22 June 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref>

]

The population was spread out, with 13.2% under the age of 15, 68.2% in the so-called productive age (15–54 years for women and 15–59 years for men), and 18.6% in the so-called post-productive age (over 54 years for women and over 59 years for men). For every 100 women there were 89.5 men. The population was slightly decreasing (by 423) in 2005, with the number of deaths (727) higher than the number of live births (673) and a negative migration rate.<ref name="statistics"/> The ] at birth was 75.1 years (as of 2001), which is a figure close to the ] life expectancy in the ].<ref name="urbanaudit"/>

According to the 2001 census, the religious composition was 46.6% Roman Catholics, 30.2% people with no religious affiliation, and 13.9% ]. People's ethnic self-identification was 94.7% ] and 1.4% ].<ref name="statistics"/> Before World War II, the population of the city also included significant ], ], and Jewish minorities and many people were trilingual, mastering the Slovak, German, and Hungarian languages.<ref name="bitusikova"/> The Jews resided for a long time in Radvaň because they used to be prohibited from entering the city. The synagogue in Banská Bystrica was built in 1867 and demolished in 1983.

{| class="wikitable" style="margin:0 auto; text-align:right;"
|-
| colspan="4" | '''Historical populations by ethnicity'''<ref name="duriancik"/>
|-
| '''Year'''
| '''Slovaks'''
| '''Germans'''
| '''Hungarians'''
|-
| 1715
| 1,899
| 873
| 279
|-
| 1850
| 4,221
| 978
| 44
|-
| 1910<ref name=foruminst>{{cite web|url=http://www.foruminst.sk/ |title=Szlovákiai Magyar Adatbank, Fórum Kisebbségkutató Intézet (Szlovákia) |publisher=foruminst.sk |access-date=26 March 2013}}</ref>
| 4,388
| ?
| 5,261
|-
| 1919
| 8,265
| 406
| 1,565
|-
| 2001
| 78,700
| 53
| 446
|}

== Economy ==
]]]

While Banská Bystrica's prosperity used to be derived from copper mining in the distant past, the most important sectors of the local economy are now tourism, timber, and mechanical industry.<ref name="urbanaudit"/> Two of the largest employers in Slovakia, ] (the public postal service, ranked as the 3rd largest employer) and Lesy SR (the national forest service, ranked as 13th).<ref name="zamestnavatelia">{{cite news|title=Najväčší zamestnávatelia Slovenska |url=http://firmy.etrend.sk/17775/firmy/najvacsi-zamestnavatelia-slovenska |work=Trend |access-date=14 December 2007 |language=sk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071215222737/http://firmy.etrend.sk/17775/firmy/najvacsi-zamestnavatelia-slovenska |archive-date=15 December 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> have their headquarters in Banská Bystrica. In the period 2007–2013, the city intends to work with ] and other municipalities in the vicinity in order to jointly develop one of Slovakia's major ]s.<ref name="rozvoj">{{cite web|url=http://banskabystrica.sk/download_file_f.php?id=21983 |title=Program hospodárskeho a sociálneho rozvoja mesta Banská Bystrica |access-date=14 December 2007 |format=PDF |language=sk}}</ref> The municipal strategy of ] envisages Banská Bystrica as a regional center of tourism, services, administration, and entrepreneurship.<ref name="rozvoj"/> The proclaimed three pillars of the future development are the natural and ], ], and infrastructure.<ref name="rozvoj"/>

] in 2001 was €3,643, which was below Slovakia's average (€4,400).<ref name="urbanaudit"/> GDP per capita for the ] (''Banskobystrický kraj'') in 2004 was ] €10,148.70 (current euros), which was below Slovakia's average of PPS €12,196.20.<ref>Eurostat, "Gross domestic product indicators – ESA95." 2004A00; Table REG_E3GDP − Gross domestic product (GDP) at current market prices at NUTS level 3: Purchasing Power Parities per inhabitant, SK032 and SK0.</ref> More recent data disaggregated to the level of districts or municipalities are not available, but all of Slovakia's regional seats have per-capita GDPs above their region averages.
The ] in Banská Bystrica was 6.2% in December 2006,<ref name="slovakiainvest">{{cite web |url=http://www.slovakinvestagency.sk/nezamestnanost-bb |title=Miera nezamestnanosti v okresoch regiónu Banská Bystrica |access-date=15 December 2007 |publisher=SlovakInvest Agency |language=sk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070703035707/http://www.slovakinvestagency.sk/nezamestnanost-bb |archive-date=3 July 2007 }}</ref> below the country's average of 9.4% at that time.<ref name="susrunemployment">{{cite web|url=http://portal.statistics.sk/showdoc.do?docid=1934 |title=Evidovaná nezamestnanosť |access-date=15 December 2007 |publisher=Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic |language=sk| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071221100130/http://portal.statistics.sk/showdoc.do?docid=1934| archive-date= 21 December 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> The unemployment rate in the whole country has been decreasing since then, reaching 7.8% in November 2007.<ref name="actualunemployment">{{cite web|url=https://www.upsvr.gov.sk/statistiky.html?page_id=1247 |title=Kangal |access-date=18 December 2019 |format=ZIP |publisher=Ústredie práce, sociálnych vecí a rodiny |language=sk }}</ref>

The city has a balanced budget of more than one billion ]s (almost €33&nbsp;million, {{As of|2007|lc=y}}), with a small deficit of 37 million korunas.<ref name="zaverecnyucet">{{cite web |url=http://banskabystrica.sk/download_file_f.php?id=24913 |title=Plnenie rozpočtu Mesta Banská Bystrica za rok 2006 |access-date=14 December 2007 |format=PDF |publisher=Mestský úrad Banská Bystrica |language=sk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120212094611/http://www.banskabystrica.sk/download_file_f.php?id=24913 |archive-date=12 February 2012 |url-status=dead }}</ref> More than one fifth of the budget was used for investment.<ref name="zaverecnyucet"/> The highest revenue comes from the ] of persons (437&nbsp;million korunas in 2006).<ref name="zaverecnyucet"/>

== Places of interest ==
]
]

Most of the historical monuments are concentrated near its central, picturesque ] ({{langx|sk|Námestie SNP}}), which teems with flowers and street cafes in the summer. The square is named after the ]. It is dominated by a ] built in 1552. Although less known than its famous ], it is a ] with the top {{convert|40|cm|in|abbr=off}} off the perpendicular.<ref name="donovalova"/> A ] (Slovak: ''Morový stĺp'') was erected in the square in the 18th century in gratitude to ] for ending a deadly ]. The column was temporarily removed before a visit of the ] leader ] in 1964 because a religious symbol was considered too embarrassing a background for the Communist leader's speech.<ref name="bitusikova">{{cite journal|title=Transformations of a city centre in the light of ideologies: the case of Banská Bystrica, Slovakia|journal=International Journal of Urban and Regional Research|year=1998|first=Alexandra|last=Bitušíková|volume=22|issue=4|pages=614–622|doi=10.1111/1468-2427.00165}}</ref> The ] (Slovak: ''Kapitulský kostol'', "Chapter Church") is a copy of the ] ] in Rome and is since 1776 the seat of the ].<ref name="donovalova"/> Other major monuments on the square include an ] fountain from the beginning of the 20th century and a black ] raised to the honor of the Soviet soldiers killed during the liberation of the city in 1945.

Most buildings enclosing the square and in the nearby streets are well-preserved ], ], and ] ] mansions and wealthy ]' residences. The most interesting among them are the Benicky House<ref name="lonely">{{cite book | last = Dunford | first = Lisa | author2 = Neil Wilson | author3 = Brett Atkinson | title = Lonely Planet Czech & Slovak Republics | publisher = Lonely Planet | year = 2007 | page = | isbn = 978-1-74104-504-8 | url-access = registration | url = https://archive.org/details/isbn_9781741045048/page/372 }}</ref> and the Thurzo House, the latter hosting a museum with a regional archaeological collection and remarkable Gothic ]s.<ref name="donovalova"/> Most of the buildings in the center have been transformed into luxury stores, restaurants, and cafes.<ref name="bitusikova"/> SNP Square itself was completely reconstructed in 1994.<ref name="bitusikova"/>

The museum located at the Memorial of the ] contains a large military collection, including an ] of World War II tanks, artillery, aircraft, and ].

Banská Bystrica has also a large network of marked hiking trails all around the city. In wintertime, it attracts fans of ] and ], as there are a number of ski resorts close to the city, including the ] resort famous for ].

=== Town castle ===

] (''Matejov dom'') and ]]]

The oldest part of Banská Bystrica is town ] at the edge of SNP Square. It is enclosed within what has remained of its original fortifications − a ] protecting the main gate, three ]s, and part of the walls. The town castle served as the town's administrative center and it also protected the king's treasury.<ref name="hrad">{{cite web|url=http://www.zamky.sk/?mon=6012321&q=node/3 |title=Banská Bystrica hrad |access-date=18 December 2007 |language=sk}}</ref> The ] (Slovak: ''Farský kostol'') of the Assumption of the ] built in the ] and Gothic styles contains precious Gothic altars and sculptures.<ref name="donovalova"/> One of the altars was carved by the famous ]. The church was built in the 13th century. It is still surrounded by remnants of its ancient cemetery. The neighboring ] was built in 1452 by the Slovak burghers as a counterpart to the Church of the Virgin Mary that then acquired the attribute ''German''.<ref name="hrad"/> The ] (Slovak: Matejov dom) was built in 1479 as a five-story late-Gothic structure with a Gothic portal and stone console balcony. It served as a temporary residence of King ] and his ] Beatrix. The Renaissance Old Town Hall, dated from 1500, has been transformed into an art museum.<ref name="castle">{{cite web | publisher = Slovak Tourist Board | url = http://www.slovakia.travel/entitaview.aspx?l=2&idp=2087 | title = The town castle of Banská Bystrica | year = 2007 | access-date = 1 September 2007 | url-status = dead | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071212232330/http://www.slovakia.travel/entitaview.aspx?l=2&idp=2087 | archive-date = 12 December 2007}}</ref>

== Culture ==
There are four theaters in Banská Bystrica. The State ] ({{langx|sk|Štátna opera v Banskej Bystrici}}) was founded in 1959.<ref name="opera">{{cite web |url=http://www.stateopera.sk/index.php/content/view/25/21/lang,english/ |title=State opera |access-date=12 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080106121158/http://www.stateopera.sk/index.php/content/view/25/21/lang%2Cenglish/ |archive-date=6 January 2008 |url-status=dead }}</ref> It has given the opera world several ]s, ] being the most famous one.<ref name="opera"/> Every summer, the State Opera organizes a popular open-air festival at ].<ref name="opera"/> ''Štúdio tanca'' is a professional ] theater established in 1998.<ref name="studio">{{cite web|url=http://www.studiotanca.sk/index_en.htm |title=Studio tanca |access-date=13 December 2007 |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071221170911/http://www.studiotanca.sk/index_en.htm |archive-date = 21 December 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> A professional ] theater, ''Bábkové divadlo na Rázcestí'' (Puppet Theater at the Fork in the Road) founded in 1960, organizes the only marionette festival in Slovakia.<ref name="babkove">{{cite web|url=http://www.bdnr.sk/divadlo.htm |title=História divadla |access-date=13 December 2007 |language=sk |archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071030033257/http://www.bdnr.sk/divadlo.htm |archive-date = 30 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> Theatre from the Passage (Slovak: ''Divadlo z Pasáže'') is Slovakia's only theater with a ] cast<ref name="pasaz">{{cite web |url=http://www.divadlozpasaze.sk/www/main.php?pageid=news |title=Divadlo z Pasáže |access-date=13 December 2007 |language=sk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071213221239/http://www.divadlozpasaze.sk/www/main.php?pageid=news |archive-date=13 December 2007 |url-status=dead }}</ref> whose mission is to help integrate mentally disabled people in society.

]]]

The oldest museum in the city is the Museum of Central Slovakia (Slovak: ''Stredoslovenské múzeum''), founded in 1889.<ref name="ssm">{{cite web|url=http://www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=ssm_en |title=Central – Slovakian Museum Banska Bystrica |access-date=14 December 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080108204802/http://www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=ssm_en |archive-date=8 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> Its historical exposition is located in the Thurzo House on SNP Square, while the natural history exposition is in the Tihányi Mansion in ]. The Old Town Hall building at City Castle hosts the State Gallery (Slovak: ''Štátna Galéria'') specialized in ] Slovak art.<ref name="sgbb">{{cite web|url=http://www.isternet.sk/sgbb/ |title=Štátna Galéria v Banskej Bystrici |access-date=14 December 2007|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071028065955/http://www.isternet.sk/sgbb/ |archive-date = 28 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The ] (Slovak: ''Múzeum Slovenského národného povstania'') features a collection of 203,000 ], including an open-air exhibition of World War II heavy weapons.<ref name="snpmuseum">{{cite web|url=http://www.muzeumsnp.sk/english/index.htm |archive-url=https://archive.today/20071221001903/http://www.muzeumsnp.sk/english/index.htm |url-status=dead |archive-date=21 December 2007 |title=Museum of the Slovak National Uprising |access-date=14 December 2007 }}</ref> Other noteworthy museums are the regional Literature and Music Museum (Slovak: ''Literárne a hudobné múzeum'')<ref name="lhm">{{cite web |url=http://www.muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=lhm |title=Literarne a hudobne muzeum pri SVK (LHM) Banska Bystrica |access-date=14 December 2007 |language=sk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071020171513/http://muzeum.sk/defaulte.php?obj=muzeum&ix=lhm |archive-date=20 October 2007 }}</ref> and Slovakia's only Postal Museum (Slovak: ''Poštové múzeum Slovenskej pošty'').<ref name="postovemuzeum">{{cite web|url=http://www.posta.sk/page/53 |title=Informácie o múzeu |access-date=14 December 2007 |language=sk| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071225181702/http://www.posta.sk/page/53| archive-date= 25 December 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref>

The town is the setting for the book ] by ], published in 1895. The book was part of a large increase in Hungarian writing at the time, which was symptomatic of the rise in Hungarian separatism against what was seen as the oppression of the German Habsburgs.{{citation needed|date=March 2013}}

From 22 to 28 February 1959 the first festival of the Czechoslovak cinema was presented in Banská Bystrica. While it was planned by ''Český film'' as a showcase of the national film production it turned into a tribunal for those films that did not fit the ideological guidelines of the Communist Party. Several films were banned, among them: ''Tri prání'' directed by ] and ], ''Zde jsou lvi'' by ], '']'' by ] and ''Konec jasnovidce'' by ] and ].<ref>Klimeš, Ivan: ''Filmari a komunistická moc v Československu. Vzrušený rok 1959.'' In: ''Iluminace'', no. 4, 2004, p. 129-137.</ref>

There are four ] ensembles for adults and three for children.<ref name="cultinst">{{cite web|url=http://www.banskabystrica.sk/?id_menu=14145&firmy_slovenska_flag=0 |title=Kultúrne inštutúcie v meste |access-date=14 December 2007 |language=sk| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20071203045850/http://www.banskabystrica.sk/?id_menu=14145&firmy_slovenska_flag=0| archive-date= 3 December 2007 | url-status= live}}</ref> Their aim is to preserve and present Slovak folklore traditions, especially the ]. The oldest one is the award-winning Urpín Folklore Ensemble, founded in 1957.<ref name="folklorurpin">{{cite web|url=http://www.urpin.szm.sk/ |title=Folklorny Subor URPIN |access-date=17 January 2008 |language=sk| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20080119180300/http://www.urpin.szm.sk/| archive-date= 19 January 2008 | url-status= live}}</ref> Mladosť Folklore Ensemble is affiliated with University of ].<ref name="mladost">{{cite web|url=http://www.ufsmladost.sk/files/history/|title=History |access-date=17 January 2008| archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20080604223539/http://www.ufsmladost.sk/files/history/| archive-date = 4 June 2008}}</ref>

] is the local ] club, playing in the top Slovak football league, the ]. They have their home ground at ], with a capacity of 10,000. Other clubs based in the city include the ] ] club ] and the basketball club ]

== Government ==
]

The city is governed by a mayor ({{langx|sk|primátor}}) and a ] (Slovak: ''mestské zastupiteľstvo''). The mayor is the head of the city and its chief executive. The term of office is for four years. The current mayor following the 2014 municipal elections is Ján Nosko, an independent. Banská Bystrica is divided into four ], consisting of the following neighborhoods:<ref name="zoznam">{{cite web |url=http://www.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_menu=842&firmy_slovenska_flag=0 |title=Zoznam volebných obvodov s príslušnými ulicami |access-date=18 June 2007 |language=sk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927102201/http://www.banskabystrica.sk/main.php?id_menu=842&firmy_slovenska_flag=0 |archive-date=27 September 2007 }}</ref>
# Staré mesto, Uhlisko, Prednádražie, Šalková, Senica, Majer (7 councilors)
# Kráľová, Iliaš, Kremnička, Rakytovce (4 councilors)
# Radvaň, Fončorda, Podlavice, Skubín (11 councilors)
# Sásová, Rudlová, Uľanka, Jakub, Kostiviarska (10 councilors)

Banská Bystrica is the capital of one of eight largely autonomous ].<ref name="brusis">{{cite journal|title=Between EU Requirements, Competitive Politics, and National Traditions: Re-creating Regions in the Accession Countries of Central and Eastern Europe|journal=Governance|year=2002|first=Martin|last=Brusis|volume=15|issue=4|pages=531–559|doi=10.1111/1468-0491.00200}}</ref> It was the capital of an even larger region encompassing the whole of central Slovakia from 1960 until 1990, but the territory was subdivided in 1996 between the ] and ] regions, and a part of ]. Banská Bystrica is also the capital of a smaller ]. The ] (Slovak: ''okres Banská Bystrica'') is entirely contained within the Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak: ''Banskobystrický kraj'').

Several national public institutions have their headquarters in the city, the most prominent are the Tax Directorate of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak public postal service (]).<ref name="urbanaudit"/> The city also hosts a regional branch of ].

== Education ==
]]]

Banská Bystrica is the home of ] ({{langx|sk|Univerzita Mateja Bela}}) with 16,460 students, including 416 ] students.<ref name="uips6">{{cite web |url=http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/VS_P18.PDF |title=Univerzita Mateja Bela |access-date=21 November 2007 |publisher=Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva |language=sk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508191831/http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/VS_P18.PDF |archive-date=8 May 2007 }}</ref> ] (Slovak: ''Akadémia umení'') with 490 students is specialized in performing and ]s.<ref name="uips7">{{cite web |url=http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/VS_P53.PDF |title=Akadémia umení |access-date=21 November 2007 |publisher=Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva |language=sk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508195927/http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/VS_P53.PDF |archive-date=8 May 2007 }}</ref> A ] of the ] is also located in the city.

There are 15 public primary schools, two private primary schools, and two religious primary schools.<ref name="uips">{{cite web | title=Prehľad základných škôl v školskom roku 2006/2007 | year=2006 | publisher=Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva | url=http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/ZS_P6.PDF | access-date=21 November 2007 | language=sk | url-status=dead | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710063601/http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/ZS_P6.PDF | archive-date=10 July 2007}}</ref> Overall, they enroll 7,029 pupils.<ref name="uips"/> The city's system of secondary education (some ]s and all high schools) consists of five ] with 3,280 students,<ref name="uips2">{{cite web |url=http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/GYM_P6.PDF |title=Prehľad gymnázií v školskom roku 2006/2007 |access-date=21 November 2007 |publisher=Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva |language=sk }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> seven specialized high schools with 2,873 students,<ref name="uips3">{{cite web |url=http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/SOS_P6.PDF |title=Prehľad stredných odborných škôl v školskom roku 2006/2007 |access-date=21 November 2007 |publisher=Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva |language=sk }}{{dead link|date=November 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref> and six ]s with 1,884 students.<ref name="uips4">{{cite web |url=http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/ZSS_P6.PDF |title=Prehľad združených stredných škôl v školskom roku 2006/2007 |access-date=21 November 2007 |publisher=Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva |language=sk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070508112942/http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/ZSS_P6.PDF |archive-date=8 May 2007 }}</ref><ref name="uips5">{{cite web |url=http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/SOU_P6.PDF |title=Prehľad stredných odborných učilíšť a učilíšť v školskom roku 2006/2007 |access-date=21 November 2007 |publisher=Ústav informácií a prognóz školstva |language=sk |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070710093457/http://www.uips.sk/statis/pdf/SOU_P6.PDF |archive-date=10 July 2007 }}</ref>

The largest library is the State Scientific Library with 2 million volumes.<ref name="svkbb">{{cite web|url=http://www.svkbb.sk/eng/historia-eng.php |title=State Scientific Library Banska Bystrica |access-date=24 October 2007 |publisher=State Scientific Library|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20071007102348/http://www.svkbb.sk/eng/historia-eng.php |archive-date = 7 October 2007|url-status=dead}}</ref> The geological institute of the ] has a branch in Banská Bystrica and the small Banská Bystrica Regional ] is located on Urpín Mountain.

== Transportation ==
]

Banská Bystrica has bus and train connections to the rest of the country, as well as to many other European cities.

The ] connects the city to Zvolen and to Slovakia's capital Bratislava. Other roads of state importance connect the city to ] (No. 66), to ] (No. 59) and to ] (No. 14).

] is a ] between the ], which links Banská Bystrica with ] and ], and the ], which heads east towards ]. ] is a smaller station located closer to the city centre, served by trains on the Vrútky-Zvolen line.

Public transport in the city is managed by two different companies.<ref>{{cite web|publisher=imhd.sk |url=http://www.imhd.sk/bb/index.php?w=f230212d372f2833ef3930212dea&m=262927eef9f2f2f1f7f0f0f2ef34252933 |title=''Sieť liniek MHD Banská Bystrica'' (Public transport network of Banská Bystrica) |year=2007 |access-date=21 November 2007 |language=sk |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102072048/http://www.imhd.sk/bb/index.php?w=f230212d372f2833ef3930212dea&m=262927eef9f2f2f1f7f0f0f2ef34252933 |archive-date=2 January 2008 |url-status=dead}}</ref> is a public service run by the municipality. It operates ]es and ]es. The ] SAD ] has a fleet of ]es. In addition to regular lines, it also offers express and night lines. 30% of people use their private cars for journeys to work and the average commute time is 35 minutes.<ref name="urbanaudit"/>

== Sport ==
The ] is a multi-purpose stadium, used mainly for athletics and football matches and is the home ground of ]. The stadium built in 1959, underwent a complete reconstruction in 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.mosr.sk/50329-sk/zrekonstruovany-stadion-dukly-na-stiavnickach-je-uz-k-dispozicii-sportovcom-kvalitou-dosahuje-medzinarodne-standardy/ |title=Zrekonštruovaný štadión Dukly na Štiavničkách je už k dispozícii športovcom, kvalitou dosahuje medzinárodné štandardy :: Ministerstvo obrany SR |publisher=Mosr.sk |access-date=1 April 2024}}</ref> ] was held around the football pitch on the site from 1959 to 1966<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.speedway.sk/?q=node/3 |title=Historia |website=Speedway SK |access-date=1 April 2024}}</ref> and hosted a final round of the ] in 1959 and 1960.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.historyspeedway.nstrefa.pl/indmczechoslowacji.php|title=Individual Czechoslovak Championship |website=Historia Sportu Zuzlowego|access-date=1 April 2024}}</ref>

== Twin towns – sister cities ==
{{See also|List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovakia}}

Banská Bystrica is ] with:<ref>{{cite web |title=Partnerské mestá|url=https://www.banskabystrica.sk/zivot-v-meste/o-meste/partnerske-mesta/|publisher=Banská Bystrica|language=sk|access-date=1 September 2019}}</ref>
{{div col|colwidth=20em}}
*{{flagicon|ITA}} ], Italy <small>''(since 1967)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ITA}} ], Italy <small>''(since 1998)''</small>
*{{flagicon|MNE}} ], Montenegro <small>''(since 2001)''</small>
*{{flagicon|USA}} ], United States <small>''(since 2010)''</small>
*{{flagicon|HUN}} ], Hungary <small>''(since 2000)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ENG}} ], England, United Kingdom <small>''(since 1967)''</small>
*{{flagicon|GER}} ], Germany <small>''(since 1998)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ISR}} ], Israel <small>''(since 1995)''</small>
*{{flagicon|CZE}} ], Czech Republic <small>''(since 1967)''</small>
*{{flagicon|SRB}} ], Serbia <small>''(since 2002)''</small>
*{{flagicon|GRE}} ], Greece <small>''(since 1988)''</small>
*{{flagicon|ROM}} ], Romania <small>''(since 2006)''</small>
*{{flagicon|BUL}} ], Bulgaria <small>''(since 1995)''</small>
*{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland <small>''(since 2001)''</small>
*{{flagicon|HUN}} ], Hungary <small>''(since 1967)''</small>
*{{flagicon|POL}} ], Poland <small>''(since 1995)''</small>
*{{flagicon|RUS}} ], Russia <small>''(since 1967)''</small>
*{{flagicon|SRB}} ], Serbia <small>''(since 2004)''</small>
*{{flagicon|CRO}} ], Croatia <small>''(since 1995)''</small>
{{div col end}}

===Other forms of cooperation===
*{{flagicon|FIN}} ], Finland <small>''(since 2006)''</small>
*{{flagicon|UKR}} ], Ukraine <small>''(since 2016)''</small><ref>{{cite web |title=Banská Bystrica sa pripravuje na pomoc ľuďom z Ukrajiny|url=https://www.banskabystrica.sk/aktuality/2022/banska-bystrica-sa-pripravuje-na-pomoc-ludom-z-ukrajiny/|publisher=Banská Bystrica|language=sk|access-date=25 February 2022}}</ref>
*{{flagicon|PRC}} ], China <small>''(since 2006)''</small>

== Genealogical resources ==

The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive in Banská Bystrica ({{langx|sk|Štátny archív v Banskej Bystrici}}).

* Roman Catholic church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1628–1900 (parish A)
* Lutheran church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1743–1920 (parish A)

== See also ==
{{Portal|Slovakia}}
* ]
* ]

== References ==
{{reflist|colwidth=30em}}

== Further reading ==
*''Kto bol kto v histórii Banskej Bystrice, 1255–2000''; zostavili Anna Klimová, Mária Némethová. : Štátna vedecká knižnica v Banskej Bystrici, 2002.

== External links ==
{{Commons category|Banská Bystrica}}
{{wikivoyage|Banská Bystrica}}
*
*
*
*
*


{{Banska Bystrica District}} {{Banska Bystrica District}}
{{Slovak Seats}}
{{Authority control}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Banska Bystrica}}
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Latest revision as of 01:31, 27 December 2024

City in Slovakia

City in Slovakia
Banská Bystrica
City
From the top, SNP Square, The Barbakan, Museum of the Slovak National Uprising
Flag of Banská BystricaFlagCoat of arms of Banská BystricaCoat of arms
Etymology: "Mining creek"
Banská Bystrica is located in Banská Bystrica RegionBanská BystricaBanská BystricaLocation of Banská Bystrica in the Banská Bystrica RegionShow map of Banská Bystrica RegionBanská Bystrica is located in SlovakiaBanská BystricaBanská BystricaBanská Bystrica (Slovakia)Show map of Slovakia
Coordinates: 48°44′07″N 19°08′43″E / 48.73528°N 19.14528°E / 48.73528; 19.14528
Country Slovakia
RegionBanská Bystrica
DistrictBanská Bystrica
First mentioned1255
Government
 • MayorJán Nosko
Area
 • Total103.38 km (39.92 sq mi)
 (2022)
Elevation368 m (1,207 ft)
Population
 • Total74,590
 • Density720/km (1,900/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code974 01
Area code+421 48
Car plateBB
Websiteeng.banskabystrica.sk

Banská Bystrica (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈbanskaː ˈbistritsa] , also known by other alternative names) is a city in central Slovakia, located on the Hron River in a long and wide valley encircled by the mountain chains of the Low Tatras, the Veľká Fatra, and the Kremnica Mountains. With approximately 76,000 inhabitants, Banská Bystrica is the sixth most populous municipality in Slovakia. The present-day town was founded by German settlers, invited by the Hungarian Árpád-kings, during the Middle Ages (as part of the Ostsiedlung), however it was built upon a former Slavic/Slovakian/Avar settlement. A part of Zolyom county after the Hungarian conquest. During the reign of Béla IV of Hungary it obtained the municipal privileges of a free royal town of the Kingdom of Hungary in 1255 and resettled with Germans from Thüringen. The copper mining town acquired its present picturesque look in the late Middle Ages when the prosperous burghers built its central churches, mansions, and fortifications. It is the capital of the kraj (more specifically Banská Bystrica Region) and the okres (Banská Bystrica District). It is also the home of Matej Bel University. As a historical town with an easy access to the surrounding mountains, Banská Bystrica is a popular winter and summer tourist destination.

Etymology

The Slovak name Banská Bystrica includes two roots: the adjective Banská from Slovak baňa – "mine", and the name of the local river Bystrica (from Slavic bystrica – "swift stream"). The name of the town in Hungarian: "Besztercebánya" also comes from the Beszterce stream (from the Slavic name of the stream, Bystrica), and the suffix bánya is connected to the mines of the town. The river lent its name to the town as early as 1255 when the Latin name Villa Nova Bystrice (meaning "New Town of Bystrica") was recorded in the document in which King Béla IV of Hungary granted the town royal privileges.

Several variations of Bystrica (Byztherze, Bystrice, Bystrzice etc.) were then regularly used without the adjective identifying it as a mining town until the late 16th century. Although the first written record of the name Byzterchebana dates from 1263, it was rarely used afterwards. The Old German name Neusohl ("New Zvolen") (first recorded in 1300) and later its Latin version (Neosolium) reflected the fact that some early settlers came from the nearby town of Zvolen (at the time known in German as Altsohl, literally "Old Zvolen"). The two names have been used in parallel and even complementary (as in Novizolii Bistriciensis) throughout the history of the town. In the late 16th century the use of the mining adjective became more frequent (as in Bystrzicze na baniech or Bystricze Banska, both from 1530). This evolution resulted in the current form of the name, first recorded in 1773 as Banska Bystrica. In the Austrian Empire, the German name Neusohl was used until the compromise of 1867, when the Hungarian name Besztercebánya became the official one. The parallel use of Slovak or German names in the written record did not, however, cease in this period. Banská Bystrica became the official name of the town in 1920.

History

The town square of Banská Bystrica
The town centre of Banská Bystrica (seen from above)The town centre of Banská Bystrica (seen from above)The town barbican (seen from above)The town centre of Banská Bystrica (seen from above)
Town barbican (close-up view)

The earliest history of Banská Bystrica was connected to the exploitation of its abundant deposits of copper (and to a lesser extent of silver, gold, and iron). The tools used by prehistoric miners at the locality called Špania Dolina have been dated to 2000–1700 BC. People of the Lusatian culture built their settlements at Špania Dolina, Horné Pršany, Malachov, and Sásová. Ancient hill fort locations are still reflected in the local toponym Hrádok, meaning "a small fort (later: castle)". The territory was inhabited by the Celtic tribe of the Cotini (Púchov culture) in the 3rd century BC. The Germanic tribe of the Quadi took over the place during the Roman Era, leaving for instance a hoard of silver artifacts in Netopierska jaskyňa (Bat Cave).

The present city was built upon a former Slavic settlement. After the Hungarian conquest of the Carpathian Basin it was incorporated in the Zólyom county of the Kingdom of Hungary. The first known stone church was built by Saxon immigrants in the then still independent settlement of Sásová in the first half of the 13th century, when the area belong to the king. According to Slovak archaeologists Banská Bystrica started as a permanent settlement in the 9th century. Other sources claim that due to the attack of Mongols, in 1243–44, the town ceased to exist. In 1255 King Béla IV granted Banská Bystrica extensive municipal privileges, in order to attract more skilled settlers. Descendants of the German immigrants to this and other counties became later known as the Carpathian Germans. The city flourished as a regional mining center. It built the Late Romanesque Church of the Virgin Mary in the second half of the 13th century. During the same period, Banská Bystrica obtained its own coat of arms inspired by the coat of arms of the ruling dynasty of the Árpáds, also used as the historical flag of the Kingdom of Hungary. The local craftsmen were organized in fifty guilds, with the butchers' guild being the oldest.

The affluent Fugger and Thurzo families founded the prosperous Ungarischer Handel company (German for "Hungarian Trade") in 1494. Depending mainly on the mines around Banská Bystrica, the company had become a leading world producer of copper by the 16th century. With the most sophisticated mining technologies in Europe, an advanced accounting system, and benefits including medical care for its 1,000 employees, Ungarischer Handel was one of the largest and most modern early-capitalist firms. An early record of the miners' industrial action is from 1526 when the City Council needed to take refuge within the confines of City Castle. The Ottoman Empire's thrust northwards led the magistrate to improve the city's fortifications with modern stone walls in 1589, but the Turks never occupied the region. Banská Bystrica became one of the foremost centers of the Protestant Reformation in the Kingdom of Hungary in the 16th century. Later on, the city had to fight for its religious freedom guaranteed by the Royal Charter against the ruling dynasty of the Austrian Roman Catholic Habsburgs, for its physical independence against the Ottoman Turks and for its self-governance against the Kingdom of Hungary's powerful magnates. In 1620, Prince Gabriel Bethlen of Transylvania, a Protestant, was elected King of Hungary by the Diet meeting at Banská Bystrica.

The village of Radvaň, now a borough of Banská Bystrica, was granted the economically important right to hold annual fairs (Radvanský jarmok) in 1655. The fair was transferred to Banská Bystrica's main square in the 20th century. The copper deposits had been all but depleted by the 18th century, but new industries, such as timber, paper, and textiles, developed. In 1766 the city became the capital of Zólyom county when Banská Bystrica also became the seat of a Roman Catholic bishopric (1776) and of several institutions of higher education. Public services expanded in the 19th century with the foundation of a permanent municipal hospital (1820), a municipal theater (1841), and a municipal museum (1889). The railway reached the town from Zvolen in 1873.

After Austria-Hungary lost the First World War, Banská Bystrica along with the entire northern part of Hungary was given to Czechoslovakia by the peace treaty of Trianon in 1920.

During World War II, Banská Bystrica became the center of anti-Nazi opposition in Slovakia when the Slovak National Uprising, one of the largest anti-Nazi resistance events in Europe, was launched from the city on 29 August 1944. The insurgents were defeated on 27 October, and Banská Bystrica was briefly occupied by the German forces before it was liberated by Soviet and Romanian troops on 26 March 1945. After the war, Banská Bystrica became the administrative, economic, and cultural hub of central Slovakia. It has been a university town since the 1950s. Its largest Matej Bel University was founded in 1992.

Geography

Banská Bystrica lies at an altitude of 362 metres (1,188 ft) above sea level and covers an area of 103.37 square kilometres (39.9 sq mi). It is about halfway between Slovakia's two largest cities, 208 kilometres (129 mi) north-east from Slovakia's capital Bratislava and 217 kilometres (135 mi) west of Košice. A chain of discrete suburbs and villages connects it with Zvolen, another major town 20 kilometres (12 mi) to the south.

Banská Bystrica is situated in the Hron River valley (Slovak: Pohronie). The Hron River curves through the city from the east to the south. The city nests among three mountain chains: the Low Tatras to the north-east, the Veľká Fatra to the north-west, and the Kremnica Mountains to the west. All three are protected areas because of their environmental value. Banská Bystrica hosts the headquarters of the Low Tatra National Park. Despite the proximity of these mountain ranges, the local landscape is dominated by the much lower Urpín Mountain, 510 metres (1,673 ft), which is a popular place of recreation.

Banská Bystrica lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. It is characterized by a significant variation between hot summers and cold, snowy winters.

Climate data for Banská Bystrica (Sliač Airport) 1991−2020, extremes 1961–2020
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 13.3
(55.9)
17.9
(64.2)
24.7
(76.5)
30.4
(86.7)
32.3
(90.1)
35.8
(96.4)
37.8
(100.0)
37.8
(100.0)
34.5
(94.1)
28.3
(82.9)
21.5
(70.7)
15.5
(59.9)
37.8
(100.0)
Mean daily maximum °C (°F) 0.7
(33.3)
4.6
(40.3)
10.1
(50.2)
17.1
(62.8)
21.8
(71.2)
25.3
(77.5)
27.2
(81.0)
27.2
(81.0)
21.4
(70.5)
14.9
(58.8)
7.9
(46.2)
1.8
(35.2)
15.0
(59.0)
Daily mean °C (°F) −2.6
(27.3)
−0.6
(30.9)
4.0
(39.2)
10.1
(50.2)
15.0
(59.0)
18.4
(65.1)
20.1
(68.2)
19.4
(66.9)
14.2
(57.6)
8.9
(48.0)
4.1
(39.4)
−1.3
(29.7)
9.1
(48.4)
Mean daily minimum °C (°F) −6.2
(20.8)
−5.1
(22.8)
−1.1
(30.0)
3.1
(37.6)
7.8
(46.0)
11.6
(52.9)
13.2
(55.8)
12.7
(54.9)
8.5
(47.3)
4.4
(39.9)
0.7
(33.3)
−4.3
(24.3)
3.8
(38.8)
Record low °C (°F) −30.0
(−22.0)
−27.4
(−17.3)
−26.2
(−15.2)
−7.3
(18.9)
−4.4
(24.1)
−0.2
(31.6)
2.7
(36.9)
0.0
(32.0)
−4.0
(24.8)
−10.8
(12.6)
−22.6
(−8.7)
−26.7
(−16.1)
−30.0
(−22.0)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 45.6
(1.80)
41.7
(1.64)
44.0
(1.73)
44.5
(1.75)
72.2
(2.84)
81.2
(3.20)
91.3
(3.59)
64.4
(2.54)
56.2
(2.21)
62.9
(2.48)
58.9
(2.32)
52.0
(2.05)
714.9
(28.15)
Average precipitation days (≥ 1.0 mm) 7.6 7.1 7.2 6.8 9.8 9.2 9.5 7.2 6.9 7.9 8.6 8.3 96.1
Average snowy days 11.8 9.6 5.8 1.2 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.6 4.1 9.3 42.4
Average relative humidity (%) 84.2 77.2 70.6 64.3 65.4 67.1 66.9 68.8 74.5 80.2 83.9 85.8 74.1
Mean monthly sunshine hours 64.1 93.7 151.2 200.9 241.0 247.1 270.7 255.6 172.0 113.4 62.1 52.0 1,923.8
Source: NOAA

Demographics

The old town, viewed from Urpín Mountain, is the core of the original settlement
Historical population
YearPop.±%
17202,646—    
186925,950+880.7%
191810,776−58.5%
195022,651+110.2%
197044,749+97.6%
198062,688+40.1%
199183,698+33.5%
200183,056−0.8%
201180,003−3.7%
202176,018−5.0%

In 2013, the city had a total population of 79,368, making it the 6th-largest municipality in Slovakia in 2005. The population density was 790 per square kilometer in 2005.

The lavish gate of the Beniczky House, owned by the Hungarian noble Beniczky family, (in Slovak Benický) on SNP Square displays a coat of arms of one of the aristocratic families from Banská Bystrica

The population was spread out, with 13.2% under the age of 15, 68.2% in the so-called productive age (15–54 years for women and 15–59 years for men), and 18.6% in the so-called post-productive age (over 54 years for women and over 59 years for men). For every 100 women there were 89.5 men. The population was slightly decreasing (by 423) in 2005, with the number of deaths (727) higher than the number of live births (673) and a negative migration rate. The life expectancy at birth was 75.1 years (as of 2001), which is a figure close to the median life expectancy in the European Union.

According to the 2001 census, the religious composition was 46.6% Roman Catholics, 30.2% people with no religious affiliation, and 13.9% Lutherans. People's ethnic self-identification was 94.7% Slovak and 1.4% Czech. Before World War II, the population of the city also included significant German, Hungarian, and Jewish minorities and many people were trilingual, mastering the Slovak, German, and Hungarian languages. The Jews resided for a long time in Radvaň because they used to be prohibited from entering the city. The synagogue in Banská Bystrica was built in 1867 and demolished in 1983.

Historical populations by ethnicity
Year Slovaks Germans Hungarians
1715 1,899 873 279
1850 4,221 978 44
1910 4,388 ? 5,261
1919 8,265 406 1,565
2001 78,700 53 446

Economy

Banská Bystrica's economic growth, exemplified here by the construction of the Europa Business and Shopping Center (2007), mirrors the economic growth of Slovakia

While Banská Bystrica's prosperity used to be derived from copper mining in the distant past, the most important sectors of the local economy are now tourism, timber, and mechanical industry. Two of the largest employers in Slovakia, Slovenská pošta (the public postal service, ranked as the 3rd largest employer) and Lesy SR (the national forest service, ranked as 13th). have their headquarters in Banská Bystrica. In the period 2007–2013, the city intends to work with Zvolen and other municipalities in the vicinity in order to jointly develop one of Slovakia's major metropolitan areas. The municipal strategy of economic development envisages Banská Bystrica as a regional center of tourism, services, administration, and entrepreneurship. The proclaimed three pillars of the future development are the natural and cultural heritage, information technologies, and infrastructure.

GDP per capita in 2001 was €3,643, which was below Slovakia's average (€4,400). GDP per capita for the Banská Bystrica Region (Banskobystrický kraj) in 2004 was PPS €10,148.70 (current euros), which was below Slovakia's average of PPS €12,196.20. More recent data disaggregated to the level of districts or municipalities are not available, but all of Slovakia's regional seats have per-capita GDPs above their region averages. The unemployment rate in Banská Bystrica was 6.2% in December 2006, below the country's average of 9.4% at that time. The unemployment rate in the whole country has been decreasing since then, reaching 7.8% in November 2007.

The city has a balanced budget of more than one billion Slovak korunas (almost €33 million, as of 2007), with a small deficit of 37 million korunas. More than one fifth of the budget was used for investment. The highest revenue comes from the income tax of persons (437 million korunas in 2006).

Places of interest

Námestie SNP is the natural center of the city
St. Francis Xavier Cathedral

Most of the historical monuments are concentrated near its central, picturesque SNP Square (Slovak: Námestie SNP), which teems with flowers and street cafes in the summer. The square is named after the Slovak National Uprising. It is dominated by a clock tower built in 1552. Although less known than its famous counterpart in Pisa, it is a leaning tower with the top 40 centimetres (16 inches) off the perpendicular. A plague column (Slovak: Morový stĺp) was erected in the square in the 18th century in gratitude to the Virgin Mary for ending a deadly plague. The column was temporarily removed before a visit of the Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev in 1964 because a religious symbol was considered too embarrassing a background for the Communist leader's speech. The St. Francis Xavier Cathedral (Slovak: Kapitulský kostol, "Chapter Church") is a copy of the Jesuit Church of the Gesu in Rome and is since 1776 the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Banská Bystrica. Other major monuments on the square include an Art Nouveau fountain from the beginning of the 20th century and a black obelisk raised to the honor of the Soviet soldiers killed during the liberation of the city in 1945.

Most buildings enclosing the square and in the nearby streets are well-preserved Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque noblemen's mansions and wealthy burghers' residences. The most interesting among them are the Benicky House and the Thurzo House, the latter hosting a museum with a regional archaeological collection and remarkable Gothic frescos. Most of the buildings in the center have been transformed into luxury stores, restaurants, and cafes. SNP Square itself was completely reconstructed in 1994.

The museum located at the Memorial of the Slovak National Uprising contains a large military collection, including an open-air exhibition of World War II tanks, artillery, aircraft, and armored trains.

Banská Bystrica has also a large network of marked hiking trails all around the city. In wintertime, it attracts fans of cross-country skiing and downhill skiing, as there are a number of ski resorts close to the city, including the Donovaly resort famous for dogsled racing.

Town castle

Matthias House (Matejov dom) and Holy Cross Church

The oldest part of Banská Bystrica is town castle at the edge of SNP Square. It is enclosed within what has remained of its original fortifications − a barbican protecting the main gate, three bastions, and part of the walls. The town castle served as the town's administrative center and it also protected the king's treasury. The Parish Church (Slovak: Farský kostol) of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles contains precious Gothic altars and sculptures. One of the altars was carved by the famous Master Paul of Levoča. The church was built in the 13th century. It is still surrounded by remnants of its ancient cemetery. The neighboring Church of the Holy Cross was built in 1452 by the Slovak burghers as a counterpart to the Church of the Virgin Mary that then acquired the attribute German. The Matthias House (Slovak: Matejov dom) was built in 1479 as a five-story late-Gothic structure with a Gothic portal and stone console balcony. It served as a temporary residence of King Matthias Corvinus and his Queen Consort Beatrix. The Renaissance Old Town Hall, dated from 1500, has been transformed into an art museum.

Culture

There are four theaters in Banská Bystrica. The State Opera (Slovak: Štátna opera v Banskej Bystrici) was founded in 1959. It has given the opera world several divas, Edita Gruberová being the most famous one. Every summer, the State Opera organizes a popular open-air festival at Zvolen Castle. Štúdio tanca is a professional contemporary dance theater established in 1998. A professional marionette theater, Bábkové divadlo na Rázcestí (Puppet Theater at the Fork in the Road) founded in 1960, organizes the only marionette festival in Slovakia. Theatre from the Passage (Slovak: Divadlo z Pasáže) is Slovakia's only theater with a mentally disabled cast whose mission is to help integrate mentally disabled people in society.

Museum of the Slovak National Uprising

The oldest museum in the city is the Museum of Central Slovakia (Slovak: Stredoslovenské múzeum), founded in 1889. Its historical exposition is located in the Thurzo House on SNP Square, while the natural history exposition is in the Tihányi Mansion in Radvaň. The Old Town Hall building at City Castle hosts the State Gallery (Slovak: Štátna Galéria) specialized in contemporary Slovak art. The Museum of the Slovak National Uprising (Slovak: Múzeum Slovenského národného povstania) features a collection of 203,000 militaria, including an open-air exhibition of World War II heavy weapons. Other noteworthy museums are the regional Literature and Music Museum (Slovak: Literárne a hudobné múzeum) and Slovakia's only Postal Museum (Slovak: Poštové múzeum Slovenskej pošty).

The town is the setting for the book St Peter's Umbrella by Kálmán Mikszáth, published in 1895. The book was part of a large increase in Hungarian writing at the time, which was symptomatic of the rise in Hungarian separatism against what was seen as the oppression of the German Habsburgs.

From 22 to 28 February 1959 the first festival of the Czechoslovak cinema was presented in Banská Bystrica. While it was planned by Český film as a showcase of the national film production it turned into a tribunal for those films that did not fit the ideological guidelines of the Communist Party. Several films were banned, among them: Tri prání directed by Ján Kadár and Elmar Klos, Zde jsou lvi by Václav Krška, Hvezda jede na jih by Oldrich Lipský and Konec jasnovidce by Vladimír Svitáček and Ján Roháč.

There are four folklore ensembles for adults and three for children. Their aim is to preserve and present Slovak folklore traditions, especially the traditional music. The oldest one is the award-winning Urpín Folklore Ensemble, founded in 1957. Mladosť Folklore Ensemble is affiliated with University of Matej Bel.

FK Dukla Banská Bystrica is the local football club, playing in the top Slovak football league, the Corgoň Liga. They have their home ground at SNP Stadium, with a capacity of 10,000. Other clubs based in the city include the Extraliga ice hockey club HC 05 Banská Bystrica and the basketball club BKP Banská Bystrica.

Government

The regional branch of the National Bank of Slovakia in Banská Bystrica

The city is governed by a mayor (Slovak: primátor) and a city council (Slovak: mestské zastupiteľstvo). The mayor is the head of the city and its chief executive. The term of office is for four years. The current mayor following the 2014 municipal elections is Ján Nosko, an independent. Banská Bystrica is divided into four electoral districts, consisting of the following neighborhoods:

  1. Staré mesto, Uhlisko, Prednádražie, Šalková, Senica, Majer (7 councilors)
  2. Kráľová, Iliaš, Kremnička, Rakytovce (4 councilors)
  3. Radvaň, Fončorda, Podlavice, Skubín (11 councilors)
  4. Sásová, Rudlová, Uľanka, Jakub, Kostiviarska (10 councilors)

Banská Bystrica is the capital of one of eight largely autonomous Regions of Slovakia. It was the capital of an even larger region encompassing the whole of central Slovakia from 1960 until 1990, but the territory was subdivided in 1996 between the Banská Bystrica and Žilina regions, and a part of Trenčín region. Banská Bystrica is also the capital of a smaller district. The Banská Bystrica District (Slovak: okres Banská Bystrica) is entirely contained within the Banská Bystrica Region (Slovak: Banskobystrický kraj).

Several national public institutions have their headquarters in the city, the most prominent are the Tax Directorate of the Slovak Republic and the Slovak public postal service (Slovenská pošta). The city also hosts a regional branch of National Bank of Slovakia.

Education

Matej Bel University

Banská Bystrica is the home of Matej Bel University (Slovak: Univerzita Mateja Bela) with 16,460 students, including 416 doctoral students. Academy of Arts (Slovak: Akadémia umení) with 490 students is specialized in performing and fine arts. A satellite campus of the Slovak Medical University is also located in the city.

There are 15 public primary schools, two private primary schools, and two religious primary schools. Overall, they enroll 7,029 pupils. The city's system of secondary education (some middle schools and all high schools) consists of five gymnasia with 3,280 students, seven specialized high schools with 2,873 students, and six vocational schools with 1,884 students.

The largest library is the State Scientific Library with 2 million volumes. The geological institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences has a branch in Banská Bystrica and the small Banská Bystrica Regional Astronomical Observatory is located on Urpín Mountain.

Transportation

Terminal Shopping Center Bus station in Banská Bystrica

Banská Bystrica has bus and train connections to the rest of the country, as well as to many other European cities.

The R1 expressway connects the city to Zvolen and to Slovakia's capital Bratislava. Other roads of state importance connect the city to Brezno (No. 66), to Ružomberok (No. 59) and to Turčianske Teplice (No. 14).

Banská Bystrica railway station is a junction between the Vrútky–Zvolen railway, which links Banská Bystrica with Žilina and Bratislava, and the Banská Bystrica–Červená Skala railway, which heads east towards Košice. Banská Bystrica mesto railway station is a smaller station located closer to the city centre, served by trains on the Vrútky-Zvolen line.

Public transport in the city is managed by two different companies. Dopravný podnik mesta Banská Bystrica is a public service run by the municipality. It operates trolleybuses and minibuses. The private company SAD Zvolen has a fleet of buses. In addition to regular lines, it also offers express and night lines. 30% of people use their private cars for journeys to work and the average commute time is 35 minutes.

Sport

The Národný Atletický Štadión is a multi-purpose stadium, used mainly for athletics and football matches and is the home ground of MFK Dukla Banská Bystrica. The stadium built in 1959, underwent a complete reconstruction in 2018. Motorcycle speedway was held around the football pitch on the site from 1959 to 1966 and hosted a final round of the Czechoslovak Individual Speedway Championship in 1959 and 1960.

Twin towns – sister cities

See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in Slovakia

Banská Bystrica is twinned with:

Other forms of cooperation

Genealogical resources

The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive in Banská Bystrica (Slovak: Štátny archív v Banskej Bystrici).

  • Roman Catholic church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1628–1900 (parish A)
  • Lutheran church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1743–1920 (parish A)

See also

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Further reading

  • Kto bol kto v histórii Banskej Bystrice, 1255–2000; zostavili Anna Klimová, Mária Némethová. : Štátna vedecká knižnica v Banskej Bystrici, 2002.

External links

Municipalities of Banská Bystrica District
Slovakia
Slovakia Administrative seats of Slovak regions
Slovakia
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