Pribeh hradu / The Story of the Castle in Bratislava

Pribeh hradu / The Story of the Castle in Bratislava is a very pleasant reading about the history of the Bratislava Castle in Slovak and English languages. There are many color photographs and contemporary illustrations in the publication.

"The story of the castle" begins on the honorary courtyard. "Here there were going on all main events connected with the castle. Here trumpeters heralded celebrations with the castle. Even today every guest of the castle stops here and with pleasure he enjoys unique view from behind the old walls. Below us Bratislava lives its life. In the height of 85 meters above the Danube level we have an amazing view on the endless plain of the Danubian flatland."

Next is the walk in the castle interiors. Your guide is a mysterious Lady in Green who talks about history and about people who live here in the early times. In May AD 1189 the castle was honored by a visit of the German king and Roman emperor Frederick I Barbarosa, who gathered troops from the whole Europe for the third crusade into the Holy land. On October 21, 1261 there took place a spectacular wedding of a vernal beautiful Kunhuta and of senescent Czech king Premyslaus Otakar II. The Austrian-Hungarian queen Maria Theresa was a frequent visitor of the Castle. A spatious entrance hall, robust rococo staircase - the biggest in Central Europe was built by her

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Sismund of Luxembourg - the king of Hungary, Bohemia and Germany; since AD 1433 also the Roman emperor. He chose the Bratislava castle to be its residential seat. He left in it unforgettable traces.

Sigismund, a man with blonde hair of majestical countenance, radiating with imperial glitter. Also many contemporary chronicles bring evidence about his kind gaze and long, trimmed beard. A strong charisma, friendliness, a sense of humor, gift for languages (in each country he spoke with his subjects in their language), an ability to express himself clearly and authoritatively predestined him for being the king of kings. As a son of Charles IV he made claims to have the Czech throne. However, for the Czech classes, that is for rebellious aristocracy and businessmen, he was unacceptable. The reason was his uncompromising attitude and frequent conflicts with followers of the Hussite movement. Sigismund realized that he would be safer in Hungary and therefore he had the western borders strengthened. He ordered to improve the fortification of the Bratislava castle and to rebuild the castle palace. Sigismund - an unbeatable army-leader and successful politician leads smart diplomatical negotiations in order to put into practice his political plans. In AD 1429 he invites to the Bratislava castle the leader of the Hussites, Prokop Holy. His aim was to make agreement in the field of religion and war. They were negotiating for six days but did not reach an agreement.

Even though he died 69-years-old, he did not live long enough to see the absolute finishing of the reconstruction of the Bratislava castle. Would you believe that he caught in this very place his wife, Barbara of Celje, in the passionate embrace with the German knight John of Wallenrod? Although he himself had had a lot of lovers, he punished her by imprisoning her in the castle tower. She was said to feel pity and lament all the time. Even today one can hear female lamenting and crying in the night. It is said that it is Barbara who wants to get out from the tower.

That is what the legend says. In fact it was her son-in-law, Albrecht of the Hapsburgs, who kept her in prison on the castle after the Sigimund's death. When she looked up she noticed in the facade of the palace two coats of arms: the one of her family and Sigigmund's coat of arms - the emperor-royal coat of arms. Then she cried bitterly and remembered how she together with Sigismund used to observe from the bay window of the castle palace knights' tournaments and festivals.

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Comments to the story

In Slovak

Je to super, že hrad opravujú. Naposledy sme tam boli pred desiatimi rokmi. Vtedy to tam vyzeralo hrozne - všetko zarastené a neupravené. Bola som prekvapená, ako hrad teraz dobre vyzerá. Všade je čisto. Prostredie je veľmi pekné. Chcela by som sa poďakovať všetkým, ktorí na hrade pracujú.
Maja

Podla toho, co som si precitala na tejto stranke, kniha Pribeh hradu Bratislava musi byt velmi zaujimava. Cestujem do zahranicia, urcite ju kupim ako darcek pre svojich znamych, pripomenie im to vlanajsiu navstevu v Bratislave.
Alena

Konecne kniha o hrade.
Je uzasne, ze po dlhom case vysla kniha o Bratislavskom hrade. Hned som si ju kupil a nesklamal som sa. Teraz ked je hrad v leseni, je to zrejme jedina hodnotna dokumentacia jeho historie.
Palo