In 1237, first name of the settlmenet emerges, as a combination of Latin and Hungarian, with the town called Cristur (later Kerestúr), which translates to The Cross of the Lord.

In 1773, the village was known as Holy Cross, in various language versions, including Latin (Sancta Crux), Hungarian (Szent Kereszt), German (Heiligs Creütz) or Slovak (Swaty Kriss).

After the formation of the First Czechoslovak Republic, the settlmenet was known as Svätý Kríž nad Hronom in Slovak, copying the earlier Hungarian name.

In combination with the anti-religious sentiment of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic, the name was changed to the current version Žiar nad Hronom, which translates to Gleam-upon-Hron.

The first written record is dated to 1075, when a charter, issued by Hungarian king Géza I of Hungary, had established the Benedictine Abbey of Hronský Beňadik.

On 4 February 1246 the landowner and the Archbishop of Esztergom, Stephen I Báncsa, had elevated the status of the settlement, submitting surrounding villages to the dominion and granting the citizens further rights.

In the same period, the village had developed into a small town and became known as an administrative and cultural core of the region, due to the growth of commerce and the rise of trade guilds.

A chateau (manor house) was erected and became the town's landmark in 1631, building on a preceding structure, on the orders of Péter Cardinal Pázmány.

Following the suppression of the uprising Habsburg army had remained in the area to protect from the advancing Ottoman troops, which had worried the local population.

Even later 17th century was not easy for the local population, as the region had suffered from continued armed conflicts and plague, originating in Italy.

Major socio-economic growth in the city began with the development of an aluminium plant, which was established in 1953, under the name Slovak National Uprising Works (Závody Slovenského národného povstania).

Šášovské Podhradie and a ghost village of Horné Opatovce, annexed in the same period, remain a part of the city.

[11] The City Council consisted of 19 deputies elected in five constituencies: Etapa, Stred, Centrum II + Stará časť mesta, Pod vŕšky, IBV + Šášovské Podhradie.

The main employer is company Nemak Slovakia, member of Nemak Group, worldwide largest producer of aluminum powertrain parts for vehicles and the metallurgy factory company Slovalco, formerly called Závody Slovenského národného povstania ("Slovak National Uprising Works"), built in the 1950s.

[15] The village of Horné Opatovce had been through a turbulent period after the construction of aluminium plant in Žiar nad Hronom.

It serves as an opportunity for socialisation of citizens, as well as persons of domestic and foreign cultural, social and professional lives.

City Fest is an annual one-day summer festival, taking place in Štefan Moyses Park.

Usually, in the early hours, it features children's artists, followed by local and regional musicians in the afternoon, followed by headliners until the night.

The connection to the highway system and the geographical location make Žiar nad Hronom a notable crossroad.

The train station became more notable with the construction of the SNP Works in the 1950s, due to the railways being a major mean of sourcing raw materials and shipment of the products.

Middle (high) schools, for students aged 15–19, number five: At the start of the 20th century, the town was an agricultural settlement, with citizens cultivating the fields of the Žiar Basin.

After World War II, the only aluminium plant (ZSNP) in Czechoslovakia was developed in the town, with production commencing in 1953, securing thousands of work places.