Presov, city in eastern Slovakia, about 30 km (about 20 mi) north of Kosice. Located on the Torysa River south of the Carpathian Mountains, the city is a transportation hub on north-south routes between Poland and Hungary and east-west routes between Ukraine and the Czech Republic. Presov is an industrial center that manufactures electrical equipment, linens, clothing, shoes, wood products, and food products. Among Presov's attractions are the 14th-century Saint Nicholas Church and the old town hall (built in 1533). Two theaters and a museum are also located here.
In the 13th century, when present-day Slovakia was a part of the Hungarian kingdom, German settlers founded Presov as a salt-mining town, calling it Preschau. Hungarians called it Eperjes. The first written record of Presov dates to 1247. The town was granted municipal rights in 1299 by Hungarian king Andrew III. In the 15th century it became one of the most important towns in Hungary and prospered as such until it suffered an economic decline in the 18th century. A fire in 1887 destroyed much of the city, but several historic buildings survived. In 1919 Presov was the center of the short-lived Slovak Soviet Republic, which was declared during the socialist revolution in Hungary. By the terms of the Treaty of Trianon in 1920, the city was ceded by Hungary to Czechoslovakia. During World War II (1939-1945) it was part of the pro-German Slovak Republic, but then reverted to Czechoslovakia. In January 1993 it became part of the newly independent Slovakia when Czechoslovakia split into two countries. Population (1999 estimate) 93,790.
