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100-608: It is located around 280 kilometres (174 miles) east of the national capital Bratislava , around 110 km (68 mi) southeast of Banská Bystrica and 130 kilometres (81 miles) west of Košice . The town, along with the district lies in the Rimava river valley in the Slovenské rudohorie mountains, in the Southern Slovak Basin. There are two protected areas close to the town in the district, Cerová vrchovina to

200-522: A mint , producing gold and silver coins known as biatecs . The area fell under Roman influence from the 1st to the 4th century A.D. and was made part of the Danubian Limes , a border defence system. The Romans introduced grape growing to the area and began a tradition of winemaking , which survives to the present. The Slavs arrived from the East between the 5th and 6th centuries during

300-523: A few years). The relatively short existence of Great Moravia prevented it from suppressing differences which resulted from its creation from two separate entities, and therefore a common "Slovak-Moravian" ethnic identity failed to develop. The early political integration in the territory of present-day Slovakia was, however, reflected in linguistic integration. While dialects of the early ancestors of Slovaks were divided into West Slavic (western and eastern Slovakia) and non-West Slavic (central Slovakia), between

400-653: A fifth campaign against the Kingdom of Hungary , and besieged Pressburg without success, as the Hungarians sank his supply ships on the Danube river. 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 , and

500-953: A view of the city and the Little Carpathians . Slovaks The Slovaks ( Slovak : Slováci [ˈsɫɔvaːt͡si] , singular: Slovák [ˈslɔvaːk] , feminine: Slovenka [ˈsɫɔvɛŋka] , plural: Slovenky ) are a West Slavic ethnic group and nation native to Slovakia who share a common ancestry , culture , history and speak the Slovak language . In Slovakia, c. 4.4 million are ethnic Slovaks of 5.4 million total population. There are Slovak minorities in many neighboring countries including Austria , Croatia , Czech Republic , Hungary , Poland , Romania , Serbia and Ukraine and sizeable populations of immigrants and their descendants in Australia , Canada , France , Germany , United Kingdom and

600-749: 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 , Petržalka (currently part of Bratislava's 5th district ) and Devín (currently part of Bratislava's 4th district ) was returned to Czechoslovakia. Furthermore, after signing the Peace Treaty of Paris on 10 February 1947, three Hungarian villages, namely Horvátjárfalu (Jarovce), Oroszvár (Rusovce), and Dunacsún (Čunovo) situated south of Bratislava were transferred to Czechoslovakia, in order to form

700-578: Is Tót (pl: tótok ), an exonym . It was originally used to refer to all Slavs including Slovenes and Croats , but eventually came to refer primarily to Slovaks. Many place names in Hungary such as Tótszentgyörgy , Tótszentmárton , and Tótkomlós still bear the name. Tóth is a common Hungarian surname. The Slovaks have also historically been variously referred to as Slovyenyn , Slowyenyny , Sclavus , Sclavi , Slavus , Slavi , Winde , Wende , or Wenden . The final three terms are variations of

800-529: Is 57th largest city in the European Union and 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. Bratislava receives around one million tourists every year, mostly from the Czech Republic, Germany, and Austria. The city received its contemporary name on 16 March 1919. Until then, it

900-525: Is aimed at animal production: beef-raising, sheep farming, and farming of permanent grass fields, meadows and pasture lands. Rimavská's hollow basin is an important agricultural area, where almost all crops can be grown, including the more thermophilic ones, such as sugar beet, wheat, rye, vegetable, tobacco, vine, lucerne, and corn. Forest resources are under both state and private administration. The town also has electrotechnical, mechanical, and chemical businesses. All industrial companies were privatized during

1000-482: Is classified as temperate oceanic climate under Trewartha climate classification (DOak), It is in USDA Plant Hardiness Zone 7b with a mean annual temperature of around 11.1 °C (52.0 °F), an average temperature of 22.0 °C (71.6 °F) in the warmest month and 0.3 °C (32.5 °F) in the coldest month, four distinct seasons and precipitation spread rather evenly throughout

1100-435: Is in one of the warmest and driest parts of Slovakia. 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: 39.4 °C (102.9 °F), record low: −24.6 °C (−12.3 °F). Some areas, particularly Devín and Devínska Nová Ves , are vulnerable to floods from

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1200-685: Is only the second European captain in history of the NHL that led his team to win the Stanley Cup , winning it with the Boston Bruins in the season 2010–11 . For a list of the most notable Slovak writers and poets, see List of Slovak authors . There are approximately 5.4 million autochthonous Slovaks in Slovakia. Further Slovaks live in the following countries ( the list shows estimates of embassies etc. and of associations of Slovaks abroad in

1300-445: Is sometimes attributed to Bratislava, but the actual location of Brezalauspurc is under scholarly debate . The city's modern name 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 . During the revolution of 1918–1919, the name 'Wilsonov' or 'Wilsonstadt' (after US President Woodrow Wilson )

1400-474: Is the Principality of Nitra , one of the foundations of later common ethnic consciousness. At this stage in history it is not yet possible to assume a common identity of all ancestors of Slovaks in the neighboring eastern territories, even if it was inhabited by closely related Slavs. The Principality of Nitra became a part of Great Moravia , a common state of Moravians (Czech ancestors were joined only for

1500-558: 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 , Hungarians , Jews and Slovaks . It was the coronation site and legislative center and capital of the Kingdom of Hungary from 1563 to 1783; eleven Hungarian kings and eight queens were crowned in St Martin's Cathedral . Most Hungarian parliament assemblies were held here from

1600-547: 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 . The 17th century was marked by anti-Habsburg uprisings, fighting with the Ottomans, floods, plagues and other disasters, which diminished

1700-640: 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 . In 1805, diplomats of emperors Napoleon and Francis II signed

1800-609: The Keglevich Palace . 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. In

1900-543: 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) above mean sea level , and the highest point is Devínska Kobyla at 514 metres (1,686 ft). The average altitude is 140 metres (460 ft). Bratislava has recently shifted into the humid subtropical climate under Köppen–Geiger climate classification ( Cfa ), closely bordering on Dfb , and

2000-540: The Migration Period . 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 . Scholars have debated the identification as fortresses of

2100-621: 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: the bridge of the Slovak National Uprising . To make space for this development, much of the city’s centuries-old, historical Jewish quarter

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2200-688: The Slovak Republic 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 it to be more than 660,000—approximately 140% of the official figures. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia at the foot of the Little Carpathians , occupying both banks of the River Danube and the left bank of the River Morava . Bordering Austria and Hungary , it

2300-626: The Soviet Red Army 2nd Ukrainian Front during the Bratislava–Brno offensive . 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 , part of

2400-515: The United States among others, which are collectively referred to as the Slovak diaspora . The name Slovak is derived from *Slověninъ , plural *Slověně , the old name of the Slavs ( Proglas , around 863). The original stem has been preserved in all Slovak words except the masculine noun; the feminine noun is Slovenka , the adjective is slovenský , the language is slovenčina and

2500-474: The University of Trnava , published a theory that nobility and burghers of Trenčín should not have same privileges as Hungarians, because they are descendants of Svatopluk 's people (inferior to Magyars). Neither Bencsik nor his Slovak opponent Ján Baltazár Magin put the continuity of settlement into serious question. Also, the first history of Slovaks written by Georgius Papanek (or Juraj Papánek), traced

2600-580: 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. The only military cemetery in Bratislava is Slavín , unveiled in 1960 in honour of Soviet Army soldiers who fell during the liberation of Bratislava in April 1945. It offers

2700-579: The only national capital that borders two countries . It is only 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) from the border with Hungary and only 60 kilometres (37.3 mi) from the Austrian capital Vienna . The city has a total area of 367.58 square kilometres (141.9 sq mi), making it the second-largest city in Slovakia by area (after the township of Vysoké Tatry ). Bratislava straddles the Danube River, along which it had developed and for centuries

2800-649: 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

2900-591: 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 of Slovakia's large businesses and financial institutions have headquarters there. Bratislava

3000-406: The 17th century. His theory about the lack of population in the greater part of Slovakia covered by forests had already been scientifically refuted by Daniel Rapant (e.g. in O starý Liptov , 1934), and was proven wrong by numerous archaeological finds and rejected by Czechoslovak historiography. On the other hand, inter-war Slovak autonomists, opposing ethnic Czechoslovakism, dated the existence of

3100-777: The 20th century, with a cannery being established in 1902. After the break-up of Austria-Hungary , the town was occupied by the Czechoslovak Legions in January 1919. However, the army of the Hungarian Soviet Republic came to the town in May 1919, but control reverted to Czechoslovakia in July 1919. After the First Vienna Award in 1938, the town belonged to Hungary to the end of 1944. During

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3200-409: The 21st century Roman Ondak, Blažej Baláž . The most important Slovak composers have been Eugen Suchoň , Ján Cikker , and Alexander Moyzes , in the 21st century Vladimir Godar and Peter Machajdík . The most famous Slovak names can indubitably be attributed to invention and technology. Such people include Jozef Murgaš , the inventor of wireless telegraphy; Ján Bahýľ , Štefan Banič , inventor of

3300-553: The 8th and 9th centuries both dialects merged, thus laying the foundations of a later Slovak language. The 10th century is a milestone in the Slovak ethnogenesis . The fall of Great Moravia and further political changes supported their formation into a separate nation. At the same time, with the extinction of the Proto-Slavic language, between the 10th and 13th centuries Slovak evolved into an independent language (simultaneously with other Slavic languages). The early existence of

3400-745: 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

3500-465: The Danube and Morava rivers. New flood protection has been built on both banks. 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. Most historical buildings are concentrated in the Old Town . Bratislava's Town Hall is a complex of three buildings erected in

3600-467: The Germanic term Wends , which was historically used to refer to any Slavs living close to Germanic settlements. The early Slavs came to the territory of Slovakia in several waves from the 5th and 6th centuries and were organized on a tribal level. Original tribal names are not known due to the lack of written sources before their integration into higher political units. Weakening of tribal consciousness

3700-588: 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. Petržalka

3800-569: The Kingdom of Hungary between 1563 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 Hungarian Secessionist style. Bratislava has one surviving functioning synagogue , out of the three major ones existing before

3900-590: The Kingdom of Hungary positively influenced the development of common consciousness and companionship among Slavs in the Northern Hungary, not only within boundaries of present-day Slovakia. The clear difference between Slovaks and Hungarians made adoption of a specific name unnecessary and Slovaks preserved their original name (in Latin e.g. Slavus ), which was also used in communication with other Slavic peoples (Polonus, Bohemus, Ruthenus). In political terms,

4000-647: 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 first known permanent settlement of the area began with the Linear Pottery Culture , around 5000 B.C. in the Neolithic era. About 200 B.C., the Celtic Boii tribe founded the first significant settlement, a fortified town known as an oppidum . They also established

4100-573: The Middle Ages, when some of the greatest masterpieces of the country's history were created. Significant figures from this period included the many Old Masters , among them the Master Paul of Levoča and Master MS . More contemporary art can be seen in the shadows of Koloman Sokol , Albín Brunovský , Martin Benka , Mikuláš Galanda , Ľudovít Fulla . Julius Koller and Stanislav Filko, in

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4200-482: The Slovak economy transformation. The most important transport line goes through the southern part of the county. Rimavská Sobota is 112 km (70 mi) from Banská Bystrica and 289 km (180 mi) from Bratislava. The district is also the site of former Czechoslovakia (now Radio Slovakia International , RSI) shortwave radio antenna tower facility, using a 250 kW transmitter to reach listening audiences as far away as North America. The towers and masts of

4300-412: The Slovak nation to the time of Pribina (trials to document existence of Slovaks in early Slavic era, i.e. in the time of Samo's empire, are marginal and exist outside of modern mainstream Slovak historiography). After the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993, the formation of independent Slovakia motivated interest in a particularly Slovak national identity. One reflection of this was the rejection of

4400-628: The Slovaks began to transform into a modern nation from the 18th century under the idea of national romanticism . The modern Slovak nation is the result of radical processes of modernization within the Habsburg Empire which culminated in the middle of the 19th century. The transformation process was slowed down by conflict with Hungarian nationalism and the ethnogenesis of the Slovaks become a political question, particularly regarding their deprivation and preservation of their language and national rights. In 1722, Michal Bencsik , professor of law at

4500-514: The Socialist Czechoslovakia, food industry developed here; for example, a sugar factory was established in 1966 and a meat processing plant in 1977. In 2024, archaeologists unearthed a medieval settlement spanning from the 11th to the 13th centuries coexisting with remnants of Roman furnaces. The latter yielded a collection of over 150 artifacts. The town's main trade is agriculture and food processing. Agricultural production

4600-472: 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 Czechoslovak census ,

4700-412: The area, including Celts , Germanic tribes and several others during the Migration Period . The Slavs settled here most likely in the 7th and 8th centuries. The old Hungarian tribes came at the beginning of the 10th century and settled in the 11th century. A medieval town was probably founded in the second half of the 11th century and became a market town. The first written record about Rimavská Sobota

4800-434: The attacks of the Hungarians. 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

4900-531: 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

5000-638: 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

5100-538: 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

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5200-564: The common Czechoslovak national identity in favour of a purely Slovak one. The first known Slavic states on the territory of present-day Slovakia were the Empire of Samo and the Principality of Nitra , founded sometime in the 8th century. Great Moravia (833 – 902-907) was a Slavic state in the 9th and early 10th centuries, whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. Important developments took place at this time, including

5300-502: The country is Slovensko . The first written mention of adjective slovenský (Slovak) is in 1294 ( ad parvam arborem nystra slowenski breza ubi est meta ). The original name of Slovaks Slověninъ / Slověně was still recorded in Pressburg Latin-Czech Dictionary (the 14th century), but it changed to Slovák under the influence of Czech and Polish (around 1400). The first written mention of new form in

5400-608: 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. Devín Castle was ruined by Napoleon 's French troops during an invasion of 1809. In 1825 the Hungarian National Learned Society (the present Hungarian Academy of Sciences)

5500-427: The creation of the united Czechoslovak nation , gained political support in inter-war Czechoslovakia. Like Karácsonyi, Czech historian Václav Chaloupecký assumed that northern and central parts of Slovakia remained uninhabited until the 13th century and that the south-western part was inhabited by Czechs. Yet, in 1946 Chaloupecký assumed that the Slovak nation emerged from neighboring Slavs and had been formed only in

5600-580: 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 Apollo 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

5700-440: The entire northern half of present-day Hungary. The territory of present-day Slovakia was split in two parts between the Kingdom of Hungary (under Hungarian rule gradually from 907 to the early 14th century) to Upper Hungary and Royal Hungary (under the Habsburgs from 1527 – 1848 (see also Hungarian Revolution of 1848 )) until the formation of Czechoslovakia in 1918. However, according to other historians, from 895 to 902,

5800-414: The first bank in present-day Slovakia was founded in 1842. The city's first permanent bridge over the Danube, Starý most (Old Bridge), was built in 1891. 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

5900-480: The first place, and official data of the countries as of 2000/2001 in the second place ). The list stems from Claude Baláž, a Canadian Slovak, the current plenipotentiary of the Government of the Slovak Republic for Slovaks abroad (see e.g.: ): The number of Slovaks living outside Slovakia in line with the above data was estimated at max. 2,016,000 in 2001 (2,660,000 in 1991), implying that, in sum, there were max. some 6,630,854 Slovaks in 2001 (7,180,000 in 1991) in

6000-462: The former Habsburg monarchy (the Kingdom of Hungary was in personal union with the Habsburg monarchy from 1867 to 1918). People of Slovakia spent most part of the 20th century within the framework of Czechoslovakia , a new state formed after World War I. Significant reforms and post-World War II industrialization took place during this time. Slovak was strongly influenced by Czech during this period. The art of Slovakia can be traced back to

6100-404: The fourth Peace of Pressburg in the Primate's Palace , after Napoleon's victory in the Battle of Austerlitz . 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

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6200-410: The largest and most important town in the Kingdom of Hungary . 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. 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

6300-429: The majority being Slovaks (59.28%), with a significant minority of Hungarians (35.26%), a small percentage of Roma (3.01%) and others. The religious make-up was: 47.84% Roman Catholics, 25.44% without denomination, 10.33 Protestants and 5.26% not specified. Rimavská Sobota is twinned with: Bratislava Bratislava , historically known as Pozsony and Pressburg , is the capital and largest city of

6400-424: The medieval Slovaks were a part of the multi-ethnic political nation Natio Hungarica , together with Hungarians (or, more exactly, Magyars), Slavonians, Germans, Romanians and other ethnic groups in the Kingdom of Hungary. Since a medieval political nation did not consist of ordinary people but nobility, membership of the privileged class was necessary for all these peoples ( nobiles Hungary ). Like other nations,

6500-492: The mission of Byzantine monks Cyril and Methodius , the development of the Glagolitic alphabet (an early form of the Cyrillic script ), and the use of Old Church Slavonic as the official and literary language. Its formation and rich cultural heritage have attracted somewhat more interest since the 19th century. The original territory inhabited by the Slavic tribes included not only present-day Slovakia, but also parts of present-day Poland, southeastern Moravia and approximately

6600-536: The modern parachute; Aurel Stodola , inventor of the bionic arm and pioneer in thermodynamics; and, more recently, John Dopyera , father of modern acoustic string instruments. Hungarian inventors Joseph Petzval and Ányos Jedlik were born of Slovak fathers. Slovakia is also known for its polyhistors , of whom include Pavol Jozef Šafárik , Matej Bel , Ján Kollár , and its political revolutionaries, such Milan Rastislav Štefánik and Alexander Dubček . There were two leading persons who codified Slovak. The first one

6700-433: 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. The dominant Hungarian and German population tried to prevent annexation of the city to Czechoslovakia and declared it a free city , while the Hungarian Prime Minister Károlyi protested against

6800-479: The new capital of the kingdom, the importance of the territory, as well as other parts within the Kingdom fell, and many Slovaks were impoverished. As a result, hundreds of thousands of Slovaks emigrated to North America, especially in the late 19th and early 20th century (between cca. 1880–1910), a total of at least 1.5 million emigrants. Slovakia exhibits a very rich folk culture. A part of Slovak customs and social convention are common with those of other nations of

6900-545: The old Hungarians (Magyars), but Slovaks emerged later from other Slavs who came to the Kingdom of Hungary from neighbouring countries after the 13th century. János Karácsonyi assumed that central and northern Slovakia were uninhabited (1901) and in his next work "Our historical right to the territorial integrity of our country" (1921) he claimed that the remainder of the original Slavs were assimilated by Magyars and modern Slovaks are descendants of immigrants from Upper Moravia and Oder (the population density on these territories

7000-434: The population. 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

7100-415: The restored Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Hungary, Romania , Serbia , and Croatia ) under Maria Theresia , and that is how present-day Slovak enclaves (like Slovaks in Vojvodina , Slovaks in Hungary ) in these countries arose. After Transylvania , Upper Hungary (present-day Slovakia) was the most advanced part of the Kingdom of Hungary for centuries, but in the 19th century, when Buda / Pest became

7200-486: The roots of the Slovaks to Great Moravia in Historia gentis Slavae. De regno regibusque Slavorum... (1780) ("History of the Slovak nation: On the kingdom and kings of the Slovaks"). Papánek's work became a basis for argumentation of the Slovak national revival movement. However, the Slovak national revival not only accepted the continuity of population but also emphasized it, thus proving that Slovaks are equal citizens of

7300-668: 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 prefabricated panel buildings , such as those in

7400-437: The south and Muránska planina National Park to the north. The town is composed of 11 parts/boroughs: Bakta, Dúžava, Kurinec, Mojín, Nižná Pokoradz, Rimavská Sobota, Sabová, Sobôtka, Včelinec, Vinice and Vyšná Pokoradz. The first traces of settlement in the town's territory come from the Neolithic . Other archaeological discoveries are dated to the middle and late Bronze Age and Iron Age . Several tribes have passed through

7500-408: The state and neither a Hungarian "unique statesmanlike gift" nor Christianization was required for the foundation of the state. In 1876, Hungarian linguist Pál Hunfalvy published a theory about missing continuity between Slovaks and Slavs before the arrival of the Hungarians. Hunfalvy tried to prove that ancestors of Slovaks did not live in the territory of the present-day Slovakia before arrival of

7600-401: The station have heights up to 171 metres. Rimavská Sobota's tourist industry is as yet largely undeveloped, due to a lack of infrastructure, although the area possesses natural, historical, and cultural potential. In 1910, 90% of the population was Hungarian, Slovaks made up the most significant ethnic minority with 7%. According to the 2001 census, there were 25,088 people living in the town,

7700-527: The surname Božan, likely a prince who owned the castle before 950. Although the Latin name was also based on the same surname, according to research by the lexicologist Milan Majtán, the Hungarian version is not found in any official records from the time in which the prince would have lived. All three versions, however, were related to those found in Slovak, Czech and German: Vratislaburgum (905), Braslavespurch, and Preslavasburc (both 907). The medieval settlement Brezalauspurc (literally, ' Braslav 's castle')

7800-438: The territory of Slovakia, but stated that the Slovaks' origin was in sparse settlement of various Slavic groups strengthened by later colonization. According to Ferenc Makk, the medieval Moravians are not the ancestors of Slovaks and the majority of the Slovak people are descended from later Slavic newcomers. The opposite theory, supporting the supposed former common past of the Czech and Slovak nations , thus also legitimizing

7900-545: The territory of present-day Slovakia is from Bardejov (1444, " Nicoulaus Cossibor hauptman, Nicolaus Czech et Slowak, stipendiarii supremi "). The mentions in Czech sources are older (1375 and 1385). The change is not related to the ethnogenesis of Slovaks, but exclusively to linguistic changes in the West Slavic languages. The word Slovak was used also later as a common name for all Slavs in Czech, Polish, and also Slovak together with other forms. In Hungarian, "Slovak"

8000-525: The towns, as work-seeking colonists and mining experts from the 13th to the 15th century. Jews and Gypsies also formed significant populations within the territory. During the period, most of present-day Slovakia was part of Habsburg rule, but Ottoman ruled southern and southeasternmost parts of it. After the Ottoman Empire was forced to retreat from present-day Hungary around 1700, thousands of Slovaks were gradually settled in depopulated parts of

8100-602: The two castles built in Great Moravia, based on linguistic arguments and because of the absence of convincing archaeological evidence. The first written reference to a settlement named "Brezalauspurc" dates to 907 and is related to the Battle of Pressburg , during which a Bavarian army was defeated by the Hungarians . It is connected to the fall of Great Moravia, already weakened by its own inner decline and under

8200-619: 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. 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 ,

8300-419: The whole area of the present-day Slovakia became part of the rising Principality of Hungary, and became (without gradation) part of the Kingdom of Hungary a century later. A separate entity called Nitra Frontier Duchy , existed at this time within the Kingdom of Hungary. This duchy was abolished in 1107. The territory inhabited by the Slovaks in present-day Hungary was gradually reduced. When most of Hungary

8400-643: 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 . Bratislava is situated in southwestern Slovakia, within the Bratislava Region . Its location on the borders with Austria and Hungary makes it

8500-425: 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

8600-516: Was Anton Bernolák whose concept was based on the dialect of western Slovakia (1787). It was the enactment of the first national standard language for the Slovaks. The second notable man was Ľudovít Štúr . His formation of Slovak had principles in the dialect of central Slovakia (1843). The best known Slovak hero was Juraj Jánošík (the Slovak equivalent of Robin Hood ). The prominent explorer and diplomat Móric Beňovský, Hungarian transcript Benyovszky

8700-532: Was Pozsony, mostly known in English as "Pressburg" (from its German name, Preßburg ), since after 1526, it was dominated mostly by the Habsburg monarchy and the city had a relevant ethnic German population. That is the term from which the pre-1919 Slovak ( Prešporok ) and Czech ( Prešpurk ) names are derived. The linguist Ján Stanislav believed the city's Hungarian name, Pozsony , to be attributed to

8800-496: Was Slovak as well (he comes from Vrbové in present-day Slovakia and is e.g. listed as "nobilis Slavicus – Slovak nobleman" in his secondary school registration). In terms of sports, the Slovaks are probably best known (in North America) for their ice hockey personalities, especially Stan Mikita , Peter Šťastný , Peter Bondra , Žigmund Pálffy , Marián Hossa and Zdeno Chára . For a list see List of Slovaks . Zdeno Chára

8900-515: Was captured by the Austrians in December 1848. Industry developed rapidly in the 19th century. The first horse-drawn railway in the Kingdom of Hungary, from Pressburg to Szentgyörgy ( Svätý Jur ), was built in 1840. A new line to Vienna using steam locomotives was opened in 1848, and a line to Pest in 1850. Many new industrial, financial and other institutions were founded; for example,

9000-464: Was conquered by the Ottoman Empire in 1541 (see Ottoman Hungary ), the territory of present-day Slovakia became the new center of the reduced kingdom that remained under Hungarian, and later Habsburg rule, officially called Royal Hungary. Some Croats settled around and in present-day Bratislava for similar reasons. Also, many Germans settled in the Kingdom of Hungary, especially in

9100-431: Was declared a free royal town in 1405 by King Sigismund . In 1436, he authorized the town to use its own coat of arms . 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. Owing to Ottoman advances into Hungarian territory, the city was designated the new capital of Hungary in 1536, after becoming part of

9200-640: 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. 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 . The city chose the revolutionary Hungarian side, but

9300-536: Was in 1268 as Rymoa Zumbota and belonged to the Archbishop of Kalocsa , who owned the land from 1150 to around 1340. In 1334 the ownership changed to Thomas Szécsényi from Transylvania. The town received a privilege charted in 1335 on the basis of the Buda municipal law. In the first half of the 15th century, it was a small town, and economic development had begun, when the first guilds were established. However, it

9400-553: Was interrupted by Turkish occupation, first in 1553–1593 and then in 1596–1686. It was centre of Filek sanjak firstly in Budin Eyalet , latterly Eğri Eyalet . The town was growing again in the 18th century, with the guilds of tanners, weavers, shoe-makers and others being set up. It became a free privileged town in the 1790s. From 1850 to 1922 it was the capital of the Gömör-Kishont county. Industry started to develop in

9500-577: Was probably accelerated by Avars , who did not respect tribal differences in the controlled territory and motivated remaining Slavs to join together and to collaborate on their defense. In the 7th century, Slavs founded a larger tribal union: Samo's empire . Regardless of Samo's empire, the integration process continued in other territories with various intensities. The final fall of the Avar Khaganate allowed new political entities to arise. The first such political unit documented by written sources

9600-667: Was proposed by American Slovaks, as he supported national self-determination. The name Bratislava , which had been used only by some Slovak patriots, became official in March 1919 with the aim that a Slavic name could support demands for the city to be part of Czechoslovakia. Other alternative names of the city in the past include Greek : Ιστρόπολις , romanized :  Istropolis (meaning ' Danube City', also used in Latin), Latin : Posonium , Romanian : Pojon , Croatian : Požun . In older documents, confusion can be caused by

9700-554: Was razed, including the 19th-century Moorish-styled Neolog Synagogue. Communism also brought the practice of public toilets in Bratislava , which remained in practice after the fall of communism. In 1968, after the unsuccessful Czechoslovak attempt 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

9800-485: Was renamed Engerau . 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; they were transported to concentration camps , where most were killed or died before

9900-488: 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. 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

10000-454: Was too low in that time and large numbers of colonists coming from these areas was not possible ). The theory was then misused by inter-war Hungarian revisionists, who questioned continuity to support Hungarian claims on Slovakia. In 1982, when rich archaeological evidence proving the opposite was already available, a similar theory was published by Hungarian historian György Györffy . Györffy accepted that smaller groups of Slavs could remain in

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