ABSTRACT
The city of Bratislava is determined by its geographical location on the edge of historical state borders and its secondary position within them. First serious possibility to overcome this peripheral status came in 1939, after the establishment of the nationalistic Slovak Republic. Another opportunity arrived only after 1968, with the passing of the law transforming Czechoslovakia into a federation, when Bratislava was confirmed as the capital city of the federative republic of Slovakia. The following period represents therefore the time of the most ambitious development of the city. During this period Bratislava grew nearly twice in the number of inhabitants, new districts, infrastructure as well as the reconstruction of the entire city centre were planned, although most of these plans were realised only in fragments or remained in the form of ambitious intentions. The chapter focuses on the period after the federalisation of Czechoslovakia and will describe the urban plans as well as architecture designs that intended to change the character of the city. It will also explain why this planning was possible, who were the actors that influenced it and what were the circumstances that enabled such planning, illustrated through concrete examples of these processes.
