Bytča
Municipality in Žilina Region, Slovakia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Bytča (Hungarian: Nagybiccse) is a town in northwestern Slovakia. It is located on the Váh River near the cities of Žilina and Považská Bystrica. It belongs to Upper Váh region of tourism.
Bytča | |
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 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Bytča Location of Bytča in the Žilina Region  Bytča Location of Bytča in Slovakia | |
| Coordinates: 49.22°N 18.56°E | |
| Country |  Slovakia |
| Region |  Žilina Region |
| District | Bytča District |
| First mentioned | 1250 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Miroslav Minárčik |
| Area | |
• Total | 43.03 km2 (16.61 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 337 m (1,106 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 11,634 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 140 1[2] |
| Area code | +421 41[2] |
| Vehicle registration plate (until 2022) | BY |
| Website | www |
Geography
The municipality lies at an altitude of 337 metres (1,106 ft)[2] and covers an area of 43.03 km2 (16.61 sq mi) (2024).[4]
Etymology
The name comes from a Slavic personal name Bytek, Bytko → Bytča.[5]
History
The town arose in 1946 by a merger of the settlements Malá Bytča (including Beňov and Mikšová), Veľká Bytča and Hliník nad Váhom. The first written reference to the town's main part Veľká Bytča dates from 1234 as terra Bycha.[6] The settlement got its town charter in 1378. It was the seat of a feudal dominion and later a town with many craftsmen. In Hungarian, it was known as Biccse.
Landmarks
The town features a famous castle the Thurzó Castle built as a water castle by Pongrác Szentmiklósi in the 13th century and rebuilt in the 16th century in Renaissance style by Ferenc Thurzó. The town also houses the Wedding Palace (built by György Thurzó for his daughters' wedding) from 1601, which is the only building of this kind in Slovakia, Renaissance, Baroque and Classical bourgeoisie houses, an archive, and a museum (in the Wedding Palace).
Population
| Year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | 12,186 | 11,506 | 11,279 | 11,634 |
| Difference | −5.58% | −1.97% | +3.14% |
| Year | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 11,535 | 11,634 |
| Difference | +0.85% |
It has a population of 11,634 people (31 December 2024).[10]
Ethnicity
In year 2021 was 11,414 people by ethnicity 10,776 as Slovak, 608 as Not found out, 76 as Czech, 17 as Other, 13 as Russian, 12 as German, 9 as Vietnamese, 8 as Polish, 7 as Ukrainian, 6 as Hungarian, 5 as Italian, 4 as Croatian, 4 as English, 3 as Jewish, 3 as Moravian, 3 as Bulgarian, 2 as Serbian, 2 as Rusyn, 2 as Austrian, 2 as French, 2 as Albanian, 1 as Romani and 1 as Korean.
Note on population: The difference between the population numbers above and in the census (here and below) is that the population numbers above are mostly made up of permanent residents, etc.; and the census should indicate the place where people actually mainly live.
For example, a student is a citizen of a village because they have permanent residence there (they lived there as a child and has parents), but most of the time he studies at a university in the city.
Religion
| Religion | Number | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic Church | 8732 | 76.5% |
| None | 1535 | 13.45% |
| Not found out | 733 | 6.42% |
| Evangelical Church | 147 | 1.29% |
| Total | 11,414 |
In year 2021 was 11,414 people by religion 8732 from Roman Catholic Church, 1535 from None, 733 from Not found out, 147 from Evangelical Church, 73 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 51 from Greek Catholic Church, 38 from Other, 38 from Ad hoc movements, 11 from Calvinist Church, 10 from Eastern Orthodox Church, 10 from Paganism and natural spirituality, 9 from Buddhism, 8 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 4 from Islam, 4 from Church of the Brethren, 3 from Hinduism, 2 from Old Catholic Church, 2 from Jehovah's Witnesses, 1 from Jewish community, 1 from United Methodist Church, 1 from Seventh-day Adventist Church and 1 from Apostolic Church.
Economy
Today, the town is home to machine (Kinex), textile, wood processing (sports equipment), and food (brewery) industries. The brewery closed in the 2010s.
Boroughs
Bytča includes the following former villages: Psurnovice, Hrabove, Horne Hlboke, Dolne Hlboke, Hlboke nad Vahom, Benov, Miksova, Hlinik nad Vahom, Velka Bytca, Mala Bytca.[14]
Current boroughs (year of merger in brackets):
- Beňov (c. 1899 with Malá Bytča, probably Hungarian name was Banya)
- Hliník nad Váhom (1946, Hungarian: Hlinik; also called Vágagyagos between 1899 and 1919)
- Hrabové (1971; Hungarian: Hrabova; also called Rabó between 1899 and 1919)
- Malá Bytča (1946; Hungarian: Kisbiccse, German: Klein-Bitsch; also called Miksofalva from 1907 to 1919)
- Mikšová (1907 with Malá Bytča, Hungarian: Miksófalvá)
- Pšurnovice (1971; Hungarian: Psurnovicz; also called Legelővölgy between 1899 and 1919)
- Veľká Bytča (1946; Hungarian: Nagybiccse, German: Groß-Bitsch)
Twin towns — sister cities
Notable people
- Adolf Neubauer, Jewish scholar
- Jozef Tiso (1887–1947), Slovak priest, politician and leader of the First Slovak Republic (1939–1945) executed for war crimes