Šahy

Šahy
Ipolyság
Town hall, a former guildhall
Šahy
Location of Šahy in the Nitra Region
Šahy
Location of Šahy in Slovakia
Coordinates: 48°04′N 18°57′E / 48.07°N 18.95°E / 48.07; 18.95
Country Slovakia
Region Nitra Region
DistrictLevice District
First mentioned1237
Government
 • MayorPál Zachar
Area
 • Total
42.75 km2 (16.51 sq mi)
Elevation135 m (443 ft)
Population
 (2024)[2]
 • Total
6,919
Time zoneUTC+1 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+2 (CEST)
Postal code
936 01[3]
Area code+421 36[3]
Vehicle registration plate (until 2022)LV
Websitewww.sahy.sk

Šahy (Hungarian: Ipolyság, rarely German: Eipelschlag) is a town in southern Slovakia, The town has an ethnic Hungarian majority and its population is 7,238 people (2018), with an average age of 42.5. The town was annexed to Czechoslovakia in 1920.

Geography

The municipality lies at an altitude of 135 metres (443 ft)[3] and covers an area of 42.75 km2 (16.51 sq mi) (2024).[4]

It is located at the eastern reaches of the Danubian Lowland on the river Ipeľ at the Hungarian border, on the E77 road from Budapest to Kraków. Besides the main settlement, it also has two "boroughs" of Preseľany nad Ipľom (4 km (2.49 mi) west of centre, annexed 1980) and Tešmák (3 km (1.86 mi) east of centre, annexed 1986). From 1980 to 1996 it also had now independent village of Hrkovce.

History

The first written mention is from 1237 in a document of King Béla IV under name Saag, when Martin Hont-Pázmány founded a Premonstratensian monastery there.[5] It got character of a small town in the 14th century. It was part of Ottoman Empire between 1541–1595 and 1605–1685 and was known as "Şefradi". It was also sanjak centre in Uyvar eyalet between 1663 and 1685. Before break-up of Austria-Hungary in 1918/1920 and incorporation into Czechoslovakia, it was part of the Hont County, and was from 1806 its capital. It was part of Hungary from 1938 to 1945 as a result of the First Vienna Award.

Population

Population statistic (10 years)[6]
Year1994200420142024
Count8526797175166919
Difference −6.50% −5.70% −7.94%
Population statistic[6]
Year20232024
Count69926919
Difference−1.04%

It has a population of 6919 people (31 December 2024).[7]

Ethnicity

Census 2021 (1+ %)[8][9]
EthnicityNumberFraction
Hungarian435759.95%
Slovak279438.44%
Not found out4736.5%
Total7267

In year 2021 was 7267 people by ethnicity 4357 as Hungarian, 2794 as Slovak, 473 as Not found out, 54 as Romani, 27 as Other, 17 as Czech, 8 as Italian, 6 as Polish, 4 as German, 2 as Vietnamese, 2 as Ukrainian, 2 as Moravian, 1 as Chinese, 1 as Serbian, 1 as Russian, 1 as Romanian, 1 as Austrian and 1 as French.

Religion

Census 2021 (1+ %)[10]
ReligionNumberFraction
Roman Catholic Church513170.61%
None111015.27%
Not found out5637.75%
Evangelical Church2042.81%
Calvinist Church1021.4%
Total7267

In year 2021 was 7267 people by religion 5131 from Roman Catholic Church, 1110 from None, 563 from Not found out, 204 from Evangelical Church, 102 from Calvinist Church, 46 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia, 34 from Greek Catholic Church, 18 from Jehovah's Witnesses, 12 from Islam, 12 from Other, 9 from Ad hoc movements, 8 from Other and not ascertained christian church, 5 from Old Catholic Church, 5 from Buddhism, 4 from United Methodist Church, 2 from Eastern Orthodox Church and 2 from Hinduism.

According to the 2014 census, the town had 7,516 inhabitants. In 2001 62.21% of the inhabitants were Hungarians, 34.57% Slovaks, 0.56% Czech and 0.41 Roma.[11] The religious makeup was 84.06% Roman Catholics, 6.87% people with no religious affiliation, and 3.46% Lutherans.[11]

Facilities

The town is home to the Hont Museum and Gallery of Ľudovít Simony.[12]

Twin towns – sister cities

Šahy is twinned with:[13]

Notable people

References

  1. ^ "Hustota obyvateľstva - obce [om7014rr_obc=AREAS_SK, v_om7014rr_ukaz=Rozloha (Štvorcový meter)]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  2. ^ "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  3. ^ a b c d "Základná charakteristika". www.statistics.sk (in Slovak). Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2015-04-17. Retrieved 2022-03-31.
  4. ^ "Hustota obyvateľstva - obce [om7014rr_obc=AREAS_SK, v_om7014rr_ukaz=Rozloha (Štvorcový meter)]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  5. ^ "Former Norbertine Monastery". Explore Carpathia. Retrieved 2 August 2023.
  6. ^ a b "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  7. ^ "Počet obyvateľov podľa pohlavia - obce (ročne) [om7101rr_obce=AREAS_SK]". Statistical Office of the Slovak Republic. 2025-03-31. Retrieved 2025-03-31.
  8. ^ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
  9. ^ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
  10. ^ "Population - Basic results". www.scitanie.sk. Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Retrieved 2025-11-03.
  11. ^ a b "Municipal Statistics". Statistical Office of the Slovak republic. Archived from the original on 2007-12-17. Retrieved 2007-12-26.
  12. ^ Milan Paprčka; Simona Nádašiová (2016). Hont z neba. Banská Bystrica: CBS spol. ISBN 978-80-8144-109-7.
  13. ^ "Partnerské mestá". sahy.sk (in Slovak). Šahy. Retrieved 2021-03-24.