IN THE 15th century, the territory of Slovakia was threatened by armed raids by Czech Hussites.
It is not surprising that the far western corner of Great Hungary – today’s Slovak region of Záhorie – also became a target of their raids. It was close to Hussite settlements, and its strategic location allowed them to plunder two countries at once: Austria and Hungary. Around the middle of the 15th century, rebels from Bohemia settled near today’s village of Gajary. Only 250 metres from the Morava River, they built a fortified camp on a sand dune, called Posádka (Garrison), from which they terrorised part of Záhorie. The presence of the Hussites became so unbearable that during their stay, several villages, including Jakubov, Kiripolec, and Gajary, became completely depopulated. Hussite activity on Slovak territory, including Posádka, came to an end in 1467, when their army was scattered by royal units in a battle near Veľké Kostoľany.
In this postcard from 1918, we see the village of Gajary.
Archaeological research conducted on the Posádka dune in the 1930s resulted in many findings, especially numerous types of arms. The dune no longer exists in its original form, but one can still find the location in Gajary that bears its name.
