Želiezovce

Želiezovce (Zselíz, Zseliz before 1895: Zeliz, Zeléz Zelis) is a town in Slovakia in the Nitra Region, in the Levice District, near the Hron river.

Districts

 * Jarok (Nyitra-Ivánka)
 * Karolína
 * Mikula (1967 established) (Garam-Mikola)
 * Rozina (Rozina major), named after Rozina Esterházy (Festetics) (1779 - 1854)
 * Svodov (1976 established) (Szodó, Szódó, Sudov)
 * Veľký Dvor (Kerek-Udvardi puszta)
 * Želiezovce

History
The territory of the settlement was inhabited as early as the Bronze Age, the Quadi period and the Great Moravian period. The town was first mentioned in 1274. It was heavily damaged at the end of World War II.

Archeology
The town gave name to the archeological Želiezovce group (named after a find in Veľký Pesek, now part of the village Sikenica, which was part of Želiezovce in 1986-1992).

Demographics
According to the 2001 census, the town had 7,522 inhabitants. 51.25% of inhabitants were Hungarians, 47.10% Slovaks, 0.55% Roma and 0.49% Czechs. The religious make-up was 61.27% Roman Catholics, 18.43% people with no religious affiliation, and 6.37% Lutherans.

Features
The town is known for a former Neoclassical residence of Count Johann Karl Esterházy, where the Austrian composer Franz Schubert taught music to the Count's daughters Maria and Karoline in the summers of 1818 and 1824. Apart from a nice large park, there is another important building: the Schubert House or Owl Chateau (Slovak: Soví zámoček, Magyar: Baglyosház), where Franz Schubert stayed, and composed some of his works. Finally, the town features a Gothic Catholic church, severely damaged in 1945.

People

 * Franz Schubert, wrote his Grand Duo and Marche militaire here
 * Eduard Sacher, born here (de)
 * Timea Majorova, lived here

Twin towns — Sister cities
Želiezovce is twinned with:
 * 🇷🇴 Miercurea Ciuc, Romania
 * 🇭🇺 Makó, Hungary