City of Trenčín - shortcut to homepage [Keyboard shortcut Alt + H]
SlovenskyDeutsch
Trenčín
Homepage  City of Trenčín  About the city  History  

History of Trenčín

Together with Nitra and Bratislava, Trenčín belongs to the oldest Slovak cities, chronicled as early as in the 11th century. Its strategic location near three Carpathian mountain passes on the crossroads of commercial routes, has always determined the character of the city as a significant landmark. As early as in the ancient times, the famous Jasper Road used by the Etruscan, Greek, and later Roman merchants to transport precious jasper from the Baltic region, was crossing Trenčín.

However, earliest archaeological findings show the presence of early humans in Trenčín and its surrounding regions as early as 200 000 years ago. After the Bronze and Iron Age cultures, the Celts and Germans inhabited the region. In the 2nd century AD, during the time of the Marcomanni Wars, soldiers of the II. auxiliary legion who were spending winter at Laugaricio, left a writing on the rock below the castle, known today as the Roman Inscription. The inscription places the city of Trenčín amongst other European cities with antique history. In his work Geographica, Claudius Ptolemaeus – a Roman geographer, cartographer, and polyhistor living between 90 and 168 AD, mentions a commercial station called Leukaristos on the other side of Danube, identical with Laugaricio, or today’s city of Trenčín.

Slavic presence on the territory of Trenčín has been documented since as early as the 6th century. At first, the city became one of the pillars of the Great Moravia Empire, housing administrative and refugee fortified unit on toady’s castle rock.  Following interim periods of the Czech and Polish dominions, the city and its surroundings became border district of the Hungarian kingdom in the early 11th century. Fortified unit built on a steep rock cliff changed to a castle. Besides its military, defensive, and administrative function, the castle also had a Christianizing function, as evidenced by a pre-Romanesque rotunda, part of the castle structure.

The oldest written account of Trenčín appears as a non-dated note contained in the Hungarian gestures.  The account is connected with the period around 1067 – a time of conflicts between the Hungarian king Salomon, and Bohemian principality. Cosmas Chronicle of the Czechs writes that in 1091, Bretislav – son of the nobleman Vratislav, ran away from his father to the land of Hungary, to a place called Bán (Bánovce, Bánov), not far from the Trenčín castle.  The 13th century’s Anonymous Chronicle of the Hungarians mentions the city of Trenčín under the name of Trusun.

The city of Trenčín as such is mentioned in so-called Zoborské Letters of 1111 and 1113, as a tax-collecting and merchant settlement under Trenčín castle. In 1241, Bogomer (Bohumir) – District Lord of Trenčín, waged a defensive warfare from the castle against the Tartars. Settlement below the castle was most likely destroyed by the invasion, however; the castle itself, built in part from stone, survived the attack. The 12th century gave rise to Trenčín Archdeaconry, supposedly housed at the castle’s Rotunda. Around the middle of the 13th century, the first parish church of the Virgin Mary was built under the patronage of the city.

 Fifty years later, Trenčín was to live its time of greatest splendor. Matthew Czak of Trenčín, third bearer of this name already, turned the city into the center of his vast dominions. In 1321, following his death, Trenčín went back under the ownership of the Hungarian ruler, Charles Robert.  The latter confirmed the city its city privileges, most likely granted already by Matthew Czak. Along with this, Trenčín was thus granted the right to build city walls. The oldest seal of Trenčín’s townspeople dates back to the year 1324.

In the 14th century, the city hosted royal heads from almost the whole of Europe. King Charles Robert and his son Luis met at the castle on August 24, 1335 with the Czech king Jan of Luxembourg accompanied by his son Charles, and Polish ruler Kazimír, to carry out negotiations that ended a lengthy conflict between Bohemia and Poland. It was again in 1362, when the castle hosted peace talks between Louis the Great and the Roman emperor Charles IV. Peace was to be signed two years later. At this occasion, and following the customs of their time, both rulers exchanged pompous gifts. King Louis received from Charles a golden Gothic monstrance that has ever since been part of the temple treasure of the Parish Church in Trenčín, while he gave the Emperor a crystal kettle, now stored at St. Vittus cathedral in Prague. Trenčín’s city walls also welcomed people who would come to the city for joy. It was there, where in 1461 the king Matthew Korvin, together with his mother Elisabeth, was expecting the arrival of his fiancée, Bohemian princess Katarina (Kunhuta), daughter of George of Podebrady. In 1512, the castle hosted the engagement ceremony of Stephen Zapolsky’s daughter with the Polish king Sigmund.

Diplomatic traditions of Trenčín have not been forgotten. In May 24 and 25, 2002, the castle hosted a summit of the prime and foreign affairs ministers of the Visegrad Group and the Benelux, while in 2004 it became the meeting place of the participants to the NATO Parliamentary Session.

In 1412, the emperor and Hungarian king Sigmund of Luxembourg granted the city the status of free royal city enjoying the rights of Budín and Capital Belgrade. Having done this, he promoted Trenčín to the most important Hungarian cities.

28. June 28 brought capitulation to Trenčín castle at the approaching armies of Ferdinand I. of the Habsburg, commanded by general Johan Katzianer. Subsequently the city was burned down, ransacked and plundered. The city walls also suffered damage. After their repair in 1543, the city Magistrate remodeled both city gates. Especially the lower, “Turkish” gate was reinforced with a semi-oval barbican with small tower. Parish Church and St. Michael chapel were also repaired, which cannot be said of a destroyed Francis church outside the city walls. Notwithstanding the condition, the church walls would still stand erected long until 1596. These walls are pictured in the first painting of Trenčín – „veduta“ of the city from 1580. City walls were repaired just in time.

In 1599, plundering hordes of the Krum Tartars serving the Oman Sultan penetrated as far as Trenčín and ravaged broad surrounding areas. In 1604, the Botchkay’s hayducks inflicted a horrendous damage to the city. Besides, there existed a tension between the city Magistrate and a new castle owner – Stephen Ileszhazi, accompanied by mutual fights and wrongs (Tales and Legends). 20 years later, another catastrophe hit the city – Trenčín was given to the mercy of the plundering armies of Gabriel Bethlen. During the years 1644 – 1645, the rebel armies of George I. of Rakoci again threatened the city. Repeated invasion of the Oman armies hit the Middle Vah region in 1663. On October 2 of the same year, the castle and the city survived the attack; however, the enemy burned down adjacent suburbs outside the city. More than 300 townspeople and soldiers of the castle garrison laid their lives in defense of the city. Hundreds of others were taken captive by the Turks who burned down 17 surrounding villages.  15 years later (1678 – 1683), Trenčín was raided by the armies of Imrich Tököli. The last and biggest catastrophe hit Trenčín in the period of the revolt of classes headed by Francis Rakoci II.  The Kuruk armies did not conquer the castle itself; however, they besieged the city below, on February 14, 1704. Although the armies were forced to retreat on May 2, the siege lasted four years. There was an outbreak of famine, worsened by a catastrophic fire on May 14, 1708, destroying or seriously damaging 195 houses, the Piarist church, and the city fortification that has not been repaired ever since. It appeared that the plague that hit the city in 1710 and claimed the lives of more than 1000 people, would give Trenčín its final blow of mercy. It was however as early as in 1715, when another surge of plague took the lives of another 222 townspeople. These disasters inflicted damages that caused the city more than 460 thousand guilders, not to mention the suffering never heard of in the history of the Slovak cities.

 Needless to say, the second half of the 16th and 17th centuries did not only bring disasters. These years turned out to be the times of blooming arts and culture. Since the second half of the 16th century, Trenčín became the place of settlement of the first newly baptized converts (Habans) that initiated later existence of the characteristic Trenčín majolica.

Following the outbreak of the Thirty Years’ War and subsequent defeat at White Mountain, refugees from the Bohemian Kingdom, especially Moravia, were coming to Trenčín. As early as in 1637, Jan Vokál of Prague founded the first press in Trenčín. The Press functioned until 1664. Less than three decades later, about 250 presses were already in existence.

Suffering, wars, and disasters would find their way through Trenčín also in the years to come. In 1790, the city was again hit by a disastrous fire that destroyed almost the whole inner town. The fire has also put a definite end to the Castle of Trenčín, which was to be reduced down to ruins ever since. Flood of August 1813 caused the lives of 44 local people. F. Palacký, later „father of the Czech historical school“ almost lost his life.

For many years, Trenčín has also been a significant academic center. A record mentioning John the Rector, in 1437, documents the presence of the Municipal School. It was in 1572, when the City Magistrate ordered a new school building to be constructed, that was to accommodate significant number of students coming from farther surrounding regions. Establishment of the Piarist Gymnasium is connected with the year 1647, when the Jesuits founded their own school that soon afterward, in 1649, was to be changed into the famous Gymnasium. At the beginning of the 19th century, there was also the Town School, together with other denominational schools – Catholic (for girls), Lutheran, and Jewish.

In 1874, Trenčín became garrisoned town, home to the 15th militia regiment. 71st infantry regiment of the Austrian army was permanently moved into the city, several years later. Both formations would be staffed also with recruits from the middle and upper Vah regions. It was that 71st infantry regiment that came to be known as the “drotársky regiment”.

By the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries, industrial production is arriving in Trenčín, together with modernization of transportation routes and connections with other regions of the Austria-Hungarian monarchy. In 1883, the city was added to the Vah Railroad System with connection to the Košice-Bohumín Railroad Track. This further stimulated the onset of local industries. Further, Trenčín was connected with Vienna, Budapest, and other cities of the monarchy. The city was becoming a significant commercial and industrial center. Industries such as textile, food, and machine production were on the rise.  Number of modern, up-to-date improvements and gadgets that increased the quality of life were penetrating into Trenčín at the beginning of the 20th century. Telephone was introduced in 1905, while the first public electrical public lights system was launched in 1907. In 1909, modern sewage system construction started, with public waterworks constructed in 1910 – 1911. Introduction of new cultural phenomenon – theatre, was fast. First permanent theater called “Apollo” began showing first films in 1907. Five years later, in 1912, the people of Trenčín could relax and find restoration in the Brezina woods that still serve their original purpose.

Establishment of a number of societies in the second half of the 19th century significantly helped develop cultural environment in our city. Trenčín Social Forum was involved in organizing cultural events; 1873 was the first year of Trenčín Singers Society.

Trenčín Women’s Society and Israelite Women’s Society organized cultural and entertainment activities to promote charitable activities for children. Voluntary Firemen established in 1873 played no less important function in cultural environment of the city. Four years later, in 1877, was established Natural Science Society of the district of Trenčín, chaired by Dr. K. Brančík. The Society became the most significant cultural group of the city and the whole district. In 1912, it joined the newly established Museum Society of Trenčín District and helped initiate the establishment of the present-day museum. 

People’s Library promoted education of the broad public by letting people check out books at no charge.  Today’s Public Library of Michael Rešetka builds on its traditions.

Sports activities in Trenčín started to be organized in the 1890s.  Athletes in the city were involved in sports such as rowing, fencing, tennis, and figure skating. Cycling Union in Trenčín was short-lived, though. Demonstration of a soccer match in Trenčín was performed in 1904, at the visit of the archprince Fridrich and archprincess Isabel. However, it was not until after 1908, when the game began to be played periodically. Trenčín Physical Education Society established in 1904, offered still greater mass membership. Today’s TTS builds on these historical traditions. 24. On May 24, 1914, a Slovak – Andrew Kvasz, performed a takeoff of a plane heavier than the air, first of its kind in the Váh region.

Trenčín has had its own hospital since the Middle Ages; after the fire of 1528, the hospital would be maintained from bequeathals and principals. General hospital established in 1847 and later transformed into public district hospital, contributed to the well being of people living in the city. The hospital was one of the oldest in Slovakia.

Period of World War I in Trenčín was marked by a known revolt of the soldiers of the 71st regiment in the Serbian Kragujevac on June 2, 1918. Subsequently, 44 regiment soldiers were executed for having participated in the revolt.

New boost to Trenčín’s economic and industrial base took place after the rise of the Czechoslovak Republic in 1918.  At present, there is a number of secondary schools in Trenčín. Gymnasium of Ľudovít Štúr, Piarist Gymnasium, Gymnasium of J. Branecký, Business Academy of Dr. M. Hodža, Secondary Nursing School, Secondary Industrial School of Textile Production, Emil Belluš Secondary Industrial Construction School. Universities of Trenčín include Alexander Dubček University, and Higher School of Management.