Rožňava | ||
Rozsnyó | ||
Town | ||
Town center
|
||
|
||
Motto: Mesto s výhľadom | ||
Country | Slovakia | |
---|---|---|
Region | Košice Region | |
District | Rožňava District | |
Tourism region | Gemer | |
River | Slaná | |
Elevation | 313 m (1,027 ft) | |
Coordinates | 48°39′30″N 20°31′51″E / 48.65833°N 20.53083°ECoordinates: 48°39′30″N 20°31′51″E / 48.65833°N 20.53083°E | |
Area | 45.614 km2 (18 sq mi) | |
Population | 18,368 (31 December 2014) | |
Density | 403/km2 (1,044/sq mi) | |
First mentioned | 1291 | |
Mayor | Pavol Burdiga | |
Timezone | CET (UTC+1) | |
- summer (DST) | CEST (UTC+2) | |
Postal code | 048 01 | |
Phone prefix | 421-58 | |
Car plate | RV | |
Statistics: MOŠ/MIS | ||
Website: http://www.roznava.sk | ||
Rožňava (Hungarian: Rozsnyó, German: Rosenau, Latin: Rosnavia) is a town in Slovakia, approximately 71 kilometres (44 miles) by road from Košice in the Košice Region, and has a population of 19,505.
The town is an economic and tourist centre of the Gemer. Rožňava is now a popular tourist attraction with a beautiful historic town centre. The town is an episcopal seat. It has above all food, textile and remnants of mining industries.
Archaeological finds show that the region was densely settled by miners as early as around 1200. The first written mention stems from 1291, the royal free town status from 1410. The Roman Catholic diocese of Rožňava was founded in 1776.
In the Middle Ages, Rožňava was a prosperous mining town for gold, silver, and iron. Mining activities stagnated from the 16th century (when territories to the south of the town were conquered by Ottoman Turks). Mining - this time mainly of iron ore - was renewed around 1800 and was present in the town throughout the 20th century. It was ruled by Ottoman Empire as part of Filek sanjak (Its centre was Rima Sonbot) during periods of 1554-1593 and 1596-1686. It was known as "Rojna" during Ottoman period.
The name of the town probably derives from the German and/or Hungarian words for rose (Rose and Rózsa, respectively).
During World War II, Rožňava was captured on 23 January 1945 by troops of the Romanian 4th Army, acting as a part of the Soviet 2nd Ukrainian Front.