Monuments and Attractions in Bratislava #1 - Miletičova Street and Market
I live very near the famed Miletičova Market. This is the largest and I believe the oldest public market in Bratislava. The market takes its name from the long residential street on which it's located: Miletičova, however, locals seem to call it simply trhovisko, or 'the market'. The street, and subsequently the market, take their name from Svetozar Miletić (Miletič in Slovak) (1826-1901) was a journalist, author, politician, etc., from Serbia. He was the mayor of Novi Sad, currently the second largest city in Serbia.
So what does a Serbian have to do with Bratislava? Miletič (I'll default now to the Slovak spelling) was a political advocate for the rights of Serbs and other ethnic groups (including Slovaks) who were then living under the yoke of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He studied in Bratislava, and during his tenure here, he edited a small newspaper entitled Serbski Soko. In 1844, while still in Bratislava, he met his Slovak counterpart, Ľudovít Štúr, who apparently influenced him. Miletič regarded the Serbian people as a nation and he believed his people had to liberate themselves from foreign rule, something Štúr believed about the Slovaks.
Long story short, there's a plaque on Miletičova Street, located on the right side of the street about a block from where Miletičova intersects with Prievozská Street. The plaque is inscribed in Slovak as well as in Serbian. It reads thus:
SVETOZAR MILETIĆ
1826 - 1901
Veľku priateľ Slovakov, bratislavský študent a významný srbský publicista a politik. Poslanec Uhorského snemu a bojovnik za rovnoprávnosť náradov v Uhorsku.
(Translation: Great friend of the Slovaks, Bratislava student and prominent Serbian publicist and politician. Member of the Hungarian Parliament and Warrior for Equality of Nations in Hungary.)
The market itself got its start around 1884 as a place to buy meat. A newer location and slaughterhouse were established on the same grounds as the current market, in 1924. Today vendors from all over the region come to sell their produce, dairy products, fresh flowers, and even wine. Zuza and I like one reputable husband-wife team from the Hungarian-speaking southern region of Slovakia. They always have the freshest seasonal produce. It's not the cheapest, but their products are always the very best short of growing them ourselves.
You can also find various "knick-knack" sellers, used booksellers (one whose stall I frequent), houseware items, tools and hardware, toys, and of course, inexpensive clothing and shoes. Most of the clothing vendors are Vietnamese. There are also several Vietnamese fast food stalls to choose from, as well as places selling sausages, goulash, or lángos, a deep-fried dough-like snack of Hungarian origin. Lots of Roma (gypsies) come to sell their flowers or mushrooms (in the autumn), and sometimes there are street entertainers. The market is a popular meeting place, especially on Saturdays.
Paprika for sale