Kremnica

Kremnica (German: Kremnitz, Hungarian: Körmöcbánya) is a town in central Slovakia. It has some 5,700 inhabitants. The well-preserved medieval town built above important gold mines is the site of the oldest still-working mints in the world.

History

Kremnica was among the major mining towns of the world during the Middle Ages and Modern Times period due to the abundant gold ore deposits in Kremnica Mountains. However, the first evidence of subsurface mining activities comes from the 9th century.

In the 13th century the inhabitants of this area were affected by the invasion of Mongols. After that disastrous event, Hungarian kings invited new colonist from Germany to replenish the decimated population. They are supposed to have restored the mining activities in the town. The first written reference to the town dates back to 1328, when it was granted royal town privileges by King Charles I of Hungary.

The town's mint is known to have existed already at that time. Since 1335 it coined golden florins and later famous "Kremnica ducats", which were used as international means of payment for their constantly high purity of gold. It was the most important mint, and later the only one, in the Kingdom of Hungary, in Czechoslovakia and in Slovakia; the prosperity brought to the town led to it being nicknamed "Golden Kremnica".

In 1331, Kremnica became the seat of the Chamber Count (Kammergraf) who was the head of the most important mining and minting chamber of the Kingdom of Hungary. The Count administrated in the Middle Ages all the mines and mints in twelve counties of the kingdom.

At the end of the 14th century, Kremnica became the capital of the mining towns in Central Slovakia. The annual production of gold and silver guaranteed the development of the town. In the 15th century Kreminca was the second most important city in the Kingdom of Hungary. The town was continuously being granted new privileges and the deputies of the town occupied the second place in the Hungarian Diet (the first place was reserved for the representatives of Buda, the capital of the Kingdom).

Gold mining and coin production in Kremnica culminated in the 14th and 15th centuries. As one of the most important centers of Protestant Reformation in the country, the town belonged to the Protestant "League of Seven Mining Towns" together with Banská Belá, Banská Bystrica, Banská Štiavnica, Ľubietová, Nová Baňa, and Pukanec. In the 16th century, the town was a major center of production of (mostly religious) medals, especially by Joachim Deschler. But in the same time, the miners had to move deeper and the mining conditions deteriorated because of the underground water. The cost of mining increased and the mining was becoming less profitable. The last gold was extracted in Kremnica in 1970, when all the mines were closed.

Kremnica Castle and other landmarks

The castle built in the 13th through 15th centuries towers over the town. In the first half of the 14th century, it became the residence of the Chamber Count. The seat was immediately fortified with a double wall containing several bastions and towers. The castle represents a unique example of a very well preserved fortification system in Central Europe. In the 14th century, it developed into a multifunctional complex of buildings and became thus the center of local administration, religious life, and defense. At the end of the 15th century, the Chamber Count moved to a newly built house with a unique diamond vault. Thereafter the residence of the Count in the castle was converted into the St. Catherine's Church.

The sites of interests also include the Museum of Coins and Medals, the Museum of Skiing and a historical main square with a monumental Baroque plague column. The Gothic Church of St. Catherine hosts the popular European Organ Festival. A 20-km long aqueduct, built in the 15th century, is still working, supplying three hydroelectric power plants (one of them located 245 m below the ground). Forested mountains around the town offer plenty of hiking and cross-country skiing trails.

The geographical center of Europe is claimed to be in the nearby village of Krahule.

Demographics

Kremnica has a population of 5,621 (as of December 31, 2005). According to the 2001 census, 95.8% of inhabitants were Slovaks and 1.2% Germans. Even among the Slovaks, there are many descendants of the Carpathian Germans, who played a very important role in the medieval history of the town. The religious makeup was 64.9% Roman Catholics, 22.6% people with no religious affiliation, and 5.8% Lutherans.

Gallery

• 
  Winter panorama
• 
  Kremnica town castle
• 
  Kremnica castle
• 
  Kremnica main square
• 
  Summer panorama
• Barbican
  Barbican
• Plague column on main square
  Plague column on main square

Sister cities

Kremnica has six sister cities:

• - Fidenza, Italy
• - Herbolzheim, Germany
• - Kutná Hora, Czech Republic
• - Nový Jičín, Czech Republic
• - Šurany, Slovakia
• - Várpalota, Hungary

References

•  This article incorporates text from a publication now in the public domain: Herbermann, Charles, ed. (1913). Catholic Encyclopedia. New York: Robert Appleton Company. {{cite encyclopedia}}: Missing or empty |title= (help) Numismatics

External links

• Official municipal website Template:Sk icon
• Information for tourists
• Museum of Coins and Medals
• Kremnica Castle