ORIGIN OF MINING TOWNS
At the of the 12th century Stare mesto ,today it is called Banska Stiavnica, was founded. It is
presumed that German guests, who were invited to introduce a new technology of mining and smelting work, enforced from the ruler the privileges before the invasions of Mongols. But it seems like these privileges weren't agreed in writing in the 13th century (it was mentioned in the
book of the town in the year 1275). But in the book of privileges of Banska Bystrica of the year 1255 is written that the guests in this town have the same rights in paying tolls like the guests in Stiavnica.
Besides the road passing Zvolen to Poland the most important road for the commercial relations between Poland and Hungary was between Black sea and Baltic sea, called "big road". Belo IV. couldn't ignore the importance of this road and so Košice was one of the soonest centres obtaining the privileges in Slovakia.
Rising importance of the big road helped to obtain the town statute to another town in the eastern Slovakia - to Kezmarok.
Guests gathering under the castle of Komarno obtained the town privilege in the year 1265. The tuler wanted to control the trade in this locality - there were to trading roads (one from the central Slovakia, the other from Bohemia) and confluence of 3 rivers : Danube, Vah and Nitra.
