Seven Slovak Women. E-Book

Josette Baer

• Herausgeber: ibidem
• Kategorie: Sachliteratur, Reportagen, Biografien
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2015

Seitenzahl: 282

Beschreibung

This engaging and insightful book is the first historical study in English portraying the lives and fates of Slovak women. The seven life stories, ranging from the late 19th century to the present day, expose the often cruel political history of Slovakia through the eyes of prominent women whose acts and deeds on behalf of their fellow citizens remain unforgotten in the Slovak collective mind. The four chapters and three oral history interviews offer a captivating insight into how the situation of Slovak women in society has changed during a most eventful period of history. This book will be complemented by a second volume on Czech women whose lives have been of the same singular importance for the Czech lands as their Slovak counterparts were for their country (ISBN 978383827100, coming out in fall 2015). The two volumes are separate entities in their own right, but together provide the reader with a comprehensive picture of womens lives in the Czech lands and Slovakia, stressing the distinct political circumstances Czech and Slovak women have faced in recent history.

Leseprobe

ibidem Press, Stuttgart

Table of Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgements

X. Introduction

X. 1 Criteria of selection

X. 2 The portraits

X. 3 The method

X. 4 A brief word on gender studies in Central Europe

I. Elena Maróthy-Šoltésová (1855–1939) – the first feminist?

I. 1 The historical context

I. 2 The feminization of the nation

I. 3 Živena – the Slovak women's association

I. 4 Elena – chairwoman and writer

I. 5 The education of girls

I. 6Živena – conservative or feminist?

I. 7 New times and old issues

I. 8 Conclusion

II. Mária Bellová (1885–1973) – the first female physician

II. 1 The historical context

II. 2 "Medicine is not for you. Find yourself an occupation suitable for a woman!"

II. 3 Medicine, not politics – Mária's life-long dedication

II. 4 Conclusion

III.Chaviva Reiková (1914–1944) – a Jewish resistance fighter

III. 1 The historical context

III. 2 A Slovak Jew and a patriot

III. 3 Women in the Slovak National Uprising (SNP)

III. 4 Chaviva's last days

III. 5 Conclusion

IV. Anna Štvrtecká (1924–1995) – a courageous historian

IV. 1 The historical context

IV. 2 Anna Štvrtecká, a Party historian critical of the Party

IV. 3 Normalizácia – the politics of normalization in Slovakia

IV. 4 Anna's critique of the normalization

IV. 5 Conclusion

V. Magdaléna Vášáryová (*1948) – actress, diplomat and politician Oral history interview, Bratislava, 9 July 2014, 12.00-12.50, conducted in Slovak.

VI. Iveta Radičová (*1957) – the first female Prime Minister Oral history interview, Bratislava, 8 July 2014, 13.00 – 13.50, conducted in Slovak.

VII. Adela Banášová (*1980) – the face of young Slovakia

Conclusion

Appendix

Chronology

Bibliography

Abbreviations

CC

Central Committee of the Communist Party

DS

Demokratická Strana– Democratic Party

HG

Hlinkova Garda – Hlinka Guards

HSĽS

Hlinkova Slovenská Ľudová Strana – Hlinka's Slovak People's Party

HZDS

Hnutie Za Demokratické Slovensko – Movement For a Democratic Slovakia

KSČ

Kommunistická Strana Československá – Czechoslovak Communist Party

KSS

Kommunistická Strana Slovenska– Slovak Communist Party

ODS

Občanská Demokratická Strana – Civic Democratic Party

OF

Občanské Forum – Civic Forum

OSS

Office of Strategic Services

RAF

Royal Air Force

SAV

Slovenská Akademie Vied – Slovak Academy of Sciences

SDKÚ-DS

Slovenská Demokratická Kresťanská Únia-Demokratická Strana – Slovak Democratic Christian Union-Democratic Party

SNK

Slovenská Národná Knižnica, Martin – The Slovak National Library, Martin, Slovak Republic

SNR

Slovenská Národná Ráda – Slovak National Council

SNP

Slovenské Národné Povstanie –Slovak National Uprising

SNS

Slovenská Národná Strana – Slovak National Party

SOE

Special Operations Executive

SSl

Strana Slobody – Party of Freedom

ŠtB

Štátní Bezpečnosť – State Security Service

WAAF

Women's Auxiliary AirForce

VPN

Verejnosť Proti Násilie – Society Against Violence

Foreword

DearReaders

The bookyouhave before you is Professor JosetteBaer'sstudy ofseven Slovak women, significantfigures in thehistory andcontemporary life of the country.

Iwas aware of Mrs Baer'sworkfromthe Slovak media before my arrival in Switzerland in 2010.On the Internet Ihad found her interview with the popular station FUNRadio. As ambassador Iwasnaturallyinterested since it is quite rare to find anative Swiss who focuses on Slovakia. That is why Imet up with her and followed her work.Ireacted spontaneously when she asked me to write the foreword to her latest study.

In four years as Slovak ambassador to Switzerland, Ioften had to deal withalack ofbothknowledge and intereston the part of ordinarycitizensconcerningthe Central European region, not only Slovakia. In this regard, Switzerland is different from Austria or Germany, for example, which have historicallinksand current interests in our region.In the past, Switzerland was concerned primarily withher largerneighbours Germany, France and also Italy.Butwhat was happening behind the Iron Curtain was oflittleinterest to the common citizen. It is apity that, as a consequence ofthese circumstances, we see hundredsorthousands of Austrian and German investorsin Slovakia,whileSwiss investors can be counted on the fingers of two hands. That's why Igreatlyappreciate Mrs Baer's latest book. In her description of the livesof seven Slovak women,shenotonly presentstheiroften complicated and tragic fates, but also the difficult journey of the Slovak nation from the mid 19thcentury to thepresentday.

Professor Baer chose four historical and three contemporary personalities who have exerted a significant influence on Slovak public life. Naturally, one can discuss whether other important personages should have been chosen. For example, the following distinguished women would not be out of place among the group of contemporary Slovak personalities: the economist and former Minister of Finance Brigita Schmönerová, the Deputy Governor of the National Bank ElenaKohútiková, who rendered great service with the smooth introduction of the euro, or the successful entrepreneurMária Reháková.Also, the famous opera singerEdita Gruberová, already a legend, or the Olympic championAnastázia Kuzminová, who won the gold medal for biathlon in successive Olympics.

However, the author's main aim was to describe the situation of Slovak women in different historical eras; from her viewpoint it was thus not a priority to choose specific life stories. For example, in her chapter about Elena Maróthy-Šoltésová she precisely describes the struggle of the Slovak nation for self-determination, particularly in the critical years following the Austro-Hungarian Compromise of 1867. In those years, the Slovaks were threatened with oblivion: the fate of many European nations we know today only from historical studies. But the Slovaks survived, also – or perhaps mainly – thanks to their women, and today Slovakia is an equal member of the family of European and world nations.

The author's thoughts about the emancipation of Slovak women in specific epochs guide the reader through the book. As a man, I am probably not the most suitable person to make a judgement about this issue.I allow myself only to state that, with regard to female emancipation, Slovak women were not and are not worse or better off than Swiss women, or women in other countries of Central and Western Europe. One can muse on the significance for women's rights of Empress Maria Theresa, who ruled Austria-Hungary for forty years in the 18thcentury, or the decree on equality for men and women in Socialist Czechoslovakia. It is a fact –also mentioned by the author –that many female emigrants from the former Czechoslovakia were astonished to learn,when they arrived in Switzerlandin 1968, that women didn't have the vote.

I would like to take issue in particular with the author's opinion that the dissolution of Czechoslovakia was unconstitutional. I remind readers that both chambers of the Federal Parliament voted in favour of the separation. From the viewpoint of the Swiss political system, I can see that it is difficult to understand why Slovak and Czech voters did not get a chance to decide about such an important issue. However, the reality that Slovaks and Czechs understand each other better today than in the times of the common state vindicates the former leaders who decided not to organize a plebiscite. An election campaign on the issue of separation could have provoked nationalist agitation and done severe damage to the relations of the two brotherly nations for many years to come.

I fully understand the author's aim to describe the Slovak National Uprising as a decisive episode of Slovak history, introducing the life and fate of Chaviva Reiková. In Slovakia, however, she is practically unknown, and the question arises, since the author also mentioned others active in the SNP in those years, whether a different woman representing that generation would not have been a better choice.

One task of a diplomat and, in particular, an ambassador is to present his country in a positive light. From this viewpoint, I was somewhat taken aback by what I consider an overly pessimistic view of Slovakia's post-89 development, as discussed in the interviews with Magda Vášáryová and Iveta Radičová. They certainly have a right to their own opinion and the legitimate critique of specific aspects of our development. However, after twenty years of independence, and in comparison with other countries of our region, Slovakia's development should undoubtedly be referred to as a 'success story', all the more so as the young state's starting point after the dissolution of Czechoslovakia was significantly less propitious than that of the neighbouring countries.

With my critical views I certainly don't want to diminish the significance of the author's work or cast doubts on her objectivity or knowledge of Slovak history. On the contrary, I believe that this study will help to fill specific gaps of knowledge about the young country that still prevail in Switzerland and, in view of the fact that the author wrote her study in English, also in other European countries. It is of no importance whether the majority of readers are women or men. I think that some of the information the author gathered in foreign archives and publications could also awaken the interest of specialist circles in Slovakia.

Jan Foltín, Ambassador of the Slovak Republic

to Switzerland from 2010 to 2014,

Bratislava, Slovakia, August 2014

Acknowledgements

At first glance, every historical study by a single author might seem to be just that. Yet, the author is never working alone, since every scholar who takes their profession seriously is in steady contact with their peers, with experts who can teach them about the particularities of a region's history and the subject under investigation. As a careful student of the difficult Czech, Slovak and common Czechoslovak histories I am honoured that my colleagues and friends in Slovak and Czech academe support me in my endeavours to present my views of their political history to the English-reading public.

The idea for this study was born in Bratislava and Martin. In the summer of 2012, my friend and colleague Gabriela Dudeková, a historian at the Slovak Academy of Sciences, gave me a copy of her book about family relations in Central Europe. Gabriela's book opened up a new world to me, the history of women and family relations in Central Europe through three centuries. Her analysis and that of her fellow authors answered many questions and addressed many issues I had been wondering about – suddenly things fell into place. Their scientific contributions raised the interest of the international community of historians: theJournal of Interdisciplinary Historyat the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Press in Boston, USA, published my review of Gabriela and her co-authors' volume.

That same summer, I visited the Slovak National Library SNK in Martin for my annual research in the archives. I was looking for source material aboutŽivena, the Slovak women's association in the 19thcentury. My friend, the librarian Ľudmila Šimková, who is knowledgeable about Slovak history and historiography to the point that I would like to call her the Slovak lexicon, a praise I am quite certain she would modestly and firmly reject, told me that it would be a good idea to write a book in English about Slovak women, since no such study yet exists. Ľudmila, here it is.

My thanks. I am greatly indebted to my colleagues and friends for their interest in my research and willingness to discuss specific issues with me. My thanks, in alphabetical order, go toValerián Bystrický,Gabriela Dudeková,Karen Henderson, Karol Hollý, Adam Hudek,Vlasta Jakšicsová,Ivan Kamenec,Daniela Kodajová,Dušan Kováč, Slavomír Michálek, Jan Pešek, Jaroslava Roguľová, Stanislav Sykora, and Jozef Žatkuliak. Thomas Hardmeier is always available when I have a question about medicine; he is a retired professor of pathology and a meticulous researcher and scientist. Dan Holcer, born in Komárno and now living in Israel, helped with the translations from Hebrew and the details of Israeli history. Jan Foltín, the former ambassador of the Slovak Republic to Switzerland, supported this project from the start and I am honoured that he agreed to write the foreword.

My special thanks go to the ladies at the Slovak National LibrarySNKin Martin for theirtireless andoutstanding services.Diana Manevich from the Yad Vashem library in Jerusalem sent me archive material in a swift and uncomplicated manner. Mária Bohumelová and Anton Kajan of the Slovak National Gallery SNG in Bratislava provided me with the cover picture of Juraj Jurkovič, which I had first seen in the exhibitionNové Slovensko/NewSlovakiain 2012.The ladies at the housing office of the Slovak Academy of SciencesSAVhave made myannualresearch stayssince 2008such a joyful and uncomplicated matter: Mária and Lenka Vallová, Božena and Ľubica Konečná, thank you.Valerie Langeatibidempublishers in Stuttgartis an exceptionally patient, effective and supportive editor.Peter Thomas Hill proofread the manuscript, patiently soldiering on with the demanding task of teaching meEnglish that is up to hisownhigh standards.

I would like to express my gratitude and respect to the ladies who agreed to participate in my oral history interviews: Magdaléna Vášáryová, Iveta Radičová and Adela Banášová, yourésprit, commitment, modesty, beauty, honesty and intellect are inspiring – you are in a league of your own.

The errors and shortcomings in this volume are my own.

Josette Baer

Zurich, Switzerland, and Bratislava, Slovakia,September2014

X.Introduction

This book[1]has been on my mind for two years. I was inspired to write about the political and social endeavours of Slovak women by a study that my friend Gabriela Dudeková published in 2011.[2]

As a political scientist focussing on the history of political thought in Central Europe and a careful student of Czech, Czechoslovak and Slovak history, I admired Gabriela's study; in an impressivetour de forcereaching from the 19thto the 21stcenturies, she and her fellow authors analysed the situation of women in the Czech lands, Slovakia in the Hungarian Kingdom, Hungary, Austria and Czechoslovakia, providing copious historical analysis based on archive material in four languages. Most valid is the fine fabric of social history: I had a precise and vivid picture of what it meant being a woman in those days, the range of freedoms and limitations Central European women faced under the various political regimes.

My study cannot compare with Gabriela's seminal volume, which is both the reference book par excellence on familyrelations in the Central European region and an important contribution to gender studies.[3]My intention is rather modest: I would like to present to the Western reader the history of Slovakia seen through the eyes of seven women who rendered outstanding service to their nation. All seven have three things in common: they have a