Leopoldov Prison
Encyclopedia
Leopoldov Prison is a 17th century fortress built against Ottoman Turks
, in the 19th century it was converted into a high-security prison
in the town of Leopoldov
, Slovakia
. Once the largest prison in the Kingdom of Hungary
, in 20th century it became known for housing political prisoner
s under the communist regime, notably the future communist President of Czechoslovakia
Gustáv Husák
.
After the dismantling of communism
in 1989, Leopoldov Prison was the place of a series of violent revolts requiring intervention of highest-ranking government officials including Ministers and the Prime Minister, who personally conducted negotiations inside the prison. The building complex was damaged during the riots and in 1990, the Slovak parliament voted to close the prison down. However, it continues to serve until today. Leopoldov Prison was the place of the 1991 prison break, where a group of prisoners fought their way out, murdering several prison guards in the process.
Construction of a fortress against Ottoman Turks
started in 1665 and was finished in 1669, on the initiative of Leopold I
, after the Nové Zámky
fortress fell to the Turks. The fortress was built in a star shape, with two entrance gates. During the reign of Maria Theresa of Austria
, it was used as a military warehouse. After loss of military importance in the 19th century, it was rebuilt as a prison in 1855, with a capacity of around 1000 inmates, what was the biggest prison in the Kingdom of Hungary
at that time. Since that time it is used as a prison continuously until present. During the Communist Czechoslovakia, the Communist government used the prison for holding and liquidating political prisoner
s, particularly in the 1950s. The conditions were harsh for prisoners, and the prison was one of the most notorious in the former Czechoslovakia. Among the inmates was Gustáv Husák
(from 1954 to 1960), who would be later communist president of Czechoslovakia
. The prison was modernized and reconstructed in the second half of the 20th century. Before 1989 there were approximately 2,600 inmates in the prison. As of 1990, it was the biggest prison in the present-day Slovakia.
The prison includes four general practitioner
offices, one dentist
's office, one psychiatrist
's office and place for bedridden patients. Leopoldov Prison specializes in treating prisoners suffering from tuberculosis
and diabetes and convicts in court-appointed protective anti-drug treatment (usually for alcoholism
).
a wave of unrest swept the Czechoslovak prisons. After a wide-ranging amnesty
by president Václav Havel
from January 1990, the prisoners in Leopoldov prison revolted. At this point there were approximately 2500 inmates in Leopoldov, including some 200 murderers, 170 rapists, 370 burglars and 320 thiefs, most of them falling under the provisions of paragraph 41 about serious recidive thus not being the subject of the president's amnesty. About 552 prisoners were to be released but this process started gradually. Besides reconsidering their cases in face of the amnesty, revolting prisoners also demanded that many wardens compromised under the communist regime or brutal towards inmates be fired. First hunger-strikes and unrest in January were suppressed.
On March 1, 1990 217 inmates barricaded themselves inside a structure called the Castle (sleeping rooms of the III. and IV. regiment). They managed to hold the object for some time, demolishing the furniture in the process, but this uprising was suppressed.
On March 15 1990, the prisoners started a revolt, resisting arrest for two weeks, barricading themselves and using iron rods, razors, petrol bombs and improvised flamethrower
s as their weapons. The revolt climaxed on Marched 28, 1990 when hundreds of prisoners managed to set the roof of the Castle on fire. After the end of the revolt, the damage was estimated at 27 million Kčs and a big part of the prison was not habitable. In fact, the damage was so great that authorities seriously considered closing the whole prison down.
The situation in Leopoldov prison remained tense, as many leaders of the previous revolts were still among the inmates, including Tibor Polgári who took part in a famous prison break a year later. In November 1991, seven escapees from Leopoldov prison murdered five guards. After spending four hours fleeing Leopoldov prison, stealing several cars in the process, they managed to take a train which took them back to Leopoldov.
voted to close the prison in 1990, this decision was reversed in 1993. Today, the prison is used as a medium and high security prison, for 1,426 inmates. Some objects are protected as historical monuments.
Ottoman Turks
The Ottoman Turks were the Turkish-speaking population of the Ottoman Empire who formed the base of the state's military and ruling classes. Reliable information about the early history of Ottoman Turks is scarce, but they take their Turkish name, Osmanlı , from the house of Osman I The Ottoman...
, in the 19th century it was converted into a high-security prison
Prison
A prison is a place in which people are physically confined and, usually, deprived of a range of personal freedoms. Imprisonment or incarceration is a legal penalty that may be imposed by the state for the commission of a crime...
in the town of Leopoldov
Leopoldov
Leopoldov is a town in the Trnava Region of Slovakia, near the Váh river. It has a population of 4,083. The city is the location of Leopoldov Prison a high-security correctional institution.-History:...
, Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
. Once the largest prison in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
, in 20th century it became known for housing political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s under the communist regime, notably the future communist President of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
Gustáv Husák
Gustáv Husák
Gustáv Husák was a Slovak politician, president of Czechoslovakia and a long-term Communist leader of Czechoslovakia and of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia...
.
After the dismantling of communism
Velvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
in 1989, Leopoldov Prison was the place of a series of violent revolts requiring intervention of highest-ranking government officials including Ministers and the Prime Minister, who personally conducted negotiations inside the prison. The building complex was damaged during the riots and in 1990, the Slovak parliament voted to close the prison down. However, it continues to serve until today. Leopoldov Prison was the place of the 1991 prison break, where a group of prisoners fought their way out, murdering several prison guards in the process.
History
Ottoman Empire
The Ottoman EmpireIt was usually referred to as the "Ottoman Empire", the "Turkish Empire", the "Ottoman Caliphate" or more commonly "Turkey" by its contemporaries...
started in 1665 and was finished in 1669, on the initiative of Leopold I
Leopold I, Holy Roman Emperor
| style="float:right;" | Leopold I was a Holy Roman Emperor, King of Hungary and King of Bohemia. A member of the Habsburg family, he was the second son of Emperor Ferdinand III and his first wife, Maria Anna of Spain. His maternal grandparents were Philip III of Spain and Margaret of Austria...
, after the Nové Zámky
Nové Zámky
Nové Zámky is a town in southwestern Slovakia.-Geography:The town is located on the Danubian Lowland, on the Nitra River, at an altitude of 119 metres. It is located around 100 km from Bratislava and around 25 km from the Hungarian border. It is a road and railway hub of southern...
fortress fell to the Turks. The fortress was built in a star shape, with two entrance gates. During the reign of Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa of Austria
Maria Theresa Walburga Amalia Christina was the only female ruler of the Habsburg dominions and the last of the House of Habsburg. She was the sovereign of Austria, Hungary, Croatia, Bohemia, Mantua, Milan, Lodomeria and Galicia, the Austrian Netherlands and Parma...
, it was used as a military warehouse. After loss of military importance in the 19th century, it was rebuilt as a prison in 1855, with a capacity of around 1000 inmates, what was the biggest prison in the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary
The Kingdom of Hungary comprised present-day Hungary, Slovakia and Croatia , Transylvania , Carpatho Ruthenia , Vojvodina , Burgenland , and other smaller territories surrounding present-day Hungary's borders...
at that time. Since that time it is used as a prison continuously until present. During the Communist Czechoslovakia, the Communist government used the prison for holding and liquidating political prisoner
Political prisoner
According to the Longman Dictionary of Contemporary English, a political prisoner is ‘someone who is in prison because they have opposed or criticized the government of their own country’....
s, particularly in the 1950s. The conditions were harsh for prisoners, and the prison was one of the most notorious in the former Czechoslovakia. Among the inmates was Gustáv Husák
Gustáv Husák
Gustáv Husák was a Slovak politician, president of Czechoslovakia and a long-term Communist leader of Czechoslovakia and of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia...
(from 1954 to 1960), who would be later communist president of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
. The prison was modernized and reconstructed in the second half of the 20th century. Before 1989 there were approximately 2,600 inmates in the prison. As of 1990, it was the biggest prison in the present-day Slovakia.
Description
The Leopoldov Prison complex consists of a 267 651 meters squared area. It is divided into an administrative part, prisoner cellblocks and workshops. Some parts of the complex are protected as cultural and historical landmarks.The prison includes four general practitioner
General practitioner
A general practitioner is a medical practitioner who treats acute and chronic illnesses and provides preventive care and health education for all ages and both sexes. They have particular skills in treating people with multiple health issues and comorbidities...
offices, one dentist
Dentist
A dentist, also known as a 'dental surgeon', is a doctor that specializes in the diagnosis, prevention, and treatment of diseases and conditions of the oral cavity. The dentist's supporting team aides in providing oral health services...
's office, one psychiatrist
Psychiatrist
A psychiatrist is a physician who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders. All psychiatrists are trained in diagnostic evaluation and in psychotherapy...
's office and place for bedridden patients. Leopoldov Prison specializes in treating prisoners suffering from tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...
and diabetes and convicts in court-appointed protective anti-drug treatment (usually for alcoholism
Alcoholism
Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...
).
Prisoner revolts
In December 1989, shortly after the Velvet revolutionVelvet Revolution
The Velvet Revolution or Gentle Revolution was a non-violent revolution in Czechoslovakia that took place from November 17 – December 29, 1989...
a wave of unrest swept the Czechoslovak prisons. After a wide-ranging amnesty
Amnesty
Amnesty is a legislative or executive act by which a state restores those who may have been guilty of an offense against it to the positions of innocent people, without changing the laws defining the offense. It includes more than pardon, in as much as it obliterates all legal remembrance of the...
by president Václav Havel
Václav Havel
Václav Havel is a Czech playwright, essayist, poet, dissident and politician. He was the tenth and last President of Czechoslovakia and the first President of the Czech Republic . He has written over twenty plays and numerous non-fiction works, translated internationally...
from January 1990, the prisoners in Leopoldov prison revolted. At this point there were approximately 2500 inmates in Leopoldov, including some 200 murderers, 170 rapists, 370 burglars and 320 thiefs, most of them falling under the provisions of paragraph 41 about serious recidive thus not being the subject of the president's amnesty. About 552 prisoners were to be released but this process started gradually. Besides reconsidering their cases in face of the amnesty, revolting prisoners also demanded that many wardens compromised under the communist regime or brutal towards inmates be fired. First hunger-strikes and unrest in January were suppressed.
On March 1, 1990 217 inmates barricaded themselves inside a structure called the Castle (sleeping rooms of the III. and IV. regiment). They managed to hold the object for some time, demolishing the furniture in the process, but this uprising was suppressed.
On March 15 1990, the prisoners started a revolt, resisting arrest for two weeks, barricading themselves and using iron rods, razors, petrol bombs and improvised flamethrower
Flamethrower
A flamethrower is a mechanical device designed to project a long controllable stream of fire.Some flamethrowers project a stream of ignited flammable liquid; some project a long gas flame. Most military flamethrowers use liquids, but commercial flamethrowers tend to use high-pressure propane and...
s as their weapons. The revolt climaxed on Marched 28, 1990 when hundreds of prisoners managed to set the roof of the Castle on fire. After the end of the revolt, the damage was estimated at 27 million Kčs and a big part of the prison was not habitable. In fact, the damage was so great that authorities seriously considered closing the whole prison down.
The situation in Leopoldov prison remained tense, as many leaders of the previous revolts were still among the inmates, including Tibor Polgári who took part in a famous prison break a year later. In November 1991, seven escapees from Leopoldov prison murdered five guards. After spending four hours fleeing Leopoldov prison, stealing several cars in the process, they managed to take a train which took them back to Leopoldov.
1999 murder
In the early hours of September 2, 1999 in cell no. 2 on the VI. regiment of Leopoldov prison Jozef Vígh from Čenkovice and Stanislav Zimmermann from Malá Lehota strangled their cellmate with a leather belt and laid his body in a way to suggest suicide. At this time, both men were already serving a 15 and 17 year long sentences. They were both convicted of the murder and their sentences have been changed to life imprisonment.Today
Although the Slovak National CouncilNational Council of the Slovak Republic
The National Council of the Slovak Republic , abbreviated to NR SR, is the national parliament of Slovakia. It is unicameral, and consists of 150 MPs, who are elected by universal suffrage under proportional representation every four years....
voted to close the prison in 1990, this decision was reversed in 1993. Today, the prison is used as a medium and high security prison, for 1,426 inmates. Some objects are protected as historical monuments.
Notable inmates
- Gustáv HusákGustáv HusákGustáv Husák was a Slovak politician, president of Czechoslovakia and a long-term Communist leader of Czechoslovakia and of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia...
- communist President of CzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakiaCzechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992... - Ondrej RigoOndrej RigoOndrej Rigo , is a Slovak serial killer and necrophile who targeted women in Bratislava, Munich and Amsterdam from 1990 to 1992. Currently serving a life sentence for 9 murders and 1 attempted murder in Leopoldov Prison in Slovakia, Rigo is a dissocial and schizoid psychopath while also being a...
- Slovak serial killerSerial killerA serial killer, as typically defined, is an individual who has murdered three or more people over a period of more than a month, with down time between the murders, and whose motivation for killing is usually based on psychological gratification...
with the highest number of victims - Jozef RoháčJozef RoháčJozef Roháč a.k.a Potkan is a Slovak criminal, terrorist and mafia hitman, specializing in explosives. He is mostly known for installing the explosive device in the Assassination of Róbert Remiáš and in assassinations of numerous organized crime bosses in Slovakia and Hungary...
- mafia hitman responsible for the Assassination of Róbert RemiášAssassination of Róbert RemiášAssassination of Róbert Remiáš took place on April 29, 1996 in Karlova Ves, Bratislava, Slovakia. Remiáš, an ex-police officer, was one of the key figures in the trial against Slovak Information Service in the case of Kidnapping of the Slovak President's son into Austria from 1995. Remiáš's car was...
See also
- Prisons in SlovakiaPrisons in SlovakiaPrisons in Slovakia are fully owned and operated by the state. In 2004, Slovakia had 8 891 prisoners, representing 165 per 100 000 of the national population. By the end of 2010 the prison population has risen to 10 031 prisoners . As of 2010, Slovakia has 18 correctional institutions capable of...
- Life imprisonment in Slovakia
- Crime in SlovakiaCrime in SlovakiaSlovakia is a Central European country with a history of relatively low crime. While crime became more widespread after the fall of communism in 1989, it remains low when compared to many other post-communist countries....
- LeopoldovLeopoldovLeopoldov is a town in the Trnava Region of Slovakia, near the Váh river. It has a population of 4,083. The city is the location of Leopoldov Prison a high-security correctional institution.-History:...