Bratislava

 

(brä'tēslä'vä') , Ger. Pressburg, Hung. Pozsony, city (1991 pop. 442,197), SW Slovakia, on the Danube River and near the Austrian and Hungarian borders. It is the capital and largest city of Slovakia. Bratislava is an important road and rail center and a leading Danubian port. A well-diversified industry produces textiles, chemicals, and metal goods; during the Communist period, heavy industry was focused on the production of armaments. Forests, vineyards, and large farms surround the city, which has an active trade in agricultural products. It is also a popular tourist center. A Roman outpost called Posonium by the 1st cent. A.D., Bratislava became a stronghold of the Great Moravian Empire in the 9th cent. After the death of Ottocar II (1278), Bratislava and much of S and E Slovakia fell under Hungarian rule. From 1541, when the Turks captured Buda, until 1784, Bratislava served as Hungary's capital and the residence of Hungarian kings and archbishops. The kings continued to be crowned there until 1835, and Bratislava was the meeting place of the Hungarian diet until 1848. Inhabited largely by German traders before the 19th cent., the city then became predominantly Magyar. In the 19th cent. it was the center of the emerging Slovak national revival, and after the union of the Czech and Slovak territories in 1918 it was incorporated into Czechoslovakia. From 1939 until 1945, Bratislava was the capital of a nominally independent Slovak republic that was governed by a fascistic pro-German regime responsible for the murder of tens of thousands of Czechs and Jews. The Univ. of Jan Comenius (1919), the Slovak Academy of Sciences, a polytechnic university, a national theater, and several museums are in the city. The 9th-century castle, above the Danube, was rebuilt in the 13th cent. St. Martin's Cathedral, the Franciscan convent and church, and the old town hall are also 13th-century buildings. The new town hall occupies an 18th-century palace, formerly the residence of the primates of Hungary; the Treaty of Pressburg was signed there in 1805.

Bratislava
City
Bratislava's Old Town at night from Petržalka
Flag Coat of arms
Nickname: Beauty on the Danube
Country	Slovakia
Region	Bratislava
Districts	5  - Bratislava I  - Bratislava II  - Bratislava III  - Bratislava IV  - Bratislava V
Rivers	Danube, Morava, Little Danube
Elevation	m ( ft)
Coordinates	48°08′41″N 17°06′46″E / 48.14472, 17.11278
Highest point	Devínska Kobyla
- elevation	m ( ft)
Lowest point	Danube River
- elevation	m ( ft)
Area	km² ( mi²)
- metro	km² ( mi²)
Population	(2005-12-31)
- urban
- metro
Density	/km² ( /mi²)
First mentioned	907
Government	City council
- location	Primate's Palace
Mayor	Andrej Ďurkovský
Timezone	CET ([[UTC+1]])
- summer (DST)	CEST ([[UTC+2]])
Postal code	800 00 – 899 99
Phone prefix	421-2
Car plate	BA
Location of Bratislava within Slovakia
Wikimedia Commons: Bratislava
Website: www.bratislava.sk
Source: [1]

Coordinates: 48°08′41″N 17°06′46″E / 48.14472, 17.11278

Bratislava (IPA: /ˈbratjɪslava/, historically known by foreign and alternative names) is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of 425,000, the country's largest city.^[1] Bratislava is in the south-west of Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two other countries.^[2]

Bratislava is the political, cultural, and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak presidency, the parliament, and the government, and is home to several universities, museums, theatres, galleries and other important economic, cultural, and educational institutions.^[3] The headquarters of many of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions are in Bratislava.

The history of the city, long known by the German name Pressburg, has been strongly influenced by various peoples, including Austrians, Czechs, Germans, Hungarians, Jews, and Slovaks.^[4] The city was a key economic and administrative centre of the Kingdom of Hungary and was its capital under the Habsburg monarchy from 1536 to 1783. Bratislava was home to the Slovak national movement of the 19th century and to many Slovak historical figures, including Milan Rastislav Štefánik and Alexander Dubček.

Names

The first written reference (as Brezalauspurc) comes from the Salzburg Annals, in relation to the battles between the Bavarians and the Hungarians, fought outside the walls of Bratislava Castle in 907.^[5] The castle was probably named either after Predslav, third son of King Svätopluk I, or the local nobleman Braslav.^[6] This ancient name reappears under the variant Braslava or Preslava on coins minted by King Stephen I of Hungary and dated around 1000.^[7] Later in the Middle Ages, it found its final form in the German name Pressburg and the Slovak name Prešporok derived from it.^[7][8] Pressburg was used to refer to the city by most English-speaking writers until 1919,^[9] and it is occasionally so used even today. Although Pressburg was the official name until 1919, the Slovak inhabitants often called the city Prešporok, and the Hungarians used Pozsony^[8] (spelled Posony before the 19th century). The Hungarian name, still in use among Hungarians, might have come from Božaň, an 11th-century ruler of Bratislava Castle.^[10] In addition to these names, Renaissance documents called the city Istropolis, meaning "Danube City" in Ancient Greek.

The current name, Bratislava, has its beginnings in 1837, when Slavist scholar Pavel Jozef Šafárik reconstructed a variant of it (Břetislaw)^[11] from old names, believing that they were derived from that of Bohemian ruler Bretislav I. The name was used for the first time by members of the Slovak movement in 1844 as Bratislav.^[12] After World War I, non-Slovak representatives attempted to rename the city "Wilson City" after American president Woodrow Wilson in their effort to prevent annexation to Czechoslovakia. The proposal was rejected, and the official name of the city was changed to Bratislava in March 1919, after the city became part of Czechoslovakia.

Geography

Main article: Geography of Bratislava

Bratislava is situated in southwest Slovakia, within the Bratislava Region. Its location on the borders with Austria and Hungary makes it the only national capital that borders two countries. It is only 62 kilometres (38.5 mi) from the border with the Czech Republic and only 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the Austrian capital Vienna.^[13]

The city has a total area of  square kilometres ( sq mi), making it the second-largest city in Slovakia by area (after the township of Vysoké Tatry).^[14] Bratislava straddles the Danube River, which crosses the city from the west to the south-east. The Middle Danube basin begins at Devín Gate in western Bratislava. Other rivers are the Morava River, which forms the north-western border of the city and enters the Danube at Devín, the Little Danube, and the Vydrica, which enters the Danube in the borough of Karlova Ves.

The Carpathian mountain range begins in city territory with the Little Carpathians (Malé Karpaty). The Záhorie and Danubian lowlands stretch into Bratislava. The city's lowest point is at the Danube's surface at 126 metres (413 ft) AMSL, and the highest point is Devínska Kobyla at 514 m (1686 ft). The average altitude is 140 metres (459 ft).^[15]

Climate

Bratislava lies in the north temperate zone and has a continental climate with four distinct seasons. It is often windy with a marked variation between hot summers and cold, humid winters. The city is in one of the warmest and driest parts of Slovakia.^[16] Recently, the transitions from winter to summer and summer to winter have been rapid, with short autumn and spring periods. Snow occurs less frequently than previously.^[17] Some parts of Bratislava, particularly Devín and Devínska Nová Ves, are vulnerable to floods from the Danube and Morava rivers.^[18] New flood protection is being built on both banks.^[19]

Weather averages for Bratislava
Month	Jan	Feb	Mar	Apr	May	Jun	Jul	Aug	Sep	Oct	Nov	Dec	Year
Average high °C (°F)	2 (36)	4 (40)	10 (51)	15 (60)	20 (65)	23 (75)	26 (79)	26 (79)	21 (71)	15 (59)	7 (45)	3 (38)	()
Average low °C (°F)	-3 (26)	-2 (28)	1 (35)	4 (40)	9 (49)	12 (55)	14 (58)	13 (57)	10 (51)	5 (42)	1 (34)	-1 (30)	()
Precipitation cm (inch)	3 (1.4)	4 (1.6)	3 (1.5)	3 (1.4)	5 (2.2)	7 (2.8)	6 (2.5)	6 (2.4)	3 (1.5)	4 (1.6)	5 (2.1)	5 (2)	()
Source: Weatherbase[20] 30 April 2007

History

Main article: History of Bratislava

The first known permanent settlement of the area began with the Linear Pottery Culture, around 5000 BC in the Neolithic era. About 200 BC, the Celtic Boii tribe founded the first significant settlement, a fortified town known as an oppidum, and also established a mint which produced silver coins known as biatecs.^[21] The area fell under Roman influence from the 1st century AD until the 4th century and formed part of the Limes Romanus, a border defence system.^[22] The Romans introduced grape growing to the area and began a tradition of winemaking, which survives to the present.^[23]

The Slavic ancestors of the modern Slovaks arrived between the 5th and 6th centuries during the Migration Period.^[24] As a response to onslaughts by Avars, the local Slavic tribes rebelled and established Samo's Empire (623–658), the first known Slavic political entity. In the 9th century, the castles at Bratislava and Devín were important centres of the Slavic states the Principality of Nitra and Great Moravia.^[25] The first written reference to the city dates to 907 and is related to the fall of Great Moravia under the attacks of the Hungarians.^[26]

In the 10th century, the territory of Bratislava became part of Hungary (called "the Kingdom of Hungary" from 1000) and became a key economic and administrative centre on the kingdom's frontier.^[27] This strategic position destined the city to be the site of frequent attacks and battles, but also brought it economic development and high political status. Bratislava was granted its first known town privileges in 1291 by Andrew III,^[28] and was declared a free royal town in 1405 by King Sigismund of Luxemburg, who also entitled the town to use its own coat of arms in 1436.^[29]

After the Battle of Mohács in 1526, where the Kingdom of Hungary was defeated by the Ottoman Empire, the Turks besieged and damaged Bratislava but failed to conquer the city.^[30] Owing to Ottoman advances into Hungarian territory, Bratislava was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, becoming part of the Habsburg (Austrian) monarchy and marking the beginning of a new era. Bratislava became a coronation town and the seat of kings, archbishops (1543), the nobility and all major organisations and offices. Between 1536 and 1830, 11 kings and queens were crowned at St. Martin's Cathedral.^[31] Nevertheless, the 17th century was marked by anti-Habsburg uprisings, fighting with the Turks, floods, plagues and other disasters.^[32] The Reformation arrived in the second half of the 16th century and found supporters mainly in the urban class. As a result of frequent insurrections against the Catholic Habsburgs, the suburbs were ravaged. The city and the castle were conquered several times by insurgents, then reconquered by the Imperial troops. This period of uprisings ended in 1711 with the signing of the Peace of Szatmár.^[33]

Bratislava flourished during the 18th-century reign of Maria Theresa of Austria, becoming the largest and most important town in the territory of present-day Slovakia and Hungary.^[34] The population tripled; many new palaces, monasteries, mansions, and streets were built, and Bratislava was the centre of social and cultural life of the region.^[35] However, Bratislava started to lose its importance under the reign of Maria Theresa's son Joseph II, especially when the crown jewels were taken to Vienna in 1783 in an attempt to strengthen the union between Austria and Hungary. Many central offices subsequently moved to Buda, followed by a large segment of the nobility.^[36] Bratislava became a centre for the Slovak national movement: in 1783, the first newspaper in Slovak, Presspurske Nowiny (Pressburg Newspaper), and the first Slovak novel were published.^[37]

The 19th-century history of Bratislava was closely tied to the major events in Europe. The Peace of Pressburg between Austria and France was signed in Bratislava in 1805.^[38] Devín Castle was ruined by Napoleon's French troops in 1809, and Bratislava Castle destroyed by fire in 1811.^[39] As a reaction to the Revolutions of 1848, Ferdinand V signed the so-called March laws, which included the abolition of serfdom, at the Primate's Palace.^[40] Industry grew rapidly in the 19th century. The first horse-drawn railway in the territory of present-day Slovakia and Hungary, from Bratislava to Svätý Jur, was built in 1840.^[41] A new line to Vienna using steam locomotives was opened in 1848.^[42] Many new industrial, financial and other institutions were founded (Slovakia's first bank was founded in 1842). The city's first permanent bridge over the Danube, Starý most, was built in 1891.^[43]

After World War I and the formation of Czechoslovakia on October 28, 1918, Bratislava was incorporated into the new state despite its representatives' reluctance.^[44] The dominant Hungarian and German population tried to prevent annexation of Bratislava to Czechoslovakia and declared it a free city. However, the Czechoslovak Legions arrived in the city in January 1919, thereby making it part of Czechoslovakia.^[45] The city immediately became the seat of Slovakia's political organs and organizations, preferred over (Martin and Nitra) for Slovakia's capital because of its economic importance and its strategic position on the Danube.^[46] On March 27, 1919, the name Bratislava was officially adopted for the first time.^[47]

In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed neighbouring Austria in the Anschluss; later that year it also annexed the still-independent Petržalka and Devín boroughs on ethnic grounds.^[48][49] Bratislava was declared the capital of the first independent Slovak Republic on 14 March 1939, but the new state quickly fell under Nazi influence. In 1941–1942 and 1944–1945, the new Slovak government expelled most of Bratislava's approximately 15,000 Jews,^[50] with most of them being sent into concentration camps.^[51] Bratislava was bombarded by the Allies, occupied by German troops in 1944 and eventually taken by the Soviet Red Army on April 4, 1945.^[48][52] At the end of World War II, most Bratislava Germans were evacuated by German authorities; a few returned after the war, but were expelled under the Beneš decrees.^[53]

After the Communist Party seized power in Czechoslovakia in February 1948, the city became part of the Eastern Bloc. The city annexed new land, and the population rose significantly, becoming 90% Slovak. Large residential areas consisting of high-rise prefabricated panel buildings, such as those in the Petržalka borough, were built. The Communist government also built several new grandiose buildings, such as the Nový Most bridge and the Slovak Radio headquarters, sometimes at the expense of the historical cityscape.

After an unsuccessful Czechoslovak attempt to liberalize the Communist regime, the city had to suffer Warsaw Pact troops occupation, and shortly after, the city became capital of the Slovak Socialist Republic, one of the two states of the federalized Czechoslovakia. Bratislava's dissidents anticipated the fall of the Communism with the Bratislava candle demonstration in 1988, and the city became one of the foremost centres of the anti-Communist Velvet Revolution in 1989.^[54]

In 1993, the city became the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic following the Velvet Divorce.^[55] In the 1990s and the early 21st century, the city's economy boomed due to foreign investment. The flourishing city also hosted several important cultural and political events, including the Slovakia Summit 2005 between George W. Bush and Vladimir Putin.

Cityscape and architecture

The cityscape of Bratislava is characterized by medieval towers and grandiose 20th-century buildings, but has undergone profound changes in a construction boom at the start of the 21st century.^[56]

City

Most historical buildings are concentrated in the Old Town. Bratislava's Town Hall is a complex of buildings erected in the 14th–15th centuries and now hosts the Bratislava City Museum. Michael's Gate is the only gate that has been preserved from the medieval fortifications, and it ranks among the oldest of the town's buildings;^[57] the narrowest house in Europe is nearby.^[58] The University Library building, erected in 1756, was used by the Diet (parliament) of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1802 to 1848.^[59] Much of the significant legislation of the Hungarian Reform Era (such as the abolition of serfdom and the foundation of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences) was enacted there.^[59]

The historic centre is characterised by many baroque palaces. The Grassalkovich Palace, built around 1760, is now the residence of the Slovak president, and the Slovak government now has its seat in the former Archiepiscopal Palace.^[60] In 1805, emperors Napoleon and Francis II signed the fourth Peace of Pressburg in the Primate's Palace.^[61] Some smaller houses are historically significant; composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel was born in an 18th-century house in the Old Town.

Notable cathedrals and churches include the Gothic St. Martin's Cathedral built in the 13th–16th centuries, which served as the coronation church of the Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 and 1830.^[62] The Franciscan Church, dating to the 13th century, has been a place of knighting ceremonies.^[63] The Church of St. Elisabeth, better known as the Blue Church, is built entirely in the Art Nouveau style.

A curiosity is the underground (formerly ground-level) restored portion of the Jewish cemetery where 19th-century Rabbi Moses Sofer is buried, located at the base of the castle hill near the entrance to a tram tunnel.^[64] The only military cemetery in Bratislava is Slavín, unveiled in 1960 in honour of Soviet Army soldiers who fell when liberating Bratislava from German troops. It offers an excellent view of the city and the Little Carpathians.^[65][66]

Other prominent 20th-century structures include the Nový Most (New Bridge) across the Danube featuring a UFO-like tower restaurant, Slovak Radio's inverted pyramid-shaped headquarters, and the uniquely designed Kamzík TV Tower with an observation deck and rotating restaurant. In the early 21st century, new edifices have transformed the traditional cityscape. The construction boom^[67] has spawned new public buildings, such as the Most Apollo and a new building of the Slovak National Theatre,^[68] as well as private real-estate development.^[69]

Bratislava Castle

Main article: Bratislava Castle

One of the most prominent structures in the city is Bratislava Castle, on a plateau  metres ( ft) above the Danube. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transition period between the Stone and Bronze ages^[70] and has been the acropolis of a Celtic town, part of the Roman Limes Romanus, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre for Great Moravia.^[71] A stone castle was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary. The castle was converted into a Gothic anti-Hussite fortress under Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1430, became a Renaissance castle in 1562,^[72] and was rebuilt in 1649 in the baroque style. Under Queen Maria Theresa, the castle became a prestigious royal seat. In 1811, the castle was inadvertently destroyed and lay in ruins until the 1950s,^[73] when it was rebuilt mostly in its former Theresan style.

Devín Castle

Main article: Devín Castle

The ruined Devín Castle is in Devín, on top of a rock where the Morava River, which forms the border between Austria and Slovakia, enters the Danube. It is one of the most important Slovak archaeological sites, and contains a museum dedicated to its history.^[74] Due to its strategic location, Devín Castle was a very important frontier castle of Great Moravia and the early Hungarian state. It was destroyed by Napoleon's troops in 1809 and is an important symbol of Slovak and Slavic history.^[75]

Rusovce

Rusovce mansion, with its English park, is in the Rusovce borough. The house was originally built in the 17th century and was turned into an English neo-Gothic-style mansion in 1841–1844.^[76] The borough is also known for the ruins of the Roman military camp Gerulata, part of Limes Romanus, a border defence system. Gerulata was built and used between the 1st and 4th centuries AD.^[77]

Parks and lakes

Due to its location at the foothills of the Little Carpathians and its riparian vegetation on the Danubian floodplains, Bratislava has forests close to the city centre. The total amount of public green space is  square kilometres ( sq mi), or 110 square metres (1,184 ft²) per inhabitant.^[78] The largest city park is Horský park (literally, Mountainous Park), in the Old Town. Bratislavský lesný park (Bratislava Forest Park) is located in the Little Carpathians and includes many locales popular among visitors, such as Železná studienka and Koliba. The Forest Park covers an area of 27.3 square kilometres (10.54 mi²), of which 96% is forested, and contains original flora and fauna such as European badgers, red foxes and mouflons. On the right bank of the Danube, in the borough of Petržalka, is Janko Kráľ Park, the first public park in Europe, founded in 1774–76.^[79] A new city park is planned for Petržalka between the Malý Draždiak and Veľký Draždiak lakes.^[69]

Bratislava's zoological park is located in Mlynská dolina, near the headquarters of Slovak Television. The zoo, founded in 1960, currently houses 152 species of animals, including a rare white lion. The Botanical Gardens, which belong to Comenius University, can be found on the Danube riverfront, and house more than 120 species of domestic, foreign, and exotic origin.^[80]

The city has a number of natural and man-made lakes, most of which are used for recreation. Examples include Štrkovec lake in Ružinov, Kuchajda in Nové Mesto, Zlaté Piesky and the Vajnory lakes in the north-east, and Rusovce lake in the south, which is popular with nudists.^[81]

Demographics

Main article: Demographics of Bratislava

2001 census results[1][82]
District	Population	Ethnic group	Population
Bratislava I–V	428,672	Slovaks	391,767
Bratislava I	44,798	Hungarians	16,541
Bratislava II	108,139	Czechs	7,972
Bratislava III	61,418	Germans	1,200
Bratislava IV	93,058	Moravians	635
Bratislava V	121,259	Croats	614

From the city's origin until the 19th century, Germans were the dominant ethnic group.^[8] However, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867, strong Magyarisation took place, and by the end of World War I Bratislava was a German-Hungarian town, with Slovaks as the biggest minority.^[8] After the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Bratislava remained a multi-ethnic city, but with a different demographic trend. The proportion of Slovaks and Czechs increased, while the proportion of Germans and Hungarians fell. In 1938, 59% of population were Slovaks or Czechs, while Germans represented 22% and Hungarians 13% of the city's population.^[83] The creation of the first Slovak Republic in 1939 brought other changes, most notably the expulsion of many Czechs and Jews.^[8] In 1945, most of the Germans were evacuated, or after the restoration of Czechoslovakia, displaced from the city, along with the Hungarians accused of cooperation with the Nazis.^[51] The city thereby lost its multicultural character.^[51] Hundreds of citizens were expelled during the communist repression of the 1950s, with the aim of replacing "reactionary" people with the proletarian class.^[51][8] Since the 1950s, the Slovaks have been the dominant ethnicity in the town, making up around 90% of the city's population.^[8]

Government

See also: Boroughs and localities of Bratislava and International relations of Bratislava

Bratislava is the seat of the Slovak parliament, presidency, ministries, supreme court (Slovak: Najvyšší súd), and central bank. It is the seat of the Bratislava Region and, since 2002, also of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region. The city also has many foreign embassies and consulates.

The current local government (Mestská samospráva)^[84] structure has been in place since 1990.^[85] It is composed of a mayor (primátor),^[86] a city board (Mestská rada),^[87] a city council (Mestské zastupiteľstvo),^[88] city commissions (Komisie mestského zastupiteľstva),^[89] and a city magistrate's office (Magistrát).^[90]

The mayor, based at the Primate's Palace, is the city's top executive officer and is elected to a four-year term of office. The current mayor of Bratislava is Andrej Ďurkovský, who won the election in 2006 as a candidate of the KDH–SDKÚ coalition and is serving his second term in the office.^[91] The city council is the city's legislative body, responsible for issues such as budget, local ordinances, city planning, road maintenance, education, and culture.^[92] The Council usually convenes once a month and consists of 80 members elected to four-year terms concurrent with the mayor's. Many of the council's executive functions are carried out by the city commission at the council's direction.^[89] The city board is a 28-member body composed of the mayor and his deputies, the borough mayors, and up to ten city council members. The board is an executive and supervisory arm of the city council and also serves in an advisory role to the mayor.^[87]

Administratively, Bratislava is divided into five districts: Bratislava I (the city centre), Bratislava II (eastern parts), Bratislava III (north-eastern parts), Bratislava IV (western and northern parts) and Bratislava V (southern parts on the right bank of the Danube, including Petržalka, the most densely populated residential area in Central Europe).^[93]

For self-governance purposes, the city is divided into 17 boroughs, each of which has its own mayor (starosta) and council. The number of councillors in each depends on the size and population of the borough.^[94] Each of the boroughs coincides with the city's 20 cadastral areas, except for two cases: Nové Mesto is further divided into the Nové Mesto and Vinohrady cadastral areas and Ružinov is divided into Ružinov, Nivy and Trnávka. Further unofficial division recognizes additional quarters and localities.

	Bratislava's territorial divisions (districts and boroughs)
	Bratislava I	Bratislava II	Bratislava III	Bratislava IV	Bratislava V
	Staré Mesto	Ružinov	Nové Mesto	Karlova Ves	Petržalka
		Vrakuňa	Rača	Dúbravka	Jarovce
		Podunajské Biskupice	Vajnory	Lamač	Rusovce
				Devín	Čunovo
				Devínska Nová Ves
				Záhorská Bystrica

Economy

Main article: Economy of Bratislava

The Bratislava Region is the wealthiest and economically most prosperous region in Slovakia as of 2007, despite being the smallest by area and having the second smallest population of the eight Slovak regions. It accounts for about 26% of the Slovak GDP.^[95] The GDP per capita (PPP), valued at €27,802 (2004), is 129.3% of the EU average and is the second-highest level (after Pragu