Gelnica
| Gelnica | |
| Town | |
 Main square of Gelnica | |
| Country | Slovakia |
|---|---|
| Region | Košice |
| District | Gelnica |
| River | Hnilec |
| Elevation | 372 m (1,220 ft) |
| Coordinates | 48°50′53″N 20°56′14″E / 48.84806°N 20.93722°E |
| Area | 57.652 km2 (22.26 sq mi) |
| Population | 6,171 (31 December 2005) |
| Density | 107 / km2 (277 / sq mi) |
| First mentioned | 1276 |
| Mayor | Anna Nemčíková |
| Timezone | CET (UTC+1) |
| - summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) |
| Postal code | 056 01 |
| Area code | +421-53 |
| Car plate | GL |
   Location of Gelnica in Slovakia
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  Location of Gelnica in the Košice Region
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| Wikimedia Commons: Gelnica | |
| Statistics: MOŠ/MIS | |
| Website: www.gelnica.sk | |
Gelnica (German: Göllnitz, Hungarian: Gölnicbánya) is a town in the Košice Region of Slovakia. It has a population of 6,171.
Geography
It is located in the northern part of the Slovak Ore Mountains, in the Hnilec river valley, which flows few kilometres downstream into Hornád. The town lies at the both banks of Hnilec, has an altitude of 375 m, and is located around 38 km (23.61 mi) from Košice.
History
Carpathian Germans chiefly from Bavaria began to settle the formerly Slavic settlement during the 13th century. By 1264 it was an established mining town and became a royal mining town of the Kingdom of Hungary by 1276, from where the first mentioned is recorded (as "Gelnic"). For many years Gelnica was a chief mining town in the Spiš region of Slovakia. Silver, copper, but also gold, quicksilver, lead and iron ore were mined in the mines.
The German name Göllnitz comes from the Slavic "Gnilec" (Hnilec), from which the new Slovak name Gelnica is derived. The Hungarian Gölnicbánya indicated mining activity in the town.
Sights
The town includes the ruins of a medieval castle, destroyed by a fire in 1685. Other attractions include a Gothic church and Renaissance town hall, both remodelled along Baroque lines, and a mining museum.
Demographics
According to the 2001 census, the town had 6,404 inhabitants. 95.92% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 1.55% Roma, 0.84% Germans and 1.02% Czechs.[1] The religious makeup was 72.00% Roman Catholics, 15.88% people with no religious affiliation, and 4.03% Lutherans and 3.28 Greek Catholics.[1]
International relations
Twin towns — Sister cities
Gelnica is twinned with:
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Municipal Statistics". Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 2008-01-09.
External links
- Town website (Slovak)
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