Cultural Post 4: Hrad Devín

During my thirty-six hours in Bratislava, my friends and I visited Hrad Devín (Castle Devín), a castle on the edge of the city known for its important role throughout Slovak history. It also serves as an important monument to Slavic identity for Slovaks and Czechs. Hrad Devín is even featured on Slovak stamps and out of circulation coins. The castle is now considered a ruin and visitors must buy a ~five-euro ticket to enter the grounds. The ticket provides visitors access to views of the border between Slovakia and Austria and the convergence of the Danube River and the Morava River. Due to its location overlooking the river and elevated structure, it would become an important fortress and military base. In my opinion, the views from Hrad Devín rival the views from atop the Eiffel Tower and the views across the Danube River at the Pest side of Budapest. The natural beauty of the view is something to behold.

Hrad Devín also holds a centuries-old role in European, Slavic, and Slovak history. Scholars believe that the first major settlement in the area dated to 5^th century B.C. The castle was originally named Dowina, derived from the word “girl” in the proto-Slavic language. Written records of the castle first appeared in 894 while under the control of the Great Moravian State. After the fall of Great Moravia, the Hungarians came in possession of the castle. It changed ownership multiple times but one of the castle’s most noteworthy owner is the Báthory Family of Hungary. They owned numerous castles throughout Slovakia with an infamous member of their family, Elizabeth Báthory, occupying much of her time in these castles. Elizabeth would eventually become notorious for torturing and killing 600 Slovak young women. In 1809, the Napoleonic Army blew up the castle, leaving it in its current state as ruins.

It would also become an important part of the Cold War and Soviet control over Slovakia. From 1948 to 1989, the Soviets patrolled the Iron Curtain separating Slovakia and other Soviet states from Western European countries. Part of the Iron Curtain ran along Hrad Devín’s grounds fence in an attempt to keep Slovaks under Soviet control and Western Europeans outside of Soviet territory. This fence was composed of barbed wire and charged to electrocute anyone looking to escape. The Iron Curtain fell in 1989 after the Velvet Revolution. Today, the Gate of Freedom Memorial honors the Slovaks and Czechs murdered while trying to cross from Soviet territory into free territory. The names of these victims are carved into a stone plaque. Due to the violence surrounding the Iron Curtain and its restriction in the freedom of Slovaks, the monument is a white gate riddled with bullets and broken iron bars to symbolize the eventual independence of Slavic states from the USSR. Visitors can walk the path of Soviet soldiers guarding the Iron Curtain. Additionally, along the path lining the river, there is artist Daniel Brunovský’s “The Heart of Europe” (2009), a sculptural heart made of barbed wire from the Iron Curtain. Brunovský created the sculpture to honor the 20^th anniversary of the Velvet Revolution, the successful uprising of Czechs and Slovaks against Soviet rule. However, the original version of Brunovský’s sculpture was created in 1989 to sit at Devín, later destroyed by flooding in 2002.

The grounds hold a mishmash of buildings, chapels and more spanning from the 4^th century to the 18^thcentury. Some of these structures include a monument dating to the Roman period, a 4^th century tomb, a 9^thcentury Great Moravian church, and a 15^th century Gothic Garay palace attached to a 16^th century Renaissance palace. The best views are seen from the Virgin (Maiden) Tower, a 13^th century guard tower (renovated in the 15^th century) connected to the rest of the castle by a bridge. Its name is inspired by tales of beautiful virgins jumping to their death off of the tower. This summary of Hrad Devín’s historical and cultural significance is extremely basic. It is barely scratching the surface of this castle’s complex history and importance in solidifying Slovak identity.

*all pictures are my own unless otherwise stated*

View of the Rivers from Devín Castle; The Danube River is the body of water with the boat on it, curving into the distance. The Morava River is the body of water in the lower right corner of the image.