SLOVAKIA : BRATISLAVA
Bratislava (German : Pressburg) is the capital of Slovakia. The city
lies in the southwestern part of the country, on both sides of the
Danube. The old centre is on the left bank. It lies at the foot of the
Low Carpates. Bratislava has about 430.000 inhabitants and lies
relatively close to Austria (Vienna is only about 60 km away) and
Hungary. These two neighbouring countries have always played a large
part in the city’s history. Even today Bratislava has a considerable
Hungarian minority population.
Founded before the 10th century, the city was known originally as
Pressburg. Strong fortifications erected during the 12th century gave it
strategic importance; In 907 the city and its surroundings came under
Hungarian control. As from the 13th century a lot of German (Bavarian)
immigrants settled in Bratislava.
King Matthias of Hungary founded here one of the first Middle-European
universities in 1467, the Academia Istropolitana, which knew only a
shortlived existence. In 1914 a new university was founded in
Bratislava, but it moved to Budapest in 1921. After the city of Buda
(today Budapest) had been conquered by the Turks, the kings of Hungary
were crowned in Bratislava between 1563 and 1830. When Budapest regained
its old importance, Bratislava turned again into a smaller provincial
city. However, in the meantime it had become the centre of Slovak
nationalism.
World War I ended with defeat for Austria-Hungary. The Treaty of Trianon
gave Bratislava to the newly formed republic of Czechoslovakia. In 1939
Bratislava became the capital of the Slovak puppet republic under Josef
Tiso, after the liquidation of Czecoslovakia. After WWII Bratislava
found itself behind the iron curtain in the communist ruled
Czecoslovakia. The city was expanded with typical large-scale socialist
constructions and became the third city of the country after Prague and
Brno.
In 1993 Bratislava received the status of capital city once again when
the former Czecoslovak republic ceased to exist and the new Slovak
Republic was proclaimed.
The symbol of Bratislava is the fortification or “Hrad”. This rather
square-looking building lies on the western side of the centre, on a
hill above the Danube. The Main Square of the medieval town constitutes
the center of the historical city. The most important events have
happened here since the 14th century. Besides regular markets, all
gatherings, celebrations and executions took place here. All the houses
on the square have an older Gothic core, several of them were built
prior to the fortification of the town as defensive houses with towers.
The sandstone Renaissance Maximilian's Fountain and circular reservoir
stand in the centre of the square. The square is dominated by the Town
Hall.
Bratislava is known for shipbuilding and the manufacture of furniture,
chemicals, tobacco products, musical instruments, woolen goods, and
leather products. Points of interest include an 11th-century Gothic
cathedral that was restored in the second half of the 19th century; the
ruins of the former royal palace of Hungary, on a hill overlooking the
city; a 13th-century Franciscan church; the town hall, a 13th-century
edifice; the Comenius University of Bratislava (1919); the Slovak
Technical University in Bratislava (1938); and the Slovak Academy of
Sciences (1953).