Komárno

Komárno, spreading on the eastern tip of Žitný ostrov at the confluence of the Danube and the river Váh, has been continously inhabited since the Late Bronze Age. This location was inhabited by the Celts and later the Romans built a military camp here. At the time of the great migration, the Avars lived in the Komárno territory. During the 10th century, Hungarian tribes built a fortified and fenced place at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh, which later became the centre of the Komárno district. King Béla IV granted the first important privileges to the town by a deed issued in 1265.
Matthias Corvinus ordered the construction of a Renaissance palace within the premises of the Komárno Castle. In the 16th century the medieval castle was rebuilt into a perfectly defendable fortress and the so called Old Fortress was created which successfully withstood the attacks of the Turkish army. During the period from 1663 until 1673, the fortress was extended by the so called New Fortress built as a pentagon. The deed of Maria Theresa, dated 1745, granted the title of a free royal town and appertaining rights to the town of Komárno. In the revolutionary years 1848/49 Komárno played an important role as the last bastion of the Hungarian revolution thanks to the army of György Klapka.
After the dissolution of Austria-Hungary and the creation of Czechoslovakia, the border formed by the River Danube divided the town into two halves. On the left bank, a border town of the newly created Czechoslovakia was established and a new town was gradually built on the right bank.
Mór Jókai, a famous romantic Hungarian writer, Franz Lehár, a famous composer, the Hungarian King László V, and Hans Selye, the author of the stress theory who spent his childhood in Komárno and whose name was given to our university, rank among important personalities coming from Komárno.
Komárno, as a district and border town, is the administrative, economic, and cultural centre of the surrounding region. In the town, you can find the Jókai Theatre, the Danube Region Museum, and many other museums, galleries, and libraries. The centre of the town features the European Court – a square that presents building styles of 47 European regions. The town lives a varied cultural life. Every year festive town events are held – Days of Komárno, Lehár´s Days, Jókai´s Days along with other festivals and cultural events that offer relaxation to both the inhabitants and the visitors of the town.