
Bratislava sits alongside the Danube, between Budapest and Vienna. Though once the capital of Hungary, it is smaller and less magnificent than its sister cities. Still, the city center is picturesque and charming, with a cathedral and Renaissance and Baroque buildings. Its castle (shown here) overlooks the river, as did the house where Laban was born in 1879.
This fairytale setting and Laban’s imagination provided solace for what appears to have been a lonely childhood. Because there were no suitable schools in the distant border garrisons where his parents were stationed, Laban was left with extended family, where he often felt “my presence was rather superfluous.” … Read More