Dušan Kutálek

INTRODUCTION
Our Slovak Republic Is Small And Young . . 5
Map of Slovakia . . 6
The Slovak Republic . . 8
People . . 8
Government . . 8
History . . 10
Government and Political Conditions . . 11
Economy . . 12
National Security . . 14
Foreign Relations . . 15

HISTORY
Early History . . 16
Great Moravian Empire /833 - 906/ . . 16
Medieval Dynastic States /907 - 1200/ . . 18
Later Middle Ages /1200 - 1310/ . . 19
Golden Age And The Rise Of Nationalism /1310 - 1526/ . . 20
Turkish Menace And Confessional Struggles /1526 - 1740/ . . 21
Enlightened Absolutism And National Revival /1740 - 1848/ . . 25
Revolution, Reaction And /Constitutional/ Dualism /1848 - 1914/ . . 27
World War I. And Creation Of The Czechoslovak State /1914 - 1918/ . . 30
First Czechoslovak Republic /1919 - 1938/ . . 32
From Wall Street Crash To Munich /1929 - 1938/ . . 36
Protectorate And The Slovak State /1939 - 1948/ . . 38
From Democracy To Communism /1945 - 1948/ . . 42
From Gottwald To Dubcek /1948 - 1967/ . . 43
Reaction And The Stagnation /1969 - 1989/ . . 47
Velvet Revolution And The Velvet Divorce /1989 - 1992/ . . 48
Dissolution Of Czechoslovakia . . 52
History Of The Slovak Republic . . 59
History Of Slovakia Shortly . . 62

REGIONS
Bratislava Is The Capital Of Slovakia . . 64
Region Of Bratislava . . 76
Region Of Nitra . . 80
Region Of Trnava . . 86
Region Of Trencin . . 92
Region Of Zilina . . 98
Region Of Banska Bystrica . . 104
Region Of Presov . . 110
Region Of Kosice . . 116

MICROREGIONS
Our High Tatras: The Alps Without The Crowds . . 122
The Beautiful Orava Area . . 134
Liptov: The Fantastic Nature . . 140
The Horehronie Area: To The Legendary Kral'ova Hol'a . . 146
Kysuce: A Favourable Location . . 150
The Picturesque Turiec . . 154
Povazie Is About The Vah River . . 158
The Low Tatras Mountains . . 162
Vihortat Is A Typical Forest Area . . 168
The Poloniny National Park . . 174
Zemplin Is The Lively Area . . 178
The Pearls Of Gemer . . 182
The Small Carpathians Area: A Celebration Of Wine . . 188
Zahorie, The West Frontier Of Slovakia . . 194
The Myjava Area Is The Birthplace Of Slovak National Conciousness . . 200

NATURE
Geography Of Slovakia . . 204
Fauna Of Slovakia . . 210
Flora Of Slovakia . . 214
National Parks And Protected Landscape Areas . . 218
Primeval Forests . . 226
Felling Our Future? . . 228

SOCIETY
Slovak Society . . 234
Slovakia And Slovaks . . 236
National Minorities In Slovakia . . 238
Jews In Slovakia . . 252
Rusyns Of Slovakia . . 262
Carpathian Germans And Slovakia . . 270
Religion In Slovakia . . 276
Catholics In Our National Life . . 282
Eastern Model Of Faith Is More Resistant To Ailments . . 288
The Liturgical Life Of The Evangelical Church . . 294
Education In Slovakia . . 302
The Slovak Cultural Society: Matica Slovenska . . 310

CULTURE
Cultural Heritage Of Slovakia . . 316
Slovak Folk Culture . . 328
Slovak Literature . . 346
Slovak Film . . 370
Slovak Theatre . . 394
Slovak Opera . . 404
Slovak Visual Arts - Painting . . 414

TRADITION
Slovak Customs And Traditions . . 432
Fasiangy Traditions . . 446
Easter In Slovakia . . 448
Easter In Drahovce . . 452
Easter By The Quiet Stream . . 458
Whips And Water . . 464
Easter Eggs - "Kraslice" . . 466
Christmas In Slovakia: Blessedly In Hand . . 468
How The Christmas Tradition Originated? . . 474
The Prayer At The Christmas Table . . 476
The Rituals Of The Christmas Days . . 478
Traditional Christmas Meal . . 482
Traditional Easter Meal . . 484
Traditional Slovak Wedding . . 486
Slovak Folk Costumes . . 489
History Of Crafts In Slovakia . . 492
Traditional Woodwork . . 496
Traditional Bell Production . . 499
Tinkers Of Slovakia . . 500
Pearls Of Folk Architecture . . 504
Oldest Wooden Church . . 510
Meals Of Our Forefathers . . 512

PEOPLE
List Of Major Slovaks . . 574
Byzantine Messengers . . 584
Ludovit Stur: Father Of Slovak Language . . 586
Our Great Stefanik . . 588
The Rise And Fall Of Alexander Dubcek . . 598
Slovaks Abroad . . 618
Slovaks In America . . 621
First Slovaks In America . . 626
Eminent Americans With Roots In Slovakia . . 628
Slovaks In Canada . . 638
Our Bradlo In Canada . . 641
The Citizen Of The World, The King From Slovakia . . 650
Carleton D. Gajdusek: The Way To Nobel Prize . . 660
Eugene A. Cernan: The Last Man On The Moon . . 666
Igor Bella: The First Slovak In Space . . 670
Our Science In Space . . 674
10 major Slovak Inventors . . 678
Baron Kempelen And.His Chess-playing Machine . . 681
Pioneer In The Field Of Wireless Transmission . . 682
Two Ikaros From Slovakia . . 688
One Of His Students Was Albert Einstein . . 692
In The Pantheon Of World Science . . 693
Rescuer Of London, Father Of GPS Ivan Alexander Getting . . 694
Slovak Woman On The Computer Olympia: Ruzena Bajcsy . . 698
Our Genius Andy Warhol . . 704
Star With The Heart: Paul Newman . . 710
Goodness Of John Dopyera . . 716
Koloman Sokol In The Desert . . 718
Masterpiece Of Art Albin Brunovsky . . 722
Great Haban Bizmayer . . 726
Juraj Jakubisko Has Been Described As A Slovak Fellini . . 728
Story Of Elizabeth Bathory . . 731
Juraj Janosik: Truth Or Legend? . . 735
Dusan Samuel Jurkovic: The Father Of Bradlo . . 739
Poet Laureate Of The Slovak Nation: P.O.Hviezdoslav . . 745
Caplovic Family In Slovak Cultural History . . 748
Who Was John Slezak . . 752
The Vrba-Wetzler Report . . 754
We Root For Our Sportsmen From All Our Hearts . . 758