City of Sabinov

From that day on, the legal status of Sabinov changed, which became a city. In 1405, Sabinov was promoted to a free royal city, which brought him a number of other privileges.

Crafts are developing and there is considerable flourishing. At the end of the 15th century, Sabinov became a member of Pentopolitana - an association of five East Slovak towns, which also included Košice, Prešov, Bardejov and Levoča. Period 16.-18. century was marked by prosperity, later economic decline of the city. In the 19th century, Sabinov was a small provincial town with poorly developed industrial production. Even in the years of the First Czechoslovak Republic, economic development continued to lag behind. Of the larger companies, there was a sawmill, a tannery and a cannery. The population was mostly engaged in agriculture, which was at a low level. The construction development of Sabinov with a typical medieval lenticular square began with the reconstruction of the originally peasant settlement. The oldest preserved buildings date from the end of the 14th century.

The most important and at the same time the oldest architectural monument is the Gothic church dedicated to St. John the Baptist. The original church burned down completely in 1461, the fire melted the bells. In the years 1484-1518 the church was rebuilt in late Gothic. The interior decoration of the church is Gothic, Renaissance and Baroque. The most valuable is the main altar, the original of which is located in the National Museum in Budapest and comes from the workshop of Master Paul of Levoča. The church was damaged by fire several times. The last major alterations were made in the years 1938 -1939, in the 70s the main altar was reconstructed. In 1992, a complete external reconstruction was carried out. The bell tower at the church belonging to the so-called East Slovak Renaissance was completed in 1657, the bell dates from 1470. Another architectural feature of the historic core of the city is the former lyceum built in the Renaissance style in 1530, rebuilt in the 18th century. The architectural panorama of Sabinov is complemented by a Greek Catholic, two evangelical churches and an Orthodox church built on the edges of the historic core.

Sabinov had a purely Slovak population until the middle of the 13th century, when German immigrants settled here. The number of new settlers is evidenced by data from the 14th - 16th century, when both nationalities had their own Protestant churches and preachers.

During the Reformation, Sabinov was known for his education, with several excellent teachers applying the most modern teaching methods. From October 1740, there was a Piarist grammar school in Sabinov, which in 1784 moved to its own building, today's museum. In the years 1867 - 1877, the important Štúrovec Bohuš Nosák-Nezabudov lived with his brother in the town, and the progressive teacher Samuel Fábry and the Slovak poet Ján Cuker also worked here. In the period after the First World War, the visual artists Bandy Cirbus and Ernest Stenhura also coveted and created the writers Jolana Cirbusová and Anton Prídavok. Later, various cultural circles and organizations were established in the city. In the years 1922 - 1924, the Palárik theater circle successfully worked under the direction of Janek Borodáč, who worked in Sabinov as a teacher.
The life of the city, like the whole of Europe, was marked in the first half of our century by the world economic crisis, which resulted in the II. world war. Her hardships also affected Sabinovč hard. Most of the Jews, many of whom were in Sabinov at the time, were taken to the infamous concentration camps, of which few returned. In January 1945, the town was liberated by the rapid advance of the Red Army troops from Dukla through Prešov and Bardejov to the west.

Sabinov began to hang from the hardships of the war. Residents have been involved in revitalizing existing businesses. The city administration provided the necessary tasks related to the supply of the population, the solution of the housing issue and the renewal of the connection. At that time, the District National Committee was also based in the city. Gradually, new industrial plants were built. Sabinov became a center for processing fruits and vegetables, wood, metals, milk, there was a machine-tractor station and the construction industry. Education, healthcare, cultural and sports life have developed. From a small 3,000-strong town, by building new housing estates and connecting part of Orkucany, a 12,000-strong modern city grew, the second largest in the Prešov district. The greatest development was recorded in the 70s - 80s, when all forms of housing construction culminated. Citizens of the city and the surrounding area found their application in modernized and expanded production plants. The life of the city does not stagnate even after November 1989. Despite the difficult conditions, the apartments under construction are being completed. A small privatization has been successfully completed, and new, progressive private enterprises and companies are emerging.

Today's Sabinov is a promising city with more than 12,000 inhabitants, who find all the necessary equipment and services. The pride of the city are the three primary schools Gymnázium, Stredné odborné učilište zemědělske, SPoŠ and since 1994 also Obchodní akadémia. A separate polyclinic and several private health clinics take care of the health of citizens. The rich cultural life of the city is developed by the Cultural and Social Center. His folklore ensemble Sabinovčan, a participant in several foreign festivals, children's ensemble Sabiník and wind music Sabinka represent Sabinov far beyond the city limits. The aesthetic feeling and artistic education of the youth is developed by the Basic Art School with several departments. There is also a Special Primary School in the city. An artificial ice rink and a summer swimming pool with preheated water were completed for the all-round development of sports. One of the unusual experiences of visitors to Sabinov is a walk through its historic core - the square and the side romantic streets, where there are bastions and walls of the former fortifications of the city highlighting its medieval glory. Walks to the Švabľovka forest park are very nice, for tourists there are marked routes in the surrounding mountains Čergov and Bachureň with beautiful natural scenery and the ruins of Hanigov castle. The most important recreation center Drienica - Lysá is located close to the city and also serves for fans of winter hiking and skiing.