The Evolution of Bratislava's Names: From Pressburg to Bratislava

Territory of today Slovakia was an integral part of the Hungarian Kingdom from 1000 until 1918, when Czechoslovakia emerged. From 1526, the Hungarian Kingdom has become a part of the Austrian Empire, with its center in Vienna. The city today known as Bratislava was formerly named 'Pozsony' in Hungarian and 'Pressburg' in German for centuries. The Slovak name Bratislava did not exist then.

From Pressburg to Bratislava

The name 'Pressburg' is of German origin, where 'Burg' means a castle. The beginning 'Press-' is a Germanization of a legendary Slavic founder of the city named Braslav Sávsky who died in 897 AD and was the duke of Lower Pannonia, meaning the northern part of Greater Hungary, which is today's Slovakia. The name 'Braslav' is fully Slavic, and the ending '-slav' appears in many similar two-part Slavic names, meaning 'fame' or 'celebrates', not 'Slavic' or 'word' in this case.

The name 'Bratislava' itself comes from the Slavic name of a founder, Braslav. It is a city that has heritage with oscillating Slavic, German, and Hungarian influences. The name 'Pozsony' is of Hungarian origin and evolved from a name that was derived from a Slavic name of a founder too. 'Pozsony' is derived from the Slavic name 'Boň' or its female variation 'Boena', which means 'gifted by God', from the root 'Boe' from 'Bh', meaning God.

The Naming of Pressburg and Pozsony

Several 9th and 10th-century documents talk about Braslav, yet it remains unclear how many of them were significant and whether they were identical. The city's name 'Pressburg' was reimported back into the language, and Czech and Slovak have used names such as Prepurk, Preporok, and a few others. All of these names reflect the interplay between Slavic and German languages over time.

A Chancellor's Accidental Change

After World War I in 1918, the name of the city was planned as "Wilson City" after the last name of US President Woodrow Wilson, who formulated the essential political principles on which Czechoslovakia was founded. However, in 1919, the Slovak establishment proposed the name Bratislava, which eventually became the official name of the city. This change was aimed at promoting Slovak identity and language during the process of "slovakization" in the city.

Conclusion

The city of Bratislava, with its names Pressburg, Pozsony, and Bratislava, is a testament to the complex cultural history of the region. The fluctuation in the use of these names reflects the dynamic political and cultural environment of Central Europe, characterized by multiple linguistic and ethnic influences.