Bratislava fortifications
Bratislava fortifications usually refers to the medieval city fortifications of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, of which one gate and two sections of walls remain today. The Bratislava Castle was also heavily fortified. Other fortification systems were built in the following centuries, including a World War I artillery fortification system and World War I shelters, system of bunkers and fortifications built by the First Czechoslovak Republic between the World Wars, World War II aircraft raid shelters, fortifications built by the Nazi Germany in the city during World War II and finally Cold War-era city defenses including a system of 8,602 air raid and nuclear shelters capable of holding over 760,000 citizens, far more than the number of inhabitants. The pinnacle of the communist era city defense was a military rocket base located on the Devínska Kobyla hill, the highest point in the city. Medieval fortification system The medieval city fortifications are the system of fortifications of the city of Bratislava, the capital of Slovakia, of which one gate and two sections of walls remain today. Most of the medieval fortification system was demolished in the year 1775 by the order of Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, the rest being torn down in the 18th and 19th centuries. The only remaining consistent stretch of Bratislava city walls running from the St. Martin's Cathedral towards the intersection of Na vŕšku Street and Kapitulská Street is accessible to the public from 2020 again. History Construction of the medieval fortifications in Bratislava (known as Pressburg / Pozsony for most of its history, when belonged to the Kingdom of Hungary) started in the 13th century. By the end of the 14th century, there were three gates leading to the town: the Michael's Gate (north), Vydrica Gate (west), and Laurinc Gate (east). In the 15th century another smaller gate was added: the Fishermen's Gate (south, leading to the Danube). The suburbs gradually grew around the fortification walls, which were fortified in the 15th century with embankments and dikes on the order of King Sigismund, after a Hussite invasion. The town's outer line had five gates: the Kozia Gate, and gates at Suché mýto, Špitálska, Dunajská, and Schöndorf (today's Obchodná) streets. The city fortifications were made of stone, walls being 130-160 centimeters thick. According to Slovak historians, the fortification system was built as a whole from the end of the 13th century until the half of the 14th century. The top of the walls was crowned by battlement. In 1599 the fortress on the Schlossberg was inherited by the Pálffy family, and Jews (who had been expelled from Bratislava in 1526) were allowed to return to two quarters of the fortress area – Schlossberg and Zuckermandel. Due to the Turkish threat in the 16th century, the fortifications were reconstructed by Italian builders specializing in fortress building. Other changes were also planned in the 17th century, but only castle fortresses were implemented. However, as the town's inner walls were slowing the town's growth, Maria Theresa of Austria allowed