1.1 Introduction

    Throughout the history of the world, the Jewish people have been persecuted and oppressed because of their religious beliefs and culture, and have thus faced discrimination or prejudice. The people did not understand what the religion really meant, where and why it began, nor the habits of his people. After arriving in Europe, where the Christian religion prevailed, the Jews were often considered outsiders.

   A Small number of Jews also settled in Slovakia and according to Jewish Virtual Library (2020) “Jews have lived in the Slovakian region since the 11th century. In the 14th century, nearly 800 Jews resided in Bratislava. The majority of Jews engaged in commerce and money lending.” and also, on the territory of Slovakia, Jews met with non-acceptance as Jewish Virtual Library (2020) note “Two notorious blood libels occurred in Slovakia; in 1494, Jews were burned at the stake in Trnava, and in 1529, in Pezinok 30 Jews were accused of wrongdoings and burnt at the stake. After the battle of Mohács in 1526, Jews were expelled from all major towns in Slovakia.” Jews survived many others similar unpleasant events in the Slovak Republic, but the worst for them was World War II, when, according to Slovak Spectator (July 9,2020) “The wartime Nazi-collaborationist Slovak state deported around 71,000 Jews, with just a few hundred returning after the war.” What a legacy, after this dramatic event, remained to Jews population living in the territory of the Slovak Republic?

1.2 History of Jews on the territory of the Slovak Republic

   In order to understand the legacy of Jews living in Slovakia, we must first know their story and history in this area. American author and filmmaker Michael Chrichton also announced once “If you do not know history, then you do not know anything. You are a leaf that does not know it is part of a tree.”  Jewish virtual library (2020) notes other important historical events of the Jews living in Slovakia and describes what the atmosphere was like that time “During the late 17th century and early 18th century, Jews began to return to their original cities in Slovakia, and establish well defined communities. Nevertheless, Jews were in constant conflict with locals and barred from many trading industries. The first Jewish cemetery in Slovakia was set aside in the early 15th century in Tisinec (the cemetery was utilized until 1892). Under the new rule (religious toleration) of Joseph II, Jews received many civil liberties and much of their livelihoods were expanded in aptitude. In 1683, hundreds of Moravian Jewish fled to Slovakia seeking refuge from the Kurucz riots and the living restrictions of Moravia. Most of these immigrants settled in western Slovakia, bordering Moravia. In 1700, the leading yeshiva in Slovakia was established in Bratislava. This institution was recognized by the government for the education of rabbis. “

   In 1867, the dual monarch of Austro-Hungary was established and Slovakia became a part of Hungary, often considered as “Northern Hungary.” Jewish virtual library (2020) notes “For more than a millennium, Slovakian Jewry was closely linked with that of Hungarian Jews. The Hungarian parliament passed the Emancipation Law to promote assimilation among minorities, especially Jews. Government officials supported Jewish cooperation in industry and finance. The Jewish population grew exponentially, especially in small, secluded towns in Eastern Slovakia. Nevertheless, much anti-Semitism existed in Slovakia and nationalists refused to allow Jews to assimilate into their culture.”  Later, between 1882 and 1883, anti-Jewish riots broke out in some Slovak towns. The newly introduced law "Reception Law" (1896) put Judaism and Christianity on an equal footing. Based on this, the Slovak Clerical People’s Party was established, the main interests of which were anti-liberalism and limiting of Jewish influence in the country.

1.3 The Zionist movement and (non)acceptance of Jews into society

 In the 19th century, the Zionist movement emerged and eight local Zionist organizations emerged in Slovakia. The first Hungarian Zionist convention took place in Bratislava in 1903, and the first Mizrachi World Congress was convened in 1904.

After the establishment of Czechoslovakia (1918) and the end of the First World War, the Jews were given the right to be considered an independent nationality in the country. Jews prospered not only in industry but were also very active in cultural life. According to the Jewish virtual library (2020) "Jews held more than one-third of all industrial investments in the country." In 1919, the National Federation of Slovak Jews was founded in Piešťany and the Jewish Party was formed. On August 2, 1919, the Juedische Volkszeitung ("Jewish Folk Paper") was published in Bratislava for the first time. It is a document that played a decisive role in promoting the rights of Jews in Czechoslovakia. At the first national census in Czechoslovakia (February 15, 1921), 135,918 people registered as practicing Jews, representing 4.5 percent of the population at the time. Of these, 70,522 also declared themselves to be of Jewish nationality. The Jews also managed to get into the Prague parliament, and in 1929, during the third election, Ludvik Singer and Julius Reisz were elected to parliament but the situation started to get worse

1.4 Anti-Jewish demonstrations and the Second World War

Under the influence of the Slovak nations, many Slovaks were instigated against the Jews. In the late 1930s, numerous anti-Jewish demonstrations led by the Nationalist Youth Movement and the Volksdeutsche students (Nazi movement) took place in Slovakia.

According to the population in 1930, 135,000 Jews lived in Slovakia before the Second World War and 5,000 of them immigrated before the war. Under the protection of Nazi Germany, Slovakia declared independence in March 1939. However, the atmosphere in Slovakia changed significantly and the country came under extraordinary control. the religious and right-wing party, the party of Hlinka's peoples, under the leadership of the father Joseph Tiso, who was a Catholic priest. After its establishment, the Slovak government approached the so-called Jewish question, as one of its first public affairs. Jewish Virtual Library (2020) notes “The first anti-Jewish law was passed in Slovakia on April 18, 1939. A few days later, on April 24, Jews were excluded from all government positions and service. On September 19, 1939, all Jews were expelled from the military. Many more discrimination laws followed, including children being ousted from school and Jews being excluded from public recreational facilities. By 1940, more than 6,000 Jews emigrated both legally and illegally. The Slovakian government passed a law that permitted it to take over control of all major Jewish businesses. These laws were supported by the majority of Slovakians.”

In 1940, a meeting of German and Slovak officials took place, where Germany dictated new changes in the Slovak government in order to make the country more independent. At that time, Jews lost more privileges, for example the right to have a car or a weapon. At the same time, a new decree requiring the Jew to register with the government and state their financial position.

The Jews thus gradually lost their political and civic rights, and these legal interventions in the Jewish community continued. On September 9, 1941, Article 270 was announced, which included the wearing of the yellow star of David and forced labor. Shortly afterwards, the Hungarian and Slovak governments began to deport Jews to concentration camps. Website Holocaust (2020) claims “At the Interior Ministry was created so-called. the Jewish Department (14th Department), which guided anti-Jewish measures in the civil and public spheres. It was this department that organized the deportations to the extermination camps in 1942."

   According to Wikipedia’s page about History of the Jews in Slovakia (2020) “Some 5 000 Jews emigrated before the outbreak of World War II and several thousand afterwards, but most were killed in the Holocaust.” Almost three quarters of Slovak Jews population were exterminated after the Holocaust. Jewish virtual library (2020) claims “After the Holocaust, only about 25,000 Jews survived and many survivors decided to emigrate. Those Jews who remained worked hard to rebuild the destroyed Jewish community. " It was not an easy task as Slovak Spectator (2020) claimed “Still more Jewish heritage was lost when more synagogues were destroyed during the communist regime.”

Information on the number of Jews who survived from source to source varies. Website Holocaust (2020) claims "Not even 20,000 Jews remained in Slovakia after the deportations. Before the deportations, 6-8,000 Jewish fellow citizens fled to neighboring Hungary and approximately 2,000 hid in Slovakia.

1.5 Post war

   After World War II, the situation for the Jews did not change significantly. Jan Mlynarik (2005) in his book Dejiny Židú na Slovensku says “13 anti-Jewish incidents called partisan pogroms took place between August 1 and 5 1946, the biggest one in Žilina, where 15 people were wounded. Michal Šmigel (June 17, 2013) in his article Anti-Jewish riots in Bratislava (August 1946, August 1948) in the atmosphere of post-war anti-Semitism in Slovakia notes "Anti-Semitic manifestations took place in Bratislava in August 1946 and in August 1948." In 1946, the Slovak writer Karel František Koch argued that the anti-Semitic incidents that he witnessed in Bratislava after the war were "not anti-Semitism, but something far worse — the robber's anxiety that he might have to return Jewish property [stolen in the Holocaust], "

Jewish virtual library (2020) notes “The Communist Party controlled politics of Czechoslovakia from February 1948 to 1989. During that time, little or no organized Jewish life existed in Slovakia. Many Jews left for Israel or the United States to retain their freedom of religion.” After 1989, and with the peaceful breakup of Czechoslovakia and Slovak independence in 1993, there was some resurgence in Jewish life.

1.6 Resurgence in Jewish Life after ‘89

Slovakia became member of the United Nations on January 19, 1993 (Ministry of foreign and European affairs of the Slovak Republic) and adopted the Charter of the United Nations from 1945, which sets out as one of its goals “to reaffirm faith in fundamental human rights”. Article 1 of the Charter stipulates that one of the purposes of the United Nations is to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms “without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.” This has helped various organizations to become active in the Jews community. “The major communal organization which maintains Jewish life is the Federation of Jewish Communities in Slovakia. In both Bratislava and Kosice there exist kosher restaurants and community centers. Synagogues are located in Bratislava, Galanta, Kosice, Piestany, Presov and Trnava. The only rabbis, however, are located in Kosice (Rabbi Goldstein from Israel) and Bratislava (Rabbi Baruch Myers from the U.S.). Both the Jewish Distribution Committee and the Lauder Foundation are active in promoting religious awareness among young Jews through communal activities. On December 14, 1990, the Czechoslovak Union of Jewish Youth (CSUJY) was established to help preserve Jewish culture and tradition among Jewish youth in the region. Since 1993, CSUJY has been publishing the Chochmes magazine. In 1999, the American Jewish Committee surveyed Slovaks and found that a majority favored keeping and recalling the Holocaust, but few actually knew the details of the annihilation of Jews during World War II. On September 9, 2002, Slovakia marked its first Holocaust remembrance day. In March 2003, the country commemorated the 60 years since the first transport to Auschwitz (March 25, 1942).” (Jewish virtual library, 2020)

1.7 Synagogues and Jews heritage

“There are efforts underway to recover and preserve parts of the Jews history” notes Slovak Spectator (2020). The first museum in Slovakia, which focus on the Holocaust was opened in Sereď in February 2016. It was a flood camp where Jews from Slovakia were broadcast after the property was confiscated. The museum seeks to exhibit the objects of former inmates or a truck that transported Jews to the death camp in Auschwitz. The museum also educated people about the Holocaust. Jewish virtual library (2020) claims “today about 3,000 Jews live in Slovakia and are mostly located in the capital, Bratislava.

 There are more than 100 synagogue buildings and nearly 700 Jewish cemeteries scattered across Slovakia. There are also numerous Jewish cultural places in Slovakia to visit, including the Underground Mausoleum. This museum contains the graves of 18 famous rabbis together with Chatam Sofer, who founded a rabbinical seminary. About 200 synagogues and 620 Jewish cemeteries remain in Slovakia, symbolizing the once thriving community that flourished in the area.” One of the leading Slovak scientists of the Jewish background, Maroš Borský, who is currently the director of the Jewish Community Museum, launched the Slovak Jewish Heritage Trail in 2007, a tourist and educational trail that connects two dozen key places in all eight regions of Slovakia. Synagogues, Jewish cemeteries, Jewish museums and Holocaust memorials are recorded on this heritage route. "The only way to preserve these buildings is to find other uses, especially and best for cultural purposes," Borský tells Monument revue (2013). Locations on the route include places within a one-day distance from Bratislava: Malacky, Stupava, Trnava, Šamorín, Trenčín, Nitra, Komárno, Zvolen, Sahy, Košice, Prešov, Bardejov and Spišská Nová Ves.

1.8 Slovak Jewish Heritage Trails - cities

Bardejov - lies near the northern border with Poland. According to Jewish virtual libary (2020) “Previous to World War II, more than 5,000 Jews lived in Bardejov, however no lives live in the town today. Nearly the entire community was destroyed during the Holocaust. The entire town center, including the old Jewish compound on Mlynska Street, is listed on UNESCO's roster of World Heritage Sites.”

Bratislava - Bratislava is located near the Austrian border on the Danube. "Jews first settled in the city at the end of the 13th century. Over the years, the Jewish community was expelled from the city several times, specifically in 1360 and 1526. By the 18th century, there were 120 families in Bratislava. During this period, the Jewish population continued to prosper, especially when Jews came from Moravia. With the arrival of Rabbi Moses Schreiber, the city became the center of European Judaism. Before the Holocaust, 15,000 Jews lived in Bratislava, who also had numerous beautiful Jewish synagogues and buildings, including the Great Orthodox Synagogue, built in 1863. At present, Bratislava has about 1,000 Jews in the city. The community is led by Rabbi Baruch Myers of Brooklyn, New York. One synagogue built in 1923 for the Orthodox community remains in Bratislava. ” (Jewish virtual libary, 2020)

   Giraltovce – “Jews first settled in Giraltovce in 1750 from Poland. By 1786, 21 Jews lived in Giraltovce. The first Jewish cemetery of the community was sanctified in 1800. By 1848, 137 Jews lived in the town. In 1890, the first Jewish school was established and a decade later the first synagogue was consecrated. The majority of the community was Ashkenazic Orthodox. Prior to the world wars most of the Jews were involved in trading in commerce; following World War I, many Jews became tailors and carpenters. Many men from this community fought in World War I, with only a few recorded deaths. In April 1920, 475 of the Jews from Giraltovce voted for the Jewish parties. By 1930, the Jewish population had declined to only 220 people. Simultaneously, Zionist movements began to thrive in Giraltovce through the local activity of Bnei Akiba and Betar. Prior to the Holocaust, 345 Jews (58 families) lived in Giraltovce. Most of the community was transported to concentration camps; 452 Jews from Giraltovce and the surrounding area were deported. On January 18, 1945, the Russian military liberated the town. Only 58 of the 351 Jews from Giraltovce survived the Holocaust, and most of them immigrated to Israel and the United States.” (Jewish Virtual library, 2020)

   Other important cities for Jews in Slovakia are Humenne, Košice, Lipany, Nové Zámky, Prešov, Stropkov, Trenčín, Žiar nad Hornom

1.9 Conclusion

   There are currently very few inhabitants who have Jewish faith and are located in Slovakia, therefore we can call them a religious minority. According to the charter of the United Nations from 1945 “Article 1 of the Charter stipulates that one of the purposes of the United Nations is to promote respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms “without distinction as to race, sex, language, or religion.” but it was not always like that.

   The Slovak public knows very little about the history of the Jewish population, on the contrary, a large part of Slovaks proved themselves to Jews with terrible intolerance in an active role in the Holocaust. Anti-Semitic perception develops over time and nowadays, in Slovakia does not currently have an aggressive form. Physical violence is rare but often occurs in verbal expressions that can stem from stereotypes transmitted by generations.

   Perhaps the greatest heritage that the Jews in Slovakia have left are beautiful synagogues. Before the Second World War, there were about 100 synagogues identified in Slovakia. "Most of them are in bad shape today. Only seven still serve their original purpose and more than 10 of them have been renovated for cultural events” (2020, Slovak Spectator). Synagogues were more likely to be destroyed during the communist totalitarian regime, when they were often used as warehouses. Some still managed to survive. There are seven active Slovak synagogues, one in Bratislava, two in the south in Nové Zámky and Komárno, two in Košice and one each in Bardejov and Prešov.

   Other Slovak synagogues are either dilapidated or used for other purposes, such as museums or art galleries. "Synagogues should be used for cultural purposes, but if they cannot be used in this way, it is better to use them for commercial purposes than to leave them or decay," said Pavel Frankl, head of the Jewish community in Žilina, in the interview for Slovak Spectator.

---

2.0 Sources:

Borský, M. (2013). Monument revue. Retrieved from https://www.pamiatky.sk/Content/Data/File/ARCHIV/Monument-2-2013.pdf

History of the Jews in Slovakia. (2020). In Wikipedia. Retrieved from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Slovakia

Jewish history still being made. (July 9, 2020). Slovak Spectator. SME. Retrieved from https://spectator.sme.sk/c/20058562/jewish-heritage-in-slovakia.html

Jewish Virtual Library. (2020). Slovakia Virtual Jewish History Tour. Retrieved from https://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/slovakia-virtual-jewish-history-tour

Mlynárik, J. (2005). Dějiny Židú na Slovensku. Academia.Slovakia and the United Nations. (2017). Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of of The Slovak Republic. Retrieved from https://www.mzv.sk/web/en/foreign_policy/slovakia_and_the_united_nations

Šmigeľ, M. (Jun 17, 2013). Protižidovské nepokoje v Bratislave v atmosfére povojnového antisemitizmu na Slovensku. Druhá svetová magazine. Retrieved from https://web.archive.org/web/20130623045108/http://www.druhasvetova.sk/2013/06/17/protizidovske-nepokoje-v-bratislave-august-1946-august-1948-v-atmosfere-povojnoveho-antisemitizmu-na-slovensku/

United Nations, Charter of the United Nations, 24 October 1945, Retrieved from https://www.un.org/en/charter-united-nations/

Židovská komunita na Slovensku 1938-1945. (2020). Holocaust. Retrieved from https://www.holocaust.cz/dejiny/soa/holocaust-v-evropskych-zemich/holocaust-na-slovensku/zidovska-komunita-na-slovensku-1938---1945/