History

The first signs of inhabitance can be traced to the Stone Age. The first written mention of the suburb can be dated back to the year 1230. Due to its advantageous business and strategically position, the city of Kosice grew quickly. The given privileges were helpful in developing crafts, business, and increasing importance of the city. The oldest guild regulations were registered in 1307 and the city received its own coat-of-arms in 1369 (the city of Kosice has the oldest coat-of-arms among all other cities in Europe) Since the beginning of the 15h century, the city has been in the leading position of the Pentapolitana, the alliance of five eastern Slovak cities. Since the 1347 until the beginning of the 18th century, the city of Kosice was the second most important city in the Hungarian kingdom after Budin. In 1657 the first university was established, due to the city’s economical, administrative and political importance. Later, the university was changed into Royal University and then to the Law Academy, which operated until 1921. The oldest high schol in Middle Europe was established in 1872 in Košice.