Prague Journal

Tuesday, February 8, 2005.

After breakfast this morning, the high school teachers gave their presentations. Most are teaching English, despite the fact that only two are true TEFL or English teachers. The schools are hungry for native speakers, so they are less interested in the science or math or history that these people had planned to teach. From the presentations, it looks like these people are doing a splendid job. Unfortunately, their exchange partners (Czechs who have taken their positions in the U.S.) have not been as successful. Most are not used to the demands of the U.S. system, both in terms of time and in terms of student commitment.
The afternoon was set aside for a guided tour of Trenčin, roughly a half hour away by chartered bus. Trenčin was originally a Roman military outpost named Lauregia. There is clear evidence of the Roman inhabitation of Trenčín on an inscription carved in the castle rock glorifying the victory of the Romans over the German tribes (179-180 A. D.). The fate of this territory after the withdrawal of German tribes and before the arrival of the Slavs is completely obscure.
Trenčin castle dates from the 11th century, and is the second largest castle complex in Slovakia. In 1241, the castle was attacked by Tartars, and became an important center of the Hungarian Empire that ruled Slovakia at that time. Trenčin became a free royal city in 1412, and in the 15th and 16th centuries, fortifications were built around the castle in preparation for war with the Turks. In the 15th century, the palace was equipped with a Gothic portal and a gable bearing the coat of arms of Queen Barbara, the second wife of Sigismund of Luxembourg. Among the subsequent users and feudal leaseholders of this royal dwelling worth mentioning are Queen Elizabeth, Jan Jiskra of Brandýs, Ján Hunyady and his son Mathias Corvinus. Here, in 1461, the daughter of the Bohemian King George of Poděbrady had become engaged to be married to Mathias Corvinus. From Mathias Corvinus, the castle went to the hands of Zápolský family. Reconstruction of the castle during the Zdpolskýs was extensive, and another palace was erected within the upper castle grounds. The ceilings of Barbara’s Palace and the Gothic chapel were reconstructed and provided with high brick vaults. The fortification was further strengthened by the construction of mighty walls, deep moats and a mill tower connected by a bridge to the older Jeremias Tower. In the lower castle a two-story barracks was built. In 1528, the castle suffered extensive damage during the siege of the castle by the Emperor’s general Katzianer. The oldest known picture of the castle dates from 1580, after reconstruction of the Jeremias Tower.
In the 16th century, the castle went from hand to hand as a royal lease, since King Ferdinand Habsburg was financially exhausted by the war with Turks. At that time, with the support of Irnrich Forgáč, and assisted by Italian masters, several reconstructions were made that considerably changed the architectural pattern of the castle. Low attics with arcaded frieze, a typical element of the Renaissance, replaced the high roofs. In 1594, the castle and its lands fell into the hands of Štefan Illéšházy, and after his death, to his nephew Caspar Illéšházy, a follower of Gabriel Bethlen and a humanistic man of learning who gave shelter to Habans and to protestant refugees after the Battle at Bílá Hora. In 1666, the Illéšházy family leased the castle to George Rákoci, who improved the security of the castle by erecting a gun bastion and new buildings and barracks around the lower courtyard. Only the underground part of the barracks remains. The presence of numerous German troops at the castle prompted the moving of the Illéšházy family from the castle to their chateau at Nemšová in 1663, and later on to their chateau at Dubnica. The castle lost its importance and in 1783, on the order of the Empress Maria Theresia, the imperial troops left the castle too. On June 11, 1790, disaster came in the form of a fire that engulfed the castle. Štefan Illéšházy II sold the castle to Baron Sina, but neither he nor his descendents were willing to invest in the castle, and they eventually donated it to the Trenčín town. Efforts to rescue the damaged castle had been started in the first half of the 19th century, however, these attempts for reconstruction were insufficient and incompetent. Only after the designation of the castle as a National Cultural Monument in 1953 did a turn for the better come along. A real reconstruction, which still continues, was started after an archaeological survey and proper project documentation. Some of the reconstructed buildings are currently used as exhibits.
Trenčín castle is surrounded by a rich mythology. For example, the courtyard of the castle contains a “well of love” which, at least according to legend, was built by a certain Omar. It seems that his beloved Fatima had been taken captive by Stefan Zapola, the cruel lord of the castle. Omar pleaded, “I will give you silver, gold, jewelry, precious Persian carpets...anything you desire. Only set my Fatima free!” “Everything you offer, we already have,” sneered Zapola. “What does Your Highness not possess?” begged Omar. “Water. Ordinary water,” came the reply. Omar and his Turkish cohorts immediately set to work, hewing at the rock. After three long years they finally struck water about 80 meters (250 feet) down. Zapola was delighted, for the discovery meant that his castle could now withstand even the longest sieges, and Fatima was thus set free to rejoin her lover. Omar’s well of love has stood in the courtyard of Trenčín castle for five centuries since, a silent testimony to the (possible) truth of this story. Year round, couples in love still come hand in hand to toss a coin down the 80-meter deep well for luck, and to pay homage to the legend of Omar and Fatima’s enduring affection.
The massive rock promontory the castle sits upon is also significant. Here, near the regal Hotel Tatra, a carving in the rock is the oldest written evidence of Roman troops on Slovak territory, dating back to 179 AD. It is also the most northern confirmation of the Roman soldiers to be found in central Europe. We hiked to the top, along a steep foot path which takes approximately 10 minutes to climb, to see the castle and also to view the city from the highest point of this very high castle. From this vantage point we could see the restored Trenčín Old Town, the Vah River sliding lazily by the city, and the sprawling farmlands to the west of town.
Currently, the town of Trenčin, whose population is roughly 60,000, is known as the Slovak town of fashion. It has an elongated center square with skating rink in the winter and fountain in the summer, surrounded by shops and entertainment. There is a column in the middle of the Old Town square that was built by Duke Mikulas Ileshazy in 1712 in memory of the victims of a plague epidemic which ravaged the city in 1710. Behind the town walls near the Lower Gate, also known as the Turkish Gate, is a clock tower from the 15th century. At the opposite side of the square there is a large Neo-Romantic style synagogue building with a large cupola that makes it look like an oriental temple. This building, which was built in 1913, is only used for art exhibitions or concerts now. A small room at the back is still used as a prayer room, but there are few Jews in Trenčín to attend now.
We returned to the Flora Hotel in time for dinner, which was followed by an orientation program for the new scholar grantees (which had begun the evening before). Hanka Ripkova, the director of the Czech Fulbright Commission, gave a formal presentation outlining the public school and higher education system and degree offerings, and discussed some of the issues and legislation, both from the EU and from the Bologna agreement, that are driving education reform now. Mary and I (and Rick) went to this session to answer questions about the university system, class schedules, student expectations and behaviours, etc. Most of us were back in the bar before 9 p.m. We were prepared to migrate to the wine cellar, which offered music and longer hours of operation this evening, but the barkeeper made no attempt to close early, so we stayed until well after midnight in the bar.

posted by JWinn @ 10:29 PM