Šurany
Encyclopedia
Šurany is a town and a railroad hub in the Nové Zámky District
, Nitra Region
, southern Slovakia
.
Alongside the main settlement, it has the boroughs of Kostolný Sek and Nitriansky Hrádok
, both annexed 1976.
. The town was first mentioned under name villa Suran in a document of Hungarian king Béla II
in 1138. There was a castle existing since the second half of the 15th century. The town was occupied by the Turks
in 1663–84. The castle was torn down in 1725. In 1832 the town was made a royal town with market rights. A sugar factory was established in 1854 (closed in 2000). The town was part of Hungary until 1920 and in 1938–45 as a consequence of the First Vienna Award
.
and covers an area of 59.812 square kilometres (23.1 sq mi). It is located in the Danubian Lowland
near the Nitra River
, 13 kilometres (8 mi) away from Nové Zámky
and around 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Bratislava
.
, the town had 10,491 inhabitants. 97.28% of inhabitants were Slovaks
, 1.12% Hungarians, 0.64% Czechs
. The religious make-up was 80.02% Roman Catholics, 14.76% people with no religious affiliation, and 1.19% Lutherans.
. Fry was tracing his Jewish ancestry in the town.
Nové Zámky District
Nové Zámky District is a district inthe Nitra Region of western Slovakia.Until 1918, the area of the district was split between several Hungarian counties: the largest area in the north formed part of Nitra; an area in the south between Dvory nad Žitavou and Strekovformed part of Komárno; an area...
, Nitra Region
Nitra Region
The Nitra Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia.-Geography:This region with a long history is situated in the southwest of Slovakia, mostly in the eastern part of the Danubian Lowland. It is divided into two sub-units: the Danubian Flat in the south-west, with eastern part of the...
, southern 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...
.
Alongside the main settlement, it has the boroughs of Kostolný Sek and Nitriansky Hrádok
Nitriansky Hrádok
Nitriansky Hrádok is a district of a town of Šurany, Slovakia. This settlement was annexed to Šurany in 1976.-Archaeological site:A significant amount of archaeological material have been found at the tell Zámeček , settlement layers of which trace estimated 5,000 years back...
, both annexed 1976.
History
Archaeological discoveries show that the site of the present-day town was inhabited in 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...
. The town was first mentioned under name villa Suran in a document of Hungarian king Béla II
Béla II of Hungary
Béla II the Blind , King of Hungary and Croatia . Still as a child, Béla was blinded by his uncle, King Coloman who wanted to ensure the succession of his own son, the future King Stephen II...
in 1138. There was a castle existing since the second half of the 15th century. The town was occupied by the Turks
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...
in 1663–84. The castle was torn down in 1725. In 1832 the town was made a royal town with market rights. A sugar factory was established in 1854 (closed in 2000). The town was part of Hungary until 1920 and in 1938–45 as a consequence of the First Vienna Award
First Vienna Award
The First Vienna Award was the result of the First Vienna Arbitration, which took place at Vienna's Belvedere Palace on November 2, 1938. The Arbitration and Award were direct consequences of the Munich Agreement...
.
Geography
Šurany lies at an altitude of 123 metres (404 ft) above sea levelAbove mean sea level
The term above mean sea level refers to the elevation or altitude of any object, relative to the average sea level datum. AMSL is used extensively in radio by engineers to determine the coverage area a station will be able to reach...
and covers an area of 59.812 square kilometres (23.1 sq mi). It is located in the Danubian Lowland
Danubian Lowland
The Danubian Lowland or Danube Lowland is the name of the part of Little Alföld situated in Slovakia, located between the Danube, the Little Carpathians and all other parts of the Western Carpathians....
near the Nitra River
Nitra River
The Nitra is a 197 km long river in western Slovakia. It flows into the Váh river close to its confluence with the Danube in Komárno. Its source is in the Malá Fatra mountains north of Prievidza. The river Nitra passes through the towns of Bojnice, Topoľčany, Nitra and Nové Zámky....
, 13 kilometres (8 mi) away from Nové Zámky
Nové Zámky
Nové Zámky is a town in southwestern Slovakia.-Geography:The town is located on the Danubian Lowland, on the Nitra River, at an altitude of 119 metres. It is located around 100 km from Bratislava and around 25 km from the Hungarian border. It is a road and railway hub of southern...
and around 100 kilometres (62 mi) from Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava 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...
.
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 10,491 inhabitants. 97.28% 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...
, 1.12% Hungarians, 0.64% 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 80.02% Roman Catholics, 14.76% people with no religious affiliation, and 1.19% Lutherans.
People
Šurany featured in an episode of Who Do You Think You Are? featuring Stephen FryStephen Fry
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presenter and film director, and a director of Norwich City Football Club. He first came to attention in the 1981 Cambridge Footlights Revue presentation "The Cellar Tapes", which also...
. Fry was tracing his Jewish ancestry in the town.
External links
- Official website (Slovak, only History is in English as well)