Bratislava
Conquered by the Magyars (Hungarians) in the early 10th century, Bratislava and the rest of Slovakia remained subservient to other powers for over 1000 years. In 1526 the Turks began their occupation of Hungary, conquering all of the country except for a small strip near Austria. At that time, Bratislava came under the domination of the Austrian Habsburgs and became the capital of Hungary. During this period, the city manifested a polyglot culture with four languages: Hungarian, Slovak, German and Latin.
Even today one sees the three names of the city of those days inscribed on the walls: Bratislava (Slovak), Pressburg (German), and Pozany (Hungarian). After the Turks were driven out, the capital eventually moved to Budapest, but then all of Hungary belonged to the German Habsburgs and remained so until 1918 when Slovakia was again joined with Bohemia and Moravia. Another change occurred in 1939. Slovakia declared itself an independent state but soon fell to the Nazis. Post WWII brought the rule of the Soviets, and this tyranny lasted until the Velvet Revolution of 1989; however, in 1993 there was a Velvet Divorce, and Slovakia finally established itself as an independent nation with Bratislava as its capital. Since then it has gradually been making great strides toward democracy and a strong economy. Today the city has around 430,000 inhabitants, many of whom are university students.
Our city guides pointed out things and places that would escape the casual tourist. A short walk from the River Cloud took us to the head of a long pedestrian zone leading down to the 19th century opera house. Our leisurely stroll first took us past a statue of Hans Christian Anderson who had lived in the city for some time. It was one of many, often humorous, bronze statues we would encounter in Bratislava. Among them were depictions of the composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Andy Warhol, whose parents were from Slovakia, a paparazzo with a camera to his eye, a Napoleonic soldier hanging over a bench and a “peeper” whose head and shoulders were emerging from a sewer on the sidewalk. These and many other statues show the humor of the people of Bratislava. We also saw the Coronation Church of St. Martins where the kings of Hungary were crowned, as well as houses where many musicians such as Mozart, Haydn and Liszt had performed.
After the city tour some of our group followed Sharon Grainger to a delightful glass jewelry shop. Others went with Lucy Russell to see the famous 17th century English tapestries in the Primate’s House. Before departure we were offered a salon concert on the River Cloud by Aphrodite Five, a group of five young women dressed in lovely white gowns, who played a program of popular music with great grace and charm. It was a delightful ending to a fascinating morning.
Conquered by the Magyars (Hungarians) in the early 10th century, Bratislava and the rest of Slovakia remained subservient to other powers for over 1000 years. In 1526 the Turks began their occupation of Hungary, conquering all of the country except for a small strip near Austria. At that time, Bratislava came under the domination of the Austrian Habsburgs and became the capital of Hungary. During this period, the city manifested a polyglot culture with four languages: Hungarian, Slovak, German and Latin.
Even today one sees the three names of the city of those days inscribed on the walls: Bratislava (Slovak), Pressburg (German), and Pozany (Hungarian). After the Turks were driven out, the capital eventually moved to Budapest, but then all of Hungary belonged to the German Habsburgs and remained so until 1918 when Slovakia was again joined with Bohemia and Moravia. Another change occurred in 1939. Slovakia declared itself an independent state but soon fell to the Nazis. Post WWII brought the rule of the Soviets, and this tyranny lasted until the Velvet Revolution of 1989; however, in 1993 there was a Velvet Divorce, and Slovakia finally established itself as an independent nation with Bratislava as its capital. Since then it has gradually been making great strides toward democracy and a strong economy. Today the city has around 430,000 inhabitants, many of whom are university students.
Our city guides pointed out things and places that would escape the casual tourist. A short walk from the River Cloud took us to the head of a long pedestrian zone leading down to the 19th century opera house. Our leisurely stroll first took us past a statue of Hans Christian Anderson who had lived in the city for some time. It was one of many, often humorous, bronze statues we would encounter in Bratislava. Among them were depictions of the composer Johann Nepomuk Hummel, Andy Warhol, whose parents were from Slovakia, a paparazzo with a camera to his eye, a Napoleonic soldier hanging over a bench and a “peeper” whose head and shoulders were emerging from a sewer on the sidewalk. These and many other statues show the humor of the people of Bratislava. We also saw the Coronation Church of St. Martins where the kings of Hungary were crowned, as well as houses where many musicians such as Mozart, Haydn and Liszt had performed.
After the city tour some of our group followed Sharon Grainger to a delightful glass jewelry shop. Others went with Lucy Russell to see the famous 17th century English tapestries in the Primate’s House. Before departure we were offered a salon concert on the River Cloud by Aphrodite Five, a group of five young women dressed in lovely white gowns, who played a program of popular music with great grace and charm. It was a delightful ending to a fascinating morning.
