Historical attractions

Historical attractions in the region Prešov (Pearls of history of Prešov)

Michal Bosák

One of the most famous 20th-century Slovaks, Michal Bosák (1869 - 1937), was born in the village of Okrúhly near Stropkov and grew up to become an eminent US banker whose signature can be found on certain American banknotes.

The Founder of Hungarian Hydrography

Juraj Wernher (1497- 1567) was the first person to systematically chart the location of the most important sites of mineral and thermal springs in Hungary. His discoveries went a long way towards helping establish the traditions of hydrology, hydrogeology and balneology here and elsewhere in Europe.

The First Medical Publication in Slovak

The best-known figure in the 400-year history of Prešov pharmacy is Ján Weber (1612-1684), a man of great education who laid down the foundations of Slovak healthcare literature.

The Oldest Fire Brigade in Slovakia

The first fire brigade in Slovakia was established in Prešov in 1847, the second in Spišské Vlachy in 1863 and the third five years later in Bratislava.

‘Firsts’ in Slovak Astronomy

Prešov can claim various firsts in the history of Slovak astronomy. One of its most famous scientists was the Linz-born astronomer, Izrael Hiebner, who together with the doctor and inventor, Ján Paterson-Hain, became the first in Slovakia to build an astronomic telescope. In 1948 the local so-called People’s Observatory was the first of its kind to be opened in Slovakia.

The First Smallpox Inoculation in Central Europe

The first smallpox (Variola) inoculation in central Europe was carried out in 1720 by Ján Adam Rayman, both Prešov town doctor and the official doctor for the Šariš county. A man of wide scientific interests, Rayman was primarily an immunologist, infectologist and pharmacist.

Cultural and Educational ‘Firsts’ in Bardejov

Stöckel’s school laws, written in 1540 under the name ‘Leges scholae Bartfensis’, are the oldest pedagogical document in Slovakia. The first school play in Hungary, ‘Historia von Susanna’ (The Story of Susan) was performed in the town school here. Its author was Leonard Stöckel. The parish library became the first public library in Hungary with a bookshop being added to it in 1551. In 1581 the Gutgesell press printed the first book in Slovakia in biblical Czech: Luther’s Catechism.

A Gigantic Meteorite in Slovakia

On June 9th 1866 one of the largest ever meteorites in Europe fell to Earth. The meteorite, known by the name of Kňahiňa, fell in an area called Čierna mláka (Black Puddle), which is in the Stinská massif, above the village of Zboj, now part of Ukraine.

Pioneer of Modern Photographic Optics

The sub-Tatran town of Spišská Belá is the birthplace of university professor, mathematician, physicist, inventor of the portrait objective lens, pioneer of modern photographic optics and one of the founders of modern photography, Jozef Maximilián Petzval (1807 - 1891). Streets in several European towns and cities bear his name, as does one of the craters on the Moon.

The Casting of a Neanderthal Skull

In travertine rock in Gánovce near Poprad, the moulding of a Neanderthal skull was found of a person who lived close to a thermal spring about 120,000 years ago. A sinter copy of it can be seen in the permanent exhibition of the Slovak National Museum in Bratislava Castle.