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Template:Infobox Slovak town Banská Bystrica is a town in central Slovakia. It is the capital of a kraj (Banská Bystrica Region) and an okres (Banská Bystrica District). In 2005, the town had population of 81,704.

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 Bratislava. It has bus and train connections to the rest of the country, as well as to Vienna and Prague; there are also flights to the latter city from the Sliač Airport. Banská Bystrica is the home of Matej Bel University (Univerzita Mateja Bela).

Etymology

Due to its multicultural character, Banská Bystrica has had several names, used simultaneously thorough the history. The oldest known names, the Latin Villa Nova (meaning "new town") and the old German name Neusohl ("New Zvolen") reflect the fact that the first settlers came from the nearby town of Zvolen (henceforth known in German as Altsohl, literally "Old Zvolen"). The current Slovak (Banská Bystrica) and Hungarian (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).

Geography

Banská Bystrica lies at an altitude of 362 metres and covers an area of 103.37 km². It is situated in the upper Hron river basin. The town is surrounded by three mountain chains: Nízke Tatry, Veľká Fatra, and Kremnické vrchy. All three are protected areas because of their environmental value. Despite the proximity of these mountains, the local landscape is dominated by the much lower Urpín hill, which is a popular place of recreation.

History

The early history of Banská Bystrica is connected with the exploitation of abundant deposits of copper (and to a lesser extent of silver, gold, and iron). The tools used by prehistoric miners in a locality called Špania Dolina are dated as early as 2000-1700 BC.

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

The Ottoman Empire's northern advance led the magistrate to fortify the town with modern stone walls in 1589. Banská Bystrica was one of the foremost centers of the Protestant Reformation in Slovakia and the town had to fight for its rights against the ruling dynasty of Catholic Austrian Habsburgs, as well as against the Ottoman Turks and powerful Hungarian magnates. In 1620 Prince Gabriel Bethlen of Transylvania, a Protestant, was elected King of Hungary at the Diet in Banská Bystrica.

As the copper deposits were almost depleted, the development in the subsequent centuries was based on new industries (timber, paper, textiles). Banská Bystrica also became the seat of a Catholic bishopric and several institutions of higher educations. During World War II, the town was the center of anti-Nazi opposition in Slovakia. The Slovak National Uprising, one of the largest movements of anti-Nazi resistance in Europe, was launched from Banská Bystrica on August 29, 1944. 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 university town.

Places of interest

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

Most historical monuments are concentrated near the picturesque main square (Template:Lang-sk), which in summertime is covered by flowers and street cafes. The square is dominated by a leaning clock tower built in 1552, an ancient "plague column" (Slovak: Morový stĺp), an interesting fountain, and a black obelisk 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 Gothic, Renaissance, and Baroque burgher 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 frescos.

From the fortifications, a barbican protecting the main gate, three bastions and a part of the historical walls have been preserved. Banská Bystrica also has a museum located at the Memorial of the Slovak National Uprising, which offers a large military collection, including an open-air exhibition of tanks, artillery, airplanes, and armoured trains from World War II.

Municipal Castle

The oldest part of Banská Bystrica is the castle 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 Virgin Mary (Slovak: Farský kostol), built in the Romanesque and Gothic styles, contains precious Gothic altars and sculptures. One of the altars was carved by famous Master Paul of Levoča. 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 Holy Cross was built in 1452 by Slovaks as a challenge of some sort to the "German" Church of the Virgin Mary. The Matthias House (Slovak: Matejov dom) was built in 1479 as a five-story late-Gothic palace with a Gothic portal and stone console balcony. It served as a temporary residence of the king Matthias Corvinus and his queen consort Beatrix. The old Renaissance town hall, dated from 1500, has been transformed into a gallery.

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% Roman Catholics, 30.2% people with no religious affiliation, and 13.9% Lutherans. 94.7% of inhabitants were Slovaks and 1.4% Czechs. As indicated by their last names, many inhabitants are direct descendants of medieval German settlers. Before World War II, the population of the town also included significant Hungarian and Jewish minorities and most people mastered Slovak, German, Hungarian, and sometimes also Czech and Yiddish languages.

Famous people

• Paľo Bielik, director and actor
• Peter Budaj, ice hockey player
• Ján Cikker, composer
• Viliam Figuš-Bystrý, composer
• Michal Handzuš, ice hockey player
• Peter Karvaš, wrtiter
• Ivan Majeský, ice hockey player
• Jozef Murgaš, inventor
• Vladimir Orszagh, ice hockey player
• Haviva Reik, Jewish soldier
• Tomáš Surový, ice hockey player
• Jozef Gregor Tajovský, writer
• Peter Tomka, diplomat
• Gustáv Kazimír Zechenter-Laskomerský, writer
• Richard Zedník, ice hockey player

Sister cities

Banská Bystrica has several sister cities around the world:

• - Durham, England, since 1967
• - Hradec Králové, Czech Republic, since 1967
• - Salgótarján, Hungary, since 1967
• - Tula, Russia, since 1967
• - Herzliya, Israel, since 1995
• - Larissa, Greece, since 1995
• - Montana, Bulgaria, since 1995
• - Tarnobrzeg, Poland, since 1995
• - Zadar, Croatia, since 1995
• - Ascoli Piceno, Italy, since 1998
• - Halberstadt, Germany, since 1998
• - Dabas, Hungary, since 2000
• - Budva, Montenegro, since 2001
• - Radom, Poland, since 2001
• - Kovačica, Serbia, since 2002
• - Vršac, Serbia, since 2004

See also

• Slovak National Uprising

External links

• Official municipal website of Banská Bystrica
• Basic information for tourists
• Comprehensive information about the town
• Satellite view of Banská Bystrica
• Another site for tourists

v t e Municipalities of Banská Bystrica District
Banská Bystrica Badín Baláže Brusno Čerín Dolná Mičiná Dolný Harmanec Donovaly Dúbravica Harmanec Hiadeľ Horná Mičiná Horné Pršany Hrochoť Hronsek Kordíky Králiky Kynceľová Lučatín Ľubietová Malachov Medzibrod Moštenica Motyčky Môlča Nemce Oravce Podkonice Pohronský Bukovec Poniky Povrazník Priechod Riečka Sebedín-Bečov Selce Slovenská Ľupča Staré Hory Strelníky Špania Dolina Tajov Turecká Vlkanová

• Cities and towns in Slovakia
• Castles in Slovakia