Last Day In Bratislava
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We made it to the castle today. It is an interesting mix of the history of Bratislava. The fortress walls and buildings inside them show the scars of constant occupation and renovation from 900AD. The gate you enter the castle ground by has the reminents of an old draw bridge right beside a machine gun turret from WWII. The view of Bratislava from the castle is a shocking reminder of the Communist industry past of Slovakia. There are miles and miles of concrete, rectangular utilitarian apartment blocks for as far as you can see, then the smoke stacks of factories rising on the horizon behind them.
The castle inside the walls is currently in use as an administrative center for the city of Bratislava, and as a museum. We toured the ancient artifacts exhibition – the Celts were here as early as 1200 BC. I laughed my head off to find out that the Slovak Hockey Hall of Fame was housed in the same building – a Palace inside a castle in the capital city – just as it should be. There were life size pictures of Slovak hockey players in action back to the 1930s, and several from the Slovak national team who played in the Olympics during the communist era, and those who play in the NHL today. Stan Mikita was a high profile part of the exhibition, as were the two Slovak players who currently play for the Ottawa Senators.I am embarrassed to admit I can not remember their names. Canada was featured as the Motherland of Hockey – something that made me feel proud in an unimportant kind of way as I stood there.
The second floor of the palace museum was dedicated to the history of the Slovakians struggle to govern themselves. It was full of historical items from before WWI. The display contained explanations and examples of first drafts of laws, several different renditions of the national bill of rights, a history of the union with the Czeck Republic and Slovenian Republic, and the Hapaburgs failure to keep the Germans out. It showed propaganda from WWII and the Nazi occupation, and the Russian liberation, and the communist regime that was in place until 12 years ago. There were old army and secret service uniforms, copies of court convictions of would-be revolutionaries, acknowledgment of the Jewish population that was deported to Auschwitz, and several posters from the Revolution. It was all very interesting.
The museum also contained an art gallery that housed an impressive collection of impressionistic paintings and sculptures, as well as some modern art depicting the struggle to find a meaningful voice during the years of oppression. You really get your moneys worth for the price of one museum admission around here.
We are off to Lubljana tomorrow – we may have to hire someone to hold our hands to ensure we get on the right train. Wish us luck.
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