The History of Bratislava

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Bratislava Timeline

623

Samo becomes King of the Slavs, the Slavs’ first political figurehead.

1242

German colonists begin to settle in town, leading to them becoming the biggest ethnic group in Bratislava by the 19th century.

1271

1st Peace of Pressburg Treaty signed to end fighting between Hungary and Bohemia.

1291

Hungary’s King Andrew III gives Pressburg its own town privileges for the first time.

1301

Annexed by Austria after Andrew III’s death.

1338

Becomes part of Hungary again.

1405

King Sigismund of Luxembourg declares it a “free royal town”.

1434

The first bridge across the Danube is built in the town.

1491

Treaty of Pressburg (or 2nd Peace of Pressburg) signed by Roman Emperor and Hungarian King.

1536

Becomes the capital of Royal Hungary.

1626

3rd Peach of Pressburg signed to end anti-Habsburg revolt.

1704

Prince Eugene of Savoy deters Rakoczi Uprising, which, nonetheless, leaves most of city’s surroundings destroyed.

1775

The great Town wall fortification is demolished as expansion gathers pace.

1783

Austria-Hungary’s crown jewels are moved to Vienna, taking with them much of the Empire’s central power and prestige.

1805

4th Treaty of Pressburg signed by France and Austria.

1811

Pozsony Castle destroyed by fire.

1830

Steamboat transport begins on the Danube.

1840

The town has its first rail link (to Hungary).

1886

Slovak National Theatre opens.

1919

City becomes part of newly-formed Czechoslovakia / known for the first time as “Bratislava”.

1944

Occupied by Nazi Germany.

1948

Communists seize power, making city part of the Eastern Bloc.

1956

Slovak Television begins.

1968

Unsuccessful Czechoslovakian uprising against the Soviets.

1988

Candle demonstration pre-empts fall of Communism.

1989

Bratislava is one of the key cities at the forefront of the “Velvet Revolution”, which ends Communist rule.

1991

Volkswagen opens factory in city.

1992

Declaration of Slovak Nation’s Independence.

2005

George W Bush and Vladimir Putin meet at Slovakia Summit.

The History of Bratislava

Bratislava’s past is nothing short of astonishing - more colourful than a Beijing bonfire and more battle-scarred than a gladiator’s jock strap. Geography decreed that this pivotal Danube beauty, formerly known as both Pressburg and Pozsony, should be at the very crossroads of Eastern Europe, and find itself annexed, fought over or hired out for royal coronations on an alarmingly regular basis during the second millennium.

Be it the Romans, Swedes, Germans or Russians, Bratislava has drawn many amorous advances from every corner of the continent in its history, ruling Empires taking it in turns to woo her with promises of independence, trade and protection – some of which were even kept! Indeed, the first known town privileges were bestowed upon the city in 1291 as a reward from King Andrew III for being a splendidly profitable partner to the Hungarians. Mutual back-scratching, however, was hardly the usual order of things, as the 20th century in particular was to prove much later on...

By the middle of the 16th century, any Eastern European or Scandinavian monarch worth their salt was eyeing up St Martin’s Cathedral as THE place to get themselves or their offspring betrothed. The equivalent of at least an entire rugby team of Kings and Queens walked down the aisle there during the period between 1536 and 1830, with violent uprisings (inspired by the 16th century Reformation) meaning the regal bridal parties may have detected a faint smell of burnt timber and charred livestock as they arrived in the Slovak capital each time.

Though Austria and Hungary continued to act as big brothers throughout the 18th century, the moving of their joint Empire’s crown jewels to Vienna in 1783 took a great deal of prestige away from “Pressburg”, virtually overnight. Yes, the 19th century lead to advances and links by rail, bridge and bank to most of the major players in Eastern Europe, but by the time the First World War ended, the local people found themselves, somewhat reluctantly, part of the virginal Czechoslovakia... with significantly less neighbourhood protection than in pre-war days.

In a hideously short-lived Indian Summer of autonomy, Bratislava was pronounced capital city of the first independent Slovak Republic on March 14, 1939, only to be trampled by Nazi jackboots keen to extend the Anschluss a year or so later. No sooner had Germany’s horrific occupation ended but it was replaced by the Soviet Red Army, who quickly assimilated the city into its harsh, and ultimately unsuccessful, Eastern Bloc strategy.

Slovaks got their long-cherished freedom in 1993, which helped catapult the city of Bratislava to the forefront of tourism, trade and eastern European commerce, though George Bush’s address in Hviezdoslavovo Square in 2005 reminded its locals that, with any period in history, you have to take the rough with the smooth!

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