Kežmarok lies below the High Tatra Mountains in the
north-eastern part of Poprad basin at an altitude of 2,053
ft. (626 m).
Kežmarok resulted from the merger of several original
Slavic settlements with a settlement of German colonists. In
1269, the Austro-Hungarian emperor Béla IV granted proper
municipal rights to Kežmarok. In the 15th century, Kežmarok
as a free royal town obtained other privileges. During the
750-year existence of the town, Kežmarok land area was
hit by thirteen major military conflicts: The Hundred Years‘
War between Kežmarok and Levoča for a storage right and
a nearly 250-years war between the town and the owners of
the Castle, which was situated in the territory of Kežmarok,
are among the most curious ones. Although the town had
survived many wars, disasters, fires, and epidemics, it
was nevertheless economically successful. In the 15th-19th
century, 50 guilds were operating in the town. However, the
craft production was cancelled in 1872, some manufactories
had already been founded in Kežmarok and from the middle
of the 19th century also several factories: the pitch factory,
the brewery, the starch factory, the first Austro-Hungarian
mechanical flax and cotton spinning factory, etc. Education and culture have also a centuries old tradition. The first
references to a school are from 1383-1392. In 1787-1852,
the Gymnasium of Kežmarok was reorganized into a higher
level school – Lyceum; it was not possible to continue
in university studies without the graduation from it.
Pupils from all over Central Europe studied at the Lyceum
and many of them became well known writers, artists,
scientists. The reputation of Kežmarok school is connected
also to the first references to a music (14th century), to
theatre performances (1523-1524), and to the first known
excursions to the High Tatras (late 16th century). The Castle
was the centre of a higher social classes‘ cultural life; it
was a place where philosophical disputations were carried
on; where painting and music flourished. The associations
were significantly active – the oldest association was an
archery one (1510). In 1862, the Fire Department founded
one of the first volunteer fire association in the territory of
Slovakia. In 1867, the Club of Spiš Doctors and Pharmacists
was created. In 1873, the Hungarian Carpathian Society,
the first tourist protectionist association in the Austro
Hungarian Empire and the eighth of its kind in the world
was established, etc.
In 1851, there lived 4,391 inhabitants in Kežmarok.
In 1910, the population was already 7,367 inhabitants.
After World War I, many Hungarians moved out from the
town, therefore, the number of inhabitants was reduced to
6,475 in 1921. In 1938, Kežmarok had a population of 7,360
inhabitants, but again citizens of the Czech and German
nationality left during and after World War II; Jews were
afflicted by the Holocaust, so there were only 5,469 people
living in the town in 1945. New Kežmarok was being built by
immigrants from all over Slovakia and the Slovaks settled
in Poland. According to the population census at the end of
2017, Kežmarok had 15,930 inhabitants.