Ilava

Ilava (, ) is a town in the Trenčín Region, northwestern Slovakia.
Name.
The name is of uncertain origin. The historic medieval names were "Lewe", "Lewa" (the same historic name as Levice), "Lewa de cidca fluviom Vag", later "Ilava". The form "Illava" is known from the 19th century and was used after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867.
Geography.
It is located in the Ilava Basin near the Váh river at the foothills of Strážovské vrchy mountains, near the cities of Považská Bystrica and Trenčín. In addition to the main settlement, it also has "boroughs" of Iliavka and Klobušice (both since 1969, latter with a Classic castle).
History.
The first written reference to the town dates from 1332/1337, the town charter stems from 1339. The settlement developed below a Gothic castle (bearing the same name) from the 13th century, turned into a Renaissance fortification in the 16th century, into a monastery in 1693 and finally, in 1856, into a prison. A concentration camp was in the prison in 1938.
In 1431 was the battle of Ilava between the Hussites and Hungarians.
Demographics.
According to the 2001 census, the town had 5,441 inhabitants. 98.1% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 0.9% Czechs and 0.1% Roma and Hungarians. The religious makeup was 87.2% Roman Catholics, 7.9% people with no religious affiliation, and 1.2% Lutherans.
Twin towns — sister cities.
Ilava is twinned with:
Genealogical resources.
The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Bratislava, Bytca, Slovakia"