The oldest written record connected with Medzilaborce dates back to 1543. The village first belonged to the Drugeth family, but passed to the Csáky family in the 17th century and later in the 19th century to the Andrássy family manor. As early as the 17th century, an important trade route passed through Medzilaborce connecting the interior of Slovakia with Poland through the
Lupkov Pass. Medzilaborce became a town in 1860. In 1873, construction of the train track between
Homonna (present-day Humenné) and Medzilaborce and further on to
Galicia via the
Lupkov Pass, which contributed to the growth of the town from 724 inhabitants in 1851 to 1561 citizens in 1910. During
World War I, Russian troops entered the town in February 1915 and stayed there until May 1915, leaving the town significantly damaged. Before the establishment of independent
Czechoslovakia in 1918, it was part of
Zemplén County within the
Kingdom of Hungary. In 1918 the town became part of Czechoslovakia. During the
first Czechoslovak republic, there was massive unemployment, and many people emigrated from the town. From 1939 to 1944, Medzilaborce was part of the
Slovak Republic. The town was significantly damaged again during
World War II, when 30% of the population of the city, consisting of Jewish Slovaks, were executed or sent to concentration camps. On 26 November 1944, the
Red Army and the
1st Czechoslovak Army Corps dislodged the
Wehrmacht from Medzilaborce and it was once again part of Czechoslovakia. It was the seat of the district until 1960, when it was merged with the Humenné district. It has again been the seat of the Medzilaborce district since 1996. == Population ==