Gbely (; German and Hungarian: Egbell) is a town in the Skalica District, Trnava Region in western Slovakia, close to the Czech border.
History The first written record about Gbely was in 1392. It gained town rights in the 16th–17th centuries. Petroleum was discovered in 1912 and extraction started in 1914.
Geography
It is located in the Záhorie region, in the Chvojnická pahorkatina hills, around from the district seat Skalica and from the Slovak capital Bratislava.
Population
It has a population of people (31 December ).
Ethnicity
Religion
According to the 2001 census, the town had 5,223 inhabitants. 96.09% of inhabitants were Slovaks, 1.26% Czechs 0.96% Roma, and 1% Amit. The religious make-up was 83.40% Roman Catholics, 14.57% people with no religious affiliation and 0.69% Lutherans.
Notable residents Matej Kocak (1882–1918) Slovak-American World War I Medal of Honor recipient was born here.
Twin towns – sister cities
Gbely is twinned with: Židlochovice, Czech Republic Deutsch-Wagram, Austria
See also List of municipalities and towns in Slovakia
References
Genealogical resources The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Bratislava, Slovakia"
Roman Catholic church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1710-1904 (parish A) Lutheran church records (births/marriages/deaths): 1786-1895 (parish B)
External links
Surnames of living people in Gbely