Jewish Street

For centuries Judengasse, or Jewish Street, was the only area where Jews were allowed to reside. Technically, this was not part of the city, but belonged to the castle estate, and its residents were subjects of the castle. The Pálffys permitted Jews to settle here in 1599, and until 1840 Jewish residency was limited to this street, which had two gates that were locked every night by municipal wardens. After the passage of Act XXIX/1840, which granted residential freedom to Jews, upwardly mobile Jewish families settled in Bratislava proper. Following a big fire on May 17, 1913, the area fell into further neglect. Some regarded the neighborhood as an oriental bazaar, while others frequented it to acquire the services of prostitutes. The area was razed in the 1960s to provide space for the SNP Bridge and its connecting roads.