Mošovce

Mošovce is one of the largest villages in the Turiec Region of Slovakia.

History

Many preserved historical buildings are the evidence of the 770 years of its existence. It was mentioned for the first time in the deed of donation by King Andrew II. Originally, Mošovce was made up of two settlements: The first one, Machyuch, was located in the area of today’s Starý Rad, and the second one, Terra Moys, which gave the village its current name, occupied the place of the present day Vidrmoch. And it is the name of the second settlement meaning The Land of Mojš, which makes us believe that the whole village once belonged to certain Mr. Mojš, whose name might have been an abbreviation of a compound Slavic name Mojtech, similar to the names Vojtech or Mojmír. Throughout history the name of the village has undergone many variations ranging from Mossovych, Mosocz, Mossowecz, villa regia Mayos alio nomine Mossovych, oppidioum Mayus sue Mosocz, Mosocz olim Mayus to the present-day Mošovce. The name of a separate ancient part of Mošovce, a former settlement Chornukov, has been preserved in the modern form of Čerňakov.

Mošovce first developed as a royal settlement with a free advocacy, and from the middle the 14th century as a privileged town subjected to the royal castle of Blatnica. In 1527 it fell into the hands of the Révay family, who suppressed the town privileges of Mošovce for almost 400 years.

In the past, Mošovce was an important craft center of the Turiec region. Crafts experienced a surprising expansion, and there were around 15 guilds active in the town; the bootmaker and the most famous furrier guild were the ones to survive for the longest time. The present-day Mošovce can be characterized as an important tourist area with many sights.

Sights

One of the most remarkable monuments is a Rococo-Classical Manor House from the 2nd half of the 18th century with an extensive English park. Other sites in the town include: The birthplace of Ján Kollár, a Neo-gothic Catholic church with a valuable altar built on the spot of its ancient predecessor, a Lutheran church built in 1784, a Mausoleum now hosting the Museum of Crafts, and an Art-Nouveau greenhouse from 1800.

Nature

The surroundings of Mošovce are truly unique. A complex of historic tree avenues and groves creates an aesthetic and impressive landscape, which works as an extention to the woodland scenery of the Veľká Fatra Mountains. This mountain range belongs to the most attractive ones in Slovakia. Limestone and dolomites of fantastic shapes, as well as the beautiful nature in the nearby Blatnická and Gaderská Valleys attract people from all parts of the world.

Culture and Traditions

Mošovce has produced many important personalities. The greatest ones are Frico Kafenda (1883-1963), composer; Anna Lacková-Zora (1899-1988), writer; Štefan Krčméry (1892-1955), literary critic, historian, and poet; Júr Tesák Mošovský, Baroque playwright; and Miloslav Schmidt, the founder of the amateur fire brigades in Slovakia.

However, probably the most important person born in Mošovce, is the great Slavic poet, philosopher, and lutheran preacher, Ján Kollár (1793-1852), who greately influenced the literature of at least two nations with his poetic composition Slávy Dcera. His work is deemed to be the basis and a motive for the contemporary patriots and national activists. It has been translated into various Slavic, as well as non-Slavic languages.