From the History of Diplomatic Service and its Seats

Before the Foreign Ministry settled in its current location, it went through several short makeshift stays in different buildings, spread practically all over the city.

None of these was a viable location for the permanent domicile of the Ministry, and each had a number of weaknesses and disadvantages. Ultimately, the search for a definitive location for the ministry took seven years.

The Ministry, which was established in August 1990 as the Ministry of International Relations of the Slovak Republic, had its first seat in the new government building at Námestie slobody (architects Ľudovít Jendreják, Ladislav Kušnír, Peter Puškár, Ján Šilinger, completed 1979). As these premises were only provisional from the beginning, in June 1991 the leadership and policy departments were moved to the building on Údolná St. in Bratislava's Bôrik neighbourhood. However, even these premises proved insufficient in view of the Ministry's forming economic and administrative component, so this part of the Ministry was moved to the premises of the new Ministry of Privatisation of the Slovak Republic, located on Drieňová St..

In September 1992 the name of the Ministry was changed to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic. This was followed by yet another move for the ministry to the building of the then Ministry of Trade of the Slovak Republic, on Stromová St. For a time, there were real considerations to move the ministry to the historical building of the Slovak National Council on Župné námestie, but this plan was never implemented.

In 1994, some sections of the ministry, however, without the leadership of the Ministry, were transferred to the Lanfranconi Palace (today's Ministry of the Environment of the Slovak Republic) on Námestie Ľ. Štúra. This historic building of the 19th century, built according to the plans of Ignatz Feigler junior, is situated in a representative location - on the Danube embankment. However, it too was used only as a temporary makeshift location. In October 1996, the ministry was moved again, this time to the Incheba building on the Petržalka bank of the Danube river (Vladimír Dedeček, 1977-1990). Part of the staff stayed at the premises on Kohútova St. The series of moves and temporary solutions finally came to a hault with the decision by the Slovak Government in 1996, which finally designated the building at 2 Hlboká St. to be the new home of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

After a complicated reconstruction, it became the permanent seat of the Slovak diplomatic service in autumn 1998. After the reconstruction in 2000-2002, the Palugyay Palace at 1 Pražská St was added to the ministry premises along with the Ministry's newest building at 7 Pražská St, which was completed in 2014-2016. The two historic buildings of the premises are architectural testimonials to the fascinating development of architecture in Bratislava and Slovakia, from the historical styles of the second half of the 19th century (Palugyay Palace) to the simple, but equally representative and majestic modern cube of the 1940s (the former seat of the Slovak Grain Company at 2 Hlboká St.).

The Building at 2 Hlboká St.

The building was constructed between 1941 and 1943 according to the design of Juraj Tvarožek, who was one of the most important architects of the interwar period. The building was designed in a functionalist style and served as the seat of the Slovak Grain Company. During the communist regime, this work of late modernism served as the headquarters of the Central Committee of the Slovak Communist Party (SCP) . The building was the scene of important decisions during August 1968, when, an hour and a half after midnight on 21 August, a night session of the Slovak Presidium of the Central Committee of the SCP was held. At the same time, the occupation troops of the Warsaw Pact countries were entering the city.

After the Velvet Revolution it became the seat of the Ministry of Education and later the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

The building at 1 Pražská St. has been used by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic for administrative and representation purposes since 2002.

It was designed and built almost 150 years ago, between 1872 and 1873,  as the Château Palugyay (Palugyay Palace) by Ignatz Feigler Jr., a prominent Bratislava city architect. At the time of its construction, it was one of the most beautiful suburban villa residences in Bratislava (or Pressburg as it was known back then). As for the architectural style, the palace is a neo-Renaissance building. The reconstruction in 2000-2002 saved the dilapidated building and brought it back to life, 130 years after it was built, making it a completely new and dynamic structure. Thanks to its revitalisation and the preservation of its unique historic spaces, this valuable historic palace is today used in many ways by the Ministry.

During the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU in the second half of 2016, the Palugyay Palace on Pražská St. became one of the most important meeting points for European diplomacy.

Despite the fact that the palace has experienced such various changes as being owned by two different families, nationalisation, two world wars and also five significant political changes, it is still one of the most beautiful and splendid city palaces in Bratislava and fulfils its representative function.

The new building of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic was designed as a result of an architectural competition announced in 2009.

It is one of the most architecturally interesting buildings based on a state contract. The administrative building at 7 Pražská St. is the work of architects Ján Pavúk and Ilja Skoček Jr. The development took into account the construction and technical conditions necessary for  placing the Consular Department in the building -- by fulfilling Schengen criteria in a consular office space, including technical measures to comply with the law on the protection of personal data.

The building was one of the working headquarters during the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the Organisation for Security and Cooperation in Europe. It received a nomination in the XVth Slovak Chamber of Architects Awards for Architecture CE∙ZA∙AR 2016 in the category of Civil and Industrial Buildings.

On the entrance façade, there is a tympanum with the state emblem. An awning protects delegations and visitors from bad weather at the main entrance.

When entering the building, visitors undergo a  security check. In the representative foyer of the entrance hall, there is a map of the grid representation missions of the Slovak Republic throughout the world, as well as a fountain with an abstract sculpture that is spectacularly reflected in the mirror above the sloping ceiling of the staircase ramp. The original paternoster lifts have also been replaced with modern cabin lifts. 

The State Secretary's office serves her entire team. Her portfolio includes relations with countries outside the European Union, development and humanitarian cooperation, relations with international organisations, human rights and economic diplomacy.

Within these premises, the State Secretary receives guests and holds meetings with both international and domestic partners.

The seemingly modest space is known to the public mainly from photographs and videos published in the media or on the ministry’s social networks. Here, in front of the flags, photo sessions are held when receiving guests by the highest representatives of the foreign service, and it is also often used for press conferences or briefings.

An interesting feature is the reliefs of important personalities from the history of Slovak diplomacy: V. Clementis (2007, by Róbert Jančovič), J. Papánek, Š. Osuský and M. R. Štefánik (1998, by Alexander Vika). 

This wing presents the offices of the Minister of Foreign Affairs and members of his closest team. There are two meeting rooms - a smaller one in which regular meetings of the ministry’s senior management take place. The larger one – is where the Minister receives delegations, holds bilateral talks, signs important international treaties and occasionally holds press conferences.

The large meeting room is decorated with a work by a naïve artist from Kovačica, Jan Glózik, who has been awarded the Minister's silver plaque for spreading the country’s good reputation. The work depicts the life-long journey of Sts. Cyril and Methodius.

A large oil painting by the Kovačica naïve painter Jan Glózik illustrates the life-long journey of the apostles – the saints Cyril and Methodius. The author depicts their life story, including their time in Great Moravia, Nitra and Devín. In this room, bilateral meetings are held or important international treaties are signed.

Visitors to the Open Diplomacy Day will be treated to a demonstration of the seating arrangement during meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), one of the formats of the Council of the European Union. Visitors to the Open Diplomacy Day will be treated to a demonstration of the seating arrangement during meetings of the Foreign Affairs Council (FAC), one of the formats of the Council of the European Union. The Council of the EU discusses and adopts legislative acts, mostly together with the European Parliament. Attended by representatives of each member state at a ministerial level, the FAC is responsible for the EU's external action - foreign policy, defence and security, trade, development cooperation and humanitarian aid. Attended by representatives of each member state at a ministerial level, the FAC is responsible for the EU's external action - foreign policy, defence and security, trade, development cooperation and humanitarian aid.

The State Secretary and his team are based on the second floor, with a meeting room available to receive distinguished guests and deal with delegations. The State Secretary is responsible for the broad agenda of European affairs, including crisis management.

The State Secretary uses this meeting room also for receiving representatives of different countries – including his counterparts, ambassadors of countries accredited to Slovakia and other distinguished foreign policy guests. 

Visitors may see a preview of the hybrid seating arrangements for the General Affairs Council (GAC) - another format of the Council of the EU. The role of the EU Ministers is to coordinate preparation for meetings of the European Council. The advantages of the hybrid format, which combines face-to-face and online participation of Member States' representatives, were palpable during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic: speed, responsiveness, flexibility and the ability to get connected with the whole world. On the other hand, online meetings do not allow Member State representatives to build personal and informal contacts or to talk about important issues on the margins of the meeting.

One of the meeting rooms of the Ministry to hold meetings, video conferences or, among other activities, oral interviews with job applicants at the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic.

After the "February Coup" in 1948, the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia  chose the former Grain Company building as its headquarters. In 1968, the fourth wing of the building was erected with a movie theatre on the ground floor. The cinema hall, or the former main meeting room of the Central Committee of the Communist Party, was converted into a conference centre with a separate entrance from the car park in 1998.

The congress hall has modern facilities for organizing conferences, events, media briefings, as well as meetings of working groups with numerous members. There are fully functional interpreting booths, a director’s room and necessary technical equipment for the media and journalists to generate multimedia outputs.
The general public may also know these premises from their television screens – this is where the Annual Review Conference on the Foreign and European Policy of the Slovak Republic is held. The conference is addressed by the top representatives of the country, this year, it was the President of the Slovak Republic, the Prime Minister, several ministers and Slovak and foreign experts. Other events include regular meetings of Slovak ambassadors from all over the world, meetings of honorary consuls of Slovakia abroad, various conferences, meetings of intergovernmental, inter-ministerial and intra-ministerial working groups, along with cultural events and ceremonial occasions  e.g. award ceremony of Slovak volunteers or successful Slovak citizens.

The Diplomat Lounge can be used in multiple ways – for example, for business meetings or smaller format meetings. During larger events it offers a base for catering.

An interesting feature is the exhibition of state gifts. According to protocol, gifts are usually exchanged between heads of delegations during official visits. The exchange of gifts is agreed in advance and is carried out through protocol, unless otherwise agreed by the parties. Slovakia usually offers works of art typical for our country - art glass, porcelain, fine art objects, embroidery, etc. 

The exhibition of the Diplomatic Archive of the MFEA SR is located in the foyer of the Congress Hall. Displayed historical documents map the journey of our country towards Slovak statehood and international recognition and acceptance of the new state in the world.

Perhaps the most beautiful room in the palace is the grand hall on the ground floor, lined with original richly detailed wooden panelling, double doors with a rich tympanum, coffered wood ceiling panels and brass chandeliers. There are also representative rooms with stylish interiors - contemporary furniture in classical-like style and minimalist design. The representatives of the Ministry receive delegations of foreign partners here, hold meetings with journalists and NGO representatives or Slovak expatriates.

The lounges, together with other representative premises of the Ministry are named after important figures of Slovak diplomacy - Ivan Krno, Ján Papánek, Vladimír Hurban, Milan Hodža, Juraj Slávik and Milan Rastislav Štefánik.

The Palugyay Palace currently houses an exhibition of visual art, using the art to introduce Slovakia to our partners - distinguished foreign guests. It adds to the overall atmosphere of the negotiations and presents the cultural maturity of Slovakia. Co-created by curator Karol Maliňák, it features works by the best Slovak artists, including Paštéka, Benka, Laluha, Bazovský, Martinčeková Šimorová, Hložník, Majerník, Mednyánszky and Skutecký.

Perhaps the most beautiful room in the palace is the grand hall on the ground floor, lined with original richly detailed wooden panelling, double doors with a rich tympanum, coffered wood ceiling panels and brass chandeliers.

There are also representative rooms with stylish interiors - contemporary furniture in classical-like style and minimalist design. The representatives of the Ministry receive delegations of foreign partners here, hold meetings with journalists and NGO representatives or Slovak expatriates.

The lounges, together with other representative premises of the Ministry are named after important figures of Slovak diplomacy - Ivan Krno, Ján Papánek, Vladimír Hurban, Milan Hodža, Juraj Slávik and Milan Rastislav Štefánik.

The Palugyay Palace currently houses an exhibition of visual art, using the art to introduce Slovakia to our partners - distinguished foreign guests. It adds to the overall atmosphere of the negotiations and presents the cultural maturity of Slovakia. Co-created by curator Karol Maliňák, it features works by the best Slovak artists, including Paštéka, Benka, Laluha, Bazovský, Martinčeková Šimorová, Hložník, Majerník, Mednyánszky and Skutecký.

The original stone wine cellars, built in parallel with the construction of the palace in 1872, have been preserved under the entire building and the courtyard.

Between 1914 and 1918, the capacity of the large cellar beneath the palace courtyard was almost doubled. With the aim of expanding the production area for wine products, the constructors used the then innovative technology of digging railway and mine tunnels and using reinforced concrete to strengthen the walls and ceilings. The Palugyay cellars were part of a large complex of wine cellars in the northern suburban area, extending to the foothills of the Little Carpathians, exceptional in terms of their scale, technical equipment, quality of architectural design and appearance.

Even in the 1940s they were considered the largest and most modern in Europe. There is a canal system in their basement, high vaults with walls made of burnt brick in combination with stone. These parameters secure the ideal temperature and humidity for the natural maturation of wine. The production zones were located in the wings. Big wooden barrels (with capacity of about 2,500 to 5,000 kg of grapes) were placed in four longitudinal rows in two corridors in the eastern wing. Wine bottles were stored in wine wall niches in the south wing. The cellars were systematically organized according to the types and quality of wines. Tokaji wine and sparkling wines were stored in the cellar of Franz Joseph while the best quality wines were stored in the Charles Cellar and the Apostle Cellar. The Palugyay company exported Tokaji wine all over the world, and according to data from 1877, the stocks amounted up to 50 thousand bottles.

One must take notice of a particular technological innovation  – the so-called wine pipeline – a technically and economically unique patent. It led from the cellar under Pražská ulica and pumped wine directly from the barrels in the cellar to the barrels in the wagons on the adjacent railway station loading platform. This ingenious pumping system also worked in the opposite direction. Shortly after the Second World War, this invention was no longer used. The unique cellars seem to be one of a kind in the whole region – and one fact says it all: their clear height is 4.5 metres.

Today the cellars are used by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic. They were reopened in 2002 after a challenging reconstruction. The most beautiful part – the heavily structurally damaged vaults made of burnt bricks – were preserved by anchoring them to the newly created concrete shell above.

The reconstructed historical premises are currently used for thematic exhibitions, important cultural and social events, including awarding Goodwill Envoys (outstanding Slovak citizens spreading the good name of Slovakia abroad) or diplomatic balls held in the basement of the former wine cellars.