Art
Science and Technology
Politics

Art

Albín Brunovský (1935 – 1997) - painter, graphic artist, lithographer, illustrator and pedagogue
Considered one of the greatest Slovak painters of the 20^th century. He employed imaginative, fantastic themes in his creative work. He was an adherent of fantastical realism (the second surrealistic wave), based upon perfect drawing and a philosophical/ethical message. Works: Czechoslovak banknotes, paintings on wood at the National Council of the Slovak Republic and paintings at the UN building in New York. More information: wikiart.org/albin-brunovsky ; Artworks: webumenia.sk/Brunovsky_Albin  

Ján Cikker (1911 – 1989) - composer and pedagogue
He continued in the tradition of late romanticism, often employing Slovak folk music. In the 1960s, he turned to modernisation and a rational style of composition. He encouraged the development of the Slovak national sentiment and its music, and his art traversed the borders of Slovakia. He became a UNESCO Music Prize Laureate in 1979. Works: operas Juro Jánošík (1950 – 1953), Beg Bajazid (1957) and Mr. Scrooge (1963), as well as symphonic compositions and the arrangement of songs for folk groups. More information: en.wikipedia.org/Jan_Cikker 

Arthur Fleischmann (1896 – 1990) - sculptor
He worked in the Republic of South Africa, France (Paris), the United Kingdom (London), Bali, Australia and Spain. He was an adherent of kinetism and op art in sculpture. He created fountains, statues and the “Crystal Crown” for Queen Elizabeth II. He also worked with George Lucas on the first Star Wars sci‑fi trilogy. (Arthur Fleischmann Museum, Biela ulica 6, Bratislava, Slovakia) More information: en.wikipedia.org/Arthur_Fleischmann 

Vincent Hložník (1919 – 1997) - painter, graphic artist, illustrator and pedagogue
The leading figure in the generation of artists that came of age during World War II; representative of expressionism. The prevailing ethos of his works is one of humanism and anti‑fascism. Typical hallmarks include expressive overstatement, masterly calligraphy and bold imagery. Graphics and illustrations loom large in his output. For his work in these fields, he has been the recipient of numerous awards both at home and abroad. He was the Rector of the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava from 1960 to 1964. More information/artworks: webumenia.sk/Hloznik 

Lucia Popp (1939 – 1993) - opera singer
A world-famous opera and concerto soprano. She graduated from the Bratislava School of Opera, emigrated from Czechoslovakia in 1963, and worked primarily in Austria and Germany. An event entitled Hommage á Lucia Popp is held in Bratislava every year in her honour. More information: old.hc.sk/lucia-popp 

Koloman Sokol (1902 – 2003) - painter, graphic artist and illustrator
One of the most significant Slovak artists in the world and the founder of modern Slovak graphic art. His paintings involve the intersection of real experience, dreams, fantasy, personal knowledge, desires and beliefs. He worked in the Czech Republic (Prague), Mexico, the USA and in Slovakia (Bratislava). He lived in the USA from 1948 and received many state awards. (Koloman Sokol Centre, Pongráczovská kúria, Námestie osloboditeľov 28, Liptovský Mikuláš, Slovakia) More information: en.wikipedia.org/Koloman_Sokol ; Artworks: webumenia.sk/Koloman_Sokol 

Eugen Suchoň (1908 – 1993) - composer and pedagogue
Ranks among the most eminent Slovak composers of the 20^th century. From the very beginning, the work of the artist has been a representative expression of modern Slovak musical culture. It has acquainted the European musical scene with the typical psychological world of the Slovak man and his national ethics on the high artistic level and in the spirit of the fundamental tendencies of European music of this century. The success of his first opera “Krútňava” (The Whirlpool) established modern Slovak opera and drew international attention. More information: suchon.info 

Andy Warhol (1928 – 1987) - painter, graphic artist and filmmaker
He was born into a Slovak Ruthenian family that had immigrated to the USA. Warhol was the founder of pop art and also its most important representative; he was involved in drawing, painting, graphic art, photography and film. He painted everyday objects and film stars, while his films were about time, boredom and repetition. (Andy Warhol Museum of Modern Art, Ulica A. Warhola 26, Medzilaborce, Slovakia) More information: en.wikipedia.org/Andy_Warhol 

 

Science and Technology

Vojtech Alexander (1857 – 1916) - radiologist
One of the world’s greatest radiologists and the founder of radiology in the Hungarian Kingdom. He described the development of tuberculosis and owned the first X‑ray apparatus in Slovakia. More information: alchetron.com/Vojtech-Alexander 

Štefan Banič (1870 – 1941) - inventor
He lived in the USA from 1907 to 1921. He constructed a prototype parachute in 1913, which was patented at the United States Patent Office. He was also involved in the improvement of mining production and bridge construction. The parachute has, of course, become a vital part of modern aviation. More information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stefan_Banic 

Matej Bel (1684 – 1749) - polyhistor, pedagogue, scientist and evangelical priest
He was one of the greatest scientific figures of the 18^th century, referred to as the Magnum decus Hungariae – the Great Ornament of Hungary. He made an important contribution to pietism, was a pioneer in the field of collective research into the Hungarian nation, and carried out comprehensive scientific, historical and geographical research. He was the co‑author of a unique account of agriculture in the Hungarian Empire. Works: Hungaria antiquae et novae prodromus (1723), Adparatus ad historiam Hungariae (1735 – 1736) and Notitia Hungariae novae historicgeographica (1735 – 1742). The Matej Bel University in Banská Bystrica bears his name. More information: en-academic.com 

Dionýz Blaškovič (1913 – 1998) - bacteriologist and virologist
Received international recognition for his research of pathogenesis, biological and biochemical properties of bacteria, laboratory diagnosis of viral infections, and the ecology of influenza virus and tick‑borne encephalitis. More information: prabook.com/dionyz.blaskovic 

Dionýz Ilkovič (1907 – 1980) - chemist and physicist
A founder of Slovak physics. He played a distinguished part in elaborating the theory of polarography for which his teacher and collaborator Jaroslav Heyrovský was awarded a Nobel Prize in 1959. More information: nitum.wordpress.com/biography-of-dionyz-ilkovic/ 

Jozef Murgaš (1864 – 1929) - priest, painter, architect, botanist, inventor and electrical engineer
He lived in the USA, where he worked as a priest. He was also involved in electrical engineering and registered 12 patents in the field of wireless telegraphy. He established different frequencies for the dots and dashes in Morse code, thus accelerating the transmission of messages. His other patents include the spinning reel (for fishing), wavemeter, electric transformer, magnetic detector and an engine producing electromagnetic waves. He is often referred to as the “Slovak Edison” or “Radio Priest”. More information: monoskop.org/Jozef_Murgas 

Ľudmila Pajdušáková (1916 – 1979) - astronomer
The first Slovak woman astronomer, a specialist in solar astronomy. She made her name as the discoverer of 5 comets (1-period comet and 4 non‑periodic comets). Other examples of her scientific research included the systematic observation of meteors (among them the Umid meteor shower in 1945) and observations of the Sun. Her facsimile collection published in 1946, which included more than 11,000 meteorites on 10,000 facsimiles, was at that time the second-largest in the world after the Harvard collection. A minor planet 3636 Pajdušáková, discovered in 1982, bears her name. More information: skaw.sk/comet-discoverer-ludmila-pajdusakova 

Ján Andrej Segner (1704 – 1777) - physician, astronomer, physicist and mathematician
One of the best‑known scientists of his age. Designed a reactive water engine known as the Segner wheel, and invented the water turbine principle, which formed the basis for the functioning of modern space rockets. The crater Segner on the Moon bears his name, as does the minor planet 28  878 Segner (discovered in 2000). More information: monoskop.org/Johann_Andreas_Segner 

Aurel Stodola (1859 – 1942) - engineer, physicist, pedagogue and inventor
He graduated in the field of mechanical engineering and worked as a professor at the Federal Polytechnic in Zurich, Switzerland (one of his students was Albert Einstein). He achieved his greatest successes in the area of steam turbines; his calculations and constructions formed a basis for this particular field of mechanical engineering. In 1915, he constructed a movable artificial arm, known as Stodola’s arm. He was awarded the most prestigious engineering awards – the Grashof Medal (1908) and the James Watt Gold Medal (1940). He was also a correspondent member of the French Academy of Sciences. More information: en.wikipedia.org/Aurel_Stodola 

Dionýz Štúr (1827 – 1893) - geologist, palaeontologist and botanist
Outstanding and world‑famous scientist. He carried out geological research throughout the entire Austro‑Hungarian Kingdom and he compiled the first geological map of the Monarchy. Those works were very important for Slovakia and became a milestone for systematic geological research of the Western Carpathians. He was the director of the Imperial Geological Institute in Vienna (1885 – 1892). The State Geological Institute of Dionýz Štúr in Bratislava bears his name.

Viliam Thurzo (1912 – 1984) - oncologist and pedagogue
Founder of cancer research, research of oncogenic viruses and experimental oncology in Slovakia. He discovered a new type of virus called B77, which is still used as a model for research into the genesis of tumours.

 

Politics

Matúš Móric Beňovský (1746 – 1786) - nobleman, explorer, traveller, writer, military officer and King of Madagascar
Baron Beňovský began his career as a military officer in the Seven Years’ War. He fled to Poland in 1768, where he fought against the Russian Tsar, was captured and was sent into exile in Kamchatka (Russian Federation). He managed to escape by boat in 1770. He sailed across the North Pacific and arrived in France in 1772. King Louis XV appointed him the Governor of Madagascar and he was elected the country’s King in 1776. He fought in the American War of Independence in 1779 and 1781 and was a friend of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington. Works: Memoirs and Travels (1783). More information: en.wikipedia.org/Maurice_Benyovszky 

Alexander Dubček (1921 – 1992) - politician
The leading figure in the Prague Spring (1968 – 1969). In the 1960s, he endeavoured towards reforming the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and establishing “socialism with a human face”. He faded into the background after the invasion of Warsaw Pact forces in August 1968. During the period of “normalisation”, in the 1970s, he was expelled from the party and became a subject of persecution. As a symbol of efforts towards reform, he returned to politics in 1989; he became the Speaker of the Federal Parliament and the leader of the Slovak Social Democratic Party. More information: en.wikipedia.org/Alexander_Dubcek 

Milan Hodža (1878 – 1944) - journalist, politician, diplomat and statesman
He was involved in the Agrarian Movement. He was a co-founder of the most powerful party in the Czechoslovak Republic (1918 – 1939) – the Czechoslovak Agrarian Party. He was a Member of Parliament, Minister (Unification of Laws, Agriculture, Education and Foreign Affairs) and, finally, the Prime Minister of the Czechoslovak Republic. He immigrated to France in 1939 and then to the USA in 1941. He was active in the foreign resistance movement during World War II. He created the idea of a federal state in Central Europe, stretching from the Baltic to the Aegean Sea, from Germany to Russia. (More information: en.wikipedia.org/Milan_Hodza)

Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880 – 1919) - politician, diplomat, photographer, astronomer, military pilot and officer
Studied astronomy in Prague and Paris. He became acquainted with Tomáš G. Masaryk and Eduard Beneš, with whom he established an anti‑Austro‑Hungarian resistance movement in France in order to establish an independent Czech and Slovak State. He worked in France as an astronomer, became a French Air Force officer during World War I, he was one of the leading members of the Czechoslovak National Council, Minister of War and one of the founders of the Czechoslovak Republic and Czechoslovak Legions. He died in a tragic air accident. The Armed Forces Academy of General Milan Rastislav Štefánik in Liptovský Mikuláš bears his name, as well as the main airport in the country. More information: en.wikipedia.org/Milan_Rastislav_Stefanik 

Ľudovít Štúr (1815 – 1856) - national activist and linguist
The leader of the Slovak National Revival in the 19^th century, author of the Slovak language standard eventually leading to the contemporary Slovak literary language. He organised the Slovak Volunteer Campaigns during the 1848 Revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary, a member of the Hungarian Parliament, politician, Slovak poet, journalist, publisher, teacher, philosopher and linguist. Ľudovít Štúr Institute of Linguistics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences in Bratislava bears his name. (More information: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ludovit_Stur)