Žilina (Play Žilina, Latin Solna, German Sillein or Silein, German
Zsolna, Polish Żylina) is a regional and district town in northern
Slovakia. It lies at the confluence of the Váh, Kysuca and Rajčanka
rivers.
Žilina is the fourth largest city in Slovakia by the
number of inhabitants (total 80,758, 39,004 men, 41,754 women according
to the data of 02/28/2023). It is the administrative, economic,
transport and cultural center of northwestern Slovakia, sometimes called
the "Pearl on the Scales".
By plane
Žilina Airport (Letisko Žilina, IATA: ILZ; west of the
city) . Currently no regular service. In 2012, Czech Airlines operated
scheduled services to Prague for a short time.
Nearest scheduled
airports: Ostrava, Katowice, Kraków, Poprad, Bratislava
By train
Žilina is an important railway junction where the main line from
Bratislava to Košice meets the main line from Bohumín. All express
trains stop here.
The train station is 500 m northeast of the
city center
Direct connections from Bratislava and Košice with SŽD
express trains every 2 hours, journey time approx. 2:30 hours.
At
least daily international direct connections from Vienna, Katowice,
Warsaw, Kraków, Prague, Brno and Kiev.
Trains of the private railway
companies Leo Express and Regiojet to Prague, Bratislava and Košice,
among others.
Regional train connections e.g. to Rajec and Čadca.
In the street
Bratislava's motorway ends on the western outskirts
of the city. At the airport, for example, the D1 merges into the D3; In
the future, the D1 will bypass Žilina far to the south. The D3 partially
exists and replaces the trunk road I/11 to Poland (Żywiec) and the Czech
Republic (Ostrava). The city can be reached from the east via the I/18
trunk road, which has largely been replaced by the D1.
The center is largely a pedestrian zone. Trolleybuses (o-buses) and motorbuses operate in the city.
The historical core of Žilina is a city monument reserve. The center
of the city is the square Mariánske náměstí with arcades around the
entire perimeter and two adjacent streets, which began to take shape in
the 12th century. On the square there is the Church of the Conversion of
St. Paul with a monastery, the old town hall building with a bell and a
baroque statue of the Immaculate Virgin Mary (Immaculata) from 1738,
which stands in the middle of the square. It was built in honor of the
end of re-Catholicization in the city. Not far from the square is the
Cathedral of the Holy Trinity, next to it is the Burian tower.
Other sights:
Budatín Castle, a castle at the confluence of the Váh
and Kysuca rivers in the management of the Považ Museum
Roman
Catholic wooden church of St. Juraj in the Trnové district (one of the
few wooden churches outside eastern Slovakia)
Church of St. Štefana
Kráľ in the Rudiny part of Závodská street is the oldest architectural
monument in Žilina.
Church of St. Barbory (Františkánsky church) from
1723 – 1730 on J. M. Hurbana street with extremely valuable baroque
furnishings.
The Evangelical Church on Martina Rázusa Street was
built in 1935-1936 and the building was designed by the Slovak architect
Nestor Michal Milan Harminc.
The Orthodox synagogue on Dlabačová
street with an exhibition of the Museum of Jewish Culture.
Neological
Synagogue on J. M. Hurban Street by the prominent architect of
modernity, prof. dr. Peter Behrens.
Statue of St. Cyril and Methodius on the balustrade above Hlinkov
Square. The statue was unveiled in 2004 and its author is Ladislav
Berák, an academic sculptor from Žilina.
Statue of Andrej Hlinka –
Father of the Nation in Hlinkovo Square, author Ladislav Berák.
Statue of Anton Bernolák by academic sculptor Juraj Brišák. The work was
created in 2000 and is located at ul. Anton Bernolák.
Memorial rtn.
Jozef Gabčík, captain in memoriam, on Závodská Street. The author of the
bust and monument is the academic sculptor Štefan Pelikán.
The
memorial to Jewish citizens "The Way of No Return" was unveiled in 2004
and is located on Závodská cesta near the barracks. The authors of the
memorial are Jacob Enyedi and Arieh Klein.
The memorial to the Žilina
victims of the Holocaust at the Jewish cemetery in Žilina was unveiled
on October 26, 1952 and was designed by architect Jozef Zweigethal.
Monument to the victims of the war in the City Park by the sculptor
Rudolf Pribiš, a native of Rajec. The sculpture was unveiled in 1955 on
the 10th anniversary of the entry of the 1st Czechoslovak Republic. army
corps to the city.
Bronze bust of General M.R. Štefánik in Štefánik
Square by author Ladislav Berák.
The statue of Ľudovít Štúr was
unveiled in 2002 on Ľudovít Štúr Square and in In 2012, it was
rediscovered in Park Ľudovíta Štúra in Bôrik. The author of the statue
is academic sculptor Ladislav Berák.
The monument to Slovak
volunteers is built in Budatín on Náměstí hrdinov in honor of the
battles of Slovak volunteers.
The monument to Jozef Miloslav Hurban
revealed in 2006 in Budatín. The author of the equestrian statue is
Ladislav Berák.
The memorial to the victims of communism, unveiled in
1998, is located in front of the City Hall in Žilina, on Square of the
Victims of Communism. The author of the work is the sculptor Milan
Lukáč.
The SNP relief at the War Cemetery in Bôrik is the largest
relief in Slovakia and its author is Ladislav Berák.
Monument - bust
of Žilina burgher JUDr. To Vojtech Tvrdé by Ladislav Berák has been in
the building of the Municipal Theater since October 14, 2000.
The
monument - the bust of the evangelical bishop Fedor F. Ruppeldt is
located on the building of the Municipal Theater. It was revealed on
June 11, 2006 and its author is Ladislav Berák.
The monument to the
Žilina firemen (1957) on Firemen's Square is by the academic sculptor
Stanislav Bíroš.
The life-size statue of Alexander Lombardini was
unveiled on November 18, 2011 in his museum on Horny vale. The work is
by the academic sculptor Ondrej Lipták.
The war cemetery of Soviet
soldiers in Bôrik, where 1,786 soldiers are buried, was opened on April
30, 1946 and was designed by Soviet architects.
Monument to 32
murdered citizens who were shot on January 8, 1945 in Lesopark Chrasť
during the Slovak national resistance.
Monument to Žilina textile
workers who went on strike for their rights in Slovakia in 1924 and
1943. The monument is located in a small park on Kysucká street.
The
monument to the members of the military forced labor camps in Sad na
Studničky was unveiled on September 24, 2010.
Žilina City Park (located in the city center, there is a fountain and
a covered stage in the park, formerly Sad SNP)
Ľudovíta Štúr Park
(Bôrický Park)
Studničky Park (fountain)
Budatín Park (Castle
Park, in the grounds of the Budatín Castle)
Bytčický park (in the
grounds of the manor)
Lesopark Chrasť (between the estates of Vlčince
and Solinky)
Bôrik Forest Park
A movie
On November 21, 1921, the first Slovak feature film
Jánošík by the Siakeľov brothers was premiered in the Grand Bio
Univerzum cinema in Žilina. It was filmed by the American-Slovak company
Tatra Film Corporation. The film also had an American version, which
premiered in Chicago on December 1, 1921. In 1964, the film Senzi mama
was filmed in Žilina with Magda Vášáryová in the lead role. Currently,
there are several movie theaters in the city in OC Mirage and ZOC Max.
Theater
An important cultural institution in the city of Žilina
is the Municipal Theatre, the interior of which was fundamentally
renovated in 2003. The theater is located on Horný val street, and on
March 27, 2010, the FIFA world trophy was presented here. Another
cultural and artistic organization – the Puppet Theater – is located on
Kuzmány Street. It is a repertory theater with a permanent ensemble,
whose main activity is creating conditions for the creation and
dissemination of puppetry and alternative theater work for children and
youth. The puppet theater in Žilina is one of the most beautiful in
Slovakia.
The Považ Art Gallery exhibits works of art by authors from around
Žilina, but also from abroad, and there is a permanent exhibition of
works by Vincent Hložník. The Považ Museum in Žilina is located in the
Budatín Castle, where it also has exhibits from the history of Žilina,
from archeology, as well as a unique tinkering exhibit. Other
expositions are at Strečno Castle, in the Marriage Palace in Bytča, in
Terchová, and objects of folk architecture are located in the striking
village of Čičmany. The Považ Art Gallery also includes:
Museum of
Jewish culture, exposition of Jewish women
Alexander Lombardini
Museum
Gallery M locus arte Žilina, Mariánske nám. 10
Gallery ±
0.0 Žilina, Mydlarska 1
Gallery on Horny vale
Libraries
Regional Library in Žilina (Antona Bernoláka 47)
The University
Library of the University of Žilina in Žilina (Ulica hóděžákov 24)
Music
The town is home to the Fatra Art House, where regular
music events are held. Folk ensembles Rozsutec, Stavbár and Odborárik
perform in Žilina, as well as the Žilina Mixed Choir. The Žilina State
Chamber Orchestra is known throughout Slovakia and abroad. It is the
only orchestra of the "Mozart type" in Slovakia, it was founded in 1974
in Žilina and performed in many countries, from which it received
important awards. He made many recordings with works by Vivaldi,
Telemann, Mozart, Haydn, Hummel, Verdi, Respighi, Martinů, Antonín
Dvořák, J. Strauss, and many Czech and Slovak composers. He collaborated
with music publishers Opus, Donau, Naxos, Brilliant Classics, BMG and
others. Rock groups such as Aya and Arzén are also active in the city.
Žilina cultural summer - a set of several cultural and sports events,
summer cinema.
Old town festivities, last week of May
Jašidielňa
(festival of creativity of disabled youth), beginning of September
Fest Anča, an animated film festival
Carneval Slovakia Žilina, the
largest Slovak carnival festival
Žilina Literary Festival - since
2003
Voce Magna – international choral singing festival since 2010
The rest
Space for cultural-social activities and contemporary
art is provided by the civic association Truc Spherique in the
avant-garde premises of the Žilina-Záriečie railway station and is
currently building a kunsthalle in the synagogue building. Leisure
centers Giraffe, Spektrum and Strom operate in the city, providing
leisure activities to children and youth from the city and the
surrounding area.
The media
Internet – www.zilinak.sk,
www.zilinskekrimi.sk, zilina.dnes24.sk and others
Radio – Radio
Frontinus, Radio Rebeca (regional studio)
Television – Žilina
Television, TV Patriot, Severka
Press - weekly newspapers Žilinské
večerník, Žilinské noviny, Žilinec
The city of Žilina is located at the confluence of Váh with Kysuca
and Rajčanka (before the bend of Váh from the western direction to the
southwest and before entering the central high area of the Western
Carpathians), at the geographical coordinates 49°13′24.39″S
18°44′21.58″E. Its area is 80.03 km² and the altitude of Mariánské
námestie (historic center) is 345 m above sea level. m.
The city
of Žilina, together with its districts, borders the following
municipalities:
in the north: Horný Hričov, Divinka, Divina (with
Divina a total of 138.95 m)
in the east: Teplička nad Váhom, Mojš
in the south: Stránavy, Višňové, Rosina, Turie, Porúbka, Lietava,
Lietavská Lúčka
in the west: Brezany, Hôrky, Bitarová, Ovčiarsko.
This administrative and territorial unit is part of the Žilina
district, and the entire orographic unit - Žilina basin - is named after
the city of Žilina. It has the shape of a right-angled triangle with the
boundary line of Mala Fatra, Kysucká vrchovina, Strážovské vrchy,
Súľovské vrchy and Javorník. The southern continuation of the Žilina
basin is the analogous outcrop of the Rajecka basin, which includes the
morphologically distinct group of Skaliek, belonging to the Strážovský
vrchy. The Žilinská kotlina extends along the Varínka stream as a
narrow, elongated protrusion as far as Terchová (like the Varínský
bážek). The Žilina basin coincides in the border areas in altitude only
with the Bytčian basin, at an altitude of over 330 m above sea level. m.
The cadastral territory of Žilina belongs to the second largest river
system in Slovakia. The relief of the Váha basin is determined by
individual orographic building units. In the 7 km long Strečnianská
strait, Váh forms three characteristic indented meanders (Krivý, Domašín
and Gabrišova). After the confluence with Kysuca and Rajčanka, the Váh
leaves the Žilina basin and cuts into the Bytčianska basin, where the
Hričov reservoir was created. The source of water in surface streams is
primarily rain and snow. The spring months of April and May are the
wettest, because they drain rainwater from the mountains together with
snowmelt water. Streams have the least amount of water at the end of
summer and beginning of autumn. In the winter season, there is the least
amount of water in January, because most of the precipitation is trapped
in the snow cover and ice. All rivers are characterized by extreme
runoff, as their level rises rapidly during rains and snowmelt and falls
sharply during the dry season.
From a hydrological point of view,
large areas of limestone and dolomite are important, which with their
infiltration surfaces condition a rich spring. The largest spa complex
near Žilina, in Rajecké Teplice, is also connected to these areas. The
spa is aimed at treating rheumatic, nervous and mental diseases and
occupational diseases. In the area of Javorník, there are a relatively
large number of low-yielding springs. From a hydrological point of view,
the barrier zone is not of great importance.
The longest Slovak river Váh flows through the city from east to
west. On the territory of the city, near the Budatín Park, the Kysuca
River flows into the Váh. Near Strážov, the Rajčanka flows into the Váh,
called Žilinka by the people of Žilina in the past, or Rajčianka.
In
addition, the Stránavský potok (Ľ), the Rosinka (Ľ) and the Trnovka
stream flow into the Váh in the town district (Chotárny potok and
Breznícky potok further into it); to Kysuca Brodnianka (Ľ) and Liešovský
potok (Ľ); to Rajčanka Bytčický potok (P), Bitarovský potok (Ľ) and
Bradová (Ľ).
A small stream, called Všivák, flows through the city
from the Solinky housing estate through Bôrik.
The climate and climatic conditions of the city and
the entire Žilina basin are directly influenced by the existing altitude
conditions of the territory. This area, like the entire territory of
Slovakia, has all the basic features of a continental (inland) climate.
Žilina lies in a zone where relatively regular and sudden changes in
weather values occur during the year. According to long-term
observation, it usually gets significantly colder at the beginning of
January. The weather conditions change significantly in March and April,
when intense heat alternates quite quickly with noticeable cooling,
accompanied by rain showers and often snowfall. In the second half of
April, temperatures rise, and in May, cold arctic air usually penetrates
this territory, which leads to a significant drop in temperatures
(sometimes even below 0 °C). Usually in the middle of June, a flow of
colder and moist oceanic air hits our territory, which is accompanied by
heavy rainfall. The maximum temperature in the Žilina region regularly
peaks in the second half of July and the beginning of August. The end of
August and September are characterized by significant drops in average
temperatures. The amplitude of the relative warming occurs at the turn
of September - October, since then the temperatures gradually decrease.
When it warms up again in the second half of December, there is a
softening and temporary melting of the snow cover.
Žilina with
its integrated villages belongs to a moderately warm semi-humid area
characterized by cooler summers. A relatively warm climate is
characterized by a predominance of precipitation over evaporation. Only
a small part of the excess water that is created soaks into the ground,
the rest flows over the surface in permanent and non-drying torrents of
water. Average annual precipitation values in the territory of Žilina
are around 650-700 mm, but in some years the average increases up to 900
mm. The most precipitation occurs in June, respectively in the first
half of July.
The diversity of the environment corresponds to the flora, which
is the result of long-term development from the Ice Age to the
present. The geological background, which often changes in small
areas, the geomorphology of the territory, the climate and the
composition of the soil created the conditions for the occurrence of
various types of plants. In the past, the majority of the territory
was covered by mixed forests, today the basins are mostly deforested
and transformed into fields, meadows and pastures, which created
conditions for the occurrence of secondary plant species. Only
remnants of the original forests of the basins have been preserved,
for example Bôrik or Lesopark. Wetlands with banks of streams and
rivers became home to willows, poplars and alders. Ash, maple, and
oak reached drier and higher places, and the growth of summer oak
near Hôrki deserves attention. Hawthorn bushes, hazels, brambles and
rosehips have been preserved on unimproved pastures and borders.
Compared to the basins, the vegetation was better preserved at
higher elevations, where there is a mixed growth of beech, fir and
spruce.
With increasing altitude, the number of trees
decreases and the continuous forest begins to break up into groups
of spruces and solitary trees of lower height. Above this band, i.e.
j. above the upper limit of the forest, the zone of occurrence of
rhododendron begins. From a botanical point of view, Strážovské
vrchy and Malá Fatra are particularly interesting. In these
mountains we find species penetrating from the north and lowland
species penetrating from the south through the Váh valley. The flora
is particularly rich in areas beautifully modeled by limestone,
dolomite and limestone conglomerate. Mountain Carpathian species
descend into narrow valleys and ravines with a wet and cold climate
- Carpathian soldanelka, Alpine firefly and others. On sunny stony
slopes, in light forests, you can find Slovak sedge, Clusiov
gentian, spring gentian, common sedge, feathery clove, alpine
pangolin, alpine aster and others. Mountain forest plant species,
such as male fern, white sedge, garlic stepwort and others, are
found in the higher elevations of the Strážovské vrchy. The area of
Javorník, built with flysch rocks, is poorer in terms of vegetation
and the spruce forest predominates here. Common sedum, sedum,
bilberry, various types of lichens, mosses, heather are abundant
here, and there is a rich abundance of mushrooms throughout the
area.
The geological background of Mala Fatra is very varied
and depending on it, the flora also changes. Among the endemic
species, shiny clove, early clove, perennial sedge, salmon tooth and
others grow here. From the pre-glacial period, there is a Matthiol
courthouse. Of the relict species that survived the Ice Age, the
Scots pine, common yew and eight-leaved dryad have been preserved
here. Although the flora of Mala Fatra is strongly affected by human
intervention, very valuable communities have been preserved in
certain places, and therefore their permanent protection is ensured.
The varied species distribution of the fauna is the result of
long-term development, the action of natural factors and human
intervention. Its current state has been formed since the end of the
last glaciation. Several types of insects, butterflies, beetles,
dipterans and others can be found in the marginal parts of basins, in
valley floodplains and in meadows with varied vegetation. The lower
parts of the mountain range are rich in fauna, species bound to the
forest environment. Insectivores include the common mole, common shrew
and Eastern European hedgehog living in meadows and bushes. A large
group of bats live in moist places of caves, in crevices of rocks,
points and hollows of trees. Amphibians such as the green toad, the
brown tree frog, the green tree frog and the spotted salamander are
bound to the aquatic environment - swamps and unpolluted reservoirs. Of
the reptiles, the short-headed lizard is the most common, in colder
places the viviparous lizard lives, and the wall lizard lives on the
rocks. The only poisonous snake is the viper. Due to the decrease in the
number of reptiles, all species of lizards are protected. Among the 62
species of mammals, our largest animal – the brown bear, which has the
western limit of its distribution in the Žilina district, has an
important position. Furthermore, it is an island lynx, wild cat and wood
badger are also rarely found. Among the animals, it is the red fox,
forest marten, rock marten, ermine weasel, and river otter is only
rarely found in clean waters. Of the game, it is mainly deer, roe deer
and black game, and hunting associations and state forests take care of
their regulation.
The birdlife of the inner city of Žilina is
characterized by species that are bound to the proximity of humans, as
they find protection and favorable food conditions here. Typical and
abundantly represented species are mainly the garden dove, the common
starling, the black thrush and the house sparrow. A smaller part of the
birds occurs year-round, some come to us for the winter. They are
hibernating species (for example, the northern plover), others fly here
randomly (eratic species). However, the largest part of our birds belong
to migratory birds, which winter in southern and southwestern Europe,
some species even in equatorial Africa. The bird life of Žilina is
characterized by great variety, which is mainly due to the proximity of
mountains and water bodies. In the cadastral territory of the city of
Žilina, 148 species have been found so far, of which 68 species (45.9%)
regularly nest.
Streets
Žilina streets
List of streets and
squares in Žilina
Squares
There are 17 squares in Žilina (in
2017), and the most famous are A. Hlinku Square and Mariánske námestie.
Both are part of the pedestrian zone in the historic center of the city
and are often the scene of important city cultural and social events.
Žilina square
List of streets and squares in Žilina
The coat of arms of the city consists of a shield, a double cross and
two stars on an olive green background. The double cross and stars are
golden (or yellow). The double cross is of Byzantine origin, based on
the Cyril-Method tradition. The coat of arms of the city of Žilina has a
high heraldic value and is one of the oldest city coats of arms in
Slovakia. The first depiction of the city coat of arms dates from 1379.
The flag of the city is divided horizontally into an upper yellow
and a lower green stripe. The coat of arms of the city is located on the
upper left.
The seal of the city is circular. In the center is a
coat of arms with a shield and a double cross. Around the seal is the
Latin inscription SIGILLUM, CIVIUM. DE. ZILINA (literally in Slovak:
"seal of citizens from Žilina").
Stone Age
The first find from the Old Stone Age comes from the era
of mammoth hunters. Mammoth bones were found near the former Úsvit
cinema, in Považský Chlmec and in a former brick factory (between Mala
Praha and "Rondlo"). The oldest proof of settlement are finds in the
present-day Závodie district from the later Stone Age (around 20,000
years BC). Stone tools, spears and flints from the area of today's
Poland were found here, which explains the migration of people to the
south for a warmer climate and for game.
People hunted reindeer
and mammoths, which at that time lived in areas with a cold climate,
such as was the case around today's city. Before the arrival of people
mastering agriculture (5000-4000 BC), knowledge about life in the
territory of Žilina is minimal. A tribe of people who control
agriculture, belonging to the so-called of the Lengyel cultural group,
according to the findings, settled in Brodno, where they found an ax
hammer, and in Žilinská Lehota, where axes were found. Pottery from the
Late Stone Age, which was found in the vicinity of the city, confirms
the unequivocal settlement of the Žilina area.
Bronze Age
In
Central Europe, the Bronze Age lasted between 2,000 and 700 BC, in
Slovakia it was around 1,800 and 750 BC. An ash burial of a person from
this period was found next to the current Evangelical church, where 10
graves were found. People were buried by cremation, and in addition to
ashes and bones, clay containers (ashtrays) contained alms and grave
ceramics. In addition to ash pit graves, people were also buried in pit
graves, and in the late period chiefs were buried under barrows. The
Bronze Age was the period of the so-called of the Lusatian culture,
whose people lived in settlements consisting of several residential and
farm houses. Such settlements were located in Šefranica, Frambora,
Závodí, Brodno, Bánová and Strážov.
Hradiská
To defend against
the enemy, people built fortified castles. They were large spaces,
surrounded by a wooden fence, which was strengthened by a rampart made
of logs and rammed earth. Most of the forts were built on high ground or
in places protected by water. During the threat, the castle was a refuge
for all the inhabitants of the surrounding area and mostly farmers,
craftsmen and merchants lived here. A tribal chieftain - the duke -
lived in each fort. The remains of fortifications are also located in
the vicinity of Žilina and they were defense, cultural, economic and
commercial centers. An important fortress, standing above the old trade
route next to Váh, was located in Divinka on Veľky vrch, where the
remains of vessels made of fired clay were found. Other important
castles were in Stranik and in Závodí, where the remains of the ramparts
that surrounded them have also been preserved. Craft production and
barter were concentrated in them.
The Iron Age
In the Iron Age
(750 BC – 100 AD), settlement persisted in the forts, where the people
of the Lusatian culture – the Púchov group – maintained themselves.
Settlements from this period were found in several affiliated
municipalities. In the first century BC our territory was settled by
Celtic tribes, who brought here a more perfect way of processing metals.
Settlements in Šefranica, Frambora, and Strážov have been confirmed, and
a small settlement was recently discovered in the area of today's parish
church. Life also continued in the forts in Stranik, in Závodí and in
Divinka, where Celtic coins were found, testifying to a developed
economy. In the first century AD however, the settlement disappeared
here, probably due to the invasion of some foreign ethnic group.
Roman times
When the Germans controlled the territory of Central
Europe after the Celts, the Quadi and Marcomani lived in northern
Slovakia, with whom the Romans waged wars. After the Romans, three
hoards of coins remained in Žilina and pottery in Strážov. In the later
period, the Germanic Goths and Longobards passed through this territory.
The time of the Slavs
The Slavs came to the Žilina Basin in the
final phase of the migration of peoples in the 5th-6th centuries AD.
They pushed out or merged with the original population and occupied some
previously used housing estates - a half-earth house with Slavic
ceramics was found, for example, in on Frambor, where four other objects
from the following century were found. It was the Old Slavic finds in
this location, which are among the oldest in Slovakia, that changed the
previous view of the settlement of this territory by the Slavs. It has
been confirmed that this ethnic group came already around 500 from the
north, and the mountain basins were not settled from the south, as was
thought. In the 9th century, a residential building from the period of
Great Moravia stood on Bôrik near the former summer cinema, in the
vicinity of which several similar manorial settlements were found.
According to legend, the first Romanesque church was built in the city
in the 9th century.
Slavic barrows were found in Bánová and
Žilina-Chrasti, where warriors from the center of Great Moravia were
buried. Christianity began to spread here and the castle in Divinka was
repopulated. Slavic settlements found in Bánová, Závodí and Šefranica
date from the 11th century. From a later period, written records have
been preserved about life (not only) in the Žilina basin.
The oldest preserved written mention of Žilina dates from 1208, when
Žilina consisted of several Slovak settlements, scattered 0.5-2 km from
the Church of St. Štefana (in the document written in Latin by Tomáš,
the žúban of Nitra, the territory of Žilina is called terra de Selinan,
i.e. "Land of Žilina/Žilinská"). The largest of the settlements was
probably located on the site of the current historical core of Žilina.
It also included a church with a semicircular apse, located on the site
of the current Parish Church, the foundations of which protrude from
under the current building. This settlement was probably destroyed at
the end of the 13th century, and its church was also damaged, which was
subsequently repaired according to archaeologists' research.
Žilina Castle
More information in the main article: Žilina (castle)
The existence of Žilina Castle is confirmed by several documents.
Although the first mention, mentioning the owner Matúš Čák Trenčianske,
is from 1318, it is assumed that the castle is a little older. Other
mentions are from 1397 and 1454, where the castle is mentioned for the
last time. Its location, and thus its existence, was not discovered
until 2008, when the foundations of a massive tower were discovered
during the construction of OC Mirage. The foundations of the castle
tower were incorporated into the shopping center building.
German colonists from the Silesian principality of Tešín began to
build a new residence before 1300. The core of the future city became
the so-called rínok (today's Mariánske námestie), which placed the
church and castle on its northern edge. The first mention of Žilina as a
city dates back to 1312, although legally Žilina became a city a few
years earlier. In the following years, it came into the possession of
Matúš Čák Trenčianske, and after his death in 1321, Žilina became a city
on royal land. In this year, the Hungarian king Karol Róbert exempted
the city from tolls and granted it other privileges. The oldest known
seal with the coat of arms of Žilina is from 1379, although its typarium
was made during the time of the Arpád family. During the 14th century,
Žilina was a small town and the number of inhabitants probably did not
exceed 900.
King Charles Robert
Karol Róbert visited Žilina on
July 12, 1321 and granted it privileges - the right of miles, the right
of fishing and the right of the market. In 1325, Ján Petzold, the first
known mayor of Žilina, received a hereditary lease of the Krásno
settlement. His son Dominik served in the army with King Louis I the
Great from the Anjou family.
King Louis I the Great
Žilina
received the right of an annual market (fair) from Louis I the Great in
1357. This privilege was an important impetus for the development of
crafts and trade in the city and a necessary legal prerequisite for
ensuring the prosperity of its inhabitants. In 1364, he built the
so-called "Royal Courier's Route" I will take to Košice and Žilina was
one of the cities where tolls were collected. In 1369, King Ľudovít
forbade Žilina to use Tessin law, and the city began to use Magdeburg
law. This was also followed by Krupina, and the change brought an
improvement in the position of the townspeople and a limitation of the
rights of the hereditary magistrate. On May 7, 1381, the Slovak
population, having a majority in the number of inhabitants, obtained
equality with the German colonists by the Privilegium pro Slavis
document. It was issued by the Hungarian and Polish kings Ludovít and
determined the proportion of the number of members of the city council
(half Slovaks and half Germans in the ratio 6:6). The original document
has not been preserved, there is only a copy that was made in Kláštor
pod Znievom. Since 1382, Žilina was subordinated to a tavern owner based
on a charter, who was supposed to resolve the complaints of the city's
residents and defend their privileges.
Žilina city book
The
Žilina Town Book, an important literary and legal monument, was created
during the reign of King Louis I. It contains a transcription of
Magdeburg law made by Mikuláš from Luková, i.e. the law used in the town
of Krupina, economic records in the town, court records and records from
the city council in Žilina. The book consists of 149 written pages,
located in a leather binding with dimensions of 29 x 22 cm. The first
entry in Slovak appeared in the book in 1451, and the last entries date
from 1561. It is the oldest and most important linguistic and legal
monument in Slovakia and has Central European significance.
Sigismund of Luxembourg
In 1397, Sigismund of Luxemburg confirmed
Žilina's original privileges and exempted her from paying border customs
for 10 years. It means that there were merchants in Žilina who were
engaged in long-distance trade. In 1405, Žilina took part in the
regional assembly of royal towns, small towns and free municipalities in
Buda, which testifies to the economic boom. Sigismund issued a small
decree and privilege in which he ordered the fortification of the city.
During the years 1431 to 1434, Žilina was captured and burned twice by
Hussite troops, and the city fell into decline for a certain period of
time. The town hall then probably stood somewhere in the center of the
city, since then it is in the eastern corner of Mariánské námestí. The
invasion of the Hussites also left consequences for the position of the
Germans in the city. Žilina becomes a Slovak city, fewer and fewer
Germans appear in the city council, and Slovakized Czech begins to be
written in the Žilina City Book.
In the 14th century, Žilina had around 100 houses and 800 inhabitants. At the end of the century, the suburbs - Kálov and Predmestie (Suburban Street) probably began to be built. This increased both the number of houses and the population and placed the town among the larger small towns of 1,000-2,000 inhabitants. This state lasted until the 17th century. The population consisted of full-fledged burghers and the urban poor, while full-fledged burghers had house rights, tied to the house and land. They included urban patricians, craftsmen and merchants who lived on the Rhine or near it. The patricians were the richest families who participated in the management of the city in the city council (locators).
Žilina in the years 1438-1521
Probably from 1422, a (previously
hereditary) mayor was elected for one year. It has been the same since
1475 (with the exception of Blažej and Dorothy Podmanický, who seized
Žilina in the years 1479-1483).
The oldest mention of a bridge over the Váh near Budatín dates from
1438. The bridge enabled a better connection especially with Silesia,
and therefore with the territory of Poland, the Czech Republic and
Germany. Tolls were collected on the bridge, as well as on the Royal
Courier's Route from Považ to Košice.
Matej Corvín
King Matej
Korvín allowed the people of Žilina to hold an annual market on
Michaelmas and in 1458 exempted them from paying border customs for two
years. In 1474, he exempted Žilina from paying special taxes for three
years on the condition that it build a fortification. By building a
walled fortification, Žilina could become a free royal city, which would
bring it more freedoms and economic benefits. However, the city
gradually built only stone embankments - ramparts (the street names
"Horný and Dolný val" remain), it was never a free royal city.
Education
In 1469, the city church school is mentioned for the first
time, and its teacher, master Ján, was the first city scribe. The school
was located in the building next to the parish church, where the
Municipal Theater is located today.
Craftsmanship
In this
period, Žilina was an important center of craft production. In the 14th
century, several craftsmen worked in the city, who in the 15th century
began to join guilds, protecting their economic interests. The articles
of the furriers' guild date back to 1488, in the following years
tailoring, butcher's, blacksmith's, clothier's and other guilds were
established. They were headed by a guild master who managed one
workshop. In the guilds there was no shortage of scribes, journeymen,
journeymen and apprentices. Guilds governed the life of the city's
members, and meetings were mostly held on the square (today's Mariánske
námestie).
Louis II. Jagelovsky
Louis II. In 1508, Jagelovský
donated Žilina to Ján Podmanické, who wanted to seize the Žilina
mayorship. In the 1920s, Žilina belonged to the Zápoľský family and
became a typical feudal town. In 1521, the city suffered a great fire.
The original houses that stood on the square since the beginning of the
town were rebuilt in the Renaissance style.
The period of feudal wars in the first half of the 16th century
The Battle of Mohács in 1526 influenced the further development and life
of Žilina. The time of wars, battles and uprisings has come. Ján
Zápoľský gave the city as a deposit to the grand duke Burian Světlovský
of Vlčnov, later he donated it to Mikuláš Kostek, who, however, violated
his privileges, which resulted in the confirmation of the privileges of
Karol Róbert and Mária I by Ján Zápoľský. In 1540, Podmanické armed men
moved into Žilina with the intention of capturing the city and rebuilt
the parish church into a fortress. After the death of Ján Zápoľský, King
Ferdinand I of Habsburg took away Žilina from the Kostkovs for
disobedience and gave it to the Podmanicks. In 1548, an agreement was
made between the feudal lords, on the basis of which the Kostkovci of
Žilina and Podmanickí acquired Bytča and Hričov (Horný Hričov and Dolný
Hričov). The period of these feudal struggles meant a decrease in the
population of Žilina.
In the 16th century, Žilina became the
center of the Reformation. In 1542, a Protestant school of a higher type
- an academy - is mentioned. It was housed in the same building as the
old town school and lasted until the beginning of the 18th century.
Foreign students also studied here and personalities of church life and
writers (J. Bánovský, E. Ladiver senior, E. Ladiver junior, S. Nigríni,
M. Ascanius – Haško) taught here. After the death of Mikuláš Kostka,
Štefan Deršfi became the owner of Žilina, after whom Ladislav Révay was
the tenant of the city under the age of Mikuláš Deršfi. However, he was
reprimanded by the king himself for his cruel treatment of the people of
Žilina. The first printing house started operating in the city in 1665.
In May 1691, the Jesuits established a lower secondary school in Žilina,
which they later transformed into a lower gymnasium and in 1761 into a
regular gymnasium.
At the turn of the 16th and 17th centuries, Žilina became an
important economic center for a wide area. Markets were held here twice
a week and fairs were held six times a year, preceded by cattle markets.
Markets and fairs played an important role throughout the country. The
greatest development was recorded in craft production and trade, from
which Žilina merchants prospered, exempt from tolls and protected by
privileges. Craft production was concentrated in guilds, the most
important of which was the drapery guild with articles from 1569. At the
time of its greatest boom, 50,000 meters of fabric were produced in
120-150 drapery workshops. Guild workshops were concentrated on the
streets around Čepiel, and mainly red and white cloth was made from
sheep's wool. The second guild was a butcher's guild, with workshops on
today's Bottová Street and a slaughterhouse somewhere under the parish
church. Others were the guild of millers, furriers, tailors,
blacksmiths, potters, carpenters, coopers and others. During its heyday,
about 200 craft workshops worked in Žilina (150 of which were
clothiers), grouped into eighteen guilds.
The city received
income from taxes on artisans and merchants, market fees, tolls, the
operation of its fields, three mills, a sawmill, a brewery, the sale of
wood, rafts and alcohol. It also owned settlements in Kysucie, for
example Krásno nad Kysucou. The expenses were directed to the operation
of the town hall, hospital, churches, farm buildings and their
employees.
In 1610, the most important event of the Reformation
took place in Žilina under the patronage of Palatine Juraj Turz.
Representatives of the Evangelical Church gathered at the Žilina Synod.
The Synod completed the organization of the Evangelical Church in
Slovakia, with which they also formally broke away from the Catholic
Church.
The development of Žilina was not prevented even by the
anti-Habsburg uprisings, the Thirty Years' War and the wars with the
Turks. The people of Žilina also organized their own militia, which
successfully repelled some attacks. The development lasted until the end
of the 17th century.
Other owners of Žilina were Mikuláš
Esterházy, Štefan Vešeléni and František Vešeléni. As a vassal city, it
retained all the rights of a free city (fortification, the right to
elect a mayor and self-governing bodies, the right of patronage, the
right of the sword, freedom from foreign courts, tolls, the right of
miles and the right to fish). The development ended in the last decades
of the 17th century. In 1671, František Vešeléni unsuccessfully
attempted a conspiracy against King Leopold I, to whom the city was
confiscated. In 1665, Ján Dadan's printing house was established in
Žilina on Bottová street, which mainly printed church literature. It
lasted until 1704.
From 1520 until 1848, Žilina had only elected magistrates. They were in office from April of the said year until the election of a new mayor in April of the following year. Since 1771, magistrates have been in office from November 1 of the previous year to November 1 of the said year.
The era of prosperity and development was stopped by a fire in 1678
and a year later by a plague. Several troops participating in
anti-Habsburg uprisings and anti-Turkish battles passed through Žilina,
looting the settlements they passed through. During Imrich Tököli's
uprising, the Žilina suburb was destroyed in this way. In 1685, the
Jesuits came to Žilina, who founded a gymnasium here six years later. It
was located in a house on the market square (today's Mariánske
námestie), where a Jesuit monastery was later set up. In that period,
re-Catholicization took place and the parish church was given to the
Catholics. The Franciscans also came to the city to support
re-Catholicization.
In 1686, Žilina fell to Pavlo Esterházy, who
supported re-Catholicization. Five years later, Žilina concluded an
unequal agreement with him, in which she had to give up most of her
privileges. The period of decline continued and although in 1700 the
city had 2,682 inhabitants, plague epidemics in 1710-1713 reduced the
population again. In 1723, the Franciscans began the construction of the
church of St. Barbara, and twenty years later, the construction of the
Jesuit church and monastery began right on the market square. In honor
of the completion of re-Catholicization, Žilina received a statue of the
Immaculate - Immaculate Virgin Mary in 1738, which stands on today's
Mariánské náměstí. From 1776 to 1850, the Franciscans managed the Žilina
gymnasium. In the 18th century, changes also took place in the election
of the mayor, who was elected from three candidates and approved by the
landlord. A substantial part of the city's income was (apart from fees)
the benefits from the city's properties, which were rented out.
In 1744 and 1756, further fires affected Žilina. Guilds, which were no
longer able to compete in the middle of the 18th century, began to
replace manufactories. One of the first was the linen manufactory in
Teplička nad Váhom in 1760. The old hospital, which stood at the end of
Kálov, was destroyed by a flood, so a new one was built on Bratislavská
cesta. In 1831, Žilina was struck by cholera, which prompted the
establishment of an orphanage in the building of the former gymnasium by
Bishop Jozef Vurum.
Transformations of the city after 1848
After a big fire in 1848,
the city started a large-scale restoration. The city fortifications were
demolished, which enabled its expansion. After serfdom was abolished (in
March 1848), Žilina was a small free town. A significant event was the
victory of the Slovak volunteers over the Hungarian guards in the battle
near Budatín. After the end of the fighting, on January 4, 1849, Ľudovít
Štúr and Jozef Miloslav Hurban appeared in front of the house of the
former pharmacy on today's Mariánské námestí, who called on the people
of Žilina to fight for national interests. In 1850, Žilina had only
2,326 inhabitants, which ranked it among economically insignificant
cities. In that period, there was a significant stagnation of crafts,
which was further increased by little interest in obsolete products. The
establishment of an industrial construction school in 1856 was also an
impetus for development. Two years later, an earthquake hit Žilina and
the surrounding area.
The turning point in the town's development
occurred in 1870, when the first steam train arrived from Tešín on the
completed Košice-Bohumín Railway at 11 a.m. on December 20. After
completion, the line connected Bohumín and Ostrava with Košice. A
railway station was built on the outskirts of the city, to which
Národná, then Železničná Street, was built from the center. In 1874,
Alexander Lombardíni published the manuscript of the historian Ľ.
Starka's first book on the history of Žilina - Brief history of the free
city of Žilina. The completion of the Považ Railway from Bratislava and
Trenčín in 1883 permanently brought Žilina strategic transport and,
gradually, economic importance. At the time of the commissioning of the
Rajecka Railway, Žilina was one of the important centers of Upper
Hungary with a rapidly developing industry.
Foreign capital
penetrated into Žilina, which Slovak businessmen resisted by
establishing new businesses (savings bank, credit institution). At the
end of the 19th century, the first industrial plants were established in
the territorially expanding Žilina; the oldest was the Hungarian factory
for woolen fabrics, military cloth and pokorce (popularly Súkenka, today
Slovena). It was founded in 1890 by the Brno businessman Karol Löw and
provided job opportunities especially for people affected by the fire
that engulfed Žilina in 1886. In 1893, the Hungária - Hungarian Company
for the production of sulfuric acid, artificial fertilizers and chemical
products factory was founded, today Považské chemical factories and in
the same year they built the Helios electrical engineering plant near
Rajčanka. The company produced dynamos and electric motors, later also
telephone and electrical signaling devices, and also built a small
hydroelectric power plant on Rajčanka.
In the years 1874 – 1911,
Žilina was included among large municipalities, which reduced its fees.
It was headed by a municipal council with an elected mayor. From the
middle of the 19th century to the beginning of the 20th century, the
population of Žilina grew, and in 1900 it had 5,000 inhabitants.
Villagers who found work in factories came to the city, but there was
also a significant influx of foreigners, especially Czechs and Jews
(financiers). In 1903, the Hornouhorská industrial exhibition was held
in the city, which was important for the development of the economy of
Slovakia and also of Žilina. Other factories were established at the
beginning of the 20th century, primarily the pulp factory (1905) – today
Tento, a. s., tar production factory (1907) – today's Drevoindustria, a.
with. and a match factory (1915). Since the capacity of the
hydroelectric power plant was not sufficient for Žilina, in 1908 a new
steam power plant was built between Republiky Street and M.R. Štefánika
Street, which used hard coal from the Ostrava area. In the years
1907-1908, sewage and water supply, telephone, telegraph and electricity
were installed in the city. During this period, sports began to develop
within the Žilina real estate in the city. In 1908, Zsolnai
Testgyakorlók Köre, now MŠK Žilina, was founded. In 1911, Žilina already
had 11,000, mostly Slovak inhabitants, which was reflected in the
national awareness of the Žilina intelligentsia.
In the premises
of today's hospital, Vojtech Spany founded an eye department, which
expanded rapidly. Prominent doctors from Žilina were I. P. Makovický,
who went to Russia and became the personal physician of the writer L. N.
Tolstoy, and Ivan Hálek, who worked as a doctor in Žilina from 1905 and
in 1919 became a government officer for the administration of Slovakia
based in Žilina. The latter founded a children's hospital in Bytčica in
1922.
On May 31, 1912, the first political party was founded in
Žilina - the Social Democratic Party, in 1913 the Slovak People's Party
was founded and Andrej Hlinka became its chairman. When the First World
War broke out in July 1914, the activities of political parties and
trade unions were suspended, and the war and the war economy affected
all sections of the population. A special group was made up of prisoners
of war, whose camp was set up in the area of today's barracks on Rajecká
cesta. Prisoners also worked in some factories in Žilina. A temporary
military hospital was established in the Žilina barracks, where the
wounded from the front were brought. The large military cemetery of
those who died in the First World War was built on the site of today's
overpass near the city cemetery. In Žilina, strikes were held several
times for the improvement of the workers' living standards, where they
also expressed their political demands. In June 1918, a nationwide
strike for the end of the war took place, in which the inhabitants of
Žilina also joined.
In 1905, Žilina was the third fastest growing city in Slovakia, and
the development of industry and trade meant the development of the city,
a change in the national structure and social composition.
In
1919, Žilina already had 11,996 inhabitants, of which:
10,313
"Czechoslovaks"
742 Hungarians
590 Germans
8 Ruthenians
343
representatives of other nationalities.
In the period of the 1st
Czechoslovakia, the number of Jews in Žilina increased. In addition to
large factories, smaller businesses also developed, and many
tradespeople worked in the city. After the creation of the
Czechoslovakia, the Ministry with full powers for the administration of
Slovakia was created, headed by Vavro Šrobár, whose seat from December
12, 1918 to February 2, 1919 was in Žilina. It was temporarily the seat
of the Slovak government and the capital of Slovakia. The seat of the
Šrobár government was a building on the corner of J.M. Hurban Street and
Hodžová Street, where today there is a relief plaque. Since 1919,
Slovenská banka was based here. The second seat of Šrobár's government
in Žilina was a building on Národná street, Šrobár himself was first
accommodated as an emergency in a hotel belonging to Pavlo Folkman,
later in the apartment of MUDr. Ivan Hálek (in the Makovicky house). On
February 3, 1919, the ministry moved to Bratislava.
Žilina was
one of the first cities in Slovakia to sign up to the Martin Declaration
(October 30, 1918). Already on November 2, 1918, a six-member Slovak
local committee was elected at the people's meeting in the Town Hall,
headed by the Žilina chaplain Tomáš Ružiček. Tomáš Ruzička worked in
Žilina from 1921 until his death in 1947, he contributed to the
construction of the Catholic House and founded an almshouse. At his
invitation, the Salesians came to Žilina in 1936. On December 19, 1919,
the founding meeting of the renewed Slovak People's Party (SĽS) was held
in the gymnasium of the real gymnasium. One of the founders was the
Catholic priest and professor of the Žilina grammar school Jozef Kačka,
who also participated in the SĽS program. Andrej Hlinka became its
former chairman. Žilina was the workplace of several important officials
of this party and its important center and became its stronghold in all
elections.
The Social Democratic Party resumed its activities in
Žilina on November 25, 1918, and was very active at the beginning of
1919. In 1919, they organized a strike against the measures of Šrobár's
government in Žilina, and later organized several strikes here, either
for improving the living standards of the Žilina proletariat or against
Hlinka's Slovak People's Party (HSľS). On August 26 and September 21,
1919, social-democratic organizations organized mass anti-human
gatherings. On March 14, 1920, a unification conference of Hungarian and
German social democrats with the Czech-Slovak labor movement took place
in Žilina. There was an internal struggle in social democracy, which
culminated in the founding of the Communist Party of the Czech Republic.
On June 21, 1921, a membership meeting of the local party organization
was held in Žilina, and its leading representative was Augustín
Androvič-Várnai.
On May 1, 1923, the Czech-Slovak Interhelpo
production cooperative was founded in Žilina, whose members helped build
the foundations of industry in Soviet countries. During the
Czechoslovakia period, two buildings were built for elementary schools,
a girls' gymnasium on J. M. Hurbana Street, Grand bio Universum (today
the Fatra House of Art, 1921), the premiere of the film Jánošík was also
held here, and a municipal music school was established. On October 15,
1924, the Municipal Public Library was opened in Žilina, the predecessor
of today's Regional Library. This was followed by a building for the
Sokol association (1931) and a synagogue (1933) – today the former Úsvit
cinema and the Centrum cinema. In 1935, they built an evangelical church
and an airport in Vlčince.
On September 4, 1938, a massive
demonstration in defense of the republic took place in Žilina, the aim
of which was to express efforts for the independence, unity and
sovereignty of Czechoslovakia. The adopted resolution was signed by 52
associations, including HSĽS. Žilina became the site of important events
of the HSĽS and various associations that supported its autonomist
program.
After Germany began its efforts to break up Czechoslovakia, the
autonomy of Slovakia became a reality. The place of her declaration was
Žilina. On October 5, 1938, deputies of the HSĽS held a meeting in the
Katolícke dom building, representatives of other parties discussed a
common position on autonomy in the Rémy hotel. Finally, the deputies of
the other seven parties (Agrárna, SNS and others) also joined the
agreement. The parties signed an agreement that went down in history as
the Žilina Agreement. On October 6, autonomy was announced from the
balcony of the Catholic House by Dr. Jozef Tisa. On the same day, an
anti-Czech rally was held in Žilina and the Communist Party went
underground. Žilina thus became the culmination of the Pittsburgh
Agreement. The development of Žilina did not stop even after the
creation of the Slovak state, although it was during the war and the
totalitarian government of the HSĽS, for which the highest
representative of Žilina, Dr. Vojtech Tvrdý. He was responsible for the
construction and reconstruction of many buildings and the equipment of
several institutions in the city, for example, in the years 1941-1942,
the Burian tower was reconstructed (in its upper part, they built an
observation deck with columns that connect the arches). The parish
church and the balustrade located next to it were also reconstructed, in
which, since October 1939, a statue of Anton Bernolák, transported from
Nové Zámky, stood on the first floor.
In July 1942, they laid the
foundation stone of the building of the Representative House, the
construction of which was completed in 1944 and became the seat of the
theater and schools. Another important building built in this period is
the market building. The statue of the Immaculate Conception on
Mariánské námestí was also repaired, and the construction of a large
administrative building of the power plant began on the corner of
Kukučínová and Ul. of the Republic (1941 – 1943). The park on Bôrik was
also completed and several cultural institutions were founded, for
example the city museum - a tinsmith's museum and a puppet theater.
The city officials tried to make Žilina the center of the county,
they also demanded the construction of a university and a business
academy, the relocation of the railway directorate, and it was
considered that Žilina would become the capital of Slovakia. Neither of
these intentions came true. In 1942, a concentration camp for Jews was
established on the outskirts of the city, as the city council headed by
Mayor Vojtech Tvrdý did not agree to the camp being built on the city's
territory. Around 27,000 Jews passed through it and it was under the
administration of the Hlinka Guards. The deportation took place from the
Žilina-Záriečie station, and most of the deportees died later in German
concentration camps in Poland.
In the autumn months of 1944,
Slovak politicians began to prepare an armed uprising against the Nazi
government. Preparations were carried out with difficulty and in secret,
as there were about 350 German soldiers in Žilina, coordinating the
advance of German troops to the eastern front. On August 29, 1944, Maj.
Dobrovodský, a representative of the Slovak National Uprising, carried
out an anti-fascist coup in the Žilina garrison (Žilina barracks), as
its lieutenant colonel was linked to the HSĽS. Some of the officers
refused to join the uprising and a general mobilization was announced,
which caused the arming of volunteers from the city and the surrounding
area. The German patrol, which was in the city, immediately barricaded
itself in the building of the girls' gymnasium on J.M. Hurbana Street
and checked the surrounding streets. The other German soldiers
barricaded themselves in the synagogue, the main post office and the
financial palace, the insurgents occupied the main railway station, the
station in Nová Žilina and other post offices. On the morning of August
30, a tank that came here from Martin attacked the girls' gymnasium,
damaged it, but did not eliminate the Germans. The Žilina garrison was
the first to oppose the German troops. On this day, however, a German
army was coming from the west, which defeated the rebel squads,
preventing its progress west of Žilina. Therefore, the insurgents
immediately moved to the strait near Strečna, where they took up a
defensive position together with the soldiers of the insurgent Martin
infantry. Alongside the insurgents from Žilina, Yugoslav and French
partisans under the command of Georges de Lannurien, today an honorary
citizen of the city, took part in the battle. The fighting near Strečna
lasted until September 5.
The Germans managed to capture the
commissar of the partisan brigade, Anton Sedláček, who was publicly
executed on November 15, 1944, in Sad, after severe torture. A memorial
plaque in his honor is located at the Craftsman House. Fascist purges
continued, however, and the liberation of the city began only in the
second half of April 1945. Fierce fighting took place in Mala Fatra, on
Polom. The units of the 1st Czechoslovak Army fought together with the
Soviet troops. army corps and the German Nazis tried to slow down their
advance. They conditioned the railway station and the city became the
target of bombing - on April 11, a bomb fell at the end of
Hviezdoslavová street, on April 16 others hit the theater building, the
building on Hlinkovo námestí and part of Predmestia, and finally, on
April 17, the girls' gymnasium, J. M. Hurban Street, Kmeťova was bombed
street and establishment station. On April 30, after the liberation of
Polom, German soldiers withdrew from Žilina in the morning and Russian
and Slovak soldiers led by General Karl Klapánek arrived in the city.
Residents came out of the cellars to welcome the liberators and raised
the Czech-Slovak flag on their skirts. 1,907 Soviet soldiers who fought
in the area from Liptovský Mikuláš to Žilina are buried at the military
cemetery in Bôrik. The monument to the liberation of Žilina is located
in the SNP Park.
Since 1945, Žilina has undergone complex development. The city's
national committee became the main governing body of the city. In 1949,
during the new territorial division, the Žilina Region was created,
which existed until 1960. After the abolition of the region, there was a
period of stagnation in the development of the city. The number of the
city's inhabitants was constantly growing, which necessitated the
creation of public transport in 1949, which was provided by the
Transport Company of the city of Žilina with one line with several
buses. At the end of the 1950s, the construction of the Hliny housing
estate began, and in 1960 the University of Transport, today the
University of Žilina, moved to Žilina from Prague. After 1968, there was
a revival in the city in connection with the development of industry
(construction of plants on Kamenná Street and Rajecká Cesta, Avia
company, heating plant), construction of apartments and roads, and
education and culture also experienced great development.
Start
of housing construction:
1970 – Vlčice
1979 – Solinky
1989 –
Hájik
There were also more family houses in Bôrik and in the
outskirts of the city. Several surrounding villages were gradually
annexed to the city, some of which became independent in 1990. After
1990, Žilina became an independent self-governing entity headed by the
mayor and the city office (executive body). In this year, the
fundamental reconstruction of the historical core of the city, many
streets and squares began. At the beginning of 1991, the District and
Regional Office in Žilina, the City Police were established, and the
local weekly Žilina Večerník began to be published. This year, the air
ambulance service started working in the hospital and polyclinic in
Žilina, and the polyclinic in Vlčince was opened. In 1992, they began to
reconstruct Národná Street, the 1st year of the famous Expotour
exhibition was held in the House of Technology. Since 1993, city council
meetings have been held in the Old Town Hall building.
In 1994,
the foundation stone of the Žilina Waterworks was laid, the construction
of which was completed in 1998. On November 17 of that year, trolleybus
service on line no. 1, provided by the Transport Company of the city of
Žilina. In 1995, a new library building was opened, the reconstruction
of Mariánské námesti began, and the statues of Andrej Hlinka and M.R.
Štefánik were unveiled in the squares of the same name. The municipal
swimming pool was also renovated and VŠDS was renamed the University of
Žilina. On August 15, Žilina again became a regional city.
In
1997, Jozef Gabčík's military regiment was established in Žilina and the
Old Town Festival was held in the city for the first time. There was
also an air connection between Žilina and Prague. A year later, the
House of Matice slovenská was opened and a memorial to the victims of
communism was unveiled in front of the Municipal Office building. Since
1999, the winter stadium has been named after Vojtech Závodský. The
Roman Catholic Church of the Good Shepherd was completed in Solinky, the
construction of the Roman Catholic Church of the Sorrowful Virgin in
Vlčince continued, and the Greek Catholic church in Vlčince was
consecrated. A bilingual high school - the Belgian Lyceum - was
established in the city.
As of January 1, 2000, Žilina had 86,818
inhabitants, 135 fewer than a year ago. The second stage of the
reconstruction of the historical center has begun, the construction of
the circular overpass around the city has continued. A football field
with artificial grass and lighting was put into use in the premises of
the Žilina Municipal Sports Club. A statue of St. was placed on the
reconstructed balustrade. Cyril and Methodius. Honorary citizenship of
the city of Žilina has been awarded in the last ten years to several
important personalities who have made a special contribution to the
development of the city. Since January 1, 2001, the city has been the
seat of a higher territorial unit (self-governing body) and Žilina has
established cooperation with several European cities. The Beskydy
Euroregion was created, which includes southern Poland, northern
Moravia, eastern Silesia and northern Slovakia. On April 4, 2004, the
foundation stone of the new Kia Motors Slovakia car company was laid,
which, thanks to a South Korean investor, brought economic revival and
city development to Žilina and its surroundings (completion of the
highway and infrastructure). Production began in 2006, and several
supply companies have gradually emerged in the vicinity, employing
people from a wide area. At the present time, Žilina is a complex
multifunctional city and, together with its surroundings, the third most
important industrial center in Slovakia.
Žilina was a provincial town of local importance until almost the 70s of the 18th century, which changed fundamentally only with the construction of the Košice-Bohumín Railway in 1871. The completion of the Považ Railway created an important transport hub here, which stimulated the creation of new businesses and significant growth of the city. This is evidenced by the increase in the number of inhabitants, which was only 2,870 in 1869, 4,117 in 1890, 9,166 in 1910, and already 17,451 in 1930. The number of inhabitants of the city gradually increased and reached 97,167 by December 31, 1989. After the referendum in the following year the then districts of Lietavská Lúčka, Porúbka, Rosina, Teplička nad Váhom, Turie and Višňové became independent, which reduced the population of Žilina to 82,276 at the end of 1990. At that time, the population of the city reached a record 97,628 inhabitants. The increase in the number of the city's inhabitants stopped in 1995 at a value of 86,685, since then their number has been decreasing. At the end of 2019, 82,867 residents had permanent residence in the city.
The Žilina Waterworks and its surroundings offer a suitable
environment for amateur sports. There is a skatepark here, its
embankment is freely accessible for skating, running and cycling, and
cross-country skiing in winter. The municipal swimming pool provides an
Olympic pool all year round, and there are tennis courts near the
swimming pool.
football – the highest football league is played
in Žilina, represented by the city club MŠK Žilina. The club became the
champion of Slovakia for the first time in 2002, since then it won this
title in 2003, 2004, 2007, 2010, 2012 and 2017
hockey – the Tipos
Slovak hockey league is played in Žilina, represented by the Vlci Žilina
club. In 2006, the club became the champion of Slovakia in the T-Com
extra league for the first time.
Canoeing – Slalom and white water
skiing. Clubs: Sokol Žilina and AŠK ŽKV Žilina
cycling – CyS Žilina -
Peter Sagan Academy.
swimming - Municipal indoor swimming pool - with
a 50 m Olympic pool, opened in 1963.
golf – First Žilina Golf Club
futsal – DIADORA Futsal Giraffe League, later the club MŠK Žilina Futsal
was founded
basketball – Žilina is a participant in the highest
basketball league of Slovakia.
bowling – Municipal bowling league
bridge - Žilina bridge club
volleyball represents the city of Žilina
in the 1st Men's League VO AC UNIZA Žilina and in the 1st Women's League
VA Academy UNIZA Žilina.
floorball - the city is represented by the
club FBC Grasshoppers AC UNIZA Žilina in the men's Betring extra league
and the club ŠK Juventa Žilina in the 1st men's league.
Thanks to its location, Žilina has long been a crossroads of trade
routes, and already in 1364, the Hungarian king Louis I the Great had a
road built from Košice to Považie. The mention of the bridge over the
Váh near Budatín dates back to 1438. The city quickly became an
important transport hub, providing connections in the direction of
Poland, the Czech Republic, Ukraine or the south, Považím to Bratislava
and Rajecká dolina to Ponitrije.
Three roads of international
importance, E 50, E 75 and E 442, meet in Žilina. An important role is
played by the city ring road, which is connected to all main routes and
which directs transit traffic outside the city center. The southwestern
edge is the main D1 highway connecting Bratislava and Košice. The D1
highway is built after the highway feeder near Lietaska Lúčka. D3 passes
through the northwestern part above Vodné dielo Hričov in the direction
of Čadca and Poland, completed in 2017. From the D3 highway near
Strážov, a feeder road continues to the city, a feeder road to the D1
highway in the direction of Lietavská Lúčka is also being prepared.
Railway traffic is very frequent in Žilina, which causes the
crossing of railway lines E 42 and E 52, which fulfill the function of
international highways. The Žilina railway station is located on the
route of the pan-European corridor no. 5 or more express trains operate
on the line from Bratislava to Košice. Routes 120 (Bratislava – Žilina),
126 (Žilina – Rajec), 127 (Žilina – Mosty u Jablunkova) and 180 (Žilina
– Košice) intersect in the city.
Žilina uses the international
airport near Dolny Hričov, which was put into operation in 1975. The
length of the landing area is 1,200 m and it is used by the University
of Žilina and for private flights, as the airport does not operate
regular flights.
City transport was introduced in 1949, and in
1994 regular trolleybus traffic began. (see Trolleybus transport in
Žilina)
Since March 29, 2019, a system of shared bicycles, called
BikeKIA, has been operating in the city. It has 20 stations where 120
bicycles are available.
The University of Žilina is located in Žilina, which has seven faculties and was founded in 1953. There are 5 gymnasiums and 16 secondary vocational schools and colleges operating in the city. An important school is the Conservatory in Žilina, which is one of the largest in Slovakia. The city is establishing 18 primary schools. The headquarters for the Institute of Languages and Education is located in Žilina, n. o., which manages 31 branches within Slovakia.
Development of the city after the Second World War
After 1945,
there was another important period in the architectural and urban
development of the city. Buildings were built that bear the stamp of
their era: Trade Union House (Ferdinand Čapka, 1962), Municipal indoor
swimming pool (J. Cimerman, A. Stolárik, 1963), Hotel Slovakia
(Stanislav Toman, Oto Sedlák, 1981), Prior – now Tesco (1975), sports
hall (Ľudovít Kupkovič, 1986), House of Technology (Ferdinand Čapka,
1970), VÚB building (Ferdinand Čapka, 1979), Váhostav (Ferdinand Čapka),
administrative buildings of former VÚRAL enterprises (Ján Solovic,
Viliam Šlopek, 1970 ), Steel structures – now district office (1986),
Central Slovakian buildings – now tax office (1981), PCHZ administrative
building, post office building in Vlčince (Jozef Struhař) and others.
In the second half of the 20th century - after 1950, the
construction of industry became another actor in the development of the
city. Prominent industrialization of Žilina occurs mainly from the
mid-1950s. The industry is mainly oriented to the area between Rajčanka
and Rajecká cesta. During this period, the enterprises Váhostav, Pozemné
stavby, Žilina dairies, Rolling bearing plants and others were built,
other plants (Avia, Tepláreň and others) were built in the eastern part
of the city, near the Žilina - Košice railway line. With the development
of industry and subsequently job opportunities, the city also recorded a
dynamic growth of the population, which in 1950 had 31,590.
In
the years 1954 – 1970, a new urban district of Hliny I – VIII was built
with a characteristic Boulevard (Ul. Antona Bernolák) with a population
of 15,000 (Hliny I – II Čapka, Bauer – Hliny II – VIII Čapka – Hliny
VIII Ivan Meliš). Since 1970, the separate housing estate Vlčince I-IV
was built with almost 20,000 inhabitants, since 1980 the housing estate
Solinka (15,000 inhabitants) and since 1987 the housing estate Hájik
(8,000 inhabitants). The development of individual residential
construction (family houses) continues especially between Solinka and
Bytčica and between Budatín and Zádubní.
Development of the city
after 1990
Further dynamic, especially construction development of
the city is evident after 1991, although population growth began to
stagnate in that period. There was an expansion of urban-architectural
activities, with which Žilina confirmed its position as a
cultural-social, administrative and commercial-economic center of
northwestern Slovakia. Many companies, institutions and shopping centers
were established here, the territory was intensified and some areas were
rebuilt. Buildings of new institutions were built - Social Insurance
(Rudolf Tupý), VÚC of the Žilina Region (Peter Kurimský), the Municipal
Indoor Swimming Pool was renovated (its area was expanded and
completed), ŽILPO Žilina polyclinic in the Vlčince housing estate
(opened in 1991, reconstructed in 2010 - 2011), the Slovak Energy
Dispatch in Vlčince, the former Hotel Metropol also underwent
architectural changes – now Všeobecná zdravotná poisťovňa (Pavol
Mikoláš), new shopping centers were created – Dubeň (2001), Kaufland,
Baumax, Tesco Hypermarket (on the site of the former AVIA company),
Merkury Market, Aupark (2010), Mirage Shopping Center (Michal Diviš,
2010), Metro (2003), Max (2008), new hotels – Holiday Inn (Peter
Dunajovec, 2007), Boss (Štefan and Peter Krušinský, 2007).
Between Obchodná ulica and Ul. university students, a new
multi-functional complex with high-rise landmarks was built - Europalace
(Michal Diviš, spol. Radoslav Stránava, 2010) and
residential-administrative building CUBE (Eva Maňáková, Dušan Maňák).
Another high-rise landmark – the residential complex Amphitheater (Amir
Mann), is built in Bôrik, on the site of the former summer cinema, the
multi-functional building L. Palace on Kysucká cesta (F. Láncoš).
Currently, the construction of the campus of the University of Žilina
continues. In the period after 1991, construction modifications and
reconstructions of many important, until then relatively neglected or
dilapidated buildings were carried out - Hotel Polom (2007), Hotel
Astória (Viera Mecková), Hotel Grand (2006), Hotel Dubná Skala (Vladimír
Krušinských, 2006) and other.
Many interesting architectural
buildings have significantly affected the image of the city and its
panorama, while more or less enriching some of its parts. Not all
interventions in the original spatial plan were in its favor (changes of
functional areas, intensification of housing estates, etc.), some
objects, however architecturally interesting, were built in
inappropriate places and have a negative effect on the given space.
In 2004, the construction of the largest industrial plant in
northwestern Slovakia began - Kia Motors Slovakia (including
subcontractors such as Mobis Slovakia), with a planned production of
300,000 passenger cars per year. The Korean investor decided on a
location to the northeast of Žilina in the vicinity of the villages of
Teplička, Nededza and Mojš, thereby supporting the creation (relocation)
of several subcontractor companies in the vicinity. Several important
enterprises operate in the city, for example paper mill Tento, a. with.
(Metsä Tissue), textile plant Slovena, a. s., former Považské chemical
plants, a. s., wood processing company Drevoindustria, former ZVL
engineering plants (today several companies) and Elektrovod, food
companies PEZA, a. with. (bakery), Hyza, a. with. (poultry) and Laktis
(dairy). Several construction companies (Doprastav, a. s. and
Váhostav-Sk, a. s.) have their headquarters or branches in Žilina.
The science and technology park, which deals with projects for the
development and support of new companies, especially in the field of
technology, operates at the University of Žilina. Important institutions
for the support of entrepreneurship and trade based in Žilina are the
Slovak Chamber of Commerce and Industry, the Slovak-Polish Chamber of
Commerce and the Slovak Chamber of Commerce, which have jurisdiction
over the whole of Slovakia. Almost 20 banks have their headquarters in
Žilina, Prima banka, formerly Prvá komunálna banka, has its headquarters
here. In the field of IT, Siemens AG, Scheidt and Bachmann, Solver IT,
Azet.sk, Ernst&Young, inloop (entrepreneur of the year 2017) and others
operate in the city.