The Encyclopaedia of Slovakia and the Slovaks

A concise encyclopaedia of Slovakia and the Slovaks in English language. It includes 3,640 entries compiled mainly for foreign readers seeking more information on Slovakia.

Foreword

The Slovak Republic was formed on the 1st January 1993 and at the present time 12 years have elapsed since publishing the encyclopaedia of Slovakia and the Slovaks (1994). With this work the Encyclopaedic Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) responded to the formation of the new state within its own program Beliana. The name of the program was used after the very important Slovak scientist, polymath Matej Bel (1684-1749), who published his work Notitia Hungariae novae historico geographica 20 years before the famous French Encyclopaedia. I am very pleased that with our volume The Encyclopaedia of Slovakia and the Slovaks, we can build onto our publication from 1994 and offer this work to our general public. We can again present the usefulness and success of today's generally accepted encyclopaedic works by the Slovak Academy of Sciences.

After the year 1989 there was a big interest in dictionary and encyclopaedic literature in the countries of Eastern and Middle Europe where the political and economic system has changed. There is a parallel of analogical interest or the 18th century passion (la marotte) which ended in the birth of the already mentioned pioneer work of the French Encyclopaedia. Our intentions are to objectify the facts and to eliminate the ideologies about a country lying in the geographical middle of Europe and about a country which after more than a millennium was contributing to culture and civilisation development. Yet we have to admit that Slovakia as a member of the European Union from 1st May 2004 does not receive adequate recognition world wide.

This work strives to redress the imbalance by accumulating on 760 pages, 20 maps and with 3,640 entries about Slovakia, its history, personalities, culture, political and economic development to feature a country spread between the Middle Danube and the Northern Carpathian Belt.

Stefan Luby

May 2006, Bratislava Chairman of the Editorial Board