Petržalka
Encyclopedia
Petržalka ) is the largest borough of Bratislava
, the capital of Slovakia
. Situated on the right bank of the river Danube
, it is home to approximately 150,000 people.
"). The older German name is Engerau or Ungerau. The Hungarian
name is Pozsonyligetfalu, short form Ligetfalu.
.
Petržalka is primarily a residential area, with most people living in blocks of flats called panelák
s, a neologism for buildings built from concrete panels
joined together to form the structure, which were widely deployed throughout the Eastern Bloc
during the communist era. As the borough was built primarily as a residential area, it has no clearly defined centre.
Petržalka was sometimes referred to as the Bronx of Bratislava
because of a high crime rate and drug dealing, but as of 2008 the crime rate had become similar to that of the other boroughs.
Important institutions include the congress and exposition centre Incheba
and Petržalka railway station
. Sad Janka Kráľa
is one of the oldest municipal parks in Europe. There is also the Arena Theatre
, established in 1828, one of the oldest theatres in Bratislava.
is based in Petržalka, with campuses situated in different locations around Bratislava.
There are 11 elementary school
s and 19 kindergarten
s administered by the borough. Gymnasium
high schools include the state-administered Albert Einstein and Pankúchova 6 gymnasiums and the private Mercury Gymnasium.
The borough is also known for its football
club, Artmedia Bratislava, a participant in the 2005–06
UEFA Champions League
.
s, of which three are used for local traffic (Nový Most
, Starý most
and Most Apollo
) and two for international traffic (Lafranconi Bridge
and Prístavný most
). Starý most, from the first of January 2009, was closed to all traffic except for public transport, bicycles and pedestrians. Currently (as of August 2010), the bridge is completely closed off to all traffic due to an ongoing reconstruction.
Petržalka is located near a major international motorway junction, where the D1 and D2 motorways meet.
There is a road border crossing into Austria along Viedenska cesta near the intersection of the D1 and D2. The Austrian crossing is called Berg after the nearby town of the same name. There are no more border checks from December 21, 2007 with Slovakia joining the Schengen Area
.
is located in the western part of the borough and is used primarily for international traffic and for trains to and from Vienna.
es, which connect Petržalka with the other boroughs. In 1989, construction of a subway began, but it was stopped shortly after the Velvet Revolution
broke out. Instead, a high-speed tram
(light rail
) line is planned, and its construction is to begin in 2008.
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
, the capital of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. Situated on the right bank of the river Danube
Danube
The Danube is a river in the Central Europe and the Europe's second longest river after the Volga. It is classified as an international waterway....
, it is home to approximately 150,000 people.
History
Historical records of Petržalka exist from 1225. The settlement was originally inhabited by Pecheneg mercenaries on guard duty.- In 1493, the village Ungerau was mentioned in the area.
- In the 1750s, the maps of the show two german villages in the area, Flocendorf and Engerau. During this period, the neighbouring Pozsony (today Bratislava) was the capital of the Kingdom of HungaryKingdom of HungaryThe Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
under the HabsburgHabsburgThe House of Habsburg , also found as Hapsburg, and also known as House of Austria is one of the most important royal houses of Europe and is best known for being an origin of all of the formally elected Holy Roman Emperors between 1438 and 1740, as well as rulers of the Austrian Empire and...
rule.
- Later, it became a recreation area famous for its gardens. The Hungarian name, Ligetfalva, (later Pozsonyligetfalu, literally "parkland village") originates from the 1860s. In 1866, the village had only 594 inhabitants and 103 houses.
- 1891 – Pozsonyligetfalu becomes permanently connected with Pozsony when the first railway bridge, 460 meters long, is built for the Pozsony-CsornaCsorna- People :David Gestetner, inventor of the Gestetner duplicating machine, was born in Csorna on March 20, 1854....
-SzombathelySzombathelySzombathely is the 10th largest city in Hungary. It is the administrative centre of Vas county in the west of the country, located near the border with Austria...
railway. Before this date only wooden bridges existed, but they were often damaged by frostFrostFrost is the solid deposition of water vapor from saturated air. It is formed when solid surfaces are cooled to below the dew point of the adjacent air as well as below the freezing point of water. Frost crystals' size differ depending on time and water vapour available. Frost is also usually...
and floodFloodA flood is an overflow of an expanse of water that submerges land. The EU Floods directive defines a flood as a temporary covering by water of land not normally covered by water...
s.
- 1910 – Of its 2947 inhabitants, 1997 speak GermanGerman languageGerman is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
, 495 HungarianHungarian languageHungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, and 318 SlovakSlovak languageSlovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
as their native language.
- 1919 - The village becomes occupied by Czechoslovak LegionsCzechoslovak LegionsThe Czechoslovak Legions were volunteer armed forces composed predominantly of Czechs and Slovaks fighting together with the Entente powers during World War I...
on August 14 . Renamed to Petržalka.
- 1920 - The Treaty of TrianonTreaty of TrianonThe Treaty of Trianon was the peace agreement signed in 1920, at the end of World War I, between the Allies of World War I and Hungary . The treaty greatly redefined and reduced Hungary's borders. From its borders before World War I, it lost 72% of its territory, which was reduced from to...
gives the area to CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The aim was to create bridgeheadBridgeheadA bridgehead is a High Middle Ages military term, which antedating the invention of cannons was in the original meaning expressly a referent term to the military fortification that protects the end of a bridge...
for the newly created Czechoslovak state, for the controlling the Danube.
- 1920s - Petržalka is the largest village in Czechoslovakia. By the planned migration of Slovaks, the village rapidly loses its ethnic German majority.
- 1938–1945 – Petržalka is annexed by Nazi GermanyNazi GermanyNazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
on 10 October 1938 on the basis of the Munich agreementMunich AgreementThe Munich Pact was an agreement permitting the Nazi German annexation of Czechoslovakia's Sudetenland. The Sudetenland were areas along Czech borders, mainly inhabited by ethnic Germans. The agreement was negotiated at a conference held in Munich, Germany, among the major powers of Europe without...
. It is renamed Engerau, and the Starý mostStarý most (Bratislava)Starý most is the oldest still-standing bridge over the river Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia. The 460 meter long bridge includes a wooden pathway for pedestrians, a two-lane road and railway track, connecting unspoiled historic Bratislava with Petržalka. The bridge was closed for all traffic since...
bridge becomes a border bridge between the First Slovak Republic and Nazi Germany. Several thousand inhabitants of Slovak, Czech, and Hungarian ethnicity have to stay in Petržalka. They are considered citizens of Nazi Germany but are persecuted. The occupiers close down all Slovak schools, and the German language replaces Slovak. Non-Germans are not allowed to participate in public life, and the GestapoGestapoThe Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
arrest citizens who promote ideas opposing Nazism, including those active before the occupation. - November 1944 – March 1945 – Petržalka (Engerau) is the site of a labour camp for Hungarian Jews, who were deployed at the construction of the Südostwall. Out of 2000 prisoners, at least 497 die from inhuman treatment and during the death marchDeath marches (Holocaust)The death marches refer to the forcible movement between Autumn 1944 and late April 1945 by Nazi Germany of thousands of prisoners from German concentration camps near the war front to camps inside Germany.-General:...
to Bad Deutsch-AltenburgBad Deutsch-AltenburgBad Deutsch-Altenburg is a town in the district of Bruck an der Leitha in Lower Austria in Austria.- People :* Anton Durcovici , Bishop of Iaşi * Ernest Windholz, politician* Hannes Swoboda...
.
- 1945 – Petržalka is, along with the rest of Bratislava, occupied on April 4. It is returned to Czechoslovakia after World War IIWorld War IIWorld War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
- 1945 – On 5 May, 90% of the Hungarian population of Bratislava is forced into internment camps in Petržalka. Murders of Hungarians are also reported.
- 1946 – Petržalka officially becomes a part of Bratislava on 13 February.
- 1977 – Construction of the housing blocks known as "panelákPanelákis a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete, such as those extant in Czech Republic and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc...
" begins.
- 1995 – The new Slovak navy and admiralty moves its headquarters to Petržalka.
- 2001 – Of its 117,227 inhabitants, 108,600 are Slovak, 4,259 Hungarian, 1,788 CzechCzech peopleCzechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
, and 219 German.
Names
The name Petržalka first appeared in the 1920s and refers to vegetables and herbs that were grown there (peteršílj means "parsleyParsley
Parsley is a species of Petroselinum in the family Apiaceae, native to the central Mediterranean region , naturalized elsewhere in Europe, and widely cultivated as an herb, a spice and a vegetable.- Description :Garden parsley is a bright green hairless biennial herbaceous plant in temperate...
"). The older German name is Engerau or Ungerau. The Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
name is Pozsonyligetfalu, short form Ligetfalu.
Local parts
Petržalka is divided into three official parts, Dvory, Lúky and Háje, and further into unofficial parts, Ovsište, Janíkov dvor, Kopčany, Zrkadlový háj, Starý háj, and Kapitulský dvor.Characteristics
As of 2008, Petržalka is connected to Bratislava by five bridges. It is the most densely populated residential district in Central EuropeCentral Europe
Central Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
.
Petržalka is primarily a residential area, with most people living in blocks of flats called panelák
Panelák
is a colloquial term in Czech and Slovak for a panel building constructed of pre-fabricated, pre-stressed concrete, such as those extant in Czech Republic and elsewhere in the former Soviet bloc...
s, a neologism for buildings built from concrete panels
Panel building
Panel building may refer to buildings of one of the following types:*Built of structural insulated panels*Built of pre-fabricated concrete blocks, named differently in various countries....
joined together to form the structure, which were widely deployed throughout the Eastern Bloc
Eastern bloc
The term Eastern Bloc or Communist Bloc refers to the former communist states of Eastern and Central Europe, generally the Soviet Union and the countries of the Warsaw Pact...
during the communist era. As the borough was built primarily as a residential area, it has no clearly defined centre.
Petržalka was sometimes referred to as the Bronx of Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
because of a high crime rate and drug dealing, but as of 2008 the crime rate had become similar to that of the other boroughs.
Important institutions include the congress and exposition centre Incheba
Incheba
Incheba Expo or Incheba €XPO is the congress and exposition centre located in Bratislava, in the Petržalka borough, just near Nový Most bridge....
and Petržalka railway station
Bratislava-Petržalka Railway Station
The Bratislava-Petržalka railway station is a station in Petržalka, the southern part of Bratislava. The station was rebuilt in the 1990s as a stop for international trains to and from Vienna, which restarted in 1999 after having stopped in 1945....
. Sad Janka Kráľa
Sad Janka Krála
Sad Janka Kráľa . But former names were: .It is a park in Bratislava's Petržalka borough. It is located in the northern part of Petržalka, bordered by the Danube in the north, the Old Bridge access road in the east, a main road in the south and the Nový Most access road in the west. The park is one...
is one of the oldest municipal parks in Europe. There is also the Arena Theatre
Arena Theatre
Arena Theatre is one of the oldest theatres in Bratislava.It was established in 1828 on the right bank of Danube. In the beginning it served asan open summer amphitheatre, hence the name Arena. The current building was built in1898....
, established in 1828, one of the oldest theatres in Bratislava.
Education and sport
The University of EconomicsUniversity of Economics in Bratislava
University of Economics in Bratislava is the oldest university of economics in Slovakia.-History:The university was established in 1940 as a private university under the name...
is based in Petržalka, with campuses situated in different locations around Bratislava.
There are 11 elementary school
Elementary school
An elementary school or primary school is an institution where children receive the first stage of compulsory education known as elementary or primary education. Elementary school is the preferred term in some countries, particularly those in North America, where the terms grade school and grammar...
s and 19 kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
s administered by the borough. Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
high schools include the state-administered Albert Einstein and Pankúchova 6 gymnasiums and the private Mercury Gymnasium.
The borough is also known for its football
Football (soccer)
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a sport played between two teams of eleven players with a spherical ball...
club, Artmedia Bratislava, a participant in the 2005–06
UEFA Champions League 2005-06
The 2005–06 UEFA Champions League was the 51st staging of UEFA's premier European club football tournament, the UEFA Champions League, and the 14th since it was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992. 74 teams from 50 football associations took part, starting with the first qualifying round played...
UEFA Champions League
UEFA Champions League
The UEFA Champions League, known simply the Champions League and originally known as the European Champion Clubs' Cup or European Cup, is an annual international club football competition organised by the Union of European Football Associations since 1955 for the top football clubs in Europe. It...
.
Road
Petržalka is connected to the rest of Bratislava by five bridgeBridge
A bridge is a structure built to span physical obstacles such as a body of water, valley, or road, for the purpose of providing passage over the obstacle...
s, of which three are used for local traffic (Nový Most
Nový Most
Nový Most is a road bridge over the Danube in Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia. It is the 32nd-tallest, and thus shortest, member of the World Federation of Great Towers, and is the only bridge to be a member...
, Starý most
Starý most (Bratislava)
Starý most is the oldest still-standing bridge over the river Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia. The 460 meter long bridge includes a wooden pathway for pedestrians, a two-lane road and railway track, connecting unspoiled historic Bratislava with Petržalka. The bridge was closed for all traffic since...
and Most Apollo
Most Apollo
Apollo Bridge in Bratislava is a road bridge over the Danube in the capital of Slovakia.The bridge was opened to the public on September 5, 2005. It is named for the "Apollo" oil refinery which was situated on the left river bank in this area before World War II...
) and two for international traffic (Lafranconi Bridge
Lafranconi Bridge
Lafranconi Bridge is a concrete motorway bridge in Bratislava, Slovakia, located on the D2 motorway. It was built in 1985-1991, with its right half opened in 1990 and the rest in 1992. It is 766 m long , and has a 30 m wide four-lane motorway. There are lanes for cyclists and pedestrians as well. ...
and Prístavný most
Prístavný most
Prístavný most is a double-floor motorway-railroad truss bridge over the Danube in Bratislava, Slovakia, near the Port of Bratislava. It lies on the D1 motorway. It is a 599 m long bridge , and was built between 1977 and 1985...
). Starý most, from the first of January 2009, was closed to all traffic except for public transport, bicycles and pedestrians. Currently (as of August 2010), the bridge is completely closed off to all traffic due to an ongoing reconstruction.
Petržalka is located near a major international motorway junction, where the D1 and D2 motorways meet.
There is a road border crossing into Austria along Viedenska cesta near the intersection of the D1 and D2. The Austrian crossing is called Berg after the nearby town of the same name. There are no more border checks from December 21, 2007 with Slovakia joining the Schengen Area
Schengen Area
The Schengen Area comprises the territories of twenty-five European countries that have implemented the Schengen Agreement signed in the town of Schengen, Luxembourg, in 1985...
.
Railway
Bratislava-Petržalka railway stationBratislava-Petržalka Railway Station
The Bratislava-Petržalka railway station is a station in Petržalka, the southern part of Bratislava. The station was rebuilt in the 1990s as a stop for international trains to and from Vienna, which restarted in 1999 after having stopped in 1945....
is located in the western part of the borough and is used primarily for international traffic and for trains to and from Vienna.
Public transportation
Public transportation uses busBus
A bus is a road vehicle designed to carry passengers. Buses can have a capacity as high as 300 passengers. The most common type of bus is the single-decker bus, with larger loads carried by double-decker buses and articulated buses, and smaller loads carried by midibuses and minibuses; coaches are...
es, which connect Petržalka with the other boroughs. In 1989, construction of a subway began, but it was stopped shortly after the Velvet Revolution
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
broke out. Instead, a high-speed tram
Tram
A tram is a passenger rail vehicle which runs on tracks along public urban streets and also sometimes on separate rights of way. It may also run between cities and/or towns , and/or partially grade separated even in the cities...
(light rail
Light rail
Light rail or light rail transit is a form of urban rail public transportation that generally has a lower capacity and lower speed than heavy rail and metro systems, but higher capacity and higher speed than traditional street-running tram systems...
) line is planned, and its construction is to begin in 2008.