ZILINA

German Sillein, Hungarian Zsolna, town, Stredn Slovensko kraj (region), Slovakia. The town lies along the Vh River at its confluence with the Kysuca and Rajcianka rivers. Originally an early 13th-century Slavic trading settlement, Zilina became a free royal town in 1312. It has an arcaded marketplace and medieval buildings, including the Romanesque Church of St. Stephen (13th century) with Gothic elements, the parish church, and an isolated Renaissance tower. Budatn Castle lies just north of the city. Zilina is now a busy rail junction where the branch line from Ostrava (Czech Republic) joins the main east-west electrified line; it is also a road intersection on the state highway. The University of Transport and Telecommunications was founded in 1953; there is also a conservatory of music and a centre for the treatment of eye diseases. Industries include wood processing, engineering, and the manufacture of cellulose and plastics. Pop. (1991 prelim.) 83,853.