# Brezno

Brezno (Slovak: ; 1927–1948: Brezno nad Hronom; German: Bries or Briesen; Hungarian: Breznóbánya) is a town in central Slovakia with a population of around 21,000.

## Etymology

The name is derived from the Slovak word "breza" for birch.

## Geography

Brezno is located within the Horehronské podolie basin. Brezno lies between the Low Tatras mountain range and the Slovak Ore Mountains, both of which belong to the Inner Western Carpathians. The town is situated on the right bank of the River Hron, which flows through town from the east, in the direction of the city of Banská Bystrica, approximately 45 kilometres (28 miles) west. The local climate in the basin is rather cold, with an annual average of 6.6 °C (43.9 °F) and an annual precipitation of 700–750 mm (28–30 in).

## History

The area has been inhabited since prehistoric times, but the current town arose from an old Slovak settlement, next to which newly arrived German miners erected a typical market square in the early 13th century. The first written evidence of the town's existence is dated 1265 when King Béla IV of Hungary issued a charter for hunters from the area of Liptov, allowing them to use the woods around the settlement known as Berezuno. The name is derived from the Slovak word "breza" for birch. In the nineteenth century Brezno was a typical, almost purely Slovak town and was one of the centers of the Slovak national movement.
After the Second World War the town developed into an industrial center. By far the largest industrial concern was Mostaren Brezno, a construction company which specialized in crane construction for the whole of Central Europe. Mostaren Brezno's restructuring in the early '90s caused high unemployment in the whole region. Since the late '90s, Brezno has built a large retail sector and promoted itself and the whole region as a tourist destination. Sports games and events such as the World Cup Biathlon and golf championships are held regularly.

## Sports

The town's three sports clubs with the highest attendance are HC Brezno, FC Brezno and Biathlon Club Brezno. Other sports clubs include Volleyball Club Brezno, Cycle Club Brezno, and Swim Club Brezno.
The hockey club HC Brezno represents the town as part of the 1st senior league since the 2009/10 season. Therefore, the Brezno town council decided to reconstruct it's indoor stadium in 2009. During the reconstruction, new seats were added and the stadium was renamed the Brezno Arena; total capacity was increased to 2,500 seats.

## Demographics

According to the 2013 census, the town had 21,534 inhabitants.
According to the 2001 census 92.85% of the inhabitants were Slovaks, 4.63% Roma, 0.80% Czechs and 0.22% Hungarian. The religious makeup was 66.89% Roman Catholics, 18.54% people with no religious affiliation, 8.57% Lutherans, and 0.98% Greek Catholics.

## Notable people

* Ivan Bella, cosmonaut
* Ján Chalupka, writer
* Pavol Habera, singer
* Ottó Herman, ornithologist
* Jozef Karika, experimental writer and publicist
* Karol Kuzmány, writer
* Miroslav Leitner, ski mountaineer
* Martin Rázus, writer
* Petr Sepéši, singer
* Adriana Sklenaříková, fashion model
* Dušan Švantner, politician

## Twin towns – sister cities

Brezno is twinned with:
* Ciechanów, Poland
* Čačak, Serbia
* Meudon, France
* Nădlac, Romania
* Nový Bydžov, Czech Republic

## Gallery

* Courthouse
* Plague column
* Modern architecture
* Catholic church and town museum