PRESSBURG (Hung. Pozsony y Lat. Posonium) y , capital of the county of the same name and in former times also of the country, is a royal free town in Hungary, situated on the left bank of the Danube, in 48° 8' N. lat. and 17° 6' E. long. Pressburg is the see of an evangelical bishop, and the headquarters of one of the fifteen army-corps of the Austrian-Hungarian army and of a honved district; its civil departments include finance, posts, land-surveying, state forestry, public instruction, river regulation, and Government buildings; it has also a district court of justice, a superior law court, and a chamber of trade and commerce. Among its numerous educational and benevolent institutions the following are specially worthy of mention—the academy of jurisprudence and philosophy, a Roman Catholic upper gymnasium, an evangelical lyceum, an evangelical seminary, an upper real school, a Government training school for governesses and another of midwifery, schools of music and drawing, two free libraries, a lazaretto, a lunatic asylum, six hospitals, two workhouses, two public kitchens, &c. The most prominent buildings are—a fine cathedral, dating from the 11th century (in which many of the Hungarian kings were crowned), twelve other Roman Catholic churches, two evangelical churches, two synagogues, the ancient town-hall, the parliament house (which served for this purpose until 1848), the now uninhabited palace of the archbishop of Esztergom (Gran), a number of palaces of nobles, and the theatre. On the Schlossberg there stood a royal castle (destroyed by fire in 1811), which was a strong fortress during the wars with the Turks. The inhabitants in 1881 numbered 48,326, of whom 8000 were Protestants, 5000 Jews, and the rest Roman Catholics; as to nationality, 30,000 were ...Germans, 9000 Slavs, and the rest (chiefly the upper classes) Hungarians. The inhabited houses numbered 2015. The town has five newspapers (three in Hungarian and two in German). A large business is carried on in tobacco and cigars, paper, ribbons, leather wares, chemicals, liqueurs, confectionery, biscuits, &c. There is also a good trade in corn and wine. The Danube, here of considerable width, is crossed by a pontoon bridge. There is a large traffic by water with both Vienna and Budapest. Pressburg is the terminus of the Vale of Vâg Railway and is also one of the most important stations on the Austrian-Hungarian State Railway system. Although one of the finest towns in the country, its chief charm is its vicinity, which is of singular beauty. Eastwards and southwards stretches a long fertile plain, whilst to the north and west the town is enclosed by the lovely hills of the Little Carpathian range.
Little is known of the early history of Pressburg. The name does not occur before the 9th century. In 1042 it was destroyed by the Germans, but was soon afterwards rebuilt and so strongly fortified that it sustained two other attacks and was not taken again until 1271. From its strategic situation it has always been an important place. When in 1541 Buda was taken by the Turks, Pressburg became the Hungarian capital, place of coronation, and seat of all the Government offices, and it remained so a good while after the Turks were driven from the country. It was here that the Austrian and Hungarian malcontents concluded the treaty with Archduke Matthias against Rudolf II. In 1619 Pressburg was taken by the Protestant leader Bethlen Gabor; but it was recovered by the imperialists in 1621. It was also the scene of that memorable session of parliament, 1687, at which the Hungarians renounced their right of choosing their king and accepted the hereditary succession. In 1784 the capital was removed to Buda. Peace was made here between Napoleon and Francis I. after the battle of Austerlitz, 26th December 1805, and in 1809 Davoust bombarded the place for a whole month. It continued to be the seat of parliament until 1848, and it was the scene of the great reform debates during the session of 1847-48.
[673 words — estimated reading time: 4 minutes]