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Young metropolis with rich history Bratislava belongs to the youngest capital cities in Europe. In spite of this it is a city with rich history of the independent royal coronation city, at the time of having been called Prešpork (Pozsony, Pressburg).
Slavs had come to the territory of Bratislava in the 9th century and founded their first state form – Samo’s empire. After the death of Frankish Merchant Samo, the empire spitted into the small principalities, which were often threatened by the neighboring tribes, and therefore they joined and founded the Great Moravian Empire as the defense against the enemy. Even today the ancient Devin castle rises on the cliff over the confluence of two rives - Moravia and Danube, reminding the origins of Slavs. After the disintegration of the Great Moravian Empire in the following thousand years Bratislava became the important economical and administrative centre as well as the part of Hungarian Kingdom. Especially in the period of Turkish invasions to Europe, when the southern Hungary has been occupied, the whole Hungarian aristocracy and dignitaries moved to Bratislava. Thus Bratislava became the capital city of Hungary, the seat the Hungarian assembly and the coronation city of the Hungarian kings for the period of 200 years. In 1536-1830 11 Hungarian kings and 9 queens were coroneted in St. Martin’s Dome. The beautiful atmosphere of the Hungarian coronations is annually being revived by the Coronation Ceremony - the great street theater performance, a part of which can be each visitor.
In the beginning of the 19th century during the rampage of Napoleon wars, Bratislava again played the strategic role. After Slavkov battle in December 1805 in the mirror hall of the Primatial Palace, the seat of Ostrihom archbishop was signed Bratislava peace between the armies of French and Austrian monarchies. At the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century Bratislava used to develop as the typical modern industrial city. There were founded many factories, e.g. the famous factory of Stolwerck Brother (Gebrueder Stolwerck), with tempting aroma spreading the whole city. At the end of the first world war the Austrian-Hungarian monarchy disintegrated and Bratislava (till then called Prešporok, Pozsony, Pressburg) became the part of Czechoslovakia in January 1919.
During the communist era it had developed as the typical provincial city. The old links to Vienna including the popular tram have been interrupted for many long years. After the revolution in 1989 and the subsequent split of Czechoslovakia, came into existence the independent Slovak Republic and Bratislava became the youngest capital city in Europe. As from 1.5.2004 is also the youngest metropolis within the members of the European Union. Today Bratislava enjoys its great boom again. It is visited by many tourists, businessmen, investors, being attracted by the secret of the ancient and undiscovered city as well as the alive atmosphere, inhaled from young people living here. Bratislava is not only the little big city, but also the young metropolis with rich and mysterious history.
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The location directly in the heart of Europe, on the banks of Danube River predetermined Bratislava to become the important crossroad of the merchant roads and the place of crossing the cultures. The first inhabitants had been Celts. The strategic importance of the territory dates from the Roman period, when was built the north border of their empire – Limes Romanus. From this period are preserved the remains of Roman camp Gerulata near Bratislava, where can be discovered the old glory of this large civilization. 
The city experienced the most flourishing period during the reign of Maria Theresia. The most splendid palaces of the Hungarian aristocracy, churches, monasteries, and the sacral building have origin in this period. At this time was formed the shape of Bratislava castle rising over the city.
Such development was forcibly disrupted by the outbreak of the Second World War. After the liberation the situation in Bratislava dramatically changed. The majority of the Jewish population never came back from the concentration camps and the populations of the German and Hungarian nationalities were displaced. Thus Bratislava lost its unique multicultural character. 
