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Bratislava (German: Pressburg, Hungarian: Pozsony) is the Capital city and largest city of the Slovakia and the fourth largest of all cities on the river Danube. Officially, the population of the city is about 475,000; however, some sources estimate the daily number of people moving around the city based on mobile phone SIM cards is more than 570,000. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia at the foot of the Little Carpathians, occupying both banks of the Danube and the left bank of the River Morava. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital to border two sovereign states.
The city's history has been influenced by people of many nations and religions, including Austrians, Bulgarians, Croats, Czechs, Germans, Hungarian people, Jews and Slovaks. It was the coronation site and legislative center and capital of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1536 to 1783; eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens were crowned in St Martin's Cathedral. Most Hungarian parliament assemblies were held here from the 17th century until the Hungarian Reform Era, and the city has been home to many Hungarian, German and Slovak historical figures.
Today, Bratislava is the political, cultural and economic centre of Slovakia. It is the seat of the Slovak president, the parliament and the Slovak Executive. It has several universities, and many museums, theatres, galleries and other cultural and educational institutions. Many large businesses and financial institutions have headquarters there. Bratislava is the 19th-richest region of the European Union by GDP (PPP) per capita. GDP at purchasing power parity is about three times higher than in other Slovak regions. The city receives around one million tourists every year, mostly from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria.
The name Pozsony was first mentioned in Establishing charter of the abbey of Pannonhalma
https://real.mtak.hu/178746/1/717_cut_Szazadok_1923-1924.pdf
After World War I, during the dissolution of Austria-Hungary, between 1918–1919, the name Wilsonov or Wilsonstadt was proposed by American Slovaks. The name was after President of the United States Woodrow Wilson, as he played a major role in the establishment of the new First Czechoslovak Republic.
The name Bratislava, which had been used only by some Slovak patriots, became official on 16 March 1919 with the aim that a Slavic name could support demands for the city to be part of Czechoslovakia.
The city's modern name Bratislava is credited to Pavol Jozef Šafárik's misinterpretation of Braslav as Bratislav in his analysis of medieval sources, which led him to invent the term Břetislaw, which later became Bratislav.
Other alternative names of the city in the past include (meaning 'Hister City', also used in Latin), , , .
In older documents, confusion can be caused by the Latin forms Bratislavia, Wratislavia etc., which refer to Wrocław (Breslau), Poland, not Bratislava. The Polish city has a similar etymology despite spelling differences.
The area fell under Roman Empire influence from the 1st to the 4th century A.D. and was made part of the Danubian Limes, a border defence system.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 73 The Romans introduced viticulture to the area and began a tradition of winemaking, which survives to the present.
The Slavic peoples arrived from the East between the 5th and 6th centuries during the Migration period.Kováč et al., Kronika Slovenska 1, p. 90 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 (Brezalauspurk) and Devín (Dowina) were important centres of the Slavic states: the Principality of Nitra and Great Moravia.Kováč et al., Kronika Slovenska 1, p. 95 Scholars have debated the identification as fortresses of the two castles built in Great Moravia, based on linguistic arguments and because of the absence of convincing archaeological evidence. (1994). 9789630567220, Akadémiai Kiadó. ISBN 9789630567220
The first written reference to a settlement named "Brezalauspurc" dates to 907 and is related to the Battle of Pressburg, during which a army was defeated by the Hungarian people. It is connected to the fall of Great Moravia, already weakened by its own inner decline and under the attacks of the Hungarians.Špiesz, p. 9 The exact location of the battle remains unknown, and some interpretations place it west of Lake Balaton.
In the 10th century, the territory of Pressburg (what would later become Pozsony County) became part of Hungary (called the "Kingdom of Hungary" from 1000). It developed as a key economic and administrative centre on the kingdom's frontier. In 1052, German Emperor Henry III undertook a fifth campaign against the Kingdom of Hungary, and besieged Pressburg without success, as the Hungarians sank his supply ships on the river Danube. 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. It was granted its first known "town privileges" in 1291 by the Hungarian King Andrew III,Špiesz, p. 43 and was declared a free royal town in 1405 by King Sigismund. In 1436, he authorized the town to use its own coat of arms.Špiesz, p. 132
The Kingdom of Hungary was defeated by the Ottoman Empire in the Battle of Mohács in 1526. The Ottomans besieged and damaged Pressburg, but failed to conquer it.Lacika, p. 30 Owing to Ottoman advances into Hungarian territory, the city was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, after becoming part of the Habsburg monarchy and marking the beginning of a new era. The city became a coronation town and the seat of kings, archbishops (1543), the nobility and all major organisations and offices. Between 1536 and 1830, eleven Hungarian kings and queens were crowned at St. Martin's Cathedral.Lacika, p. 62
The 17th century was marked by anti-Habsburg uprisings, fighting with the Ottomans, floods, Bubonic plague and other disasters, which diminished the population.Lacika, pp. 31–34 Great epidemics were spreading in Bratislava in 1541–1542, 1552–1553, 1660–1665 and 1678–1681. A terrible outbreak of 1678–1681 left approximately 11,000 casualties among Bratislava’s residents (city population was in that time around 30,000 people). The last plague outbreak of Bratislava was between the years 1712–1713.
Pressburg flourished during the 18th-century reign of Queen Maria Theresa, becoming the largest and most important town in the Kingdom of Hungary.Lacika, pp. 34–36 The population tripled; many new palaces, monasteries, mansions, and streets were built, and the city was the centre of social and cultural life of the region.Lacika, pp. 35–36 Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart gave a concert in 1762 in the Pálffy Palace. Joseph Haydn performed in 1784 in the Grassalkovich Palace. Ludwig van Beethoven was a guest in 1796 in the Keglevich Palace.Slowakei, p.68, Renata SakoHoess, DuMont Reiseverlag, 2004. Sources of Slovac music, Slovenské národné múzeum, Ivan Mačák, Slovak National Museum, 1977.
The city started to lose its importance under the reign of Maria Theresa's son Joseph II, especially after the crown jewels were taken to Vienna in 1783 in an attempt to strengthen the relations between Austria and Hungary. Many central offices subsequently moved to Buda, followed by a large segment of the nobility. The first newspapers in Hungarian and Slovak were published here: Magyar hírmondó in 1780, and Presspurske Nowiny in 1783.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", pp. 350–351 In the course of the 18th century, the city became a centre for the Slovak national movement.
The city's 19th-century history was closely tied to the major events in Europe. The Peace of Pressburg between the Austrian Empire and French Empire was signed here in 1805.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 384 Devín Castle was ruined by Napoleon I's French troops during an invasion of 1809.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 385 In 1825 the Hungarian National Learned Society (the present Hungarian Academy of Sciences) was founded in Pressburg using a donation from István Széchenyi. In 1843 Hungarian was proclaimed the official language in legislation, public administration, and education by the Diet in the city.Varga p. 14
As a reaction to the Revolutions of 1848, Ferdinand V signed the so-called April laws, which included the abolition of serfdom, at the Primate's Palace.
Industry developed rapidly in the 19th century. The first horsecar in the Kingdom of Hungary, from Pressburg to Szentgyörgy (Svätý Jur), was built in 1840.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", pp. 426–427 A new line to Vienna using was opened in 1848, and a line to Pest in 1850.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 451 Many new industrial, financial and other institutions were founded; for example, the first bank in present-day Slovakia was founded in 1842.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 430 The city's first permanent bridge over the Danube, Starý most (Old Bridge), was built in 1891.Lacika, p. 41 Between the years 1867-1918, the territory of Pressburg became part of Austro-Hungarian Empire.
Before World War I, the city had a population that was 42% German, 41% Hungarian and 15% Slovak (1910 census). The first post war census in 1919 declared the city's ethnic composition at 36% German, 33% Slovak and 29% Hungarian but this may have reflected changing self-identification, rather than an exchange of peoples. Many people were bi- or trilingual and multicultural.
After World War I, the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire began. U.S. president Woodrow Wilson and the United States played a major role in the establishment of the new Czechoslovak state. American Slovaks proposed rename the city “Wilsonovo mesto” (Wilson City), after Woodrow Wilson.
On 28 October 1918, Czechoslovakia was proclaimed, but its borders were not settled for several months.
On March 27, 1919, the name Bratislava was officially adopted for the first time to replace the previous Slovak name Prešporok.
At the beginning of August 1919, Czechoslovakia got permission to correct the borders for the strategic reasons, mainly to secure the port and to prevent a potential attack of the Hungarian Army on the town. On the night of 14 August 1919 barefoot Czechoslovak soldiers silently climbed to the Hungarian side of the Starý most (Old Bridge), captured the guards and annexed Petržalka (currently part of Bratislava's 5th district) without a fight. The Paris Peace Conference assigned the area to Czechoslovakia with the aim of creating a bridgehead for the newly created Czechoslovak state for controlling the Danube.
Left without any protection after the retreat of the Hungarian army, many Hungarians were expelled or fled. Czechs and Slovaks moved their households to Bratislava. Education in Hungarian and German was radically reduced in the city. By the 1930 Czechoslovakia census, the Hungarian population of Bratislava had decreased to 15.8% (see the Demographics of Bratislava article for more details).
In 1938, Nazi Germany annexed neighbouring Austria in the Anschluss; on 10 October 1938 on the basis of the Munich Agreement it also annexed (still-separate from Bratislava) Petržalka and Devín boroughs on ethnic grounds, as these had many ethnic Germans.Kováč 2006, pp. 16–17 Petržalka was renamed as Engerau and Devín was renamed as Theben an der March. The Starý most (Old Bridge) became a border bridge between Czechoslovakia and Nazi Germany.
Bratislava was declared the capital of the first independent Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, but the new state quickly fell under Nazi influence. In 1941–1942 and 1944–1945, the new Slovak government cooperated in deporting most of Bratislava's approximately 15,000 Jews;Lacika, p. 43Kováč 2006, pp. 174–177 they were transported to Internment, where most were killed or died before the end of the war in the Holocaust.
Bratislava, occupied by German troops, was many times bombarded by the Allies. Major air raid included the bombing of Bratislava and its refinery Slovnaft on June 16, 1944 by American B-24 bombers of the Fifteenth Air Force with 181 victims Bombardment group attacked in four waves with overall 158 planes. On 4 April 1945, Bratislava was liberated by the Red Army 2nd Ukrainian Front during the Bratislava–Brno offensive.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 2", p. 300 The Czechoslovak government and president Edvard Beneš then moved to Bratislava on 8 May.
At the end of World War II, most of Bratislava's ethnic Germans were evacuated by the German authorities. A few returned after the war, but were soon expelled without their properties under the Beneš decrees,Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 2", pp. 307–308 part of a widespread expulsion of ethnic Germans from eastern Europe.
After World War II, Slovak Republic lost its so-called independence and was reunified again with the Czech Republic as Czechoslovak Republic. Engerau (currently part of Bratislava's 5th district) and Theben an der March (currently part of Bratislava's 4th district) was returned to Czechoslovakia and renamed back as Petržalka and Devín. Furthermore, after signing the Peace Treaty of Paris on 10 February 1947, three Hungary villages, namely Jarovce (Jarovce), Rusovce (Rusovce), and Dunacsún (Čunovo) situated south of Bratislava were transferred to Czechoslovakia, in order to form the so-called "Bratislava bridgehead" (currently all three of them are part of Bratislava's 5th district).
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 prefabrication panel buildings, such as those in the Petržalka or Dúbravka borough, were built. The Communist government also built several new grandiose buildings, such as the Slovak Radio Building, Slavín or Kamzík TV Tower. A quarter of Bratislava’s Old Town was demolished in the late 1960s for a single project: Most SNP. To make space for this development, much of the city’s centuries-old, historical Jewish quarter was razed, including the 19th-century Moorish-styled Neolog Synagogue.
In 1968, after the unsuccessful Prague Spring to liberalise the Communist regime, the city was occupied by Warsaw Pact troops. Shortly thereafter, it became capital of the Slovak Socialist Republic, one of the two states of the federalized Czechoslovakia.
Bratislava's dissidents anticipated the fall of 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.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 2" p. 498
The end of Communist rule in Czechoslovakia in 1989 was followed once again by the country's dissolution, this time into two successor states. Czechoslovak Socialist Republic renamed as Czech and Slovak Federative Republic, the word "socialist" was dropped in the names of the two republics within the federation, the Slovak Socialist Republic renamed as the Slovak Republic.
In 1993, Bratislava once again became the capital of the newly formed independent Slovak Republic, following the Velvet Divorce.
The city has a total area of , making it the second-largest city in Slovakia by area (after the township of Vysoké Tatry). Bratislava straddles the Danube, along which it had developed and for centuries the chief transportation route to other areas. The river passes through the city from the west to the southeast. The Middle Danube basin begins at Devín Gate in western Bratislava. Other rivers are the Morava River, which forms the northwestern 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 Lowland lowlands stretch into Bratislava. The city's lowest point is at the Danube's surface at above mean sea level, and the highest point is Devínska Kobyla at . The average altitude is .
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. Extreme temperatures (1981–2013) – record high: , record low: . Some areas, particularly Devín and Devínska Nová Ves, are vulnerable to floods from the rivers Danube and Morava. New flood protection has been built on both banks.
Most historical buildings are concentrated in the Old Town. Bratislava's Town Hall is a complex of three 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; the narrowest house in Europe is nearby. The University Library building, erected in 1756, was used by the Diet of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1802 to 1848. 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.
The historic centre is characterized 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.Lacika, p. 147 In 1805, diplomats of emperors Napoleon I and Francis II signed the fourth Peace of Pressburg in the Primate's Palace, after Napoleon's victory in the Battle of Austerlitz.Lacika, p. 112 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 1536 and 1830. The Franciscan Church, dating to the 13th century, has been a place of knighting ceremonies and is the oldest preserved sacral building in the city. The Church of St. Elizabeth, better known as the Blue Church due to its colour, is built entirely in the Art Nouveau style. Bratislava has one surviving functioning synagogue, out of the three major ones existing before the holocaust.
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.Lacika, p. 179 The only military cemetery in Bratislava is Slavín, unveiled in 1960 in honour of Red Army soldiers who fell during the liberation of Bratislava in April 1945. It offers a view of the city and the Little Carpathians.Lacika, p. 135
Other prominent 20th-century structures include the Most Slovenského národného povstania (Bridge of the Slovak national uprising) 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. At the beginning of the 21st century, a construction boom has spawned new public structures, such as the Apollo Bridge and a new building of the Slovak National Theatre, as well as private real-estate development.
The castle was converted into a Gothic anti-Hussite fortress under Sigismund of Luxemburg in 1430, became a Renaissance castle in 1562,Lacika, p. 124 and was rebuilt in 1649 in the baroque style. Under Queen regnant Maria Theresa, the castle became a prestigious royal seat. In 1811, the castle was inadvertently destroyed by fire and lay in ruins until the 1950s,Lacika, p. 128 when it was rebuilt mostly in its former Theresian style. In the 1940s, it was planned to demolish the castle ruins and replace them with a new university complex. However, it was never realised, and in the 1960s, reconstruction began. Nowadays, it serves ceremonial purposes and as a historical museum of the Slovak National Museum.
Bratislava Zoo is located in Mlynská dolina, near the headquarters of Slovak Television. The zoo, founded in 1960, currently houses 152 species of animals, including the rare white lion and white tiger. The Botanical Gardens, which belong to Comenius University, can be found on the Danube riverfront and house more than 120 species of domestic and foreign origin.
The city has a number of natural and human-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 Naturism.
From the city's origin until the 19th century, Germans were the dominant ethnic group. By the end of World War I, 42% of the population of Pressburg spoke German as their native language, 40% Hungarian, and 15% Slovak.After the formation of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918, Bratislava remained a multi-ethnic city, but with a different demographic trend. Due to Slovakization, the proportion of Slovaks and Czechs increased in the city, while the proportion of Germans and Hungarians fell. In 1938, 59% of the population were Slovaks or Czechs, while Germans represented 22% and Hungarians 13% of the city's population.Lacika, p. 43 The creation of the first Slovak Republic in 1939 brought other changes, most notably the expulsion of many Czechs and the deportation or flight of the Jews during the Holocaust. The Story of the Jewish Community in Bratislava - an online exhibition at Yad Vashem website In 1945, most of the Germans were evacuated. After the restoration of Czechoslovakia, the Beneš decrees (partly revoked in 1948) collectively punished ethnic German and Hungarian minorities by expropriation and deportation to Germany, Austria, and Hungary for their alleged collaborationism with Nazi Germany and Hungary against Czechoslovakia.
The city thereby obtained its clearly Slovak character. Hundreds of citizens were expelled during the communist oppression of the 1950s, with the aim of replacing "reactionary" people with the proletarian class. Since the 1950s, the Slovaks have been the dominant ethnicity in the city, making up around 90% of the city's population.
The current local government ( Mestská samospráva) structure has been in place since 1990. It is composed of a mayor ( primátor), a city board ( Mestská rada), a city council ( Mestské zastupiteľstvo), city commissions ( Komisie mestského zastupiteľstva), and a city magistrate's office ( Magistrát).
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 Matúš Vallo, who won the election held on October 29, 2022, as an independent candidate. The city council is the city's legislative body, responsible for issues such as budget, local ordinances, Urban planning, road maintenance, education, and culture.
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. Each of the boroughs coincides with the city's 20 Cadastre, 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.
Many governmental institutions and private companies have their headquarters in Bratislava. More than 75% of Bratislava's population works in the service sector, mainly composed of trade, , IT, telecommunications, and tourism. The Bratislava Stock Exchange (BSSE), the organiser of the public securities market, was founded on 15 March 1991.
Companies operating predominantly in Bratislava with the highest value added according to the 2018 Trend Top 200 ranking, include the Volkswagen Bratislava Plant, Slovnaft refinery (MOL), Eset (software developer), Asseco (software company), PPC Power (producer of heat and steam) and Trenkwalder personnel agency.
Volkswagen Group took over and expanded the BAZ factory in 1991, and has since considerably expanded production beyond original Skoda Auto models. Currently, 68% of production is focused on SUVs: Audi Q7; VW Touareg; as well as the body and under-chassis of the Porsche Cayenne. Since 2012, production has also included the Volkswagen up!, SEAT Mii and Skoda Citigo.. .
In recent years, service and High tech-oriented businesses have prospered in Bratislava. Many global companies, including IBM, Dell, Lenovo, AT&T, SAP AG, Amazon, Johnson Controls, Swiss Re and Accenture, have built outsourcing and service centres here.. Reasons for the influx of multi-national corporations include proximity to Western Europe, skilled labour force and the high density of universities and research facilities. Also Slovak IT companies including ESET, Sygic and Pixel Federation have headquarters in Bratislava.
Other large companies and employers with headquarters in Bratislava include Slovak Telekom, Orange Slovensko, Slovenská sporiteľňa, Tatra banka, Doprastav, Hewlett-Packard Slovakia, Slovnaft, Henkel Slovensko, Slovenský plynárenský priemysel, Kraft Foods Slovakia, Whirlpool Slovakia, Železnice Slovenskej republiky, AeroMobil, and Tesco Stores Slovak Republic.
The Slovak economy's strong growth in the 2000s has led to a boom in the construction industry, and several major projects have been completed or are planned in Bratislava. Areas attracting developers include the Danube riverfront, where two major projects are already finished: River Park in the Old Town, and Eurovea near the Apollo Bridge. Other locations under development include the areas around the main railway and bus stations, the former industrial zone near the Old Town and in the boroughs of Petržalka, Nové Mesto and Ružinov. In 2010, the city had a balanced budget of €277 million, with one fifth used for investment. Bratislava holds shares in 17 companies directly, including the city's public transport company Dopravný podnik Bratislava, the Waste collection company named OLO ( Odvoz a likvidácia odpadu), and the water utility. The city also manages municipal organisations such as the city police ( Mestská polícia), Bratislava City Museum and Bratislava Zoo.
Among other factors, the growth of Low-cost carrier flights to Bratislava, led by Ryanair, has led to conspicuous Bachelor party, primarily from the UK. While these are a boom to the city's tourism industry, cultural differences and vandalism have led to concern by local officials. Reflecting the popularity of rowdy parties in Bratislava in the early to mid-2000s, the city was a setting in the 2004 comedy film EuroTrip, which was actually filmed in the city of Prague, the Czech Republic.
A month before Christmas, the Main Square in Bratislava is illuminated by a Christmas tree and the Christmas market stalls are officially opened. Around 100 booths are opened every year. It is opened most of the day as well as in the evening.
Music in Bratislava flourished in the 18th century and was closely linked to Viennese musical life. Mozart visited the town at the age of six. Among other notable composers who visited or lived in the town were Joseph Haydn, Franz Liszt, Bartók and Beethoven. It is also the birthplace of the composers Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Ernő Dohnányi, and Franz Schmidt. Bratislava is home to both the Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra and the chamber orchestra, Capella Istropolitana. The city hosts several annual festivals, such as the Bratislava Music Festival and Bratislava Jazz Days. During the summer, various musical events take place as part of the Bratislava Cultural Summer at Bratislava Castle. Apart from musical festivals, it is possible to hear music ranging from underground to well known pop stars.
Bratislava is home to two of Slovakia's national folk dance ensembles, Lúčnica and Slovenský ľudový umelecký kolektív (SĽUK).
The Slovak National Gallery, founded in 1948, offers the most extensive network of galleries in Slovakia. Two displays in Bratislava are next to one another at Esterházy Palace ( Esterházyho palác) and the Water Barracks ( Vodné kasárne) on the Danube riverfront in the Old Town. The Bratislava City Gallery, founded in 1961, is the second-largest Slovak gallery of its kind. The gallery offers permanent displays at Pálffy Palace ( Pálffyho palác) and Mirbach Palace ( Mirbachov palác), in the Old Town. Danubiana Art Museum, one of the youngest art museums in Europe, is near Čunovo waterworks.
ŠK Slovan Bratislava, founded in 1919, has its home ground at the Tehelné pole stadium and is the only football club from Bratislava playing in the Slovak First Football League. ŠK Slovan is the most successful football club in Slovak history, being the only club from the former Czechoslovakia to win a UEFA competition, the Cup Winners' Cup in 1969.. FC Petržalka is the oldest of Bratislava's football clubs, founded in 1898, and is based at Stadium FC Petržalka 1898 in Petržalka. They became the first Slovak side to win points in the UEFA Champions League group stage when they defeated FC Porto 3–2 in 2005. They play in the 2. Liga. Another known club from the city is FK Inter Bratislava, who won back to back championships in 2000 and 2001. Founded in 1945, they have their home ground at Stadium ŠKP Inter Dúbravka in Dúbravka, currently playing in the 3. liga.
Bratislava is home to winter sports arenas including Ondrej Nepela Arena and . The HC Slovan Bratislava ice hockey team plays at Ondrej Nepela Arena and represented Bratislava from the 2012–13 season to the 2018–19 season in the Kontinental Hockey League. While in Czechoslovakia, Bratislava co-hosted the Ice Hockey World Championships in 1959 and 1992 with Prague. Following Slovakia's independence, the city co-hosted the 2011 World Championship and 2019 World Championship with Košice.
The Čunovo Water Sports Centre is a whitewater slalom and rafting area, close to the Gabčíkovo dam. It hosts several international and national canoe and kayak competitions annually.
In 1966, Bratislava named its new multi-sports stadium after tennis player Ladislav Hecht.
The National Tennis Centre, which includes Peugeot Arena, hosts various cultural, sporting and social events. Several Davis Cup matches have been played there, including the 2005 Davis Cup final. The city is represented in the top Slovak leagues in women's and men's basketball, women's team handball and volleyball, and men's water polo. The Devín–Bratislava National run is the oldest athletic event in Slovakia, and the Bratislava City Marathon has been held annually since 2006. A race track is located in Petržalka, where horse racing and Greyhound racing events and Dog agility are held regularly.
Bratislava is also the centre of rugby union in Slovakia and motorcycle speedway previously existed at several venues throughout the city.
Bratislava is the seat of the largest university (Comenius University, 27,771 students), the largest technical university (Slovak University of Technology, 18,473 students), and the oldest art schools (the Academy of Performing Arts and the Academy of Fine Arts and Design) in Slovakia. Other institutions of tertiary education are the public University of Economics and the first private college in Slovakia, City University of Seattle. In total, about 56,000 students attend university in Bratislava.
There are 65 public , nine private primary schools and ten religious primary schools. Overall, they enroll 25,821 pupils. The city's system of secondary education (some middle schools and all high schools) consists of 39 gymnasia with 16,048 students, 37 specialized with 10,373 students, and 27 vocational schools with 8,863 students (data ).
The Slovak Academy of Sciences is also based in Bratislava. However, the city is one of the few European capitals to have neither an observatory nor a planetarium. The nearest observatory is in Modra, away, and the nearest planetarium is in Hlohovec, away.
Public transport in Bratislava is managed by Dopravný podnik Bratislava, a city-owned company. The transport system is known as Mestská hromadná doprava (MHD, Municipal Mass Transit) and employs buses, , and . Most of the Bratislava public transport is coated in a typical color combination of red and black.
Bratislava is also part of an integrated system, IDS BK, connecting city public transport with other transport companies in the Bratislava region. Traveling with a single ticket is possible throughout the system network, both in Bratislava and to the nearby villages and cities, including three other districts of Senec, Malacky, and Pezinok.
As a rail hub, the city has direct connections to Austria, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Poland, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and the rest of Slovakia. Bratislava-Petržalka railway station and Bratislava Main station are the principal railway stations.
Daily trains and buses from Bratislava to Vienna run multiple times every hour, with the Wien Hbf train station serving Bratislava as well, with more connections throughout Europe, opening possibilities for a travel to Italy and France with a quick change of trains in Vienna.
The main bus station ( Autobusová stanica or Autobusová stanica Nivy) is located at Mlynské Nivy, east of the city centre, and offers both bus connections to cities in Slovakia and international bus lines. A new bus station attached to a shopping mall, administration centre, and Bratislava's tallest skyscraper, Nivy Tower, was opened on 30 September 2021. The bus station lies underground and its design was inspired by airport terminals. The waiting area offers enough space and comfort to wait for the bus.
The motorway system provides direct access to Brno in the Czech Republic, Vienna in Austria, Budapest in Hungary, Trnava, and other points in Slovakia. The Nordostautobahn between Bratislava and Vienna was opened in November 2007.
The Port of Bratislava is one of the two international port in Slovakia. The port provides access to the Black Sea via the Danube and to the North Sea through the Rhine–Main–Danube Canal. Additionally, tourist lines operate from Bratislava's passenger port, including routes to Devín, Vienna, and elsewhere. In Bratislava there are currently six bridges standing over the Danube (ordered by the flow of the river): Most Lafranconi (Lafranconi Bridge), Most SNP (Bridge of the Slovak National Uprising, previously called Nový most or New bridge) with the famous UFO Tower, Starý most (The Old Bridge), Apollo Bridge (Apollo Bridge), Prístavný most (The Harbor Bridge) and Lužný most (The Floodplain bridge).
Bratislava's M. R. Štefánik Airport is the main international airport in Slovakia. The airport is located north-east of the city centre, with fast connections served by the city public transport. It serves civil and governmental, scheduled and unscheduled domestic and international flights. The current runways support the landing for all common types of aircraft. It served 2,024,000 passengers in 2007. Bratislava is also served by the Vienna International Airport located west of the city centre. It is common for Bratislava residents to use the Vienna airport often, as it offers more variety and can be reached under 60 minutes from Bratislava with a car.
* Numbers in parentheses list the year of twinning. The first agreement was signed with the city of Perugia in Italy on 18 July 1962.
Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 444 The city chose the revolutionary Hungarian side, but was captured by the Austrians in December 1848.Kováč et al., "Kronika Slovenska 1", p. 457
Attila Simon (2025). 9780880336772, Columbia University Press, Atlantic Research and Publications, Inc., Institute for Ethnic and National Minority Studies of the Hungarian Academy of Sciences. . ISBN 9780880336772 The dominant Hungarian and German population tried to prevent annexation of the city to Czechoslovakia and declared it a free city,Lacika, p. 42 while the Hungarian Prime Minister Károlyi protested against the Czech invasion. The Slovak National Assembly meanwhile called it a "defensive action of the Slovaks themselves, to end the anarchy caused by the flight of the Hungarians." The Allies of World War I drew a provisional demarcation line, this was revealed to the Hungarian government on December 23, in the document known as the Vix Note. The Czechoslovak Legion arrived from Italy, began to advance on 30 December and by 2 January 1919, all important civil and military buildings were in Czechoslovak hands. It was the beginning of the conflict, which later continued as the Hungarian–Czechoslovak War. The city became the seat of Slovakia's political organs and organizations and became Slovakia's capital on 4 February.
Geography
Bratislava is situated in southwestern 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 from the border with Hungary and only from the Austrian capital Vienna.
Climate
Bratislava has recently shifted into the humid subtropical climate under Köppen–Geiger climate classification ( Cfa), closely bordering on Dfa, and is classified as temperate oceanic climate under Trewartha climate classification ( Doak), It is in USDA Hardiness zone 7b with a mean annual temperature of around , an average temperature of in the warmest month and in the coldest month, four distinct seasons and precipitation spread rather evenly throughout the year. It is often windy with a marked variation between hot summers and cold, humid winters. There also can sometimes be a significant difference in weather, between the parts of the city. Bratislava, just like any other city, has an urban heat island effect, but there is no weather station directly in the urban core, so the temperature there can be slightly higher than the official weather station reports. The city is in one of the warmest and driest parts of Slovakia.Lacika, p. 10
Location
Cityscape and architecture
The cityscape of Bratislava is characterized by medieval towers and grandiose 20th-century buildings, but it underwent profound changes in a construction boom at the start of the 21st century.
Bratislava Castle
One of the most prominent structures in the city is Bratislava Castle ( Bratislavský hrad), situated on a plateau above the Danube. The castle hill site has been inhabited since the transitional period between the Stone Age and Bronze Age agesLacika, pp. 11–12 and has been the acropolis of a Celts town, part of the Roman Empire limes Romanus, a huge Slavic fortified settlement, and a political, military and religious centre for Great Moravia.Lacika, p. 121 A stone castle was not constructed until the 10th century, when the area was part of the Kingdom of Hungary, however, in the 9th century a pre-romanesque stone basilica, was standing in the area of the hillfort.
Devín Castle
The ruined and recently renovated Devín Castle is in the borough of 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. 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. It is an important symbol of Slovak and Slavic history.Lacika, p. 191
Rusovce
Rusovce mansion, with its English garden, 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. 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 Anno Domini.
Parks and lakes
Due to its location in the foothills of the Little Carpathians and its Riparian zone on the Danubian , Bratislava has forests close to the city centre. The total amount of public green space is , or per inhabitant.
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 , of which 96% is forested mostly with oak and mixed oak/hornbeam forest, and contains original flora and fauna such as , , wild boar and red deer and roe deer. On the right bank of the Danube, in the borough of Petržalka, is Janko Kráľ Park founded in 1774–76. A new city park is planned for Petržalka between the Malý Draždiak and Veľký Draždiak lakes.
Demographics
+ 2021 census results
Bratislava I–V 475,503 Slovaks 407,358 Bratislava I 46,080 Hungarian people 11,167 Bratislava II 125,179 Czechs 5,031 Bratislava III 76,270 Ukrainians 1524 Bratislava IV 105,245 Germans 750 Bratislava V 122,729 Other/undeclared 47,239
Politics
Bratislava is the seat of the Slovak parliament, presidency, ministries, supreme court (), and central bank. It is the seat of the Bratislava Region and, since 2002, also of the Bratislava Self-Governing Region. The city hosts 41 foreign embassies and 22 consulates.
City Council
The Bratislava City Council is the legislature of the City of Bratislava. It has 45 members. The Council usually convenes once a month and consists of 45 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. 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.
Administration
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).
+Bratislava's territorial divisions Bratislava I Staré Mesto Bratislava II Ružinov Vrakuňa Podunajské Biskupice Bratislava III Nové Mesto Rača Vajnory Bratislava IV Dúbravka Karlova Ves Devín Devínska Nová Ves Lamač Záhorská Bystrica Bratislava V Petržalka Jarovce Rusovce Čunovo
Economy
The Bratislava Region is the wealthiest and most economically prosperous region in Slovakia, despite being the smallest by area and having the third smallest population of the eight Slovak regions. It accounts for about 26% of the Slovak GDP. According to GDP per capita, Bratislava is the 19th-richest region in the European Union in 2023. The unemployment rate in Bratislava was 2,38% in June 2023. The average monthly salary in the Bratislava region in 2024 was €2,150.
Tourism
In 2022 a total of 927,950 people came to visit Bratislava and spent there 1,719,409 nights. These were most commonly 65% foreigners. Bratislava attracts predominantly visitors from the neighboring and nearby countries - Czech Republic, Germany, Austria and Poland. The top 5 is closed by visitors from the UK. Bratislava offered 272 accommodation facilities with 10,338 rooms in 2022. A considerable share of visits is made by those who visit Bratislava for a single day, but their exact number is not available.
Shopping
Bratislava has eight major shopping centres: Aupark, Avion Shopping Park, Bory Mall, Central, Eurovea Galleria, Nivy Centrum, Vivo! (formerly Polus City Center) and Shopping Palace.
Culture
Bratislava is the cultural heart of Slovakia. Owing to its historical multi-cultural character, local culture is influenced by various ethnic and religious groups, including Germans, Slovaks, Hungarians, and Jews.Pressburg_Yeshiva_(Austria-Hungary) Bratislava enjoys numerous theatres, museums, galleries, concert halls, cinemas, film clubs, and foreign cultural institutions.
Performing arts
Bratislava is the seat of the Slovak National Theatre, housed in two buildings. The first is a Neo-Renaissance theatre building situated in the Old Town at the end of Hviezdoslav Square. The new building, opened to the public in 2007, is on the riverfront. The theatre has three ensembles: opera, ballet and drama. Smaller theatres include the New Scene, the Astorka Korzo '90 Theatre, the Arena Theatre, the L+S Studio, the Naive Theatre of Radošina and the Bratislava Puppet Theatre.
Museums and galleries
The Slovak National Museum ( Slovenské národné múzeum), founded in 1961, has its headquarters in Bratislava on the riverfront in the Old Town, along with the Natural History Museum, which is one of its subdivisions. It is the largest cultural institution in Slovakia, and manages 16 specialized museums in Bratislava and beyond. The Bratislava City Museum ( Múzeum mesta Bratislavy), established in 1868, is the oldest museum in continuous operation in Slovakia. Its primary goal is to chronicle Bratislava's history in various forms from the earliest periods using historical and archaeological collections. It offers permanent displays in eight specialised museums.
Media
As the national capital, Bratislava is home to national and many local media outlets. Notable TV stations based in the city include Slovak Television and Radio ( Slovenská televízia a rozhlas), Markíza, TV JOJ and TA3. STVR radio's headquarters has its seat in the centre, and many Slovak commercial radio stations are based in the city. National newspapers based in Bratislava include SME, Pravda, Nový čas, Hospodárske noviny and the English-language The Slovak Spectator. Two news agencies are headquartered there: the News Agency of the Slovak Republic ( TASR, Tlačová agentúra Slovenskej republiky) and the Slovak News Agency ( SITA, Slovenská tlačová agentúra).
Sport
Various and sports teams have a long tradition in Bratislava, with many teams and individuals competing in Slovak and international Sports league and .
Education and science
The first university in Bratislava, in the Kingdom of Hungary (and also in the territory of present-day Slovakia) was Universitas Istropolitana, founded in 1465 by King Matthias Corvinus. It was closed in 1490 after his death.
Transport
The geographical position of Bratislava in Central Europe has long made it a natural crossroads for international trade traffic.
International relations
Twin towns – sister cities
Bratislava is Sister city with the towns and cities:
Notable people
Honorary citizens
People who have received the honorary citizenship of Bratislava are:
Mayor of Vienna Sopranist President of Czechoslovakia 1989–1992 and President of the Czech Republic 1993–2003 United States Army Officer Czech singer Catholic Pope
Image gallery
See also
Notes
Sources
Dušan Kováč (1998). 807153174X, Fortuna Print. 807153174X
Genealogical resources
The records for genealogical research are available at the state archive "Statny Archiv in Bratislava, Slovakia"
External links
Official sites
Tourism and living information
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