Prievidza

Prievidza (; , ) is a city in the western Slovakia. With approximately 46,000 inhabitants it is the second biggest municipality in the Trenčín Region and 11th largest city in Slovakia generally.

Name

The name is probably derived from a personal name ''Previd'' with possessive suffix ''-ja'', signifying 'Previd's village'. An alternative and less probable derivation is from the word element, ''vid-'' (as in , 'to see'), so, , 'to see through', thus 'the village which can be seen from all directions', or 'the village in the thin stand'. Full text: .

History

Oldest settlement

The Upper Nitra Basin was inhabited as early as the middle of the Paleolithic period, as evidenced by the rich paleontological findings in Bojnice and Prievidza. Thousands of artifacts have been discovered, including stone tools, animal bone fossils and fireplace remnants.

Middle Ages and early modern period

The first written mention of Prievidza was in 1113, as ''Preuigan''. It was promoted to a royal free town in 1383, on 26 January. This meant that the town obtained privileges such as paying benefits to hold markets, choice of pastor and mayor, building mills, catching fish, the free development of crafts and sale of produce. From the 16th to the first third of the 17th century, the Thurzó family controlled the town. Ottomans approached Prievidza from the south and burned it in 1599, along with other towns in the upper Nitra river valley. In 1666, the Piarists built the baroque church (now known as the Piarist Church) and Monastery, which became a centre of culture and education. During the Kuruc uprising in 1673, Prievidza was burned down again, with fire burning a part of town's archives. In 1870, it had 2,719 inhabitants.

19th and 20th centuries

Since the end of the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century, industry started to grow, as the railways to Prievidza were constructed. During World War II, the city was one of the centres of partisans. On 4 April 1945, Prievidza was captured by troops of the Soviet 40th Army. Since the end of the war, the population has grown enormously from 5,000 inhabitants to around 53,000 inhabitants, as industry grew. Prievidza became the home of many miners and workers that found employment in the coal mines located in nearby village Cigeľ and towns Handlová and Nováky.

Geography

Prievidza lies at an altitude of above sea level and covers an area of . The city is near the smaller town of Bojnice, sharing a public transport system. The valley of the Nitra River, in which the city lies, is surrounded by mountain ranges on all sides, in the west Strážov Mountains, in the north Malá Fatra, in the east Žiar and in the south Vtáčnik. Prievidza is the eleventh largest city in Slovakia. It is located around south of Žilina, east of the regional capital Trenčín and from capital city of Slovakia Bratislava (by road).

Climate

Prievidza lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. It is characterized by a significant variation between hot summers and cold, snowy winters. On 21 July 2022, a maximum temperature of was registered in Prievidza.

Demographics

According to the 2001 census, the town had 53,097 inhabitants. 96.65 per cent of inhabitants were Slovaks, 0.95 per cent Czechs, 0.48 per cent Hungarian and 0.29 per cent Roma and Germans. The religious make-up was 61.91 per cent Roman Catholics, 29.01 per cent people with no religious affiliation and 2.29 per cent Lutherans.

Sport

Basketball is the most popular and successful sport in the city. Basketball club BC Prievidza won two titles in the former men's top Czechoslovak Basketball League (1989, 1993), and, after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia, four titles in the men's top Slovak Basketball League (1994, 1995, 2012, 2016). Volleyball club VK Prievidza won two titles (2018, 2019) in the top Slovakia Men's Volleyball League. Football has an over 100 years long tradition in the city.

Footballers such as Martin Škrtel, Juraj Kucka, Patrik Hrošovský and Dávid Hancko were raised in local football club Baník.

From Prievidza are also ice hockey players including Andrej Sekera and Martin Štajnoch.

Sports teams in Prievidza

*Basketball – BC Prievidza – Men Top Slovak league
*Volleyball – VK Prievidza – Men Top Slovak league
*Ice hockey – HC Prievidza – 3rd Men Slovak league
*Football – FC Baník Prievidza – 3rd Men Slovak league

Arenas and stadiums

* Niké Aréna (3,400 seats) tenants – BC Prievidza, VK Prievidza
* Futbalový štadión Prievidza (7,500/2,500 for sitting) tenants – FC Baník Prievidza
*Zimný štadión Prievidza (2,788 seats) tenants – HC Prievidza

Twin towns – sister cities

Prievidza is twinned with:

* Ibbenbüren, Germany
* Šumperk, Czech Republic
* Luserna San Giovanni, Italy
* Valjevo, Serbia
* Velenje, Slovenia
* Jastrzębie-Zdrój, Poland
* Novomoskovsk, Russia

See also

* St. Andrew's chapel in Kos

References

External links

Official website of Prievidza with information in EnglishOfficial website of Prievidza with information in Slovak

{{Authority control

Cities and towns in Slovakia
Villages and municipalities in Prievidza District