Šamorín

Šamorín (Somorja, Sommerein) is a small town in Dunajska Streda District, Trnava Region of western Slovakia, southeast of Bratislava.

Geography
The town is located on the Danubian Flat at the Žitný ostrov island, near the Gabčíkovo dam on the Danube. It is located around 17 km southeast of Bratislava and 25 km west of Dunajská Streda. Administratively, the town belongs to the Trnava Region, Dunajská Streda District.

History
The town was mentioned for the first time in 1238 as ecclesia Sancte Mariae and was a prominent port on the Danube during the Middle Ages. Agriculture also played a major role in the town's development. As a result of this prosperity, its citizens enjoyed a brisk trade in the new technologies and many shipyards on the Danube. However, with rise of Pressburg (now Bratislava), the importance of the town began declining. Šamorín eventually lost its right to the status of royal free city granted in 1405 during the reign of King Sigismund. In the sixteenth century, the city became notable again because of the witch trials held there. After the Austro-Hungarian army disintegrated in November 1918, Czechoslovak troops occupied the area, later acknowledged internationally by the Treaty of Trianon. Between 1938 and 1945 Šamorín once more became part of Miklós Horthy's Hungary through the First Vienna Award. From 1945 until the Velvet Divorce, it was part of Czechoslovakia. Since then it has been part of Slovakia.

Demography
According to the 2011 census, the municipality had 12,726 inhabitants. 7,309 of inhabitants were Hungarians, 4,365 Slovaks, 63 Czechs and 989 others and unspecified.

In 1910, the town has a total population of 2,930, which included 2,699 Hungarians, 112 Germans and 114 Slovaks. According to the 1991 census, ethnic groups included 71% Hungarians and 27.4% Slovaks.

According to the 2001 census, ethnic groups included 66.63% Hungarians and 30.96% Slovaks.

The religious make-up was 75.27% Roman Catholics, 4.42% Protestant, 11.75% without denomination and others.

Landmarks

 * The Reformed Church, originally Catholic and built in the 13th century in the late Romanesque style.
 * The Catholic Church and its former cloister from the 18th century in the Baroque style.
 * The Protestant Church of 1784
 * The Synagogue, built in 1912 in a Romanesque Revival style
 * The Renaissance-style city hall

Municipal division
Šamorín has five districts: Šamorín proper and the villages of Bučuháza (Hungarian: Bucsuháza), Čilistov, Kráľovianky (Hungarian: Királyfia), and Mliečno.

Historically incorporated villages

 * 1808: Gancsháza
 * 1960: Čilistov (Hungarian: Csölösztő)
 * 1976: Mliečno (Hungarian: Tejfalu)

Twin towns - Sister cities
Šamorín is twinned with:


 * Leiderdorp, Netherlands
 * 🇭🇺 Mosonmagyaróvár, Hungary
 * 🇦🇹 Hainburg, Austria