Trenčín
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Trenčín | |
|---|---|
| Coat-of-arms N/A | |
| Region (kraj) | Trenčín Region |
| District (okres) | Trenčín District |
| Location | |
| Altitude | 398 m |
| Population | 57,000 (as of 1. 1. 2006) |
| Area | 67.74 km² |
| Time Zone • Summer DST |
CET: UTC+1 CEST: UTC+2 |
| Telephone prefix | +421-32 |
| Postal code | 91101, 91104, 91105, 91106, 91108 |
| Car registration plate | TN |
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Trenčín (German: Trentschin; Hungarian: Trencsén; Latin: Laugaricio) is a town in western Slovakia (close to the Czech border) at the Váh River. It is the seat of a kraj (Trenčín Region) and okres (Trenčín District).
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[edit] Population
In 2004, the city had a population of 56,850. The population density was 693/km². According to the 2001 census, the religious makeup was 65.8% Roman Catholics, 22.3% people with no religious affiliation, and 7.1% Lutherans. 95.3% inhabitants were Slovaks and 2.4% Czechs.
[edit] History
The site has been inhabited since time immemorial. A typical medieval fortified castle is situated on a rock above the town. Trenčín is best known for a Roman inscription on the castle rock from 179, stemming from the era of the Marcomannic Wars, a series of wars between the Roman Empire and the Germanic Quadi. It denotes the site as Laugaricio and is the northernmost evidence of the presence of Roman soldiers in central Europe. Under its Greek name Leukaristos, Trenčín was also depicted on the Ptolemy world map (c. 150 CE).
The Trenčín Castle, plausibly founded during the Great Moravian era, became the administrative center of the Trenčín county by the end of the 11th century. As one of the few stone castles in the Kingdom of Hungary, it resisted the disastrous invasion of Mongols in 1241. Between 1302 and 1321, the castle was the seat of the powerful magnate Matthew Csák, who controlled most of present-day Slovakia. Challenging the authority of king Charles Robert, Matthew Csák maintained a large court and pursued his own foreign policy.
Trenčín gained a number of privileges during the Middle Ages: In 1324 the inhabitants were freed of paying tolls and in 1412, King Sigismund promoted town into a free royal town. But the next decades and centuries were in signs of catastrophes and wars, which lasted until the end of the 18th century. During the fights of the Habsburgs against rebels of John Zapolya, the town was captured in 1528 by imperial troops, and in the 17th century the Ottomans were another threat from south, but they failed to conquer the city. The town was then suffering from the Kuruc uprising against the Habsburgs, and on 3 August 1708, the Battle of Trenčín took place close to the city. Two years later, a plague killed 1600 inhabitants of the city. Finally, in 1790, the town, along with the castle, was burned down and the castle is in the ruins since then.
In the 19th century, the town was flourishing, as the railways to Žilina and Bratislava were built and many new enterprises were established, particularly from textile, food and machine industry and the town became the hub of middle Považie region, although in 1867 it was degraded from free royal town to the "town with municipal government" and was under direct control of the chief of Trenčín county. It was flourishing further during the era of the first Czechoslovak republic. It became the capital of the Trenčín county again in the 1940-1945, when the puppet Slovak Republic was born. Shortly after the Slovak National Uprising began, the town was occupied by the Nazi Germany and it was headquarters of Sicherheitsdienst and Gestapo and prison camp was placed in Trenčín. It was captured by the Soviets on 10 April 1945.
Since 1990, the historical centre of the city was largely restored and since 1996 it is the seat of the Trenčín Region and Trenčín District.
[edit] Sights
The city is dominated by its castle (see Trenčín Castle), which is the third-largest in the Slovak territory. The castle is divided into upper and lower sections, with extensive fortifications. The upper castle has several palace buildings which surround the central medieval tower, which remains the highest point of the city. Below the castle on the hillside is the old parish church and a small upper square, which is reached by historic covered stairs as well winding side streets. The old town has a large main square, with a large baroque church and a variety of shops, as well as a town tower.
[edit] Sport
- Football: FK AS Trenčín plays the Slovak Corgoň Liga.
- Ice hockey: HC Dukla Trenčín plays the Slovak Extraliga.
[edit] Transport
Trenčín lies near the main Slovak motorway, and is an important stop on the main railway line from Bratislava to Žilina and Košice. It is also end for the railway track from Prievidza.
[edit] Territorial division
Trenčín is divided into four main city parts:
- Stred:Stred mesta, Dolné mesto, Dlhé Hony, Noviny, Biskupice
- Juh:Juh I-II
- Sever:Sihoť I-IV, Opatová nad Váhom, Pod Sokolice, Kubrá, Kubriská
- Západ:Zámostie, Kvetná, Istebník, Orechové, Zlatovce, Nové Zlatovce, Záblatie
[edit] Partner towns
Cran-Gevrier, France
Uherské Hradiště, Czech Republic- Zlín, Czech Republic
Tarnów, Poland
Casalecchio di Reno, Italy
Békéscsaba, Hungary
Kragujevac, Serbia
[edit] Famous people
- Gábor Baross, statesman
- Marián Hossa, ice hockey player (Atlanta Thrashers)
- Marcel Hossa, ice hockey player (NY Rangers)
- Milan Bartovic, ice hockey player (Chicago Blackhawks)
- Zdeno Chára, ice hockey player (Boston Bruins)
- Andrej Meszároš, ice hockey player (Ottawa Senators)
- Matthew Csák, medieval magnate
- Marián Gáborík, ice hockey player (Minnesota Wild)
- Branko Radivojevič, ice hockey player
- Ľubomír Sekeráš, ice hockey player
- Robert Švehla, ice hockey player
- Vojtech Zamarovský, writer
- The infamous murderess Countess Elizabeth Báthory lived near Trenčín, in Čachtice Castle.
[edit] Gallery
[edit] External links
- Official city website
- Trenčín travel guide from Wikitravel
- Trenčín information
- Satellite picture of the Trenčín Castle
| edit | Municipalities of Trenčín District |  |
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Nemšová | Trenčianske Teplice | Trenčín |
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