Spišská Belá (ⓘ; German: Zipser Bela; Hungarian: Szepesbéla; Rusyn: Спіська Бела; Polish: Biała Spiska) is a town in the Kežmarok District in the Prešov Region in Spiš in northern Slovakia. Prior to World War I, it was in Szepes county in the Kingdom of Hungary.
Spišská Belá | |
|---|---|
 Church in Spišská Belá | |
 Flag  Coat of arms | |
  Spišská Belá Location of Spišská Belá in the Prešov Region  Spišská Belá Location of Spišská Belá in Slovakia | |
| Coordinates: 49°11′N 20°28′E / 49.19°N 20.46°E | |
| Country |  Slovakia |
| Region |  Prešov Region |
| District | Kežmarok District |
| First mentioned | 1263 |
| Government | |
| • Mayor | Jozef Kuna |
| Area | |
• Total | 33.93 km2 (13.10 sq mi) |
| Elevation | 622 m (2,041 ft) |
| Population | |
• Total | 6,648 |
| Time zone | UTC+1 (CET) |
| • Summer (DST) | UTC+2 (CEST) |
| Postal code | 590 1[2] |
| Area code | +421 52[2] |
| Vehicle registration plate (until 2022) | KK |
| Website | spisskabela |
History
editThe town was first mentioned in historical records in 1263. The town received town rights in 1271. Scientist and inventor Joseph Petzval was born here in 1807. The town center has been designated an historic district. The church in the center of the square was built in the 15th century. The tower next to the church was dedicated to when to town received town rights back in 1271.
In 1910 the town had 2,894 inhabitants, half of them were Slovaks and the other half Germans. The town was mainly Catholic but also had a significant Lutheran minority.[4] It was part of the German language island of the Oberzips. Before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, Spišská Belá was part of Szepes County within the Kingdom of Hungary. From 1939 to 1945, it was part of the Slovak Republic. On 27 January 1945, the Red Army dislodged the Wehrmacht from Spišská Belá in the course of the Western Carpathian offensive and it was once again part of Czechoslovakia. After the end of World War II the German population was expelled according to the Beneš decrees.[5]
Geography
editThe municipality lies at an altitude of 622 metres (2,041 ft)[2] and covers an area of 33.93 km2 (13.10 sq mi) (2025).[6]
Population
edit| Year | Pop. | ±% |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4,951 | — |
| 1980 | 5,225 | +5.5% |
| 1991 | 5,408 | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 6,136 | +13.5% |
| 2011 | 6,387 | +4.1% |
| 2021 | 6,646 | +4.1% |
| Source: Censuses[7][8] | ||
| Year | 1995 | 2005 | 2015 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Count | 5872 | 6189 | 6624 | 6648 |
| Difference | +5.39% | +7.02% | +0.36% |
| Year | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|
| Count | 6660 | 6648 |
| Difference | −0.18% |
It has a population of 6648 people (31 December 2025).[10]
Ethnicity
edit| Ethnicity | Number | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| Slovak | 6020 | 90.58% |
| Not found out | 597 | 8.98% |
| Romani | 126 | 1.89% |
| Total | 6646 |
In year 2021 was 6646 people by ethnicity 6020 as Slovak, 597 as Not found out, 126 as Romani, 29 as Czech, 22 as Rusyn, 20 as Polish, 15 as Other, 9 as German, 7 as Hungarian, 6 as Vietnamese, 4 as Ukrainian, 3 as Irish, 3 as Canadian, 2 as Jewish, 2 as Russian, 2 as Romanian, 1 as Moravian and 1 as Iranian.
Note on population: The difference values of population numbers in the table "Population statistic" and in the sections "Ethnicity" & "Religion" is caused by the use of various statistical methods.
Religion
edit| Religion | Number | Fraction |
|---|---|---|
| Roman Catholic Church | 4890 | 73.58% |
| None | 636 | 9.57% |
| Not found out | 610 | 9.18% |
| Evangelical Church | 242 | 3.64% |
| Greek Catholic Church | 129 | 1.94% |
| Total | 6646 |
In year 2021 was 6646 people by religion 4890 from Roman Catholic Church, 636 from None, 610 from Not found out, 242 from Evangelical Church, 129 from Greek Catholic Church, 48 from Jehovah's Witnesses, 16 from Ad hoc movements, 15 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 14 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 10 from Apostolic Church, 7 from Eastern Orthodox Church, 6 from Paganism and natural spirituality, 6 from Other, 4 from Calvinist Church, 3 from Seventh-day Adventist Church, 3 from Buddhism, 2 from Jewish community, 2 from Baptists Church, 1 from Islam, 1 from Hinduism and 1 from Church of the Brethren.
Famous people
edit- Joseph Petzval, scientist and inventor
- Michal Greisiger, physician and polymath
Twin towns — sister cities
editSpišská Belá is twinned with:[14]
Vysoké Mýto, Czech Republic
Brück, Germany
Ożarów, Poland- Szczawnica, Poland
References
edit- ↑ "Hustota obyvateľstva - obce [om7014rr_obc=AREAS_SK, v_om7014rr_ukaz=Rozloha (Štvorcový meter)]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- 1 2 3 4 "Základná charakteristika". www.statistics.sk (in Slovak). Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 17 April 2015. Retrieved 31 March 2022.
- ↑ "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ Magyar statisztikai Közlemények, 1910. Évi Népszámlálás. A népesség főbb adatai Községek és népesebb puszták, telepek szerint. (Budapest 1912), p.248-249
- ↑ Kobialka, Hans (n.d.). "Das Schicksalsjahr der Karpatendeutschen" (in German). Retrieved 8 January 2026.
- ↑ "Hustota obyvateľstva - obce [om7014rr_obc=AREAS_SK, v_om7014rr_ukaz=Rozloha (Štvorcový meter)]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Statistical lexikon of municipalities 1970-2011" (PDF) (in Slovak).
- ↑ "Census 2021 - Population - Basic results". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 1 January 2021.
- 1 2 "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 31 March 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
- ↑ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 3 November 2025.
- ↑ "Partnerské mestá". spisskabela.sk (in Slovak). Spišská Belá. n.d. Retrieved 4 September 2019.
External links
edit- Official website (in Slovak)