Lucenec

Lučenec
Town
Panorama of Lučenec
Country	Slovakia
Region	Banská Bystrica
District	Lučenec
Tourism region	Novohrad
Elevation	190 m (623 ft)
Coordinates	48°19′43″N 19°40′09″E / 48.32861°N 19.66917°E / 48.32861; 19.66917Coordinates: 48°19′43″N 19°40′09″E / 48.32861°N 19.66917°E / 48.32861; 19.66917
Area	47.791 km2 (18 sq mi)
Population	28,508 (31 December 2011)
Density	597/km2 (1,546/sq mi)
First mentioned	1247
Mayor	Alexandra Pivková
Timezone	CET (UTC+1)
- summer (DST)	CEST (UTC+2)
Postal code	98401
Phone prefix	421-47
Car plate	LC
Location in Slovakia
Location in the Banská Bystrica Region
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS
Website: http://www.lucenec.sk

Lučenec (Slovak pronunciation: [ˈlutʃeɲets]; German: Lizenz; Hungarian: Losonc; Yiddish: לאשאנץ‎; Latin: Lutetia Hungarorum) is a town in the Banská Bystrica Region of south-central Slovakia. Historically, it was part, and in the 18th century the capital, of Nógrád County of the Kingdom of Hungary. In 1918, as a result of the Treaty of Trianon, it became a part of Czechoslovakia. The town has a large synagogue, built in 1924, which served a large Jewish population before World War II. The synagogue underwent renovations in 2016.

Lučenec is the economic centre of the whole Novohrad region, which includes districts Poltár and Veľký Krtíš.

Lučenec and its surroundings were inhabited in the Stone Ages. Slavs moved to this area in the 6th and 7th century as the first permanent settlers and the Hungarians joined them in the 10th century.

The first indirect mention of Lučenec was in 1128, when Lambert built a chapel in honour of Virgin Mary. The first direct mention of the settlement was in 1247 under the name Luchunch, but until the first half of the 15th century it was only a village, and was located off the main trade routes. In 1442, Lučenec was conquered by the Hussites troops under command of John Jiskra of Brandýs and in 1451 the Battle of Lučenec took place near the village between the troops of John Hunyadi and those of Jiskra, where the latter emerged victorious.