Kolárovo Castle

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The site of the former fort near Kolarovo. Today, only mounds remain. Kolarovo003.jpg
The site of the former fort near Kolárovo. Today, only mounds remain.

Fort Gúta was a fort near the town of Gúta (modern day Kolárovo) in what is today Slovakia. As of today, no archaeological excavations have been done on its site. [1]

Kolárovo Town in Slovakia

Kolárovo is a town in the south of Slovakia near the town of Komárno. It is an agricultural center with 11,000 inhabitants.

Slovakia Republic in Central Europe

Slovakia, officially the Slovak Republic, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the west, and the Czech Republic to the northwest. Slovakia's territory spans about 49,000 square kilometres (19,000 sq mi) and is mostly mountainous. The population is over 5.4 million and consists mostly of Slovaks. The capital and largest city is Bratislava, and the second largest city is Košice. The official language is Slovak.

Archaeology, or archeology, is the study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts and cultural landscapes. Archaeology can be considered both a social science and a branch of the humanities. In North America archaeology is a sub-field of anthropology, while in Europe it is often viewed as either a discipline in its own right or a sub-field of other disciplines.

Contents

The fort played a minor role during its history compared to the fortresses of two nearby cities, Érsekújvár and Komárom (modern day Nové Zámky and Komárno, respectively) had larger fortresses that played more important roles during past centuries. [2] Specifically, the Siege of Érsekújvár in 1663 was a major event during the Austro-Turkish War, and the fortress of Komárom was the last to resist Austrian and Russian forces during the Hungarian Revolution of 1848.

Nové Zámky Town in Slovakia

Nové Zámky is a town in southwestern Slovakia.

Komárno Town in Slovakia

Komárno is a town in Slovakia at the confluence of the Danube and the Váh rivers. Komárno was formed from part of a historical town in Hungary situated on both banks of the Danube. Following World War I and the Treaty of Trianon, the border of the newly created Czechoslovakia cut the historical, unified town in half, creating two new towns. The smaller part, based on the former suburb of Újszőny, is in present-day Hungary as Komárom. Komárno and Komárom are connected by the Elisabeth Bridge, which used to be a border crossing between Slovakia and Hungary until border checks were lifted due to the Schengen Area rules.

Siege of Érsekújvár (1663) siege

Siege of Érsekújvár refers to capture of Érsekújvár by Ottoman Turks in 1663.

Description

The original castle from the 14th century was protected with two palisades. These wooden walls ran parallel to each other and were reinforced with wickers. The space between the palisades was filled with mud and dirt for reinforcement. For additional protection, a moat was constructed around the castle. [3]

Palisade defensive structure; typically a fence or wall made from wooden stakes

A palisade—sometimes called a stakewall or a paling—is typically a fence or wall made from iron or wooden stakes, or tree trunks and used as a defensive structure or enclosure.

Wicker objects made by weaving or plaiting flexible twigs or osiers

Wicker is a technique for making products woven from any one of a variety of pliable plant materials, a generic name for the materials used in such manufacture, and a term for the items so produced. The word wicker is believed to be of Scandinavian origin: vika which means to bend in Swedish, and vikker meaning willow. Wicker is traditionally made of material of plant origin, such as willow, rattan, reed, and bamboo, but synthetic fibers are now also used. Wicker is light yet sturdy, making it suitable for items that will be moved often like porch and patio furniture. Rushwork and wickerwork are terms used in England.

Moat dry or watery ditch surrounding a fortification or town

A moat is a deep, broad ditch, either dry or filled with water, that is dug and surrounds a castle, fortification, building or town, historically to provide it with a preliminary line of defence. In some places moats evolved into more extensive water defences, including natural or artificial lakes, dams and sluices. In older fortifications, such as hillforts, they are usually referred to simply as ditches, although the function is similar. In later periods, moats or water defences may be largely ornamental. They could also act as a sewer.

History

Fort Gúta was built where the Kolárovo castle stood before it. According to tradition, Mary, Queen of Hungary ordered that castle to be built around 1349 near the confluence of rivers Váh and the Little Danube to protect fords and trade routes. [4] However, Mary was born in 1371, 22 years later, and was crowned in 1382; therefore, it is more likely that the castle was either built decades later or it was built on orders from Mary's predecessor, Louis I. [5]

Mary, Queen of Hungary Queen regnant (rex, king) of Hungary

Mary, also known as Maria of Anjou, reigned as Queen of Hungary and Croatia between 1382 and 1385, and from 1386 until her death. She was the daughter of Louis the Great, King of Hungary and Poland, and his wife, Elizabeth of Bosnia. Mary's marriage to Sigismund of Luxembourg, a member of the imperial Luxembourg dynasty, was already decided before her first birthday. A delegation of Polish prelates and lords confirmed her right to succeed her father in Poland in 1379.

Confluence Meeting of two or more bodies of flowing water

In geography, a confluence occurs where two or more flowing bodies of water join together to form a single channel. A confluence can occur in several configurations: at the point where a tributary joins a larger river ; or where two streams meet to become the source of a river of a new name ; or where two separated channels of a river rejoin at the downstream end.

Váh river in Slovakia

The Váh is the longest river within Slovakia. Towns on the river include Liptovský Hrádok, Liptovský Mikuláš, Ružomberok, Vrútky, Žilina, Bytča, Považská Bystrica, Púchov, Ilava, Dubnica nad Váhom, Nemšová, Trenčín, Nové Mesto nad Váhom, Piešťany, Hlohovec, Sereď, Šaľa, Kolárovo and Komárno.

It has been repaired and renovated several times according to the period requirements. At the beginning of Turkish occupation the fortress was quickly repaired by the local captain Gregor Martonosi Pesthényi in 1527, to protect it from the approaching army of John Zápolya, supported by the Ottoman Empire. That year an army commander of Zápolya, Gáspár Ráskay drew into Guta and conquered the town. Soon afterwards, the fortress fell into the hands of the imperial Austrian army again.

Ottoman Empire Former empire in Asia, Europe and Africa

The Ottoman Empire, historically known in Western Europe as the Turkish Empire or simply Turkey, was a state that controlled much of Southeast Europe, Western Asia and North Africa between the 14th and early 20th centuries. It was founded at the end of the 13th century in northwestern Anatolia in the town of Söğüt by the Oghuz Turkish tribal leader Osman I. After 1354, the Ottomans crossed into Europe, and with the conquest of the Balkans, the Ottoman beylik was transformed into a transcontinental empire. The Ottomans ended the Byzantine Empire with the 1453 conquest of Constantinople by Mehmed the Conqueror.

John Zápolya King of Hungary, Prince of Transylvania

John Zápolya, or John Szapolyai, was King of Hungary from 1526 to 1540. His rule was disputed by Archduke Ferdinand I, who also claimed the title King of Hungary. He was Voivode of Transylvania before his coronation, between 1510-1526.

Austria Federal republic in Central Europe

Austria, officially the Republic of Austria, is a country in Central Europe comprising 9 federated states. Its capital, largest city and one of nine states is Vienna. Austria has an area of 83,879 km2 (32,386 sq mi), a population of nearly 9 million people and a nominal GDP of $477 billion. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Hungary and Slovakia to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the west. The terrain is highly mountainous, lying within the Alps; only 32% of the country is below 500 m (1,640 ft), and its highest point is 3,798 m (12,461 ft). The majority of the population speaks local Bavarian dialects as their native language, and German in its standard form is the country's official language. Other regional languages are Hungarian, Burgenland Croatian, and Slovene.

Between 1584-1594 the fortress was strengthened with the help of the Italian army engineers. At the time when Gabriel Bethlen was conquering the fortress in Komárno, local Walloon and French soldiers escaped.

Italy republic in Southern Europe

Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe. Located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, Italy shares open land borders with France, Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia and the enclaved microstates San Marino and Vatican City. Italy covers an area of 301,340 km2 (116,350 sq mi) and has a largely temperate seasonal and Mediterranean climate. With around 61 million inhabitants, it is the fourth-most populous EU member state and the most populous country in Southern Europe.

Gabriel Bethlen Elected King of Hungary, Prince of Transylvania and Hungarian Protestant military leader

Gabriel Bethlen was Prince of Transylvania from 1613 to 1629 and Duke of Opole from 1622 to 1625. He was also King-elect of Hungary from 1620 to 1621, but he never took control of the whole kingdom. Bethlen, supported by the Ottomans, led his Calvinist principality against the Habsburgs and their Catholic allies.

Wallonia Region of Belgium

Wallonia is a region of Belgium. As the southern portion of the country, Wallonia is primarily French-speaking, and accounts for 55% of Belgium's territory and a third of its population. The Walloon Region was not merged with the French Community of Belgium, which is the political entity responsible for matters related mainly to culture and education, because the French Community of Belgium encompasses both Wallonia and the majority French-Speaking Brussels-Capital Region.

After the Ottoman Army conquered nearby Érsekújvár in 1663, the Kingdom of Hungary, then part of the Habsburg Monarchy, decided to modernize the fort. In 1664, it was rebuilt in as a Baroque-style star fort with four triangular bastions. [2] [6]

Between 1662-1664 being afraid of new attacks of Turks, the fortress was modernized again. Inside there were stone accommodation houses and stone stores for gunpowder and guns. At that time there were 130 mercenaries behind the walls under the command of Matej Fröhwirtha. In the spring of 1707 at the time of the Rákóczi uprising, the count Guido Starhemberg performed the fortification worth 6090 forints with the help of the army engineer Fischer.

The kuruc general János Bottyán stayed nearby the town for four times. On 12 July 1708 he conquered the fortress with the help of heavy artillery and captured local mercenaries. After fighting the fortress was destroyed and kuruc soldiers retreated with the words "Let it be the residence of frogs since now". Although the fortress was repaired later, its defamatory name Békavár (Frog castle) was preserved. Danish garrison was located there by general Heister. In 1840's the fortress had no importance, only the army of the general Görgey who had a rest there after a lost battle.

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Komárom City in Komárom-Esztergom county. Hungary

Komárom is a city in Hungary on the south bank of the Danube in Komárom-Esztergom county. Komárno, Slovakia, is on the northern bank. Komárom was formerly a separate village called Újszőny. In 1892 Komárom and Újszőny were connected with an iron bridge and in 1896 the two towns were united under the name city of Komárom. The fortress played an important role in the Hungarian Revolution of 1848 and many contemporary English sources refer to it as the Fortress of Comorn

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References

  1. ↑ "Békavár" [Frog Castle]. Muemlekem.hu (in Hungarian). 5 July 2012. Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  2. 1 2 "Történelem: A város múltjáról" [History: From the history of the town]. Kolárovo.sk (in Hungarian). Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  3. ↑ "Hrad mieru" [Castle of Peace]. Slovenskehrady.sk (in Slovak). Retrieved 6 August 2015.
  4. ↑ Vende 1907 , pp. 64
  5. ↑ Juhász 1996 , pp. 62–63
  6. ↑ "Gúta". Magyarorszag-szep.hu. Retrieved 6 August 2015.

Bibliography

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