Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and the country's largest city, with a population of some 430,000. Bratislava lies on the River Danube, at Slovakia's borders with Austria and Hungary, and relatively close to the border with the
Czech Republic. It is only 60 km (45-65 minutes by train) from Vienna. The city is the most densely populated in Central Europe. The Carpathian
mountain range begins within the territory of the city with the Malé Karpaty (or Little Carpathians) mountains
(part of the Carpathians).
Bratislava is the seat of the Slovak presidency, parliament and government. The city is home to universities, a relatively
large number of museums, and to theatres and other cultural institutions (for example, the famous Slovak
Philharmonic Orchestra).
Historically, the town has been influenced by several nations (among others, Austria, Hungary, and Slovakia). As is common for
former cities of the Austro-Hungarian Empire,
Bratislava had other names, which remained in common use until World War I:
Pressburg, the German name, today still the official
alternative German name, as well as Pozsony, its name in Hungarian or Prešporok, its old Slovak name.
Old Town of Bratislava viewed from the Castle
Basic data
Location: on both banks of the Danube, at the foot of and in the Little Carpathians, directly at the Austrian and
Hungarian borders
Climate: mild; annual mean temperature: 9.9 °C, annual hours of sunshine 1976.4, average annual rainfall 527.4 mm
(1993)
Histor y
See also: History of Bratislava (includes the
development of the ethnic structure and important personalities)
- 623-658: part of King Samo's Empire
- 1536-1784: capital of the Kingdom of Hungary (whose territory consisted until 1699 of today's
Slovakia and parts of today's Western Hungary, because the Turks ruled
Buda at that time); the Kingdom of Hungary was part of the Habsburg (i. e. Austrian) Monarchy from 1526 to 1918
- 1542-1848: meeting place of the Hungarian Diet
(with short interruptions)
- 1563-1830: coronation town for Hungarian kings
(St. Martin's Cathedral (see the picture))
- since the 18th century: a center of the Slovak national movement
- 1969-1992: the capital of the Federal State of Slovakia within Czechoslovakia
Names of the city
The main known names of the town were as follows:
- 805/7 (maybe): Wratisslaburgium,
Pisonium (Latin)
- late 9th century(?): Braslava (?)(assumed medieval Slavic form, probably after a Slav prince Braslav)
- around 850 : Istropolis (Greek, stems from the christianisation period, has been later used by king Matthias Corvinus)
- 907: Brezalauspurc(h) (the first sure name; found in the Salzburg Annals; according to some sources derived from
Braslava—see above; according to newer sources: derived from the name Predslav, the 3rd son of Svätopluk - see also after 1001; note that "P" and "B" are very often interchanged in Austrian and Bavarian
local and family names as Bavarian accent does not differentiate between them)
- after 1001: Preslav(v)a Civitas (Latin) (this name has been found only recently on
coins)
- 1002: Poson (Hungarian form, probably after the 9th century Slav prince Božan)
- 1042: Brezesburg
- 1045: Bosenburg
- 1048: Brecesburg
- 1052: Poson, Brezisburg, Bresburc, Preslawaspurch
- 1098: Prespurch
- 1107: Bosan
- 1108: Preburch, Bosania, Prespurch, Bresbruch, Prespuerch, Brespurg, Posonia, Possen
- 1109: Bosan, Presburch
- 1142: Poson
- 1143: Bosonium
- 1146: Bosan
- 1147: Prespurch
- 1151 and 1163/4: Posonium (Latin, origin like Poson above)
- 1172 and 1194: Poson
- 1189: Bosonium, Brezburc, Bosonium quod Prespurc teutonice nuncupatur, Brisburc, Posonium
- 1197: Posony
- 1217: Posonia
- ...
- later also:
- - German: Pressburg, Preßburg
- - Greek: Istropolis (meaning "the Danube City")
- - Latin: Posonium
- - Hungarian: Pozsony
- - Slovak: Pressporek (1773), Prešporok (later) – stems
from the German form
- - Czech: Prešpurk
- - French: Pressbourg, later: Presbourg – see e. g. the
corresponding street name in Paris : rue de Presbourg
- - English: Pressburg(h), Pressborough; e.g. there is a
Pressburg street in the south west of Greater London
- 1918 temporarily: Wilsonovo mesto (i. e. "Wilson City", after US-president Wilson)
- since 1919: Bratislava (official name, origin disputed:according to older sources it is a mutilation of the old Slavic form
Braslava, other say it is an invention by the US-president Wilson, according to newer
sources it was created in the early 19th century by members of the Slovak movement and is derived (by mistake) from the name of
the Bohemian ruler Bretislav)
Sights
Bratislava is picturesquely situated on both banks of the Danube, at the base of the
outlying spurs of the Little Carpathians, in a position of strategic importance near the Devín Gate (earlier called Hainburger Pforte
or Porta Hungarica), and the area includes a picturesque old town.
One of the most conspicuous buildings of the town is the Bratislava Castle situated on a plateau 270 ft. above the
Danube. The castle exists since time immemorial, has been the acropolis of a
Celtic town, a part of the Roman Limes Romanus, a huge Slav fortified
settlement and a political, military and religious center of Great
Moravia. A castle of stone was built only in the 10th century (part of Hungary), it was turned to a Gothic anti-Hussite fortress under Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1430, in 1562 to a Renaissance castle, and in 1649 a baroque reconstruction took
place. Under queen Maria Theresa, the castle was
turned into a prestige seat of the royal governor Albert von Sachsen-Teschen, the son-in-law of Maria Theresa, who founded the Albertina picture gallery in the castle, which
was later moved to Vienna. In 1784, when Bratislava ceased to be the capital of
Hungary, the castle was turned to a school for Catholic clergy, and later in 1802 to barracks. In 1811, the castle was
inadvertently destroyed by fire by the soldiers of the barracks and was in ruins till the 1950s, when it was reconstructed mostly
in its former Maria Theresa style.
Another castle is the Devín Castle (still in ruins) in the city part Bratislava-Devín. It is situated on the top of a
high rock at the point where the March
(Morava) river, which forms the boundary between Austria and Slovakia, falls into the Danube. It is one of the most important
Slovak archaeological sites and has been –thanks to its excellent location –a very important frontier castle of
Great Moravia and the early Hungarian state. It was deliberately
destroyed by Napoleon troops in 1809 and is an important symbol of Slovak and Slavic history.
Yet another castle, built in 1813 and turned to English Gothic style castle in the late 19th century, is situated in the city part
Bratislava-Rusovce, otherwise known for ruins of Roman "Gerulata" settlements.
Other noteworthy buildings are:
- the St. Martin's Cathedral (a Gothic edifice of
the 14th-15th century replacing an older church from the 13th century) in which many of the Hungarian kings were crowned
- Bratislava's Town hall (a complex of 14th-15th
century buildings) containing an interesting museum – the City Museum founded in 1868
- Bratislava's Franciscan church, dating from 1297
- the building of the University Library (erected in 1756) where the sittings of the Hungarian diet (parliament) were
held from 1802 to 1848
- the Primate´s Palace (erected in 1781) in which the (4th) Peace of Pressburg has been signed
- the beautiful National Theatre (built in 1886), and
- the Michael's Gate (early 17th century), the only still existing
tower of the town wall
- the narrowest house in central (or maybe in whole) Europe (just behind the Michael's Gate)
- Nový Most Bratislava is a bridge across the Danube river, featuring a tower restaurant
In general, the historic center is characterized by many baroque palaces. The
Grassalkowich palace (built around 1760), for example, is now the residence of the Slovak president, and the former
archiepiscopal palace (1614-1765, the former summer residence of the archbishop of Esztergom) is now the seat of the Slovak government.
Economy
The economy of Bratislava is based mainly on services, engineering (Volkswagen) and electrical industry; there is also an important international road and railroad junction,
Milan Rastislav Štefánik international
airport, and a river port. The GDP per capita (PPP)
reaches 98% of the EU average (or 108% of the EU+ acceding countries average), which is the
second highest level of all regions in all aceeding countries (Eurostat, data as of
2000, see for example: [1] (http://www.eu-datashop.de/download/EN/sta_kurz/thema1/dn_03_02.pdf))
Territorial division
- 5 districts (for the purpose of national administrative division):
- Bratislava I (covers the city)
- Bratislava II (covers the east and southeast)
- Bratislava III (covers the north and northeast)
- Bratislava IV (covers the west)
- Bratislava V (covers the right river bank, i.e. the south, esp. the largest city part Petržalka)
- 17 "city parts" (for the purpose of municipal administrative division and of serving as entities to which the town
delegates its powers and functions imposed by law on communities), the number in brackets shows the corresponding district:
- 1 Staré Mesto (I) ["Old Town"]
- 2 Ružinov (II)
- 3 Vrakuňa (II)
- 4 Podunajské Biskupice (II)
- 5 Nové Mesto (III) ["New Town"]
- 6 Rača (III)
- 7 Vajnory (III)
- 8 Karlova Ves (IV)
- 9 Dúbravka (IV)
- 10 Lamač (IV)
- 11 Devín (IV)
- 12 Devínska Nová Ves (IV)
- 13 Záhorská Bystrica (IV)
- 14 Petržalka (V)
- 15 Jarovce (V)
- 16 Rusovce (V)
- 17 Čunovo (V)
- 20 "cadastral areas" (townships): they are identical with the above city parts, except that:
- Nové Mesto is split in Nové Mesto + Vinohrady, and
- Ružinov is split into Ružinov + Nivy + Trnávka
Population
Bratislava has 428 672 inhabitants with an average age of 38.7 y [2001 census], out of which:
- in Districts: Bratislava I 44 798, Bratislava II 108 139, Bratislava III 61 418, Bratislava IV 93 058, Bratislava V
121 259
- Nationality: Slovaks 391 761, Hungarians 16 451, Roma 417, Czechs 7 972, Moravians 635, Ruthenes 461, Ukrainians 452,
Germans 1 200, Poles 339, Croats 614
- Religion: Roman Catholics 243 048, Protestants of Augsburg Confession 24 810, Greeks Catholics 3 163, Reformed
Christians 1 918, Orthodox 1 616, Jehovah's Witnesses 1 827, Methodist Protestants 737, Jews 700, Baptists 613
- Age: 0 – 5 : 4.1 %, 6 – 14: 9.8 %, Productive Age: 62.9 %, Post-productive Age: 19%
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