A̶t̶t̶e̶n̶t̶i̶o̶n̶,̶ ̶b̶o̶r̶d̶e̶r̶!̶ ̶D̶e̶v̶í̶n̶ ̶a̶s̶ ̶a̶ ̶p̶a̶r̶t̶ ̶o̶f̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶I̶r̶o̶n̶ ̶C̶u̶r̶t̶a̶i̶n̶ ̶i̶n̶ ̶1̶9̶4̶8̶ ̶-̶ ̶1̶9̶8̶9̶

The Iron Curtain, dividing Europe into two hostile blocs in the 20th century, is one of the most famous symbols of the Cold War. It mainly represented an economic apolitical barrier between the West and the East, but in the countries of the Soviet bloc it also had its physical form, brutally interfering with the life of the population. In what was then Czechoslovakia, it had a length of 920 kilometers, including a section in Devín that was several kilometers long.

Exhibition Attention, border! Devín in the Iron Curtain provides an insight into the history of the castle and its surroundings in the context of the iron curtain of the totalitarian years 1948-1989. We present the emergence and functioning of the militaristic regime on the Devín section of the guarded border, the scope of the measures and their impact on the events in the Devín urban area. The Iron Curtain marked the lives of many people with its existence, often very tragically. Therefore, we consider it important to draw attention to several specific human fates connected with the attempt to escape from totalitarian Czechoslovakia through the Devín border section.

With this exhibition, we want to offer visitors the opportunity to think about the modern history of Slovakia and Central Europe and the role that Devín Castle played in it. It is not “only” an important historical, archaeological or natural site. It is also an important memorial place with great symbolic significance not only for Slovak men and women, but also for other nations of Central Europe. Finally, it is no coincidence that the Hello, Europe! march, one of the fundamental events accompanying the fall of the Iron Curtain in Central Europe, is to a large extent connected with Devín. We believe that even in this way we can contribute to a deeper understanding of our recent past and to the shaping of the public debate about it.