The village of Bratislava-Karlova Ves

Among the simple chisels and various pointed shapes, the fist wedge (the first in Slovakia) and a large handrail made by the ancestors of today's man (perhaps pre-Neanderthals) 250,000 to 300,000 years ago stand out. Rich hunting grounds by the river probably also attracted people from the Middle Paleolithic (Homo sapiens neanderthalensis) and during the last ice age a modern man, as evidenced by the so far unique finding of a mammoth tusk in the lower Mlynská valley and several later-used tools.

From the first half of the 5th millennium BC. a settlement pit with a ritual burial of a child in a very bent position has been preserved above the Botanical Garden, to which the survivors attached the skull of an adult. These are the oldest human remains so far, discovered on the territory of today's Bratislava.

The location near Vydrice could not be missed even by the Slavs in the 9th century, at the time of the flourishing of the Great Moravian forts on Hradný vrch and Devín. According to current knowledge, there was a small fishing village, in which the deceased inhabitants were buried in a burial ground under today's Botanical Garden. So far, 15 graves have been found, and vessels and simple jewelry have been placed in them. Another settlement or rather isolated dwellings with hearths stood in Krčace, near Iuventa.
In the Middle Ages, Karlova Ves belonged to the Devín estate and its first historical name can be found in the annals as Suchá Vydrica (today Líščie údolie), according to the stream that flowed through the settlement. The early medieval settlement was probably looted in the first half of the 13th century by the Tatars and the locality remained uninhabited until the time of the mayor Jakub.

In 1288, King Ladislav IV. a deed in which he appreciated the numerous services and merits of the well-known Bratislava mayor Jakub, proved the royal crown, and gave him land between two Vydrice. The deed defines the boundaries of the donated territory quite precisely. The eastern edge was formed by the Veľká Vydrica stream, which springs at Železná studnička, its flow continues through Mlynská dolina and flows into the Danube. In the west it was the border stream Suchá Vydrica (today Karloveský stream), in the south the donated area was lined with the Danube and in the north the "big road" leading to Stupava. Richtár Jakub rebuilt the area between two Vydrice, established vineyards, built mills (from about 1343), built settlements and used the local forests. The settlement expanded and later the center of gravity of the medieval settlement moved to the Bratislava suburbs, which they named the same name Vydrica.
At the beginning of the 14th century (in 1318 and 1323), the Hungarian ruler Karol Róbert of Anjou confirmed the right to use the property of established settlements such as Lamač and Karlova Ves, the son of the mayor Jakub.
On April 24, 1360, King Ľudovít Veľký granted Vydrice (today's Karlova Ves) many other privileges, which are also an interesting proof of the filing of the rights of the city of Bratislava. In this charter, King Louis grants the population of the settlement all the rights, freedoms and privileges enjoyed by the townspeople and guests of the city of Bratislava. In order for these freedoms to be respected in everyday life, King Louis expressly prohibits the Bratislava Ispan and his other officials from committing acts that would run counter to the meaning of the said privileges.

In the 14th and 15th centuries, the inhabitants of Vydrice cultivated vineyards, which they used mostly for their own use. Gradually, they grubbed up forests on the island of Sihoť (Käsmacher), for which high fees were paid to the Devin landowner. The increase in fees was significant especially during the reign of the landowner Ján Keglevič in the 16th century. Particular mention is also made of the serf fees of the inhabitants of Vydrice.
Few historical documents from the territory of the Karlova Ves district have been preserved from the period between the 15th and 18th centuries, despite the fact that various historical events have taken place in this area for many centuries. Most of the military raids on Bratislava went through Mlynská dolina, along the Vydrica stream, from where troops marched along the Danube coast to the castle grounds and to the old town. In 1532, a Turkish explorer penetrated through Mlynská dolina to the castle; fortunately, the defeat of the Turks near Koszeg helped free Bratislava from Turkish confinement.
In the years 1540 to 1600, groups of bandits from the ranks of war conventions were hiding in the forests between Devín and Karlova Vsa. Their center was in the mountains below Švábský vrch near Kráľova hora. Robbers raided the townspeople and other travelers not only by the Danube towards Devín, but also in Líšče údolí, in the Mlynská valley, and often approached the city walls and access roads leading to Záhorie. Mercenaries organized frequent actions against bandits.

In 1605, Bocskay's bastards passed through the territory of today's Karlova Ves, and the Turks and Tatars hired by him, who reached the suburbs of Bratislava, occupied Vydrice and the castle grounds. Wherever they passed, they destroyed vineyards, mills and majors. One of Bethlen's divisions with the Kurucs also advanced through Mlynská dolina, which in In 1619 he conquered Bratislava. In 1621, the imperial troops of General Bouquoy also fought hard for the liberation of Bratislava on the territory of Karlova Ves.
In 1635, Devín, and thus Karlova Ves, became the property of the Pálfy family and remained so until 1932, when the Slovak Provincial Committee purchased the ruins of Devín Castle from the last descendant of Ladislav Pálfy.
The Pálfys mainly used forests economically; they had excellent hunting grounds in them, where large game hunts were held with the participation of members of the royal family and many noble guests.
In 1677, a plague broke out among the inhabitants of Bratislava and Karlova Ves. The outbreak of the plague was in poor houses in Podhradí, from where it spread to the suburbs of Bratislava and Karlova Ves. Almost 3,900 people have succumbed to the disease.

From an economic point of view, Karlova Ves did not have the opportunity to develop due to all applicable legal norms. Craftsmen organized in guilds could not settle here, because the so-called The "mile right" of a free royal city, which did not allow the establishment of craft workshops in an area within one hour of the city. Only millers, citizens of Bratislava, could have mills, either fixed on the Vydrica stream in Mlynská dolina or floating mills on the Danube between Podhradie and Dlhé diel. According to written records, there were five fixed mills in Mlynská dolina and six floating mills on the Danube. One of the most famous was the mill of the important Bratislava burgher family of the Segner family.
Fishermen and boaters worked on the territory of Karlova Ves, by the Danube. They had their facilities mainly in the vicinity of the small Danube islands between the Karlovy Vary arm and the Vydrice estuary and on the island of Sihoť.
In 1720, there were 83 to 100 hectares of vineyards in Devín and Karlova Ves. A large part was owned by the Pálfy family and the citizens of Bratislava (up to 90%), who rented diggers to cultivate the vineyards. For example, at the peak of the season, the Segner family hired more than 370 diggers in the vineyards. The Pálfy family employed seasonal workers from a wide area to cultivate their vineyards. The locals - winegrowers had only smaller, but even better managed vineyards. Wine production at that time was about 1,350 hl. Both Devín and Karlovice wines were of greater value at that time than Rača and Malokarpatské wines.

We know other destinies of Karlova Ves from the end of the 18th century, when it was still part of the town of Devín. This is also mentioned in the list of tithes paid to the Archbishopric of Esztergom in the years 1794 to 1841, county and notarial lists related to the transfer of serf benefits and the register of both municipalities, which were also kept together.
According to written data, Karlova Ves had 120 inhabitants in 1828. At the beginning of the 19th century, like all Bratislava suburban villages, Karlova Ves was affected by the consequences of the Napoleonic Wars, which were even more multiplied in 1831 and 1836 by the cholera epidemic. Natural disasters also caused great difficulties. Frequent floods often had catastrophic consequences, often flooding half of the Mlynská valley and part of the Líščí valley. The floods of large waters tore down the ship's mills and damaged the permanent mills. At other times, it was severe frosts that destroyed vineyards, fruit trees, but also livestock.
In the statistical reports from 1866, Karlova Ves is mentioned as an independent municipality of the 6th Záhorské main service district of Bratislava County and as one of the 14 municipalities of the sub-district. However, the separation of Karlova Ves from Devín has not yet been definitively completed, so in the files we encounter a separate definition of the village of Karlova Ves (Károlyfalu, Karldorf, Karlowe / s /), but also as a part of Devín. The inhabitants were engaged exclusively in viticulture. A smaller part consisted of workers, there were also two millers with two assistants and one shoemaker.

After the definitive abolition of serf ties to the Devín estate in the 1970s, as a result of its incorporation into a new economic and social formation, the overall character of the village began to change. Bratislava provided work for hundreds of workers, which the inhabitants of Karlova Ves also began to use. In the second half of the 19th century, 207 inhabitants already lived in Karlova Ves and the local one-class school was attended by 20 boys and 12 girls. At the head of the village was the mayor (the first Karlovice mayor was František Müller, after whom the scepter Jozef Bohunský called Černý Pepino, later Pavel Bohunský), the treasury was managed by a general treasurer (Ondráš Fronc, Anton Kostolanský, etc.).
In 1897, the Karloves fire brigade was established. In addition to protecting the property of the population and the municipality from fire, floods and other natural disasters, its members engaged in a rich cultural and educational activities.
In the eastern part of the area in Slávič Valley was in 1912 cemetery built. Originally, only the poor inhabitants of Bratislava were buried in it, and therefore it was also called the cemetery of the poor. During the First World War, soldiers were also buried here. At present, with its area of 18.5 ha, the cemetery is the largest cemetery in Bratislava and has become the final resting place of many leading Slovak artists, scientists and politicians.

In the second half of the 19th century, Bratislava began to develop surprisingly fast. Among other things, it needed to supply the city population with drinking water. Based on detailed geological and hydrological surveys and after successful negotiations, the city concluded an economic agreement with the company C. Korte a spol. Prague, which undertook to solve the problem of supplying the city with drinking water by building a waterworks on the island of Sihoť (Käsmacher). Construction began in 1884 and after two years, February 4, 1886, it was put into operation. In 1894 the company was bought by the city of Bratislava. Over the course of almost 100 years, the waterworks has expanded several times, and a pumping station has been built on Devínská cesta. The inhabitants of Karlova Ves found a suitable job opportunity in the waterworks.
At the beginning of the 20th century, Karlova Ves experienced intensive cultural development. A state folk school was built. The first Slovak teacher was Ján Alexander Čáp and the first administrator of the school was Jaroslav Fiala. A municipal library was also established at that time. The Slovak League in particular contributed to the development of education.

The transport connection of Karlova Ves with Bratislava was provided by a bus that operated between Devín and Bratislava. In the 1920s, the tram line was extended from Bratislava to the eastern edge of the Karlovy Vary district. This track has been extended and rebuilt several times.
In r. In 1938, Bratislava became the seat of the autonomous Slovak government and in March 1939 the seat of the president. Devín was occupied by the Vienna Arbitration and the border of the Great German Empire was moved to a "small" waterworks on the island of Sihoť in Karlova Ves. Part of the area and the forest part of Devínská Kobyla were also annexed. This state lasted until the defeat of Germany on May 9, 1945.
In 1935, the locals expanded and modernized the late Baroque chapel of St. John of Nepomuk and consecrated St. Michael the Archangel. The church was gradually equipped with interior furnishings. On the front wall in front of the apse they placed a ceramic relief of St. Michael the Archangel, made in 1980 by national artist Ignác Bizmayer. Karlova Ves belonged to Devín not only politically but also ecclesiastically. It was not until 1938 that it became a branch of the Bratislava parish of St. Martina.
In the 1920s, a new cemetery with an area of about 0.35 ha was built in Karlova Ves. The dominant feature of the cemetery is a chapel, from which four main sidewalks stand out in the shape of a cross. In its eastern part, graves and monuments of more important natives of Karlova Ves were placed. The priest, politician, publicist Dr. Ferdiš Juriga, whose body remains and the monument were moved (without the knowledge of family members and the board of the village!) Matica slovenská r. 1996 to the National Cemetery in Martin.

In 1937, the Provincial Association for the Care of the Disabled in the reconstructed halls of the former Roth factory for the production of patrons established the Institute for the Physically Failed in Bratislava and a special national school for crippled school-age children. J. Brdlík, J. Červeňanský, J. Hálek, K. Hynek, V. Chlumský, S. Kostlivý and R. Kratochvíl were responsible for the construction of this facility.
On the initiative of prof. Mgr. František Nábělek was founded in 1942 Botanical Garden of the Faculty of Science of the Slovak University. The basis of the newly emerging Botanical Garden was an extensive park planted with numerous Mediterranean species of plants and a chateau built by Count Lafranconi. The chateau also served as a city maternity hospital for some time. The botanical garden was designed by F. Jirásek and completed by prof. Mgr. Ján Martin Novacký. The original area of the garden was reduced in connection with the construction of the buildings of the Faculty of Science, but especially the Lafranconi bridge, and the chateau was demolished.
In 1953, by a decision of the SNR, the Slovak Academy of Sciences was founded, which according to the SNR Act no. 1/1953 Coll. on the Slovak Academy of Sciences represents the top scientific institution uniting the most important scientists in Slovakia, develops theoretical sciences, ensures the creative participation of Slovak science in the development of scientific research on a national scale.

In 1959 they founded and in In 1960, they opened the Zoo to the public in Mlynská dolina. The well-known Slovak ornithologist prof. Mgr. Oskár Ferianc, DrSc. The zoo was originally built on an area of 9 ha, later expanded to an area of about 90 ha as a zoo - a geopark, where animals are bred and exhibited in larger groups according to the natural zoological system. Unfortunately, a very hard intervention in the life of the ZOO was the complete liquidation of two thirds of the built exposition part of the original area for the construction of a sewer collector and a motorway connection. The most interesting part for visitors has disappeared.
In r. 1961 at a cost of 10 mil. CZK, the construction of a Training Center for citizens with reduced working capacity began, covering the entire Czechoslovak Socialist Republic on Mokrohájská Street. The center was ceremoniously opened on 9 January 1964 and was originally intended for the education and retraining of adult citizens with reduced working capacity. In 1981, a Secondary Vocational School for Physically Handicapped Youth was established at the Training Center. Since 1968, the Institute of Social Care for Physically Handicapped Children and Youth has been in operation on Mokrohájská Street, where the school administration has set up a special kindergarten, primary school and grammar school. In 1961, a boarding school for visually impaired youth was built on Svrčej Street.

In May 1949, a regional national committee with district powers was established for the area of southwestern Slovakia. District councils became its auxiliary bodies. In the central part of Bratislava, 4 councils were created: Old Town, Nivy, Vinohrady and Nové mesto. In the outskirts of the city, 9 district councils were established, including the Karlovy Vary District Council. Such an organizational division was maintained until the issue of Act no. 43/1968 Coll. about the capital of the SSR.
In Bratislava, the Municipal National Committee with district powers and 12 district national committees with the powers of local national committees was established. The boundaries of the ObNV have not changed much compared to 1953, only Karlova Ves and Devín created a joint National Committee based in Karlova Ves. The first chairwoman of the National Committee in Karlova Ves was Antónia Zvarová, followed by Ján Ebringer.
March 14, 1968 SNR Commission for the Ministry of Interior Decree no. 43/1968 Coll. about the capital of Slovakia Bratislava changed the organizational structure of the city and created 4 city districts in Bratislava. In Karlova Ves, with this territorial division, the national committee ceased to exist and merged with the Bratislava IV city district. In addition to Karlova Ves, the villages of Devín, Lamač, Dúbravka, Devínska Nová Ves and Záhorská Bystrica also belonged here. The fourth district of Bratislava at that time was one of the largest districts of Bratislava.

The construction of a television center in Mlynská dolina began in 1965. The first part with an area of 920 m2 was handed over in 1970. The second part was completed in 1981 on an area of 1,000 m2. The area of the Slovak Television in Mlynská dolina was one of the largest in the then Czechoslovak Socialist Republic.
The healthcare system gained a dignified space with the construction of a territorial polyclinic in the years 1976-1980 on Karloveská Street. (then Class L. Novomeský).
The university center in Mlynská dolina was built between 1981 and 1985. The Faculty of Science and the Faculty of Mathematics and Physics of Charles University are located here. In the immediate vicinity of both faculties is the Charles Družba student dormitory. The Technical University acquired premises for the Faculty of Electrical Engineering with the most modern equipment. In the same period, a center of leisure activities for the youngest generation was built - the Slovak House for Children and Youth Juventa.

In the 1980s, the design preparation and subsequent construction of the housing estate in Dlhé diel began.
After November 1989, as in all municipalities and towns, the Local Office was established in Karlova Ves as an executive body, and in the municipal elections the deputies of the Local Council were democratically elected as an advisory body from among citizens.
At the end of the 90s of the last century, the construction of the so-called complex housing construction in Karlova Ves has already been completed and the housing estate was completed mainly by landscaping and landscaping. A noticeable lack of so-called civic amenities significantly affected the current and future orientation of construction activities. Within its framework, the completion of a multi-purpose civic amenities center in the Dlhé diely housing estate is of particular importance. This new Bratislava center has become interesting especially from a business point of view. A new complex of buildings with high demands on functionality, attractiveness and quality of the environment is growing here, new flats of a higher standard are being built here, which are like the opposite of the existing uniform development on Long Parts. New job opportunities have been created in business, administration and services.

Another multi-purpose center is being established in the area of the original garden center. After the approval of the change in the functional use of this part, an urban study of the zone was prepared, which is gradually being implemented. Instead of the originally considered greenery, several multi-storey residential buildings grew in a multifunctional building with civic amenities and church-social facilities (Church of St. Francis of Assisi consecrated in 2002 and Minorite Monastery completed in 2003). This cultural and social center will be complemented by the small-storey construction of town villas on a slightly sloping terrain. The construction of fuel filling stations in Karlova Ves is closely connected with the establishment of traffic lights and the solution of dangerous intersections.
Among the newly built buildings in Dlhé diel, the Church of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary, consecrated in 1995. In the old development, some low-rise "blocks of flats" changed their shape by completing attic apartments providing suitable housing.