Banská Štiavnica (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈbanskaː ˈʂcɪɐʋɲitsa]; German: Schemnitz; Hungarian: Selmecbánya [Selmec], pronounced [ˈʃɛlmɛd͡zbaːɲɒ]) is a town in central Slovakia. It is located in the center of a very large caldera formed when an ancient volcano collapsed. This caldera is known as the Štiavnica Mountains. Banská Štiavnica has a population of fewer than 10,000 people. The town is completely preserved from the medieval period. Because of its historical importance, the town and its surrounding area were designated as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO on December 11, 1993.

History

Banská Štiavnica's history is closely connected to the silver ore found there. Evidence from excavations shows that people lived in the area during the Neolithic period.

The first mining settlement was built by the Celts in the 3rd century BC. It was likely occupied by the Celtic Cotini tribe. Roman writers recorded that the Cotini mined silver. Later, the tribe was forced to move by Rome to Pannonia during the Marcomannic Wars. The area was also settled by early Hungarians, and a Hungarian fortress stood there between the 10th and 11th centuries. The site was called “terra banensium” (the land of miners) as early as 1156. The local Slavic people named the valley settlement “Štiavnica” (acidic stream), and the hilltop settlement was called “Bánya” (the mine). The combined name “Schebnyzbana” was first recorded in 1255. Skilled German settlers arrived in the 13th century and changed the name to “Schemnitz.” Banská Štiavnica became a royal town in 1238, one of the first in the Kingdom of Hungary.

During the High and Late Middle Ages, the town was the main source of silver and gold in Hungary. During the Ottoman Wars, the Turks tried to capture rich mining towns like Banská Štiavnica, Banská Bystrica, and Kremnica. This threat led the town to build strong fortifications, including two castles, in the 16th century. As a major center of the Protestant Reformation, the town joined the Protestant “League of Seven Mining Towns” with Banská Belá, Banská Bystrica, Kremnica, Ľubietová, Nová Baňa, and Pukanec.

The town was also a key place for mining innovations. In 1627, gunpowder was used in a mine there for the first time in the world (after Le Thillot, France). To remove water from flooded mines, scientists Jozef Karol Hell, Maximilian Hell, and Samuel Mikovíny created a system of water reservoirs and channels called “tajchy” in the 18th century. This system saved the mines and helped start industrialization.

The town’s Mining Academy, founded in 1735 by Samuel Mikovíny, was the first mining school in Hungary. In 1763, the Hofkammer in Vienna, with support from Queen Maria Theresa, turned the school into the Academy of Mining. In 1807, a Forestry Institute was established by Emperor Franz I. In 1848, the school became the Academy of Mining and Forestry, the first technical university in the world. In 1919, after Czechoslovakia was created, the Academy moved to Sopron, Hungary. The traditions of the Academy (School traditions of Selmec) continue in its successors: the University of Miskolc, Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava, and colleges in Sopron, Székesfehérvár, and Dunaújváros.

In 1782, Banská Štiavnica was the third-largest town in Hungary, with 23,192 people, or about 40,000 including nearby areas. It was behind Pozsony (now Bratislava) and Debrecen. However, the town’s growth depended heavily on mining, which declined after the mid-19th century. Today, Banská Štiavnica is a center for tourism and recreation, known for its rich history.

During World War II, Soviet troops from the 53rd Army captured Banská Štiavnica on March 7, 1945.

Landmarks

The center of the town is Trinity Square (Slovak: Trojičné námestie), which has a large plague column. The square is often used for cultural events and has a mineral museum. Two castles, called the "old" castle (Slovak: Starý zámok) and the "new" castle (Slovak: Nový zámok), are now museums.

An open-air mining museum includes a 1.5-kilometer (0.93-mile) underground tour through 17th-century mines. Visitors receive helmets, cloaks, and lamps for the tour. Guides in English, German, or Hungarian are available if requested in advance. Another older mine, called Glanzenberg (Slovak: Glanzenberg), is located near the town center. This mine has been visited by many famous people, including Emperor Joseph II and Prince Albert of Monaco.

The town is surrounded by ancient man-made water reservoirs called tajchy. Sixty of these reservoirs were built between the 15th and 18th centuries to provide energy for mining. They are connected by a network of channels over 100 kilometers (62 miles) long. Today, these historical structures are mainly used for recreation.

Churches

St. Catherine's Church is located in Kalvária Banská Štiavnica. There is a group of churches and chapels near Ostry vrch. These were built in the 1700s by the Jesuits.

Population

As of December 31, 2025, the population is 9,208 people.

In 2021, the population was 9,628 people. By ethnicity, 9,266 people identified as Slovak, 267 as Not reported, 91 as Romani, 69 as Czech, 47 as Hungarian, 38 as Other, 24 as German, 12 as Russian, 11 as Rusyn, 10 as Italian, 9 as Romanian, 8 as Polish, 7 as Irish, 7 as Austrian, 5 as Jewish, 5 as Ukrainian, 3 as Serbian, 3 as Iranian, 1 as Moravian, 1 as Greek, 1 as Croatian, 1 as Bulgarian, 1 as English, and 1 as Albanian.

Note on population: The difference between population numbers in the "Population statistic" table and the sections "Ethnicity" and "Religion" is due to different ways of counting.

In 2021, the population was 9,628 people by religion. Of these, 4,784 people identified with the Roman Catholic Church, 3,461 as None, 627 as Evangelical Church, 403 as Not reported, 62 as Greek Catholic Church, 46 as Other and not ascertained Christian church, 42 as Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 33 as Other, 30 as Ad hoc movements, 25 as Baptists Church, 24 as Jehovah's Witnesses, 24 as Buddhism, 14 as Seventh-day Adventist Church, 10 as Calvinist Church, 8 as Islam, 6 as Paganism and natural spirituality, 6 as Apostolic Church, 5 as Eastern Orthodox Church, 4 as Jewish community, 4 as Hinduism, 3 as Old Catholic Church, 3 as Church of the Brethren, 2 as New Apostolic Church, 1 as United Methodist Church, and 1 as Bahá'i Community.

Twin towns – sister cities

Banská Štiavnica has partnerships with the following cities:

• Hünenberg, Switzerland
• Moravská Třebová, Czech Republic
• Olsztynek, Poland
• Ptuj, Slovenia
• Sopron, Hungary
• Tatabánya, Hungary

Notable people

• Jozef Karol Hell, a Hungarian inventor and mining engineer
• Maximilian Hell, a Hungarian astronomer
• Dezső Hoffmann, a photographer
• Anton Hykisch, a writer, diplomat, and politician
• Nikolaus Joseph von Jacquin, an Austrian scientist
• Irena Káňová, a politician
• Andrej Kmeť, a scientist
• Domokos Kosáry, a Hungarian historian
• Ľudovít Lačný, a chess problem composer
• Master MS, a Hungarian painter
• Samuel Mikovíny, a mathematician, engineer, and cartographer
• Alexander Pituk, a Hungarian chess problem composer
• Andrej Sládkovič, a Lutheran pastor, poet, critic, publicist, and translator

Genealogical resources

The records for family history research can be found at the government archive in Banská Bystrica (Slovak: Štátny archív v Banskej Bystrici).

• Roman Catholic church records (birth, marriage, and death): 1627–1892 (parish A)
• Lutheran church records (birth, marriage, and death): 1594–1925 (parish A)