Modra
Encyclopedia
Modra is a city and municipality
in the Bratislava Region
in Slovakia
. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty (Little Carpathian mountains) and is an excellent centre of hiking.
Modra is famous for its pottery industry. Its blue-and-white porcelain is famous throughout Slovakia.
It is also known as one of the most important vinicultural centres of the Little Carpathians region.
Besides the main town, there are also other adjacent settlements incorporated in the municipality: former vassalage viticulture village Kráľová and two recreational hamlets of Harmónia and Piesok (also known as Zochova Chata), both located in the woods of Little Carpathians mountains.
, when the Slavs were living there. The first mention about Modra was in 1158 in a document of the Géza II of Hungary
, when it belonged to the bishop of Nitra
. After the Mongol invasion of 1241
the settlement was reconstructed by the German colonists
. The first mention about vineyards goes back to 1321. The settlement received its town privileges in 1361 and became a free royal town in 1607. The town fortifications with three gates were constructed in 1610–1647. Since the 17th century it was one of the leading craft centres in present-day Slovakia. The ceramic industry and majolica
production started in the 19th century and in 1883 a school of ceramics was established, where through the skillfulness of Habaners the so-called Slovak ceramics were created. The railway track from Bratislava
to Trnava
bypassed the town in the 1840s, as the local magistrate refused to allow construction of the railway.
, the town had 8,536 inhabitants. 97.4% of inhabitants were Slovaks
, 1% Czechs
and 0.4% Hungarians. Structure of religion: 53.7% Roman Catholics, 25.8% Lutherans, and 15% with no confession.
made a film about returning to the town after many years in Canada, called MODRA
, starring Alexander Gammal and her daughter Hallie Switzer.
, Czech Republic
Hustopeče
, Czech Republic Overijse
, Belgium
Martres Tolosane, France
Municipality
A municipality is essentially an urban administrative division having corporate status and usually powers of self-government. It can also be used to mean the governing body of a municipality. A municipality is a general-purpose administrative subdivision, as opposed to a special-purpose district...
in the Bratislava Region
Bratislava Region
The Bratislava Region is one of the administrative regions of Slovakia. Its capital is Bratislava. It is the smallest of the eight regions of Slovakia.-Geography:...
in Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty (Little Carpathian mountains) and is an excellent centre of hiking.
Modra is famous for its pottery industry. Its blue-and-white porcelain is famous throughout Slovakia.
It is also known as one of the most important vinicultural centres of the Little Carpathians region.
Besides the main town, there are also other adjacent settlements incorporated in the municipality: former vassalage viticulture village Kráľová and two recreational hamlets of Harmónia and Piesok (also known as Zochova Chata), both located in the woods of Little Carpathians mountains.
History
The first traces of habitation go back into the 3rd millennium BCE and the first permanent habitation comes from the time of Great MoraviaGreat Moravia
Great Moravia was a Slavic state that existed in Central Europe and lasted for nearly seventy years in the 9th century whose creators were the ancestors of the Czechs and Slovaks. It was a vassal state of the Germanic Frankish kingdom and paid an annual tribute to it. There is some controversy as...
, when the Slavs were living there. The first mention about Modra was in 1158 in a document of the Géza II of Hungary
Géza II of Hungary
Géza II , , King of Hungary, King of Croatia, Dalmatia and Rama . He ascended the throne as a child and during his minority the kingdom was governed by his mother and uncle...
, when it belonged to the bishop of Nitra
Nitra
Nitra is a city in western Slovakia, situated at the foot of Zobor Mountain in the valley of the river Nitra. With a population of about 83,572, it is the fifth largest city in Slovakia. Nitra is also one of the oldest cities in Slovakia and the country's earliest political and cultural center...
. After the Mongol invasion of 1241
Mongol invasion of Europe
The resumption of the Mongol invasion of Europe, during which the Mongols attacked medieval Rus' principalities and the powers of Poland and Hungary, was marked by the Mongol invasion of Rus starting in 21 December 1237...
the settlement was reconstructed by the German colonists
Carpathian Germans
Carpathian Germans , sometimes simply called Slovak Germans , are a group of German language speakers on the territory of present-day Slovakia...
. The first mention about vineyards goes back to 1321. The settlement received its town privileges in 1361 and became a free royal town in 1607. The town fortifications with three gates were constructed in 1610–1647. Since the 17th century it was one of the leading craft centres in present-day Slovakia. The ceramic industry and majolica
Maiolica
Maiolica is Italian tin-glazed pottery dating from the Renaissance. It is decorated in bright colours on a white background, frequently depicting historical and legendary scenes.-Name:...
production started in the 19th century and in 1883 a school of ceramics was established, where through the skillfulness of Habaners the so-called Slovak ceramics were created. The railway track from Bratislava
Bratislava
Bratislava is the capital of Slovakia and, with a population of about 431,000, also the country's largest city. Bratislava is in southwestern Slovakia on both banks of the Danube River. Bordering Austria and Hungary, it is the only national capital that borders two independent countries.Bratislava...
to Trnava
Trnava
Trnava is a city in western Slovakia, 47 km to the north-east of Bratislava, on the Trnávka river. It is the capital of a kraj and of an okres . It was the seat of a Roman Catholic archbishopric . The city has a historic center...
bypassed the town in the 1840s, as the local magistrate refused to allow construction of the railway.
Landmarks
- Modra ObservatoryModra ObservatoryThe Astronomical Observatory of Modra , also known as Modra Observatory or the Astronomical and Geophysical observatory in Modra, is an astronomical observatory located in Modra, Slovakia. It is owned and operated by the Comenius University in Bratislava...
of the Comenius University in BratislavaComenius University in BratislavaComenius University in Bratislava is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th century Czech teacher and philosopher.In 2006, Comenius...
near Modra-Piesok - A grave memorial museum (with an external exhibition "Štúrova izba" (memorable room of Štúr) and statue of Ľudovít ŠtúrLudovít ŠtúrĽudovít Štúr , known in his era as Ludevít Velislav Štúr, was the leader of the Slovak national revival in the 19th century, the author of the Slovak language standard eventually leading to the contemporary Slovak literary language...
, who died here in 1856 - Remains of the former fortifications: a bastion (with a gallery of Ignác Bizmayer, pottery master) and the "Upper Gate", the only one of three original town gates to be preserved
- A country castle just behind the upper gate; seat of the vineyard school
- A Renaissance building from the end of the 17th century
- the present-day workshops specialising on the Modra ceramics
- Churches:
- Roman Catholic Church of St. Stephen the King from years 1873–1876 on the market square
- Roman Catholic Church of St. John the Baptist from the 2nd half of the 14th century at the cemetery with the names of victims of the First World War
- Evangelical church of Augsburg ConfessionAugsburg ConfessionThe Augsburg Confession, also known as the "Augustana" from its Latin name, Confessio Augustana, is the primary confession of faith of the Lutheran Church and one of the most important documents of the Lutheran reformation...
("German church") from 1714, present-day form since 1834 - Evangelical church of Apostles Peter and Paul ("Slovak church") from 1715, present-day form since 1826, standing near the "German church"
- small Baroque chapel of Mary Immaculate from 1740, standing in front of the evangelical churches
- Chapel of St. Michael from 1873
Demographics
According to the 2001 censusCensus
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
, the town had 8,536 inhabitants. 97.4% of inhabitants were Slovaks
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
, 1% Czechs
Czech people
Czechs, or Czech people are a western Slavic people of Central Europe, living predominantly in the Czech Republic. Small populations of Czechs also live in Slovakia, Austria, the United States, the United Kingdom, Chile, Argentina, Canada, Germany, Russia and other countries...
and 0.4% Hungarians. Structure of religion: 53.7% Roman Catholics, 25.8% Lutherans, and 15% with no confession.
Modra in fiction
In 2010 the Canadian film director Ingrid VeningerIngrid Veninger
Ingrid Veninger is a Canadian actress and director.Her start in show business was in an advertisement for Bell Canada with Megan Follows at age 11...
made a film about returning to the town after many years in Canada, called MODRA
Modra
Modra is a city and municipality in the Bratislava Region in Slovakia. It has a population of 8,704 as of 2005. It nestles in the foothills of the Malé Karpaty and is an excellent centre of hiking.Modra is famous for its pottery industry...
, starring Alexander Gammal and her daughter Hallie Switzer.
People
- Ignác Bizmayer, Slovak artist
- József Hajnóczy, Slovak lawyer, leader of the Hungarian JacobinJacobin (politics)A Jacobin , in the context of the French Revolution, was a member of the Jacobin Club, a revolutionary far-left political movement. The Jacobin Club was the most famous political club of the French Revolution. So called from the Dominican convent where they originally met, in the Rue St. Jacques ,...
movement - Vincent Šikula, Slovak writer
- Ľudovít ŠtúrLudovít ŠtúrĽudovít Štúr , known in his era as Ludevít Velislav Štúr, was the leader of the Slovak national revival in the 19th century, the author of the Slovak language standard eventually leading to the contemporary Slovak literary language...
, Slovak writer and politician, lived his last years in Modra and died here - Ondrej RigoOndrej RigoOndrej Rigo , is a Slovak serial killer and necrophile who targeted women in Bratislava, Munich and Amsterdam from 1990 to 1992. Currently serving a life sentence for 9 murders and 1 attempted murder in Leopoldov Prison in Slovakia, Rigo is a dissocial and schizoid psychopath while also being a...
, Slovak serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
Partner towns
Benátky nad JizerouBenátky nad Jizerou
Benátky nad Jizerou is a town on the Jizera river in the Central Bohemian Region of the Czech Republic, between the cities Stará Boleslav and Mladá Boleslav.The city was the site of a castle and observatory built by astronomer Tycho Brahe.-External links:...
, Czech Republic
Czech Republic
The Czech Republic is a landlocked country in Central Europe. The country is bordered by Poland to the northeast, Slovakia to the east, Austria to the south, and Germany to the west and northwest....
Hustopeče
Hustopece
Hustopeče is a town in southern Moravia of the Czech Republic with 5,956 inhabitants. Hustopeče lies in the Břeclav District and is 25 km northwest of Břeclav.-History:...
, Czech Republic Overijse
Overijse
Overijse is a municipality in the province of Flemish Brabant, in Flanders, one of the three regions of Belgium. The municipality comprises the town of Overijse, and the communities of Eizer, Maleizen, Jezus-Eik, Tombeek and Terlanen. On December 31, 2008 Overijse had a total population of 24,410...
, Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
Martres Tolosane, France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...