BRATISLAVA, capital of Slovakia, Czechoslovakia, is sit uated at the base of the outlying spurs of the Little Carpathians on the left bank of the Danube where the river is bridged and narrows to pass through the Theben gorge. This strategic situa tion has been of prime importance in the life and development of the town and, though little is known of the early history of the site, the present town, founded about I 000 A.D., is doubtless not the first settlement. Soon after its establishment strong fortifica tions were built, and, with the advance of the Turks and the conquest of Buda, it was selected as the Hungarian capital in 1541. This function was retained until 1784, while the Hungarian parliament continued to meet here till 1848. From this time until the end of the World War it was overshadowed by Vienna, but the creation of the Czechoslovakian republic revived its pros perity and it is now the chief Danubian port of the republic as well as its greatest railway junction. Flanked by hills and sur rounded by vineyards and parklands the town bears the stamp of its frontier position particularly in its architecture, in the mix ture of its population, of whom about 4o% are Czechoslovakian, 28% German and 22% Magyar, pop. (1930) 123,852, and in the wealth of educational establishments of all grades.
Supported by many-sided industrial activities such as weaving, milling, iron and leather-working, the manufacture of chemicals, explosives, paper, furniture, tobacco, edible and industrial fats and shipbuilding, and by an active commerce in the grain and wine of its region, it is making a big effort to overtake Vienna as a distributing centre for Balkan trade. In this connection the annual Orient Fair is of importance, and for the effective handling of traffic the port facilities are being greatly enlarged; new quays, railway-sidings and warehouses have been constructed and the scheme of development aims at the creation of a harbour capable of dealing with 3,000,00o tons a year. Bratislava is the seat of the International Danube Commission which, under the Treaty of Versailles, controls navigation on the Danube.
The town itself is an interesting combination of old and new. The fire-scarred shell of the old royal palace situated on the Schlossberg, a plateau 2 7of t. above the Danube, dominates every thing. Other noteworthy buildings are the Gothic cathedral, the town hall and museum and the Franciscan church, all dating from the 13th century. Bratislava was formerly known as Presburg.