"Komarom - the town of fortresses"

The system of historic forts is situated in and around the twin towns of Komrom, Hungary, and Komrno, Slovakia on opposite banks of the Danube River. Even taken individually the forts on both sides are genuine historic and cultural treasures, representing the highest level of military architecture of their time and having survived unaltered since the beginning of the 20^th century. These forts, and their predecessors have been built and rebuilt over the centuries, but their current forms show the most skilled building techniques and styles from the second half of the 19^th century (1852-1890). Their survival has kept the talent of their builders architects, engineers, officers, and masons, as well as other craftsmen and workers and of their former occupants soldiers, refugees and deportees alive. These men represented several nations and nationalities living in this region of Europe, and therefore in its appearance, location and substance the fort represents a unique cross-section of the continuous common history of Central Europe from Roman times up to the Cold War.

The forts have not been attacked in the recent wars of the 20^th century, and therefore they make a suitable location for more peaceful messages and functions: museums, conference centers, sites for cultural events and art exhibitions, crafts training, non-profit workshops, art studios, memorials, and other services related to culture and tourism. As has been shown by visitors arriving from all over the world, the main attraction is and always will be the historic character of the forts themselves, qualities that are unique, intrinsic and authentic despite their current neglected state.
 
Komrom has aroused the interest on account of its extraordinarily advantageous geographical situation many centuries before, therefore the settlements heart was established relatively soon. The town obtainable on the bank of the river Danube is the meeting point of Csallkz which is situated between the rivers Vg and Danube, Dunntl (Transdanubia) and Mtyusfld and it was a strategically important ford, a crossing-place at the confluence of the rivers Danube and Vg-Danube. This fact went a great way towards to that the town played an economically and militarily great role in the course of history.
 
In accordance with the archeological findings Celts lived in the area of Szny (a part of todays Komrom), then Brigetio was built onto this colony later on, which was one of the most significant fortresses of Pannonias Province of the Roman Empire in the 1^st century B.C.. A legion consisted of 4000-6000 persons could be stationed on the territory of Brigetio, which was walled off by a colossal stone-wall. The archeological explorations proved tracks of a garrison town, several watch-towers and numerous smaller forts. A considerable fortress on the left side of the river Danube - was built as well, it bore the name Celamantia. After the downfall of the Roman Empire the regions most significant inhabitants were the Avars. Subsequent to the Hungarian Conquest according to Anonymus - chief rpd gave the surroundings of Komrom to Ketel, who built an earthwork here.
 
At the era of Bla IV after the Mongol invasion of Hungary a stone-castle was built, then in the 15^th century during the reign of Mtys Hunyadi authentic palaces, magnificent renaissance buildings were founded in Komrom. Mtys stationed a great part of his Danubian fleet beneath the walls of the castle. Komrom was equally an inland and water-, as well as an economic and military point of junction.
 
After Buda became captured by the Turkish, Ferdinand I decreed the castle of Komroms fortification.  Pietro Ferabosco drew up the plan of the so-called Old Fortress in compliance with the modernest castle-architectural principles. The completed castle was considered as a serious soundness in the border-fortress system against the Turkish, thus it was defended by the war-masses of important armed forces, infantry, cavalry, garrison-artillery and from the direction of the rivers by the sloops (from the 17th century they were named as boatmen).
 
The real ordeal of the Old Fortress was in 1594, when Grand Vizier Sinan with his one hundred thousand persons army, after capturing Tata then Gyr, proceeded against Komrom. The castle held on valiantly and repulsed the superior forced Turkish army. The town albeit burnt down nearly to the ground during the siege and its preparations was rebuilt again. Moreover the council of war functioning beside the royal court decreed the building of a new bulwark after 1663. The new bastion, the New Fortress was built by taking into consideration the modernest Italian and French fortification experience. The building complex was finished in 1673. In paralell with the erection of the fortress the bridge-abutment forts situated on the Vg-Danube side and on the right bank of the river Danube were renovated and fortified as well. Consequently this strategic point was guarded by five stronghold-elements and one fortress section. The fortress system lost its importance after the Turkish occupation of Hungary and the town utilizing the peaceful period began to flourish. Komrom became the fifth biggest town in number of inhabitants - of the country in the 18^th century. 

The earthquake of immense strength in 1763 whose epicenter was Komrom transformed the thriving town into heap of ruins.
 
At the beginning of the 19^th century during the Napoleon wars Vienna came under fire as well and in 1809 the imperial court had to escape, the emperor Ferenc I (Francis I) and the king took refuge in - that time with feverish haste fortified - Komrom. In July of 1809 the Monarch decided to have Komrom built to the greatest fortress system of the area, as big that it is suitable to a secure hold of an army of 200 000 persons. Following the monarchial decision engineering-corps major general Dedovich, who was the director of the castles fortification as well, accomplished the projecting on the basis of the war experience. 
 
An engineering staff led by field marshal Marquis Chasteler finished the first part of the fortress systems project. This project set the purpose of strengthening the castles and modernizing the bridge-heads and the work continued under the leadership of the field marshal. In compliances with the plans the extension of the fortress system had to be continued on the right bank of the river Danube as well. They wanted to build two independent elements next to the already existing bridge-head fort - the Star-Fortress - on the right bank. Therefore on this side of the river the Treasury had to buy a land on the Sand-Hill of Monostor and next to the road leading to Nagyigmnd. The preceding was the Zichy estate and after the agreement with the family (in 1817) the Treasury acquired the territories selected for the building.
 
From 1827 began the modernization and interior alteration of the Old Fortress and lasted till 1839. From this time on the mass of the building force was devoted to the fortification work of the Ndor (Palatine)-line (a bastions strengthened defence line extending from the rivers of Danube and Vg, connecting the Old Fortress with the New Fortress with a defensive, ramparts wall). The Ndor-line was reinforced by five bastions in conformity with the modified plans, which were connected by an ashlar-wall. The indepent defensive building was protected by moats and each of its walls were brickset. The firing-system of the defence was developed like that the artillery gun pits and the infantry loop-holes made possible the ward of the fortress-elements from more sides.
 
The building of the bastions began from the Little-Danube with the Fortress Number I, which was completed in 1844. Here was evolved the Pozsony Gate, which pierced the Ndor-line and was developed for an east-west-bound road. Additional three fortress elements of the defence line were finished until 1847, but the fifth one could not be completely accomplished owing to the revolution and war of independence in 1848 49. During the revolution of Budapest the commandant of the fortresses was lieutenant general Friedrich Metz, who was followed by the lieutenant colonel Istvn Majthnyi in the middle of September. He immediately set himself to have the earthwork of the fortresses done as well as to the organization of the army of defence since the defense of the systems of fortification according to a plan from 1826 required 14 000 infantrymen, 1800 artillerymen and 1 200 cavalries as well as 400 cannons. At the end of 1848 as a consequence of the alteration  of the war of independences strategic situation after the Hungarian main body of the army retreated to the interior of the country the 12 000 persons defending Komrom were prepared to the siege, which commenced in March of 1849 after the blockade of the fortress system. The siege cannons of the beleaguering Austrian army corps their commandant was lieutenant general Balthasar Simunich began to shell the fort of Komrom on 20^th March. Simunich set his heavy siege artillery exactly between the present Fortress of Monostor and Szny. The bombardment tending to quench preferably the defenders and the inhabitants caused smaller damages in the defensive buildings, the dwelling houses and the public buildings sustained a massive injury. The defence in spite of the serial attempts successfully maintained the fortress elements.
 
The results of the spring military expedition of the main body of the army rendered the crack of the blockade possible. The Hungarian main force of the army succeeded in expelling the Austrian squads in the direction of Gyr and to be able to rule the right bank of the river Danube the bulwark began there as well.
 
The new commandant of the fortified castle general Gyrgy (George) Klapka issued order to build a fort supplied with casemates on the Sand-Hill. In the course of the building the originally four corner-towered, suitable to accomodate 1 000 persons edifices tower - looking in the direction of cs - was completed; the remaining directions were assured by earthworks.  The cannons placed in the entrenchment could enfilade the foreground of the Ndor-line and were able to close the Danube as well as the road from the direction of Vienna. Two defence buildings were developed in the roads defence, respectively the entrenchment of Igmnd protecting from the direction of the encampment.
 
The Hungarian and the Austrian main body of the army encountered twice in the area in July without a decisive success. Thereafter the Hungarian main forces were commanded to the river of Tisza, so Klapka with his 18 200 persons army of defence and 300 cannons was prepared for the guard of the town and its system of fortifications. Against the Austrian observational and blocking forces (12 000 persons and 75 cannons) Klapka launched more offensives and during the greatest one he gained ground to Pozsony respectively to Gyr and obtained grand booty.
 
After the decisive defeat of the Hungarian main body of the army and the capitulation at Vilgos on 13^th August Klapka and Komrom isolated, the fortress system was enclosed with the Austrian and Russian troops. Finally after a long chain of discussions Klapka on 27^th September, 1849 signed the agreement about the capitulation of the fortress. Komrom was virtually distroyed during the war of independence, the prosperous 20 000 persons towns inhabitants decreased to one half. Majority of churches, schools, public buildings and private houses fell prey to the bombardment.