DID YOU KNOW?
Mirbach Palace, one of the Gallery´s buildings, dates back to 1768.
History
Based on the resolution of the City Council of 13 December 1958, the Institute of National History of the City of Bratislava was established that associated four institutions: the City Museum of Bratislava, the City Gallery, the Regional Library and the Municipal Heritage Centre. Between 1959 and 1961, the works of art from the City Museum were transferred to the City Gallery. The City Gallery was founded as an independent municipal cultural and education institution on 1 January 1961. However, the history of its collections dates back to the 19th century when the City Museum was established in 1868 on the initiative of the Society for the Beautification of the City.
Private collecting had a long tradition in Bratislava. Its origin is associated with the Governor of Hungary, Prince Albert of Saxony, Duke of Teschen. His magnificent collection of prints at Bratislava castle, transferred to Vienna in 1794, became the basis of the famous Albertina. In the 18th and 19th centuries, there were many aristocratic and burgher families in Pressburg (Bratislava) engaged in art collecting. The noblemen included Ján Pálffy, František Török, Karol Nyáry and Emil Mirbach who bequeathed his art collection to the city. The well-known collections of burghers are those of Hübner, Eder, Lanfranconi, Stampfel, Scherc and many others. Many works of art from these collections were purchased by or donated to the City Museum.
The establishment of art gallery as part of the City Museum was initiated by the collection of works by Viktor Tilgner, donated to the city by the artist himself in 1883. In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the museum started purchasing works of art from artists associated in Bratislava Art Society (Pressburger Kunstverein, Pozsonyi Képzőművészeti Egyesület). After the end of WWII, many confiscated works of art were included in the collections as well. Naturally, the newly established City Gallery, currently known as Bratislava City Gallery, has continued in its acquisition policy up to the present.