AEGEE Project School in Komarno 2003

A Hungarian Town in Slovakia

Komarno is the most southern city of Slovakia, located at the confluence of the Danube and Vah rivers. It is one of the oldest settlements in the Carpathian basin, inhabited since the early Bronze Age. After the Romans, Avars and Franks, at the end of the 9th century the Magyars conquered the region. King Bela IV granted the settlement town rights in 1265. Medieval Komarom prospered, especially under the reign of Mathias Corvinus, who made Komarno seat of the royal Danube flotilla. In the 18th century, after the end of the Turkish wars and expulsion of the Turks from the region, Komarom again began to flourish. It was soon influenced by the Baroque styles.
During the 18th century Komarom experienced many natural disasters including floods, fires and cholera. Most notable of these disasters were the two earthquakes that completely destroyed the town in 1763 and 1783. Komarom played a significant role in the Hungarian war of Independence against Austria, remaining the last bastion of the Hungarian resistance until 1849.
The town itself only slowly recovered from the destruction of the war. It lost its former economic importance and influence as a major town of the region. With the disintegration of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy after WWI, the territory to the north of the Danube, Komárno, was ceded to Czechoslovakia with the territory to the south of the Danube, Komárom, going to Hungary. Still, until today about 70 percent of inhabitants of Komárno remained Hungarian. In 1939 Komarno was annexed to Hungary. On 30th March 1945 the territory on the north bank of the Danube became part of Czechoslovakia again.
In 1950 the war the shipyard, the town's largest industrial facility, was completed and greatly promoted the economic development of the town. The majority of the historical and cultural sites were well preserved and remain to this day - such as the county and town halls, the courthouse, St. Andrews church, the Danube museum, and other buildings. The two most famous sons of Komarno are the Hungarian poet Jókai Mór (1825-1904) and the composer Ferenc Lehár (1870-1948). Wort to visit is also the fortress area, which is the biggest in Europe and comprises both the northern Slovak and southern Hungarian half of the town. Both countries applied for Unesco World Heritage status for the fortress.