Dobšiná
Encyclopedia
Dobšiná is a town
in the Slovenské rudohorie mountains (Slovak Ore Mountains) in Slovakia
, on the Slaná
River, north-west of Košice
.
, and lies to the south of the beautiful Stratená
valley, watered by the river Hnilec
, and enclosed on all sides by mountains. The well-known ice cave Dobšinská Ice Cave
(discovered in 1870) can be found in that valley and belongs to the territory of the village.
. The town was a center of mining (gold, silver, nickel, later iron, cobalt, copper, mercury etc.) and iron processing in the past. In the vicinity are mines of various materials, some of them very ancient.
, the town had 4,896 inhabitants. 88.58% of inhabitants were Slovaks
, 9.01% Roma, 0.63% Hungarians and 0.27% Czechs
. The religious make-up was 35.23% Roman Catholics, 33.58% people with no religious affiliation, 25.25% Lutherans and 0.47% Greek Catholics
.
Town
A town is a human settlement larger than a village but smaller than a city. The size a settlement must be in order to be called a "town" varies considerably in different parts of the world, so that, for example, many American "small towns" seem to British people to be no more than villages, while...
in the Slovenské rudohorie mountains (Slovak Ore Mountains) in 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...
, on the Slaná
Slaná
Slaná can refer to:* Sajó river - Slaná is its Slovak name* Slaná, a village in the Czech Republic...
River, north-west of 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...
.
Geography
It is situated between Revúcka vrchovina and Volovské vrchy in the CarpathiansCarpathian Mountains
The Carpathian Mountains or Carpathians are a range of mountains forming an arc roughly long across Central and Eastern Europe, making them the second-longest mountain range in Europe...
, and lies to the south of the beautiful Stratená
Stratená
Stratená is a village and municipality in the Rožňava District in the Košice Region of middle-eastern Slovakia.-History:In historical records the village was first mentioned in 1723, so it is one of the newest villages in Roznava District.-Geography:...
valley, watered by the river Hnilec
Hnilec
Hnilec may refer to:* Hnilec , Slovakia* Hnilec , Slovakia...
, and enclosed on all sides by mountains. The well-known ice cave Dobšinská Ice Cave
Dobšinská Ice Cave
Dobšinská Ice Cave or Dobšinská ľadová jaskyňa is an ice cave in Slovakia, near the mining town of Dobšiná in the Slovak Paradise. Since 2000 it is included in the UNESCO World Heritage list as a part of Caves of Aggtelek Karst and Slovak Karst site...
(discovered in 1870) can be found in that valley and belongs to the territory of the village.
History
The first written reference to the settlement occurred in 1326; the text mentions that ethnic German mining experts had settled here. It received a town charter in 1417, becoming a major town for the minority of Carpathian GermansCarpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans , sometimes simply called Slovak Germans , are a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia...
. The town was a center of mining (gold, silver, nickel, later iron, cobalt, copper, mercury etc.) and iron processing in the past. In the vicinity are mines of various materials, some of them very ancient.
Demographics
According to the 2001 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the town had 4,896 inhabitants. 88.58% of inhabitants were Slovaks
Slovaks
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...
, 9.01% Roma, 0.63% Hungarians and 0.27% Czechs
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
. The religious make-up was 35.23% Roman Catholics, 33.58% people with no religious affiliation, 25.25% Lutherans and 0.47% Greek Catholics
Greek Catholic Church
The Greek Catholic Church consists of the Eastern Catholic Churches which follow the Byzantine liturgical tradition and are thus in full communion with the Bishop of Rome, the Pope.-List of Greek Catholic Churches:...
.