Žiar nad Hronom

Sister cities

• Svitavy

History

The name of the settlement has gone through multiple developments. Prior to 1237, the settlement was known as a place with a toll station. In 1237, first name of the settlement emerges, as a combination of Latin and Hungarian, with the town called Cristur (later Kerestúr), which translates to The Cross of the Lord. Back then, the settlement was split between the dominions of the Šášov castle and the Benedictine Abbey of Hronský Beňadik. In 1773, the village was known as Holy Cross, in various language versions, including Latin (Sancta Crux), Hungarian (Szent Kereszt), German (Heiligs Creütz) or Slovak (Swaty Kriss). Similar names were recorded in 1808, despite minor influence caused by linguistic developments. In 1873, Hungarian name Barsszentkereszt is used, but the same changes at the turn of the 19th and 20th century into Garamszentkereszt (which translates to Holy Cross upon Hron). After the formation of the First Czechoslovak Republic, the settlement was called Svätý Kríž nad Hronom in Slovak, copying the earlier Hungarian name. Although, historically synonymous with the settlement, the name Kerestúr was used by Zemplínska Teplica in the early 20th century. In May 1953, when aluminum manufacturing and metallurgy began to flourish in the settlement, it impacted the life and the name of the city. In combination with the anti-religious sentiment of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the name was changed to the current version Žiar nad Hronom, which translates to Gleam-upon-Hron. However, the German name and the Hungarian name and the German still reflect the old Slovak name. Celtic tribes had lived in the area, as documented by sizable archeologic discoveries dating to 6th century. Following the 10th century, the local population was mostly Slavic and the…

Geography

It is located in the Žiar Basin, on the Hron river, around 40 km from Banská Bystrica and 170 km from Bratislava. In addition to the main settlement, the city includes two annexed neighbourhoods: ghost village of Horné Opatovce (since 1969) and a Šášovské Podhradie, south-east of the city, annexed in 1971. The city is the administrative seat of Žiar nad Hronom District. Average year temperature is 8 °C, with frequent rainfall.

Most-observed species

• Beech

  Fagus sylvatica L. · Magnoliopsida
  197
• Ground-ivy

  Glechoma hederacea L. · Magnoliopsida
  121
• Hornbeam

  Carpinus betulus L. · Magnoliopsida
  108
• Sycamore [tree]

  Acer pseudoplatanus L. · Magnoliopsida
  105
• Common Nettle

  Urtica dioica L. · Magnoliopsida
  101
• Lady's Bedstraw

  Galium verum L. · Magnoliopsida
  97
• Cypress Spurge

  Euphorbia cyparissias L. · Magnoliopsida
  93
• Dog-rose

  Rosa canina L. · Magnoliopsida
  88

Most recent

• M 2.8 — 2018-08-17
  1 km ENE of Tren?ianske Teplice, Slovakia
• M 4 — 2014-01-19
  4 km ESE of Balassagyarmat, Hungary
• M 4.1 — 2013-06-05
  4 km NE of Érsekvadkert, Hungary
• M 2.9 — 2007-11-18
  6 km SSE of Rimóc, Hungary
• M 3.6 — 2006-03-13
  5 km NNW of Leopoldov, Slovakia
• M 3.1 — 2006-03-09
  3 km SSW of Tren?ianske Teplice, Slovakia