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LEDNICA is one of the castles that was built to protect the north-western Hungarian border.
This castle, as with many in Slovakia, has a legend of a robber baron attached to it. This was Michal Telekeši, who at the turn of the 17th century terrorized a vast area around Lednica.
Although Telekeši was good at plundering, he failed as a tactician. On February 29, 1600 he dared to raid a caravan of imperial carriages that was carrying presents from the duke of Transylvania (a part of Romania) to Emperor Rudolf II.
The booty - furs, jewels, rings, gold chains and a portrait of the Madonna on wood, pleased Telekeši. However, from the time of the raid the circle around him got smaller, and the imperial army hunted him.
Eventually, Telekeši the robber baron gave himself up, but it did not save him. The soldiers took him to Bratislava in irons, where he was hanged.
The postcard shows Lednica in World War II.
Prepared by Branislav Chovan
