Slovak historiography (not only of the Early Modern period): traditions, trends, perspectives

Tradition: the teleological view of Slovak history as the „road to the nation's own state“ – formulation in the Constitution

Present: pre-occupation with the political history combined with the neglecting of the „traditional“ themes (economic, social history) and the challenge of the new trends: analytic historiography (collective memory, value positions, possibilities of choice, means of culture, communication).

Definition of the research area (Nation vs Region?) (Chronology of Slovak History, in print)

„The Slovak territory was then in direct and permanent contact with the Antic/Roman civilization. In that time, even during the whole ancient era our country was divided, from the point of view of geopolitical matter as well as of that of settlement, into three independent units“.

-Slovaks, the nation, which shared a state with other nations.-The search for the place of Slovakia between East and West in its historical perspective

Searching for the place in history (with respect to the authors of historical writing

Territorial principle – Franko Víťazoslav SASINEK (Great Moravia as a starting point, since then embeded to Hungarian Kingdom with a specific development)

Slovak history = history of nation (Julius BOTTO) – national revival Daniel RAPANT – sythesis of both attitudes, against the concept of

Czechoslovak history: territory=organic part of Hungary where a

separate,specific nation developed

Slovak history from the point of view of geopolitics „Slovakia“ as a bridge? Or crossroads of cultures? (popular among travel agencies

and journalist, territorial factor is not enough, however) Historical character of the argumentation (GM, Cyrillo-Methodian mission –

both failed, on the other hand – a starting point of syncretism, typical by concidering the

wider 4. 3. 2013context). Accentuation of this context – Alexander AVENARIUS, Dušan KOVÁČ...

How to interprete the personalities of the Hungarian / Slovak past?

Positive feature: acceptance of the history of elites

(especially nobility, since cca mid 1970s), „back to the

Hungarian Kingdom“

Negative feature: „appropriation“ throug the re-naming only,

or who were Batáň or Ziči?

Phenomenon of „Slovakization“ of the „historical“ names – the sign of

Nationalism

Problems of turning point 1918 = Aponi/Apponyi..., misusing for the political

goals today (František Liszt, the forgotten fellow of the Slovak nation )

Case 1: Daniel Hajný / Hajnotzy

= an unique example of the social rise of the serf family among intelectual elite

The phenomenon of the change of family name documented clearly, acceptance by the whole family (1713 until 1723)

Importance of DH within the intelectual and Lutheran community (circle of Matthias Bel, Societas latina in Jena, Germany, 1737)

DH as an author (Iter Neosoliense!) – „Hungarian Cicero“ (Wallaszky) vs Haynotzium...esse Sclauum...(Iter): DH – an adherent of proto-nacionalism???, if: of a which one???

Library of DH (Predmier, Sopron, Rust)

Case 2: Joseph Bencúr / Benczur (1727-1784), half forgotten patriae suae ornamentum

Not typical career: intended pedagogy-school director in Kesmark/Kežmarok (1755-60, 1771-75), Pozsony/BA (1760-70) –

Gabriel Prónay, Jozef Hajnoczy!

Political person – paralell with A.F.Kollár-author of the political writings (pamphletist ): -Confutatio pretensionis Borusica 1758 (image of Protestants!)-defension of the pretension of Monarchy to the Polish territories (1758, 1772), of the

absolutistic rule (Ungaria semper libera 1764 – against Hungarian estates and their prerogatives!), of the rights of co-regents and their compatibility with the Hungarian constitution (Eusebii verini Commentatio 1769/1771),

-the comparison of the rights of Catholics and Protestants in abroad (1st half 1774), the analysis of post-Toleration patent situation (Schreiben eines Wieners 1783)

Enlightener, in which extent the Hungarian patriot ? And Slovak?