Malacky

Malacky (-Slovak, German: Malatzka, Hungarian: Malacka) is a town and municipality in western Slovakia around 35 km north from capital Bratislava. From the second half of the 10th century until 1918, it was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The name of the city, which was first mentioned in writing in 1206, refers to the Hungarian word "Malacka" which means "piglet" in Hungarian and because the town seal features a pig, although some Slovaks deny the Hungarian origin of the name and argue that it refers to a local stream.

It is one of the centres of the region "Záhorie", between the Little Carpathians in the east and Morava River in the west and a cultural and economic hub for nearby villages such as Gajary, Kostolište, Veľké Leváre and Jakubov. The town is located on the large Prague-Brno-Bratislava highway, and many residents commute daily to Bratislava. The Little Carpathians mountain range with its network of signposted trails provides excellent opportunities for mountain biking.

Famous Buildings and Sites
The most prominent sites in Malacky include the Franciscan church of the Immaculate Conception of Mary, the so-called "Palffy Palace" and the renovated synagogue. The church includes a precise from 1653 of the so-called Holy Stairs (Scala Sancta) that Christ ascended to the Pretorium of Pilate. The Palffy Palace until recently was used as a hospital and is currently unoccupied. It has recently been acquired by the local municipaty. Located in the center of Malacky is also a large, oriental-style, renovated synagogue built in 1886 which is now being used a cultural center. Adjacent to it there is sport arena "MALINA" containing two indoor swimming pools (25m and 12m) and a multifunctional hall used for handball, basketball, volleyball and indoor football.

Economy
Swedspan, a subsidiary of Ikea, operates a large lumber plant just south of the city. Additionally the Kuchyňa airbase, which is occasionally used by the US Air Force and other NATO air forces for training purposes, is located approximately 10 kilometers east of the city.

In September 2008, Slovak National Party (SNS) President Ján Slota facilitated the erection of a large Slovak cross near Malacky as a demonstration of Slovak nationalism.

Demographics
According to the 2001 census, the town had 18,063 inhabitants. 96.68% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 1.02% Czechs and 0.51% Hungarians. The religious makeup was 70.35% Roman Catholics, 19.48% people with no religious affiliation, and 1.98% Lutherans.

People

 * István Friedrich, prime minister of Hungary for three months in 1919, was born here.
 * Arnošt Wiesner, modern architect who designed buildings in Brno, was born here.
 * Martin Benka, a Slovak painter and illustrator, was born near here and died here in 1971.
 * Ádám Liszt, the father of composer and pianist Franz Liszt, was born here in 1776.
 * František Lukovský, small business owner, who committed a suicide in 2002 in front of the tax office using self-made guillotine.

Twin Towns - Sister Cities
Malacky is twinned with:
 * 🇨🇿 Veselí nad Moravou in Czech Republic
 * 🇵🇱 Żnin in Poland (since 2001)
 * 🇭🇺 Albertirsa in Hungary (since 2000)