Šahy
Municipality in Nitra Region, Slovakia
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Šahy (Hungarian: Ipolyság, rarely German: Eipelschlag) is a town in southern Slovakia, The town has an ethnic Hungarian majority and its population is 7,238 people (2018), with an average age of 42.5. The town was annexed to Czechoslovakia in 1920.
Šahy
Ipolyság | |
|---|---|
Town hall, a former guildhall | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Šahy Location of Šahy in the Nitra Region  Šahy Location of Šahy in Slovakia | |
| Coordinates: 48.07°N 18.95°E | |
| Country |  Slovakia |
| Region |  Nitra Region |
| District | Levice District |
| First mentioned | 1237 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Pál Zachar |
| Area | |
• Total | 42.75 km2 (16.51 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 135 m (443 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,919 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 936 01[2] |
| Area code | +421 36[2] |
| Vehicle registration plate (until 2022) | LV |
| Website | www |
Geography
The municipality lies at an altitude of 135 metres (443 ft)[2] and covers an area of 42.75 km2 (16.51 sq mi) (2024).[4]
It is located at the eastern reaches of the Danubian Lowland on the river Ipeľ at the Hungarian border, on the E77 road from Budapest to Kraków. Besides the main settlement, it also has two "boroughs" of Preseľany nad Ipľom (4 km (2.49 mi) west of centre, annexed 1980) and Tešmák (3 km (1.86 mi) east of centre, annexed 1986). From 1980 to 1996 it also had now independent village of Hrkovce.
History
The first written mention is from 1237 in a document of King Béla IV under name Saag, when Martin Hont-Pázmány founded a Premonstratensian monastery there.[5] It got character of a small town in the 14th century. It was part of Ottoman Empire between 1541–1595 and 1605–1685 and was known as "Şefradi". It was also sanjak centre in Uyvar eyalet between 1663 and 1685. Before break-up of Austria-Hungary in 1918/1920 and incorporation into Czechoslovakia, it was part of the Hont County, and was from 1806 its capital. It was part of Hungary from 1938 to 1945 as a result of the First Vienna Award.
Population
| Year | 1994 | 2004 | 2014 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | 8526 | 7971 | 7516 | 6919 |
| Difference | −6.50% | −5.70% | −7.94% |
| Year | 2023 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 6992 | 6919 |
| Difference | −1.04% |
It has a population of 6919 people (31 December 2024).[7]
Ethnicity
In year 2021 was 7267 people by ethnicity 4357 as Hungarian, 2794 as Slovak, 473 as Not found out, 54 as Romani, 27 as Other, 17 as Czech, 8 as Italian, 6 as Polish, 4 as German, 2 as Vietnamese, 2 as Ukrainian, 2 as Moravian, 1 as Chinese, 1 as Serbian, 1 as Russian, 1 as Romanian, 1 as Austrian and 1 as French.
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 | 5131 | 70.61% |
| None | 1110 | 15.27% |
| Not found out | 563 | 7.75% |
| Evangelical Church | 204 | 2.81% |
| Calvinist Church | 102 | 1.4% |
| Total | 7267 |
In year 2021 was 7267 people by religion 5131 from Roman Catholic Church, 1110 from None, 563 from Not found out, 204 from Evangelical Church, 102 from Calvinist Church, 46 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 34 from Greek Catholic Church, 18 from Jehovah's Witnesses, 12 from Islam, 12 from Other, 9 from Ad hoc movements, 8 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 5 from Old Catholic Church, 5 from Buddhism, 4 from United Methodist Church, 2 from Eastern Orthodox Church and 2 from Hinduism.
According to the 2014 census, the town had 7,516 inhabitants. In 2001 62.21% of the inhabitants were Hungarians, 34.57% Slovaks, 0.56% Czech and 0.41 Roma.[11] The religious makeup was 84.06% Roman Catholics, 6.87% people with no religious affiliation, and 3.46% Lutherans.[11]
Facilities
The town is home to the Hont Museum and Gallery of Ľudovít Simony.[12]
Twin towns – sister cities
Héhalom, Hungary- Vác, Hungary
- Veresegyház, Hungary
Notable people
- Ferdinand Daučík, football player and manager
- Branko Kubala, football player
- Ladislav Ballek, writer
