Topoľčany is a town in the
Nitra RegionThe Nitra Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia.-Geography:This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland...
of
SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...
. The population as of 2006 was 28,685. The town's population is nicked "Žochári" (sing. Žochár).
The name Topoľčany was assumed to be derived from "topoľ", Slovak for
poplarPopulus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar, aspen, and cottonwood....
tree. Groves of these trees were once abundant on the banks of the
Nitra RiverThe Nitra is a 197 km long river in western Slovakia. It flows into the Váh river close to its confluence with the Danube in Komárno. Its source is in the Malá Fatra mountains north of Prievidza. The river Nitra passes through the towns of Bojnice, Topoľčany, Nitra and Nové Zámky....
. Recent studies have shown that this name is derived from the Old-Slavonic word "topol" meaning "warm, hot", for there were hot springs in the region in early medieval times.
The Nitra river creates a wide valley between the two mountain ranges which are visible from the town -
TribečTribeč is a crystalline mountain range in western Slovakia, in the Inner Western Carpathians within the Fatra-Tatra Area, roughly between the towns of Nitra, Partizánske and Zlaté Moravce. It is surrounded by the Danubian Lowland, Pohronský Inovec, Vtáčnik mountains and the Upper Nitra Basin. It is...
(east) and
Považský InovecPovažský Inovec or Váh Inovec is a mountain range in western Slovakia, named after the Váh river. It is 48 km long and 15-25 km wide mountain range...
(west).
Founded in the 9th century, Topoľčany was a regional market centre during the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
located on the western bank of the Nitra River and on a crossroad of trade routes.
Topoľčany Castle was built in the 13th century 18km to the NW of the town; this considerable distance was due to the lowland location of Topoľčany.
Topoľčany is a town in the
Nitra RegionThe Nitra Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia.-Geography:This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland...
of
SlovakiaThe Slovak Republic is a landlocked country in Eastern Europe with a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia borders the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south. The largest city is its capital, Bratislava...
. The population as of 2006 was 28,685. The town's population is nicked "Žochári" (sing. Žochár).
The name Topoľčany was assumed to be derived from "topoľ", Slovak for
poplarPopulus is a genus of 25–35 species of deciduous flowering plants in the family Salicaceae, native to most of the Northern Hemisphere. English names variously applied to different species include poplar, aspen, and cottonwood....
tree. Groves of these trees were once abundant on the banks of the
Nitra RiverThe Nitra is a 197 km long river in western Slovakia. It flows into the Váh river close to its confluence with the Danube in Komárno. Its source is in the Malá Fatra mountains north of Prievidza. The river Nitra passes through the towns of Bojnice, Topoľčany, Nitra and Nové Zámky....
. Recent studies have shown that this name is derived from the Old-Slavonic word "topol" meaning "warm, hot", for there were hot springs in the region in early medieval times.
The Nitra river creates a wide valley between the two mountain ranges which are visible from the town -
TribečTribeč is a crystalline mountain range in western Slovakia, in the Inner Western Carpathians within the Fatra-Tatra Area, roughly between the towns of Nitra, Partizánske and Zlaté Moravce. It is surrounded by the Danubian Lowland, Pohronský Inovec, Vtáčnik mountains and the Upper Nitra Basin. It is...
(east) and
Považský InovecPovažský Inovec or Váh Inovec is a mountain range in western Slovakia, named after the Váh river. It is 48 km long and 15-25 km wide mountain range...
(west).
History
Founded in the 9th century, Topoľčany was a regional market centre during the
Middle AgesThe Middle Ages of European history is a period of European history covering roughly a millennium in the 5th century through 16th centuries. More specific starting and ending points are sometimes adopted by scholars to suit their respective specializations or current focus...
located on the western bank of the Nitra River and on a crossroad of trade routes.
Topoľčany Castle was built in the 13th century 18km to the NW of the town; this considerable distance was due to the lowland location of Topoľčany. The castle lies on slopes of Považský Inovec.
During the 12th and 13th centuries, Topoľčany was owned by the Csak family, its most famous member being Máté Csák. In the 15th century, the castle was conquered and held by the Hussites for 3 years, who returned it for a fee of 9 thousand ducats in 1434. In 1443 the countryside was pillaged by a rogue-noble who had captured the castle, but was later evicted by the king and sent to
MoraviaMoravia is a historical region in central Europe in the east of the Czech Republic, one of the former Czech lands. It takes its name from the Morava River which rises in the northwest of the region.-Geography:...
. In the same year the town (and much of Carpathia) was struck by an earthquake, and again in 1444.
During the 16th and 17th centuries there were a few large-scale fires that destroyed substantial parts of the town. Because the town was only 60 km north of the border between the
Ottoman EmpireThe Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State , also known by its contemporaries as the Turkish Empire or Turkey , was an empire that lasted from 1299 to November 1, 1922 The Ottoman Empire or Ottoman State (Ottoman Turkish: دَوْلَتِ عَلِیَّهِ عُثْمَانِیَّه Dawlet-il ʿAliyyat-il ʿOs̠māniyye, Modern Turkish:...
and the
Habsburg MonarchyThe Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The capital was mainly Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when the capital was Prague...
, Topoľčany was often raided by the
Ottoman TurksThe Ottoman Turks were the subdivision of the Ottoman Muslim Millet that dominated the ruling class of the Ottoman Empire. Reliable information about the early history of the Ottomans is scarce. According to some sources , the leader of the Kayi tribe of the Oguz Turks, Ertugrul, left Persia in...
during the
Ottoman wars in EuropeThe wars of the Ottoman Empire in Europe are also sometimes referred to as the Ottoman Wars or as Turkish Wars, particularly in older, European texts.- Rise :...
, notably in the years 1599 and 1643, when many citizens were taken into slavery. The town's population stagnated as a result. The town's location in a lowland thus proved a disadvantage in times of war as the town never grew sufficiently enough to erect city walls.
For most of its history Topoľčany's population was ethnically mixed. While the
ruralRural areas are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low population density.About 91 percent of the rural population now earn salaried incomes, often in urban areas...
population was almost purely
SlovakThe Slovaks are a western Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language....
, the
urbanAn urban area is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it. Urban areas may be cities, towns or conurbations, but the term is not commonly extended to rural settlements such as villages and hamlets.Urban areas are created and further...
population consisted of
Carpathian GermansCarpathian Germans , sometimes simply called Slovak Germans , is the name for a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia...
,
JewThe Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
s, and Magyars. Jews immigrated to the town during the 16th-18th centuries. This ethnic mix came to an end in the first part of the 20th century, as industrialization attracted Slovaks from the surrounding areas and the number of Magyars decreased after the creation of
CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
following
World War IWorld War I , also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All Wars, was a global military conflict which involved most of the world's great powers, assembled in two opposing alliances: the Triple Entente and the Triple Alliance...
.
The Jewish (about 3,200 people) and German populations substantially decreased during
World War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including all great powers, organized into two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. The 550 Jews from Topoľčany who survived the Holocaust and returned to their homes found themselves strangers in their native town, without property and in many cases without citizenship. Because most of the Jews in Topoľčany spoke Hungarian or German, they had declared their ethnicity in the last pre-war Czechoslovak census as Magyar or German instead of Jewish or Slovak. The
Beneš decreesThe Beneš decrees is a current popular term for a series of laws enacted by the Czechoslovak Government-in-Exile during World War II in the absence of the Czechoslovak parliament...
after World War II expelled Hungarian and German-speakers, both Jewish and
ChristianA Christian is a person who adheres to Christianity, an Abrahamic, monotheistic, religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus of Nazareth, who Christians believe was the Messiah prophesied in the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, and the Son of God.The term "Christian" is also used adjectivally to...
in religious creed. Additionally, most of Topoľčany's pre-war businesses were owned by Jews, but were taken over by Slovaks during the war. Jews that survived the war fled after a
Topoľčany pogromTopoľčany pogrom was an anti-Jewish riot in Topoľčany, Czechoslovakia on 24 September 1945 during which 48 people were injured.-Details:...
of 24 September 1945 that injured a few dozen people (some accounts say it was because of a rumour that a Jewish doctor was injecting children with a poisonous serum, another version states that the Jews wanted to take over the local monastery school). Because of these actions, all of the remaining Jewish population emigrated.
Population
Topoľčany is predominantly inhabited by Slovaks, with small minorities of Roma and
HungariansHungarians are an ethnic group primarily associated with Hungary. There are around 10 million Hungarians in Hungary . Hungarians were the main inhabitants of the Kingdom of Hungary that existed through most of the second millennium...
. In 2004-05 there were also a number of Czechs and
PolesThe Polish people, or Poles , are a Western Slavic ethnic group of Central Europe, living predominantly in Poland. Poles are sometimes defined as people who share a common Polish culture and are of Polish descent. Their religion is predominantly Roman Catholic...
living in the town, as Topoľčany was the host of a joint Slovak-
CzechThe Czech Republic is a country in Central Europe that is sometimes considered to be Eastern European. The country borders Poland to the northeast, Germany to the west and northwest, Austria to the south and Slovakia to the east. The capital and largest city is Prague...
-
PolishPoland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe . Poland is bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
military operation meant to prepare Slovakia for joining
NATOThe North Atlantic Treaty Organization ); ), also called "the Atlantic Alliance", is an intergovernmental military alliance based on the North Atlantic Treaty which was signed on April 4, 1949...
.
The majority of the population is
Roman CatholicThe Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church. With more than a billion members, over half of all Christians and more than one-sixth of the world's population, the Catholic Church is a communion of the Western, or Latin Rite Church, and...
(there are two churches of this denomination including one on the central square), although there is also a minority of
ProtestantsProtestantism is a branch within Christianity, containing many denominations with some differing practices and doctrines, that principally originated in the sixteenth-century Protestant Reformation. It is considered to be one of the major divisions within Christianity, together with the Roman...
(one church). The historical
synagogueA synagogue is a Jewish house of prayer....
was destroyed by fire during World War II.
Sights
A large army
barracksBarracks are living quarters for personnel on a military post. They are typically very plain and all of the buildings in the housing unit are often uniform structures.-History:...
is located in the city, since during the Communist era there were about 2,000 troops stationed in the city. The surrounding forests are full of abandoned
bunkerA military bunker is a hardened shelter, often buried partly or fully underground, designed to protect the inhabitants from falling bombs or other attacks...
s.
Industry
There are four main industries in Topoľčany - Topvar brewery (
SABMillerSABMiller plc is one of the world's largest brewers; the company has brewing interests and distribution agreements on six continents. Six of the company’s brands are in the world’s top fifty beer brands, and the group is one of the largest bottlers of Coca-Cola products in the world. The group...
holding), kitchen furniture producer Decodom, cableware producer SEWS (owned by a
Japanis an island country in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, People's Republic of China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese company), and the clothing company Ozeta (producer of suits and jackets). The large "ZTS" factory , a heavy machinery producer in neighboring
TovarníkyTovarníky is a municipality with 1.315 inhabitants in the Topoľčany District of the Nitra Region, Slovakia....
, is no longer a major employer.
Education
The educational infrastructure is made up of
kindergartenis a form of education for young children which serves as a transition from home to the commencement of more formal schooling. Children are taught to develop basic skills through creative play and social interaction. In most countries kindergarten is part of the preschool system of early childhood...
s,
elementary schoolAn elementary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America...
s,
high schoolHigh school is the name used in some parts of the world, particularly in Scotland, Northern America and Oceania, to describe an institution that provides all or part of secondary education...
s (both general and specialised) and a branch of a Bratislava-based
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
. However, most youth from the town head to
NitraNitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of 85,000, it is the fourth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
,
BratislavaBratislava is the capital of the Slovak Republic and, with a population of about 429,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River...
, or
TrnavaTrnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
for higher education.
Famous residents
- Mário Breška
Mário Breška is a Slovak football striker who currently plays for the Cypriot team APOEL FC.He has also played for the Slovakian national team.-External links:* *...
(born 1979), soccerer
- Robert J Büchler (1929–2009), historician and peace activist, escapee of Buchenwald
- Denisa Dvončova, Supermodel
- Robert Fico
Robert Fico is the current Prime Minister of Slovakia .His relatively new left-wing party Direction – Social Democracy was the winner of the parliamentary elections in 2006, receiving approximately 30 percent of the cast votes...
(born 1964), Slovak Prime Minister
- Miroslav Siva (born 1961), soccerer
- Rudolf Sivák (born 1955), rector of Bratislava University of Economy
- Miroslav Šatan
Miroslav Šatan is a Slovak professional ice hockey right winger who is currently an unrestricted free agent in the National Hockey League...
(born 1974), hockey player
- Viera Schottertova
Viera Schottertova is a Slovak model. At the age of 14, Schottertova signed with Elite Model Management after finishing as a finalist in the 1997 Elite Model Look contest, which she entered at the age of 13 after seeing a flier announcing an open casting call...
(born 1982), Supermodel
- Ľubomír Višňovský
Ľubomír Višňovský , is a Slovakian professional ice hockey defenceman with the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League .-Playing career:...
(born 1976), hockey player
- Rudolf Vrba
Rudolf 'Rudi' Vrba, born Walter Rosenberg was a Slovak-Canadian professor of pharmacology at the University of British Columbia...
(1924–2006), professor and escapee of Auschwitz