It was late afternoon on April 17, 1910, when the express train from Vienna to Budapest stopped in the small village of Čeklís, not that far away from Pressburg, today's Bratislava. This was an extraordinary stop, well, for an extraordinary passenger, if you will. Theodore Roosevelt, 26th president of the United States, got on the train there, with dozens of people waving him farewell and a gypsy band playing on the platform. What is the full story behind this train ride? Zuzana Botiková traces back the visit of Teddy Roosevelt to Pressburg as well as some villages in its surroundings.
Teddy Roosevelt in Slovakia Máte problém s prehrávaním? Nahláste nám chybu v prehrávači.
The Apponyi chateau in Malinovo is empty today.
The English garden is, however, still a popular destination for the locals.
Albert Apponyi (left) and Theodore Roosevelt (centre) are waiting for the Viennese express train to Budapest in Bernolákovo, back then Čeklís/Cseklész.
(Photo courtesy: Hungarian National Museum)
The train station in Bernolákovo today.
