Vrútky

Vrútky (Ruttek (rare); Ruttka) is a town in northern Slovakia, close to the city of Martin. It lies in the historic Turiec region.

Geography
The town lies at the confluence of Váh and the Turiec, in the Turčianska kotlina, near the Malá Fatra mountain range. It is located 3 km north of the city of Martin, with which it shares a public transport system, and 25 km from Žilina.

Etymology
The name is derived from a plural form of Proto-Slavic *vьrǫ tъkъ > vrútok meaning "a hot spring".

History
The town was first mentioned in 1255 as villa Vrutk. However, a settlement had previously existed, and had the old Slavic name vrutok. By the end of the 13th century, the settlement had been divided into Dolné Vrútky and Horné Vrútky. By 1332, the settlement gained independence and in 1809, the town had almost 300 inhabitants. The construction of the Košice-Bohumín Railway in 1870 and the Salgótarján in 1872, brought economic development and Vrútky gained the status of being a key railway junction. This new status was also reflected in the increased number of inhabitants, which rose from 915 in 1869, to 1,944 in 1880 and 4,345 in 1900. Before the establishment of independent Czechoslovakia in 1918, Vrútky was part of Turóc County within the Kingdom of Hungary. From 1939 to 1945, it was part of the Slovak Republic. Between the years 1949-1954 and 1971-1990 the town was amalgamated with Martin under the name Martin-Vrútky. Vrútky regained independence in the year 1990, when it separated from Martin.

Demographics
According to the 2001 census, the town has 7,298 inhabitants; 96.01% of inhabitants are Slovaks, 1.33% Czechs 0.47% Roma and 0.33 Hungarians. This same census shows that Roman Catholics account for 50.34%, people with no religious affiliation account for 24.86% and Lutherans account for 19.01% of the total town population.

In the Slovak educational system, gymnáziums are secondary or high schools which prepare students for university study. Over 85% of students at the local four-year, co-educational Gymnázium Vrútky attend university.

Twin towns — sister cities
Vrútky is twinned with:


 * 🇩🇪 Bebra, Germany
 * 🇨🇿 Fulnek, Czech Republic
 * 🇵🇱 Łaziska Górne, Poland
 * 🇨🇿 Nymburk, Czech Republic

Notable people

 * Ján Bodenek – writer, translator
 * Emanuel Böhm – politician, writer
 * Radoslav Brzobohatý – film and television actor
 * John D. Hertz – founded the Yellow Cab Company
 * Zora Mintalová – Zubercová – ethnographer, historian and museologist
 * Hana Zelinová – prose writer and dramatist
 * František Zvarík - film and theater actor
 * Tomáš Galis – Bishop of Zilina