Krompachy
Encyclopedia
Krompachy is a town in Slovakia
, with a rich mining and metallurgical history, well-known both in Slovakia and in its close neighboring countries for its Plejsy ski center.
From then onwards, it was a centre of mining and metallurgy until the end of the 20th century, particularly focussed on the iron and copper industries. At the start of the 20th century, the Krompachy Ironworks (Krompašská železiareň) had around 3,500 employees and was the biggest ironworks of its time in the Kingdom of Hungary
. The Ironworks closed after World War I
.
In 1921, there was a bloody uprising, known as the Krompachy Uprising in the town.
Since 1991, following the industrial decline and as a result of large scale investment, Plejsy became an internationally visited alpine ski centre and became known as a holiday destination.
area in the valley of the Hornád
river, 360 – 450 meters above sea level. The town lies on the meeting point of three mountain ranges; the Levoča Hills (Levočské vrchy) and Branisko Massif (the highest point is Slubica 1129 meters above sea level) are to the north and the Volovec Mountains
(Volovské vrchy) (part of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains) are to the south. The town is surrounded on every side by mountain massifs, with summits 900-1,100 metres above sea level.
The annual rainfall in the Hornád Basin (Hornádska kotlina) is between 590 and 800 mm. The rainiest month is July and the driest is February. Snow covers the area 75–90 days a year. The average annual temperature is 6.8 °C (44 °F), the lowest in January -6.2 °C, the highest in July 17 °C (63 °F).
The large conifer and mixed forests are home of red deer, boars, wolves, lynxes, badgers. The forests are rich in mushrooms and wild forest fruits. The Hornád river is the home of trout
, salmon
, grayling
and eel
.
nationality, 736 are of Roma nationality and 49 of its inhabitants are of Czech nationality.
In terms of religion, 91% of the population are Roman Catholics, 4% Orthodox, 3% Greek Catholics and 2% are Lutherans.
goods, is the biggest company in the region, which also is the location of the Slovak Electrotechnical Company factory that produces a wide range of machines for industrial and domestic use.
There are still some iron and copper industrials active in the area.
For athletes the following sites are available: Plejsy ski center, football stadium on SNP Street, gymnasium and swimming pool on Maurerova Street, tennis court on Trangusova Street, natural ice rink on SNP Street, as well a multi-function table tennis court on the area of the secondary grammar school and the IN-LINE park.
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...
, with a rich mining and metallurgical history, well-known both in Slovakia and in its close neighboring countries for its Plejsy ski center.
History
It is believed that the town was founded at some point in the mid 14th century.From then onwards, it was a centre of mining and metallurgy until the end of the 20th century, particularly focussed on the iron and copper industries. At the start of the 20th century, the Krompachy Ironworks (Krompašská železiareň) had around 3,500 employees and was the biggest ironworks of its time in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
. The Ironworks closed after World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
.
In 1921, there was a bloody uprising, known as the Krompachy Uprising in the town.
Since 1991, following the industrial decline and as a result of large scale investment, Plejsy became an internationally visited alpine ski centre and became known as a holiday destination.
Tourism
As well as the skiing centre at Plejsy, Krompachy is known for its scenery of hills, valleys and fields. This, together with a number of local natural and cultural sites, have made the town a year-round tourist destination.Sites
- Roman Catholic church of Evangelic Saint John, built in the classical style from 1774
- 17th century baroque curia reconstructed into a private hotel
- Krompachy Uprising monument (see below)
- The administrative building of the former ironworks
- Eastern Slovakia's first water plant
Geography
Krompachy is situated in the central SpišSpiš
Spiš is a region in north-eastern Slovakia, with a very small area in south-eastern Poland. Spiš is an informal designation of the territory , but it is also the name of one the 21 official tourism regions of Slovakia...
area in the valley of the Hornád
Hornád
Hornád or Hernád is a river in eastern Slovakia and north-eastern Hungary.It is a tributary to the river Sajó, which is itself a tributary to the river Tisza. The source of the Hornád is in the Low Tatra mountains under the Kráľova hoľa hill, southwest of Poprad...
river, 360 – 450 meters above sea level. The town lies on the meeting point of three mountain ranges; the Levoča Hills (Levočské vrchy) and Branisko Massif (the highest point is Slubica 1129 meters above sea level) are to the north and the Volovec Mountains
Volovec Mountains
The Volovec Mountains is a mountain range in eastern Slovakia, the largest range within the group of Slovak Ore Mountains, which is part of the Inner Western Carpathians....
(Volovské vrchy) (part of the Slovenské rudohorie Mountains) are to the south. The town is surrounded on every side by mountain massifs, with summits 900-1,100 metres above sea level.
The annual rainfall in the Hornád Basin (Hornádska kotlina) is between 590 and 800 mm. The rainiest month is July and the driest is February. Snow covers the area 75–90 days a year. The average annual temperature is 6.8 °C (44 °F), the lowest in January -6.2 °C, the highest in July 17 °C (63 °F).
The large conifer and mixed forests are home of red deer, boars, wolves, lynxes, badgers. The forests are rich in mushrooms and wild forest fruits. The Hornád river is the home of trout
Trout
Trout is the name for a number of species of freshwater and saltwater fish belonging to the Salmoninae subfamily of the family Salmonidae. Salmon belong to the same family as trout. Most salmon species spend almost all their lives in salt water...
, salmon
Salmon
Salmon is the common name for several species of fish in the family Salmonidae. Several other fish in the same family are called trout; the difference is often said to be that salmon migrate and trout are resident, but this distinction does not strictly hold true...
, grayling
Grayling (genus)
Thymallus is a genus of freshwater fish in the salmon family of order Salmoniformes; it is the only genus of subfamily Thymallinae. The type species is T. thymallus, the grayling. The genus's five distinct species are generically called graylings, but without qualification this also refers...
and eel
Eel
Eels are an order of fish, which consists of four suborders, 20 families, 111 genera and approximately 800 species. Most eels are predators...
.
Population
According to the latest census in 2001, Krompachy has a population of 8812 people. 7679 are of SlovakSlovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
nationality, 736 are of Roma nationality and 49 of its inhabitants are of Czech nationality.
In terms of religion, 91% of the population are Roman Catholics, 4% Orthodox, 3% Greek Catholics and 2% are Lutherans.
Economy
The town's mainly industrial character is the result of the terrain. Matsushita, a producer of PanasonicPanasonic
Panasonic is an international brand name for Japanese electric products manufacturer Panasonic Corporation, which was formerly known as Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd...
goods, is the biggest company in the region, which also is the location of the Slovak Electrotechnical Company factory that produces a wide range of machines for industrial and domestic use.
There are still some iron and copper industrials active in the area.
Healthcare
Krompachy has a hospital with the following departments: surgery, emergency, gynecology and obstetrics, internal, as well as dermatology. There are six non-state healthcare institutions in the town, which together with two drug stores provide complete healthcare services.Education and Culture
The town has three elementary schools, an elementary school of art, and a specialized elementary school. The town's leisure time center helps children and teenagers to spend their leisure time in a good way by organizing of different interest clubs. The town is the home to a secondary grammar school and an apprentice-training center of electrical engineering. The center of cultural events is the municipal cultural center, part of which is a brass ensemble with a 90 years tradition, the Workers chorus and Krompašan and Krompašánek folk troops. One of the four majorette groups is internationally acknowledged. The center is the residence of the town library with its 29000 titles. The Cantica Christiana mixed choir is part of the Roman Catholic Church.Sport
The Town Sport Club is the place of sport events. This center gathers the table tennis, karate, cycloturist, WPEU, ice hockey, triathlon-duathlon-marathon groups. The Football club having 3rd league ambitions and the Basketball club after its 1st league performance is active too.For athletes the following sites are available: Plejsy ski center, football stadium on SNP Street, gymnasium and swimming pool on Maurerova Street, tennis court on Trangusova Street, natural ice rink on SNP Street, as well a multi-function table tennis court on the area of the secondary grammar school and the IN-LINE park.
Notable people from Krompachy
- Július Barč-Ivan (1909–1953) dramatist, writer and publicist
- Zeno Csaky (1840–1905) head of the Spis administration from 1896
- Jozef Fabini (1908–1984) painter and art historian
- Július Gundlefinger (1833–1894) Spis and Šaris landscape painter, nobleman
- Jozef Hodorovský (1921) actor and educationalist
- Tibor Honty (1907–1968) internationally-renowned photographer
- Vavrinec Koch (1442–1475) humanist scientist, professor of the Universitas Istropolitana and Vienna University, philosopher and theologian
- Ján Kvasnička (1927) professor, historian, chancellor of the Comenius University in BratislavaBratislavaBratislava 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...
- Ondrej LenárdOndrej LenárdOndrej Lenárd is a Slovakian conductor. He was principal conductor of the Czecho-Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra from 1977 to 1990 and of the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra from 1991 to 2001, where his concert work included performances of Ján Bella's Wieland der Schmied. His recordings include a...
(1942) world famous conductor, director of leading Slovak orchestras, conductor of the Tokio Shynsei Nippon Symphony Orchestra - Július Mauer (1896–1961) politician and prime minister
- Milan Pazout (1948) olympianOlympic GamesThe Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, world champion in all alpine ski disciplines - Mikuláš Šprinc (1914–1985) poet, founder of Catholic modernism, educationalist, writer, translator
- Ľudovit Tetmajer technician, inventor, university professor, construction expert
- Bartolomej Urbanec (1918–1983) composer, folklorist, conductor of SĽUKSlukSluk is a fictional mutant character in the Marvel Comics Universe, a member of the second team of X-Force. The character called Sluk was created by Peter Milligan and Mike Allred . He first appeared in X-Force vol...
and Lúčnica orchestras