Slovakia

The Danube River

Bratislava: City plan mesta.
Pressburg Presporok Pozsony. Slovakia, 1905

The Port of Bratislava is an inland port on the Danube River near the border between Slovakia and Austria. Just 54 kilometers east-southeast of Vienna, the Port of Bratislava is a regional cultural center with diverse industries that include the manufacture of chemicals, textiles, and electrical products. In 2005, over 425 people called Port of Bratislava home. Before 1919, the Port of Bratislava was known as Presporok (Slovak), Pressburg (German and English), or Pozsony (Hungarian).

The 17th Century brought floods, plagues and other natural disasters as well as rebellions against the Habsburgs and fighting against the Turks. However, the city prospered again in the 18th Century under Empress Maria Theresa of Austria. During that time, many new buildings appeared (including palaces, mansions, and monasteries).

A Slovak Girl in her Sunday best. (Slovakia was part of Hungary at the time of this painting.)

The Port of Bratislava was an important cultural and social center for the region. During the 19th Century, the Port of Bratislava began to lose status. The crown jewels went to Vienna as a diplomatic gesture. Central offices and much of the nobility went to Pest. Still, the city was important.

Slovakia, Bratislava, Old Town

The first Hungarian and Slovak newspapers were published in the Port of Bratislava in 1780. In 1805, Slovakia was the sight for the signing of the Peace of Pressburg between France and Austria. The Hungarian Academy of Sciences was founded in the city in 1825. Hungarian was made the official language in 1843. During the 1800s, industry grew in the Port of Bratislava. The first horse-drawn railway in the Kingdom of Hungary connected the Port of Bratislava to Svaty Jur in 1840. Steam locomotives connected the Port of Bratislava to Vienna and Pest in 1850. New institutions were founded in the city, including the first bank in modern Slovakia.

July 2, 1862, The London Nonconformist, London, United Kingdom

PEASANT SALUTATION.

Austria, Czech, Slovakia, Hungary.
Autriche Moravia Moravie Vienna, 1859

"In another feature we were reminded of the Slovak country, for here, as there, the salutation, ' Poohwalony Jesus Christus,' was exchanged between our driver and every passer-by.

"Praisea be Jesus Christ.' is the Slavonic address, and its answer, "Praised be He." There is something touohing in the sound of 'praise' proceeding from the lips of these hunger-bitten mountaineers the same lips which utter that sorrowful proverb, 'No one has a heart for the Slovak but God.' Who can wonder that those terrible images of the Crucifixion which in full site of life make one shudder from the wayside, should be objects of adoration to the peasant of the Carpathians? Do they not tell him that his 'Jesus Christus' knows what it it to suffer?"

A book on a region so little known would be welcome, even were it less abundant in information, and poorer everyway in interest, than is this pleasant record of a Carpathian tour.

January 1, 1921, Sausalito News, Sausalito, California, U.S.A.

FOREIGNERS SENDING VAST RELIEF HOME
Over 90 Per Cent of Food Drafts Sent to Europe Gifts From Immigrant Population.

Out of their earnings, for the most part as unskilled laborers, living from hand to mouth, the foreign-born element In the United States is contributing largely to the funds for food supplies to aid the starving peoples of their native lands.

Figures from the Food Draft section of the American Relief Administration show that $593,110 had been sent to Poland, up to the end of November. $158,170 had been sent to CzechoSlovakia; Hungary had received $382,760, Germany had $1,443,619 and Austria $2,046,720. It was estimated that more than 90 per cent of this money had been spent by nationals of these various countries who are now in the United States. There are about 1,500,000 Poles, 800,000 Hungarians, 500,000 Czechs and 600,000 Slovaks In this country.

The profits which resulted from the sale of these food drafts have been turned into the fund for general child feeding. It is to bring this fund up to the point where it can meet the demands on it, to save the lives of $3,500,000 children children that the European Relief Council has been formed by eight great relief organizations.

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Slovak Tales for Young and Old: Pavol Dobsinsky in English and Slovak
Pavol Dobsinsky, Peter Strelinger, Ivan Reguli (Editor), Martin Benka (Illustrator)
This collaborative work showcases to the English-speaking world Slovak folk tales by Pavol Dobsinky and 15 color and 50 black and white reproductions of Slovak artist Martin Benka. The book is bilingual, with English translations in front and the original Slovak version in the back of the book.

Eastern European History: A Selection of Works
including Philip Longworth's The Making of Eastern Europe. In the revised edition of this controversial book, Philip Longworth argues that their predicament is only partly due to the imposition of the Soviet system but rather that they are the heirs of misfortune which dates back centuries. In exploring the origins of current problems, this sweeping history ranges from the present day to the time of Constantine the Great, the Urals to the Mediterranean and the Baltic, and emphasizes culture and society, as well as politics and economics. In an additional new chapter Philip Longworth analyses the collapse of Communism and the advent of postcommunism. This book will be of immense value to all who want to understand Eastern Europe's past and present. The book is considered a "first-rate piece of historical analysis."

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1899. World's Fleet. Boston Daily Globe

Lloyds Register of Shipping gives the entire fleet of the world as 28,180 steamers and sailing vessels, with a total tonnage of 27,673,628, of which 39 perent are British.

Great Britain	10,990 vessels, total tonnage of 10,792,714
United States	3,010 vessels, total tonnage of 2,405,887
Norway	2,528 vessels, tonnage of 1,604,230
Germany	1,676 vessels, with a tonnage of 2,453,334, in which are included her particularly large ships.
Sweden	1,408 vessels with a tonnage of 643, 527
Italy	1,150 vessels
France	1,182 vessels

For Historical Comparison
Top 10 Maritime Nations Ranked by Value (2017)

	Country	# of Vessels	Gross Tonnage (m)	Total Value (USDbn)
1	Greece	4,453	206.47	$88.0
2	Japan	4,317	150.26	$79.8
3	China	4,938	159.71	$71.7
4	USA	2,399	55.92	$46.5
5	Singapore	2,662	64.03	$41.7
6	Norway	1,668	39.68	$41.1
7	Germany	2,923	81.17	$30.3
8	UK	883	28.78	$24.3
9	Denmark	1,040	36.17	$23.4
10	South Korea	1,484	49.88	$20.1
Total		26,767	87.21	$466.9