A short-term installation will be added to Devín Castle, commemorating the historic moments associated with the fall of the communist regime.
Saint Nicholas Day held a special significance for the Bratislava City Museum (then the Museum of the City of Bratislava) in 1989. Despite the unfavorable weather, around two thousand students from Bratislava universities gathered at Devín Castle. After pledging loyalty to the nation, homeland, democracy, tolerance, humanity, as well as to young ideals, love, and the principles of nonviolence, brotherhood, and equality, they formed a long human chain that symbolically encircled the entire castle. Given the date’s connection to Saint Nicholas Day, traditional Mikuláš costumes and the symbolic giving of gifts were also part of the event.
The short-term installation will feature the original banner from the protest event on December 6, 1989, accompanied by authentic period photographs that convey the atmosphere of courage, hope, and newfound freedom.
The installation will be on display only from November 11 to 24, 2025, offering a unique opportunity to see the original artifact in the exhibition hall on the middle castle.
Visit Devin – a place where the history of courage, solidarity, and belief in a better future was written. In honor of November 17th, we at MMB are commemorating this important day with a variety of programs. Freedom Day at Devin will take place on Sunday, November 16th, with reduced admission (1 €) and three free guided tours in Slovak, in cooperation with the Nation’s Memory Institute.
We look forward to seeing you, the Devín Castle & MMB Team