Kľak

Kľak (Hungarian: Madarasalja) is a village and municipality in the Žarnovica District, Banská Bystrica Region in Slovakia.

The municipality lies at an altitude of 616 metres (2,021 ft)^[3] and covers an area of 22.80 km² (8.80 sq mi) (2024).^[4]

On January 21, 1945 the village was burned by Waffen-SS anti-partisan unit Edelweiss with help of Heimatschutz unit.^[5] There were 84 inhabitants of the village killed (including 36 children), and all of 132 houses and buildings were destroyed. Numerous victims were burned alive in their own houses. Nazi soldiers raided the village and expelled the rest of the inhabitants from the village, they also shot all of the cattle. Considering the method of accomplishment, not the number of casualties, this was one of the most brutal war crimes committed on the Slovak territory during World War II.

It has a population of 168 people (31 December 2024).^[7]

In year 2021 was 180 people by ethnicity 176 as Slovak, 3 as Not found out, 3 as Other and 2 as Czech.

Note on population: The difference between the population numbers above and in the census (here and below) is that the population numbers above are mostly made up of permanent residents, etc.; and the census should indicate the place where people actually mainly live.
For example, a student is a citizen of a village because they have permanent residence there (they lived there as a child and has parents), but most of the time he studies at a university in the city.

In year 2021 was 180 people by religion 142 from Roman Catholic Church, 32 from None, 4 from Not found out, 1 from Other and not ascertained christian church and 1 from Christian Congregations in Slovakia.