Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital and largest city of Slovakia.
Contents
History
Bratislava evolved from a fortress in the early Slav Kingdom established by Samo. It was known as Pressburg or Presporok in this era.
As a major trading town of the Kingdom of Hungary, Bratislava received significant investment for strategic infrastructure. It also became known as Pozsony in this era, though the usage of Pressburg continues. Stephen I established a county here in the early 9th century. The castle and fortifications were used by the Hungarian kings both as a command center during succession wars (e.g. Solomon in 1074) and as a battlefront against the Holy Roman Empire. Invasions from Mongols in the 11th century and from Ottomans in the 14th century were all repelled here.
Sigismund designated Bratislava as a royal free city in 1405. After Buda was captured by the Ottomans in 1541, Bratislava became the capital of the Habsburg-controlled Kingdom of Hungary. Habsburg monarchs (both Austrian and Hungarian) would be crowned here up to Ferdinand I in 1835.
An independent Czechoslovakia was declared on October 28, 1918. Bratislava was chosen as a regional capital. The city initially rejected this independent statehood, leading to a violent crackdown in 1919. The new name Bratislava was declared on March 27.
With the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1939, the fascist First Slovak Republic established Bratislava as the capital city.
The Soviet Army captured Bratislava on April 4, 1945. A Czechoslovak Republic was re-created under the Eastern Bloc and the capital was moved to Prague. Bratislava meanwhile rapidly expanded across the Danube River into the Petrzalka district in this era.
The Velvet Revolution of November 1989 led to the appointment of a non-communist government in December and free elections in the following June. The modern Slovakia was established with the re-dissolution of Czechoslovakia on December 31, 1992.