Zvolen | |
---|---|
City | |
Nickname: City of the throne | |
Location of Zvolen in the
Banská Bystrica Region | |
Coordinates: 48°34′14″N 19°07′3″E / 48.57056°N 19.11750°E | |
Country | Slovakia |
Region | Banská Bystrica |
District | Zvolen |
First mentioned | 1135 |
Government | |
• Mayor | Vladimír Maňka |
Area | |
• Total | 98.73 km2 (38.12 sq mi) |
(2022) | |
Elevation | 374 [2] m (1,227 [2] ft) |
Population | |
• Total | 39,844 |
• Rank | 12th |
• Density | 400/km2 (1,000/sq mi) |
Demonym | (m)Zvolenčan/(f)Zvolenčanka |
Time zone | UTC+1 ( CET) |
• Summer ( DST) | UTC+2 ( CEST) |
Postal code | 960 01
[2] |
Area code | +421 45 [2] |
Car plate | ZV |
Website | www.zvolen.sk |
Zvolen (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈzʋɔlen] ⓘ; Hungarian: Zólyom; German: Altsohl) is a city in central Slovakia, situated on the confluence of Hron and Slatina rivers. It is famous for several historical and cultural attractions. It is surrounded by Poľana mountain from the East, by Kremnické vrchy from the West and by Javorie and Štiavnické vrchy from the South.
The population numbers approximately 40,000, which makes it the twelfth-largest city in Slovakia by population, thirteenth by size. It is the center of the Podpoľanie historical region and the seat of a county ( Zvolen District). It is also an important transportation hub in Slovakia, being one of the four central train stations in Slovakia (others are Bratislava, Košice and Žilina).
The name is of Slovak (Slavic) origin meaning "the chosen one, splendid, excellent". The Hungarian Zólyom and the German Sohl were derived from the Latinized form Zolium [4] (earliest mention 1135). An adjective "Old" ( German: Altsohl, Slovak: Starý Zvolen, Latin: Antiquum or Vetus Solium) distinguish Zvolen from Banská Bystrica ( German: Neusohl meaning New Zvolen). [4]
Kingdom of Hungary 1000 – 1526
John Zápolya's Eastern Hungarian Kingdom 1526 – 1551 ( Ottoman vassal)
Kuruc rebellion 1672 – 1682 ( Ottoman-backed)
Imre Thököly's Principality of Upper Hungary ( Ottoman vassal) 1682 – 1686
Francis II Rákóczi's insurrection 1703 – 1711
Kingdom of Hungary (crownland of the Austrian Empire) 1804 – 1867
Austro-Hungarian Empire 1867 – 1918
Czechoslovakia 1918–1938
Slovak Republic 1938 – 1945
Czechoslovakia 1945–1992
Slovakia 1993–present
Zvolen has been inhabited since the Paleolithic. In the ninth century, a Slavic settlement (today the Môťová neighborhood) became a regional center of what is now central Slovakia. Zvolen remained the capital of Zólyom County until the 1760s. In the 11th and 12th centuries, one of the largest medieval castles in Europe, Pustý hrad, was constructed. The town, originally built under the castle, lay on an important trade route (Via Magna) from Buda to Kraków. Zvolen was granted town privileges by King Béla IV in the 1230s - as one of the first towns in the Kingdom of Hungary. The privileges were confirmed on 28 December 1243, after the original document was destroyed in war. Later, King Louis I the Great built a new castle, which became a popular hunting resort of the Hungarian kings. The future queen regnant Mary of Hungary and emperor Sigismund celebrated their wedding there in 1385.
In the Rákóczi's War of Independence the Kuruc army in the battle of Zvolen defeated the enemy forces from Austria, Denmark, Vojvodina and Hungary.
In 1848–49, Ľudovít Štúr was a member of the Diet, with Zvolen as his constituency. In 1871–1872, two new railways were built and Zvolen became an important railroad hub and important industrial center. Zvolen played an important role during the Slovak National Uprising. Two of its armored trains, which were made in the local railway manufactory, Hurban and Štefánik can be seen near the Zvolen castle.
Zvolen is an important railroad, an important road hub and has a large timber factory and a technical university, the Technická univerzita vo Zvolene. An airport in nearby Sliač used to offer direct flights to Prague, but has been used exclusively by the military since 2021. [5]
The town square was modernized in 2002 and local businesses are popular with tourists. In wintertime an ice rink is constructed in the center and festive celebrations run throughout December.
Zvolen currently has a population of 39 453. [6] For comparison, in 2005, Zvoled had a population of 43,147. [7] According to the 2001 census, 95.9% of inhabitants were Slovaks and 1.2% Czechs. The religious make-up was 52.5% Roman Catholics, 26.4% people with no religious affiliation, and 15% Lutherans. [7]
The ice hockey club HKM Zvolen is the third most successful hockey club in Slovakia. It plays in Slovakia's highest league, the Slovak Extraliga, and has won three titles in 2001, 2012 and 2021. Another noteworthy achievement is winning the IIHF Continental Cup in 2005. Since 1965, their home is the Zvolen Ice Stadium which has a capacity of 5,345 spectators.
The Slovak Women's Ice Hockey Extraliga is played by the local club ŽHKm Zvolen, which is a female alternative of the HKM Zvolen.
The football club MFK Zvolen is a Slovak football team, based in the town of Zvolen. The club was established in 1902. The club plays home matches at MFK Zvolen Stadium in Zvolen which has a capacity of 1 870 spectators. As of the 2022/2023 season it competes in the Slovak Third League (West), the third-tier of Slovak football.
The higher degree college was founded in 1952 and initially named the College of Forestry and Wood Technology. [8] In 1991, it attained university status and underwent a name change to become the Technical University in Zvolen. [9] [10] [11] It is a member of the European Forest Institute.
In the field of education, it fulfills its mission in study programs such as forestry, wood processing, ecology, and environmental studies, production engineering, as well as in related artistic, economic, natural science, and technical fields, with an emphasis on the representation of second and third-degree study programs, accreditation, and the implementation of programs in foreign languages.
The university has the following faculties: [9]
Zvolen is a member of the Douzelage, a town twinning association of towns across the European Union. This active town twinning began in 1991 and there are regular events, such as a produce market from each of the other countries and festivals. As of 2019, its members are: [12]