Michalovce(;Hungarian:Nagymihály,German:Großmichel,Romani:Mihalya,Yiddish:מיכאלאָווצעMikhaylovetsorMykhaylovyts;Ukrainian:Михайлівці) is a town on theLaborecriver in easternSlovakia.Originally named after the ArchangelSt Michael,[4]it is the second-largest city in theKošice Regionand the seat of theMichalovce District.
Michalovce | |
|---|---|
Town | |
      | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
| Etymology:St Michael | |
  Michalovce Location in Slovakia  Michalovce Location in Košice Region | |
| Coordinates:48°45′19″N21°54′48″E/ 48.75528°N 21.91333°E | |
| Country |  Slovakia |
| Region | Košice |
| First mentioned | 1244 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Viliam Záhorčák (Smer-SD) |
| Area | |
• Total | 52.81 km2(20.39 sq mi) |
| (2022) | |
| Elevation | 113[2]m (371[2]ft) |
| Population (2022)[3] | |
• Total | 35,874 |
| • Density | 680/km2(1,800/sq mi) |
| Time zone | UTC+1(CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2(CEST) |
| Postal code | 071 01[2] |
| Area code | +421 56[2] |
| Car plate | MI |
| Website | http:// michalovce.sk |
The city is located on the shore ofLake Sirava,approximately 360 kilometres (224 miles) east of the capitalBratislavaand immediately adjacent to the border withUkraine.Michalovce is mostly recognized for its adjacent lakes andvolcanic mountains,which generatestourism,and foragricultureas well as the passingDruzhba pipeline.According to the latestcensus,the population of the town stood at 40,255, with a metropolitan population of 109,121, which ranks it among the largest population centers in eastern Slovakia.
History
editEarly history
editThe city of present-day Michalovce along with the adjacent lowlands was settled in from thePalaeolithicera. Archaeologists have found prehistoricHomo sapiensskeletons in the region, as well as numerous objects and vestiges by the foot of the Vihorlat mountains, dating from theNeolithic.[5]During theLate Bronze Age,which meant the period of processing bronze as the main metal, the surrounding area was an important cultural and trading center within theCarpathian Basinand, together with the area of the southernTisa RiverBasin, played an important part forging relations with areas outside of theCarpathians.The history of Michalovce was significantly influenced by presence ofCeltictribes, starting from theGallicexpansions in the 4th century BC, and later by theRomans.[6]
The town of Michalovce is the place where the legendary PrinceLaborecdied and was buried according to legends.
After theOttomanconquest in south central Hungary in the sixteenth century, Hungary was divided, and present-day Michalovce became part of theEastern Hungarian Kingdom,and laterRoyal Hungary.The town grew significantly in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. Since the Austrian-HungarianAusgleichof 1867, it achieved the status of a large community, and shortly afterward became the seat of one of the districts ofZemplén County.[7]
Modern history
editThe 19th century brought back significant development of the town. In 1828, there were 49 craftsman workshops representing all 22 kinds of craft production of the crafts licences in the region of Zemplin. Until 1874 there were a few industrial factories of local importance in the surroundings of Michalovce (starchfactories,distilleries,mill-houses,brickworks) with a limited number of work opportunities. The construction of the railway linking Michalovce withMedzilaborcein 1874, as well as the construction of the first railway linking Hungary withGaliciain 1871, had a profound impact on the production, business, and regional development in and around Michalovce.
More food-processing factories and industrial factories – a brewery, two brickworks and a steam millhouse – were established. Starting in 1876 doctors were employed in the town, as theŠtefan Kukura Hospitalwas established that year. In 1896 theHungarian languagenewspaperFelso Zemplénwas published. In 1805 a common school is founded, which later changed into a state school. In 1804, a post office was established, and in 1873 a printing office was established.
In 1885, by a decision of the municipal council, a fire brigade was founded, and the firstpublic lightingwas provided. Unemployment, being a widespread side-effect of the 18th century, resulted in the emigration of mainly farmers. Many left to seek work in thecoal miningindustry inPennsylvania,United States, giving rise to a largeRusyn Americancommunity there.
AfterWorld War I,in 1918 (confirmed by theTreaty of Trianonin 1920), Michalovce, along with some other parts of Zemplén County, became part of the then-formedCzechoslovakia.From 1939 to 1944, it was part of theSlovak Republic.In late summer and early autumn (August/September) 1944, 3500 Jewish inhabitants were deported from Michalovce. On 26 November 1944, theRed Armydislodged theWehrmachtfrom Michalovce and it was once again part of Czechoslovakia. Since 1993, with the breakup of Czechoslovakia, Michalovce has been part of Slovakia. In 1996 it was made the seat of the Michalovce District.
The previous agricultural character of Michalovce was changed by a number of newly established industrial factories after 1945. In the 1950s and 1960s, factories processing agricultural products, andtextile,engineeringand construction companies arose. These included Agricultural Business and Supply Company, East-Slovak Dairy, East-Slovak Bakery and Confectionery, Slovak Malt Plant, East-Slovak Poultry Plant, Clothing Company and Odeta, a production company. During the early 1960s, construction of theDruzhba pipelinewas a major source of employment.
Geography
editThe town lies in theKošice Region,in theEastern Slovak Lowlandon theLaborecriver, historically belonging toZemplén County.The town is about 48 km (30 mi) east ofKošiceand 30 km (19 mi) west ofUzhhorod,Ukraine. Geographical features nearby include theVihorlat Mountainsand theZemplínska šíravalake. Nearby is the biggest lake of the Vihorlat Mountains, Morské oko, Vinné castle and Vinné lake.
Demographics
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 20,655 | — |
| 1980 | 29,765 | +44.1% |
| 1991 | 38,823 | +30.4% |
| 2001 | 39,948 | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 40,027 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 36,704 | −8.3% |
| Source: Censuses[8][9] | ||
In 1910, Michalovce had 6120 residents, of whom 3792 were Hungarian, 1586 Slovak and 542 German. The religious makeup was 38.6% Roman Catholic, 32.3% Jewish and 23.2% Greek Catholic. AfterWorld War II,due to the PresidentialBenes decrees,almost the entire population of the region's ethnic Hungarians and Germans (including the region's nativeCarpathian Germans) wereforcibly expelled.Those remaining were assimilated and subjected toSlovakization.[10]
According to the 2001census,the town had 39,948 inhabitants. 94.57% wereSlovaks,2.24% wereRoma,0.73% wereCzechsand 0.47% wereUkrainian.[11]The religious makeup was 53.92%Roman Catholics,19.65%Greek Catholics,9.73% people with no religious affiliation and 5.19%Orthodox.[11]
According to the 2011 census, the town had 40,027 inhabitants. 79.53% of the inhabitants were Slovaks, 3.09% were Roma, 0.39% were Czechs and 0.36% were Ukrainians. 15.47% did not specify a nationality.[12]The religious makeup was 42.07% Roman Catholics, 16.50% Greek Catholics, 3.96% Orthodox, 3.97% Evangelicals, 10.33% with no religious affiliation and 18.30% who did not specify affiliation.[12]
Education
editThe city of Michalovce is home to many secondary schools and some university colleges. Of the seven secondary schools, the most well-known and prestigious is thePavol Horov Gymnasium.The other gymnasium is Gymnazium na ulici Ľudovita Štúra 26.
Health care
editThe largest health care provider in the municipality is theŠtefan Kukura Hospital in Michalovce,with 712 beds.
Sport
editThe town has two professional top division clubs:footballclubMFK Zemplín Michalovceandice hockeyclubHK Dukla Michalovce.
Twin towns — sister cities
edit
Cognac,France
Jarosław,Poland
Kavarna,Bulgaria- Liptovský Mikuláš,Slovakia
Pančevo,Serbia
Sátoraljaújhely,Hungary
Uzhhorod,Ukraine
Villarreal,Spain
Vyškov,Czech Republic
Notable people
edit- Presian,(ca.996-ca.1060) son of the Bulgarian tsarIvan Vladislav(the gravestone of a certain "Prince Presian" was found in Michalovce)
- Aurél Dessewffy(1808 at Nagy-Mihály – 1842), Hungarian journalist and politician.[14]
- Volodymyr Sichynskyi(1894 inKamianets-Podilskyi– 1962) a Ukrainian émigré architect, graphic artist, and art historian.
- Emília Sičáková-Beblavá(born 1975 inSnina,Slovakia) a professor of Public Policy at the Comenius University in Bratislava.
- Matúš Šutaj Eštok(born 1987), politician.
References
edit- Notes
- ^Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic ( statistics.sk)."Hustota obyvateľstva - obce".statistics.sk.Retrieved2024-02-08.
- ^abcd"Základná charakteristika".statistics.sk(in Slovak). Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2015-04-17.Retrieved2022-03-31.
- ^Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic ( statistics.sk)."Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne)".statistics.sk.Retrieved2024-02-08.
- ^"Michalovce celebrates its namesakes".sme.sk.October 2011.Retrieved20 August2013.
- ^Bánffy, E.; Brandt, G.; Alt, K. W. (7 June 2012)."Early graves from 'Neolithic period' in Carpathian Basin are in fact 6000 years younger".Journal of Human Genetics.57(7): 467–469.doi:10.1038/jhg.2012.36.PMID22673687.
- ^Rustoiu, Aurel."The Celts and Indigenous Populations from the Southern Carpathian Basin. Intercommunity Communication Strategies".Iron age rites and Rituals in the Carpathians Basin.Academia.edu.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^"Town history".Municipality of Michalovce. 2007.Retrieved18 June2009.
- ^"Statistical lexikon of municipalities 1970-2011"(PDF)(in Slovak).
- ^"Census 2021 - Population - Basic results".Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2021-01-01.
- ^"Ethnic cleansing in post world war II Czechoslovakia: The presidential decrees of Edward Benes, 1945-1948".Human rights for minorities in Central Europe.Migration citizenship education. Archived fromthe originalon 3 March 2012.Retrieved30 July2013.
- ^ab"Municipal Statistics".Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Archived fromthe originalon 2007-11-16.Retrieved2007-12-09.
- ^ab"Nationality"(PDF).Statisticky Urad SR. Archived fromthe original(PDF)on 14 November 2013.Retrieved12 July2013.
- ^"Družobné mestá"(in Slovak). Michalovce.Retrieved2019-09-02.
- ^Bain, Robert Nisbet(1911)..Encyclopædia Britannica.Vol. 8 (11th ed.). p. 104.
External links
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