According to Shopareview, Slovakia or Slovak Republic is a small country in the heart of central Europe, linked to its neighbors by the Danube River. It is bordered to the northwest by the Czech Republic, to the north by Poland, to the east by Ukraine, to the south by Hungary and to the southwest by Austria. The Carpathian Mountains dominate the northern half of the country.
The mountains called High Tatras, a popular destination for practicing mountain sports, stand out, which are home to the highest point in the country, Mount Gerlachovsky, at 2,655 m altitude. The Danubian plain is a fertile agricultural region planted with wheat, barley, potatoes, sugar beets, fruit trees, tobacco and vineyards. Its history is the story of an important crossroads of different cultures.
The Slovaks arrived in central Europe at the beginning of the 6th century, however, it was not until January 1993, with the split of Czechoslovakia, that they formed an independent state. Despite this, the Slovaks kept their language, their customs, their foods, etc. The folklore Slovakia is very rich, there are festivals to the outdoors from spring to autumn. In 2004 he entered the European Union.
History
The first settlements established in the area date from approximately 5000 BC in the Neolithic period, especially linked to the culture of band ceramics and, according to studies, it is suggested that around 200 BC. C the Celtic tribe of the Boios founded the first important settlement, which consisted of a fortified area called oppidum, but by the century C.E. and until the 4th century the area fell under the Roman Empire and became part of a border defense system called limes romanus. Under Roman power and the introduction by these of the cultivation of the grape, a tradition of the elaboration of exquisite wines began, which is preserved to this day.
However, the Slavs considered the real ancestors of the current Slovaks arrived between the 5th and 6th centuries during the Migration Period. Already by the year 623 the local Slavic tribes rebelled, united and created the Empire of Samo seeking to strengthen themselves and be able to face the constant attacks by the Avars.
With the fall of Great Moravia due to the siege of the Hungarians, the first writings that reach our days are produced, in fact becoming the first written reference of the city, these writings date back to the year 907, the time when Great Moravia constituted one of the largest Slavic states of the 9th century.
By the 10th century Bratislava became part of Hungary and became a strategic area of great importance for the economy and administrative nucleus on the border of the already powerful Kingdom of Hungary.
The city was a frequent target of attacks and battles due to its excellent strategic position, all of which brought with it increasing economic development and high political status.
Bratislava received its first privileges as a city in 1291 by Andrew III and was declared a royal city in 1405 by King Sigismund of Luxembourg, who determined in 1436 that the city had the right to use its own coat of arms.
In 1526 the Kingdom of Hungary was defeated by the Ottoman Empire, in the famous Battle of Mohács where the Turks besieged and damaged Bratislava, but could not conquer it and by the year 1536 Bratislava was designated the capital of Hungary due to the Ottoman advances in territory. Hungarian, leading it to become part of the Austrian Habsburgs, ushering in a new era, thus by (1543) the beautiful city of Bratislava became a coronation city and the seat of kings, archbishops, the nobility and all the main organizations, getting to be crowned the Cathedral of San Martín between the years 1536 to 1830, 11 kings and queens.
By the seventeenth century everything had changed and the uprisings against Habsburg and the fight against the Turks became frequent, all of which brought with it in the second half of the sixteenth century a profound reform that did not end until the signing of the Treaty of Szatmár in 1711 date in which the insurgent uprisings that came to occupy the city and the castle on several occasions saw an end, from there and in the century itself under the reign of Maria Teresa of AustriaBratislava progressed greatly, becoming the largest and most important city of the territory. Its development was so extraordinary and dynamic that its population tripled, there were countless palaces and monasteries among other buildings.
Under the reign of José II (son of María Teresa), Bratislava ceded power due to several factors but the one that weakened it the most was the transfer of the crown jewels to Vienna in 1783 in a failed attempt to strengthen the union between Austria and Hungary.
Already in the 19th century specifically in 1809 Bratislava was invaded by Napoleon’s troops and by 1816 with the fall of the Roman Empire and the strengthening of the Austrian Empire the territories belonging to the kingdom of Hungary (including Slovakia) passed into the hands of said empire. Later, after the Hungarian independence wars against the Austrians, the Austria-Hungary agreement was signed in the city in 1867 and the Austro-Hungarian Empire arose. It should be noted that in this century, due to the revolutionary and reform movements carried out by Fernando V Industrial development increased rapidly, the railway was introduced and expanded, the first Slovak bank was founded in 1842 and the city’s first permanent bridge over the Danube, the famous Starý Most, was built in 1891.
After the First World War and with the creation of Czechoslovakia on October 28, 1918, the city was integrated into the new state and due to its economic, political and social importance as well as its strategic position on the Danube.
On March 27, 1919, the city officially took the name of Bratislava for the first time, but years later, specifically on March 14, 1939, Bratislava was declared the capital of the First independent Slovak Republic, however the new state fell quickly under the power of the Nazis between the years 1941-1942 and then between 1944-1945, expelling or sending the majority of the population of Jewish origin to concentration camps, the city was bombarded by the allied armies and finally It was taken by the Red Army of the former Soviet Union on April 4, 1945.
In February 1948 the Communist Party took power in Czechoslovakia and the country became part of the socialist camp of the so-called Eastern Europe and therefore the city as well. The city and the population grew considerably, large residential areas and extraordinary buildings were built.
In 1993, after the fall of the socialist camp and the disintegration of Czechoslovakia, the city was proclaimed the capital of the newly formed Slovak Republic.
