Gelnica

Geobox | settlement
name = Gelnica
category = Town
etymology =
official_name =
motto =
nickname =


image_caption = Main square of Gelnica


symbol =
country = Slovakia
country_

state =
region = Košice
district = Gelnica
municipality =
part =
river = Hnilec
location =
elevation = 372
lat_d = 48
lat_m = 50
lat_s = 53
lat_NS = N
long_d = 20
long_m = 56
long_s = 14
long_EW = E
coordinates_type = region:SK_type:city
highest =
highest_lat_d =
highest_long_d =
lowest =
lowest_lat_d =
lowest_long_d =
area = 57.652
area_round = 3
population = 6171
population_date = 31 December 2005
population_density = auto
established = 1276
established_type = First mentioned
date =
mayor = Anna Nemčíková
timezone =

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map_background = Slovakia - background map.png map_caption = Location of Gelnica in Slovakia
map_locator = Slovakia
map1 = Košice Region - outline map.svg
map1_background = Košice Region - background map.png map1_caption = Location of Gelnica in the Košice Region
map1_locator = Košice Region
commons = Gelnica
statistics = [http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/prvav2.jsp?txtUroven440801&lstObec526509&Okruzaklad MOŠ/MIS]
website = [http://www.gelnica.sk/ www.gelnica.sk]
footnotes =

Gelnica ( _de. Göllnitz, _hu. 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 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.

ights

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.cite web | title = Municipal Statistics | publisher = Statistical Office of the Slovak republic | url = http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html | accessdate = 2008-01-09] The religious makeup was 72.00% Roman Catholics, 15.88% people with no religious affiliation, and 4.03% Lutherans and 3.28 Greek Catholics.

Partner towns

*flagicon|Czech Republic Horní Suchá, Czech Republic
*flagicon|Netherlands Gennep, Netherlands
*flagicon|Poland Rudnik nad Sanem, Poland
*flagicon|France Le Pradet, France

References

External links

* [http://www.gelnica.sk Town website] sk icon