Šenkvice
Encyclopedia
Šenkvice is a village
and municipality
in western Slovakia
in Pezinok District
in the Bratislava region
. The town of roughly 4400 people lies east of Pezinok
and south of Modra
, and is connected to each via a main road. Another road connects Šenkvice to Blatné
, which lies about five kilometers (three miles) south-east. Šenkvice is said to be the largest Slovak municipality without a city status.
and Bronze Age
were found in the town, as well as signs of human activity during Ancient Roman times
.
The first written record of the village can be found in a letter by the Hungarian king Bela IV from 1256. The town was soon burned down during the Mongol invasion
. Soon, the area was resettled by German settlers, and in 1390 another written record mentions the town's current name for the first time, as Samkawych. In 1547 the village has experienced an influx of Croatians, who were fleeing from the advancing Ottoman Empire
. More Croatians from the town of Hrvatska Kostajnica
came in 1594 and founded a small settlement nearby, originally called Small Šenkvice. Later, it merged into Šenkvice. In 1682, the town has built fortifications around the Church of Saint Anne
, where the inhabitants hid during Ottoman incursions.
During the Middle Ages, the village built its first church, roughly in 1350 in Gothic
style. The church has burned down and was replaced by a new one in the second half of the 16th century. This church was later expanded and in 1666 rebuilt in Renaissance
style with some Baroque
elements. The church has retained this look till today.
After the Ottomans were driven off, the town began stagnating. Not even the opening of a railroad line connecting Šenkvice with Pezinok
in 1845 has revived the village, and only after the founding of Czechoslovakia
in 1918 the town started experiencing growth, thanks to an influx of new companies.
to Pezinok
, and a plastic sheeting manufacturer, Novplasta.
The village is fully gasified, and it has water and sewage systems. There is a train station, as well as several bus links to the surrounding cities. Šenkvice has a kindergarten and grade school, a fire station, health center, library and town museum.
Šenkvice has a soccer team, which plays in the Slovak league's next-to-lowest fourth division. The town also has a gymnastic team and a field hockey
team as well. However, it is most famous for its indoors motocross
track.
Village
A village is a clustered human settlement or community, larger than a hamlet with the population ranging from a few hundred to a few thousand , Though often located in rural areas, the term urban village is also applied to certain urban neighbourhoods, such as the West Village in Manhattan, New...
and municipality
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 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...
in Pezinok District
Pezinok District
Pezinok District is a district inthe Bratislava Region of western Slovakia. Until 1918, the district was part of the Hungarian county of Pressburg.-Municipalities:*Báhoň*Budmerice*Častá*Doľany*Dubová*Jablonec*Limbach...
in the Bratislava region
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
. The town of roughly 4400 people lies east of Pezinok
Pezinok
Pezinok is a city in southwestern Slovakia. It is roughly northeast of Bratislava and has a population of 21,334 .Pezinok lies near the Little Carpathians and thrives mainly on viticulture and agriculture, as well as on brick making and ceramic production.-History:From the second half of the 10th...
and south of Modra
Modra
Modra is a city and municipality in the Bratislava Region in Slovakia. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty and is an excellent centre of hiking.Modra is famous for its pottery industry...
, and is connected to each via a main road. Another road connects Šenkvice to Blatné
Blatné
Blatné is a mid-sized village in Senec District in the Bratislava Region of western Slovakia, about 5 km north of Senec. It lies on the fork of roads connecting Senec with Trnava and Senec with Modra and Pezinok. Currently, the village has around 1,500 inhabitants.-History:The name of the...
, which lies about five kilometers (three miles) south-east. Šenkvice is said to be the largest Slovak municipality without a city status.
History
Early settlements from the NeolithicNeolithic
The Neolithic Age, Era, or Period, or New Stone Age, was a period in the development of human technology, beginning about 9500 BC in some parts of the Middle East, and later in other parts of the world. It is traditionally considered as the last part of the Stone Age...
and Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...
were found in the town, as well as signs of human activity during Ancient Roman times
Ancient Rome
Ancient Rome was a thriving civilization that grew on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 8th century BC. Located along the Mediterranean Sea and centered on the city of Rome, it expanded to one of the largest empires in the ancient world....
.
The first written record of the village can be found in a letter by the Hungarian king Bela IV from 1256. The town was soon burned down during the Mongol invasion
Mongol Empire
The Mongol Empire , initially named as Greater Mongol State was a great empire during the 13th and 14th centuries...
. Soon, the area was resettled by German settlers, and in 1390 another written record mentions the town's current name for the first time, as Samkawych. In 1547 the village has experienced an influx of Croatians, who were fleeing from the advancing Ottoman Empire
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
. More Croatians from the town of Hrvatska Kostajnica
Hrvatska Kostajnica
Hrvatska Kostajnica, often just Kostajnica, is a small town in central Croatia. It is located on the Una river in the Sisak-Moslavina county, south of Petrinja and Sisak and across the river from Bosanska Kostajnica in Bosnia and Herzegovina.-History:...
came in 1594 and founded a small settlement nearby, originally called Small Šenkvice. Later, it merged into Šenkvice. In 1682, the town has built fortifications around the Church of Saint Anne
Saint Anne
Saint Hanna of David's house and line, was the mother of the Virgin Mary and grandmother of Jesus Christ according to Christian and Islamic tradition. English Anne is derived from Greek rendering of her Hebrew name Hannah...
, where the inhabitants hid during Ottoman incursions.
During the Middle Ages, the village built its first church, roughly in 1350 in Gothic
Gothic architecture
Gothic architecture is a style of architecture that flourished during the high and late medieval period. It evolved from Romanesque architecture and was succeeded by Renaissance architecture....
style. The church has burned down and was replaced by a new one in the second half of the 16th century. This church was later expanded and in 1666 rebuilt in Renaissance
Renaissance architecture
Renaissance architecture is the architecture of the period between the early 15th and early 17th centuries in different regions of Europe, demonstrating a conscious revival and development of certain elements of ancient Greek and Roman thought and material culture. Stylistically, Renaissance...
style with some Baroque
Baroque architecture
Baroque architecture is a term used to describe the building style of the Baroque era, begun in late sixteenth century Italy, that took the Roman vocabulary of Renaissance architecture and used it in a new rhetorical and theatrical fashion, often to express the triumph of the Catholic Church and...
elements. The church has retained this look till today.
After the Ottomans were driven off, the town began stagnating. Not even the opening of a railroad line connecting Šenkvice with Pezinok
Pezinok
Pezinok is a city in southwestern Slovakia. It is roughly northeast of Bratislava and has a population of 21,334 .Pezinok lies near the Little Carpathians and thrives mainly on viticulture and agriculture, as well as on brick making and ceramic production.-History:From the second half of the 10th...
in 1845 has revived the village, and only after the founding of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
in 1918 the town started experiencing growth, thanks to an influx of new companies.
Economy and Infrastructure
Šenkvice is best known for its vine production. The largest vinemaker in the town is Karpatská Perla, which has received several awards for its vines. In addition, the town has a bakery, Framipek, which supplies stores in from SenecSenec, Slovakia
Senec is a town in the Bratislava Region of south-western Slovakia. It is a well known summer tourism and recreation center. The town is attractive not only because of the proximity of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, but also because of the healthy environment and summer resort "Slnečné...
to Pezinok
Pezinok
Pezinok is a city in southwestern Slovakia. It is roughly northeast of Bratislava and has a population of 21,334 .Pezinok lies near the Little Carpathians and thrives mainly on viticulture and agriculture, as well as on brick making and ceramic production.-History:From the second half of the 10th...
, and a plastic sheeting manufacturer, Novplasta.
The village is fully gasified, and it has water and sewage systems. There is a train station, as well as several bus links to the surrounding cities. Šenkvice has a kindergarten and grade school, a fire station, health center, library and town museum.
Culture and Entertainment
The town features a young folk group, Mladosť. It also has a town museum, currently consisting of one room near the Culture House. The Culture House features theatre and musical shows, including performances by the town's volunteer theater group, which celebrated its 100th birthday in 2006.Šenkvice has a soccer team, which plays in the Slovak league's next-to-lowest fourth division. The town also has a gymnastic team and a field hockey
Field hockey
Field Hockey, or Hockey, is a team sport in which a team of players attempts to score goals by hitting, pushing or flicking a ball into an opposing team's goal using sticks...
team as well. However, it is most famous for its indoors motocross
Motocross
Motocross is a form of motorcycle sport or all-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed off road circuits. It evolved from trials, and was called scrambles, and later motocross, combining the French moto with cross-country...
track.