Beluša
Encyclopedia
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in Púchov District
Púchov District
Púchov District is adistrict inthe Trenčín Region of western Slovakia.Until 1918, the district was part of theHungarian countyof Trenčín...
in the Trenčín Region
Trencín Region
The Trenčín Region is one of the eight Slovak administrative regions. It consists of 9 districts .-Geography:It is located in the north-western Slovakia, has an area of 4,502 km² and a population of 600,386 . The Danubian Lowland reaches the region to Nové Mesto nad Váhom and Partizánske areas...
of north-western Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It is located in the northern parts of the Ilava Basin and is one of the largest communities of the Považie region.
History
The archaeological evidence shows that the village has been inhabited already in the Neolithic and early Bronze Age. It was mentioned for the first time in a written documentDocument
The term document has multiple meanings in ordinary language and in scholarship. WordNet 3.1. lists four meanings :* document, written document, papers...
in 1330. There is a Romanesque
Romanesque architecture
Romanesque architecture is an architectural style of Medieval Europe characterised by semi-circular arches. There is no consensus for the beginning date of the Romanesque architecture, with proposals ranging from the 6th to the 10th century. It developed in the 12th century into the Gothic style,...
St Anne chapel from the mid-13th century in the village. This was already mentioned in the Papal documentation in 1332 which makes the rectory one of oldest one on the river Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
. The little church can be still found in the village center. The main church located right next to it has been dedicated to St. Elizabeth and it was built in 1560. The newest church standing in Belusa Hloza is known as Our Lady of Sorrows church and was built in 1990. It is clearly visible from the D1 freeway. Finally, in Belusa part Hloza on the Trencianska Street can be also found a small St. John of Nepomuk chapel. This one has been standing there since 1766.
The close proximity to the river Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
as well Pruzinka creek brought several times devastating floods to the village. The worst on record happened between August 26.-28. 1813 and June the 2nd 1823 respectively. The most recent one took place in 1939. Pruzinka Creek has been regulated since 1940 and therefore effectively preventing any further flooding.
Fire in September 1827 burned 130 houses. In the beginning of the 19th Century the town inaugurated the first basket-maker school of the Kingdom of Hungary.
Plague, which was major problem in Europe wiped out 262 inhabitants in 1831.
An important day for the village was July 24th 1913 which brought the first pharmacy to Belusa. The license was issued to Julius Thaller. The first pharmacy was located very close to the church.
Until 1918, Beluša municipality in the county Trenčín (same as the rest of Slovakia) has been a part of the Kingdom of Hungary. After the Trianon Treaty it had became part of the newly formed Czechoslovakia.
Prior to the World War II there used to be a small Jewish community in the village. Currently the only proof of their presence is a small Jewish cemetery hidden in the north part of the village. It has been recently renovated and it's been documented in the Jewish archives.
Geography
The municipalityMunicipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
lies at an altitude of 251 metres and covers an area
Area
Area is a quantity that expresses the extent of a two-dimensional surface or shape in the plane. Area can be understood as the amount of material with a given thickness that would be necessary to fashion a model of the shape, or the amount of paint necessary to cover the surface with a single coat...
of 51.343 km². Belusa has a population of about 6060 inhabitants.
The municipality consists of four parts: Beluša, Belušské Slatiny, Hloža, Podhorie (incorporated in 1976). The town hall is located in Beluša.
The village is also an important crossroad on the main road from Trenčín to Žilina
Žilina
Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
. The main freeway D1 connecting Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
with Žilina
Žilina
Žilina is a city in north-western Slovakia, around from the capital Bratislava, close to both the Czech and Polish borders. It is the fourth largest city of Slovakia with a population of approximately 85,000, an important industrial center, the largest city on the Váh river, and the seat of a...
bypasses Belusa.
The main railway line from Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
to Košice
Košice
Košice is a city in eastern Slovakia. It is situated on the river Hornád at the eastern reaches of the Slovak Ore Mountains, near the border with Hungary...
via Žilina has got a stop here. The railway line built in the years 1878-1883 helped significantly to the development. In 1883 the railways station was completed. Currently the line is being updated to the higher speed. Once fully completed the average train speed should be around 160 km/h. River Váh
Váh
The Váh is the longest river in entire Slovakia. A left tributary of the Danube river, the Váh is 406 km long, including its Čierny Váh branch...
(tributary of the Danube river) flows close to the village.
Belusa Baths/Belusske Slatiny
Part of Beluša are also the Beluša Baths (Belušské Slatiny). The spa used to be more popular, but then it lost majority of its thermal water. After some extensive drilling there was an interesting outcome. There is a direct connection between the spring in Beluša Baths and the one in the spa resort town of Trenčianske Teplice. Outdoor swimming pool in Beluša Baths is a popular summer place for the locals. All year round the spa with sulfur-aerated warm water can be enjoy in one of the hotels. Many of the bigger businesses in the region have their hotels and cottages in Belusa Baths.Economy
There are several mid-size factories in the village. (Best Belusa, Koval, Pemex and Metalform) Linco margarineMargarine
Margarine , as a generic term, can indicate any of a wide range of butter substitutes, typically composed of vegetable oils. In many parts of the world, the market share of margarine and spreads has overtaken that of butter...
is also produced in the village.
Sport
The most popular sport in the village is soccer. The modest stadium can accommodate 1200 spectators (600 seated). The team has been participant of the regional league. Proximity of village of Mojtin offers skiing in the winter. The nearest indoor swimming pool is in nearby Puchov. Hiking in woods as is also common by the locals and tourist alike.Well known people born or living in Beluša
- Prof. MUDr. Emanuel Filo — Former dean of Comenius University in BratislavaComenius University in BratislavaComenius University in Bratislava is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th century Czech teacher and philosopher.In 2006, Comenius...
and MD. - RNDr. Pavel Šulek, CSc. — Slovak physicist.
- Vojtech Ambrus (November 3, 1909, Beluša — September 5, 1979, Budapest) — less known teacher and biologist
- Pavel Adami (July 9, 1739 — 1814, Vienna) — important veterinarian
- PhDr. Jozef Kočiš, CSc. (* 1928) — historian and writer
External links and References
- http://www.statistics.sk/mosmis/eng/run.html
- http://iajgs.org/cemetery/slovakia/belusa.html
- Official site (in Slovak)
- http://www.belusa.info/info/index.php (in Slovak)
- http://www.fkbelusa.sk/uvod/uvod.html (in Slovak)