Petzval was born in Zipser Bela, Kingdom of Hungary within the Austrian Empire (today Spišská Belá, Slovakia) as the son of a German schoolteacher.
Petzval was born in Zipser Bela within the Austrian Empire (today Spišská Belá) as the son of a German schoolteacher. Today Spišská Belá were Slovakia. Zipser Bela was Kingdom of Hungary.