"Kosice.....the capital of East Slovakia! " a Kosice Travel Page by maltese24

The first signs of inhabitance can be traced back to the end of the older stone age. The first written mention of the suburb can be dated back to the year 1230. Due to it's advantageous business and strategical position, the City of Kosice grew quickly. The given privileges were helpful in developing crafts, business, increasing importance and for the development of this city. The oldest guild regulations were registered from the year 1307 and the city received it's own coat-of-arms in 1369; the city of Kosice has the oldest coat-of-arms from among all cities in Europe. Since the beginning of the 15th century, the city had been in the leading position of Pentapolitana - which was the alliance of five eastern Slovak cities. Since 1347 until the beginning of 18th century, the City of Kosice has kept the position of the second city after Budin in the monarchy. In 1657, due to the City's economical, administrative and political importance, the first university was established. Later, the university was changed into a royal university and then to the Law Academy which operated until 1921.