Slovakia — books & literature

The story of Slovakia

Slovakia's story begins in the early Middle Ages with Great Moravia, founded circa 833 CE, one of the first major Slavic states, whose rulers invited the Byzantine missionaries Cyril and Methodius in 863 to bring literacy and Christianity in the Slavic tongue. After Great Moravia's collapse around 907, the territory that is now Slovakia became part of the Kingdom of Hungary for close to a thousand years, with Bratislava (then Pressburg) serving as Hungary's coronation capital during the Ottoman era. A 19th-century national revival, led by figures such as Ľudovít Štúr, codified the modern Slovak literary language and awakened a distinct Slovak identity. In 1918, Slovaks joined Czechs to found Czechoslovakia, though the 20th century brought upheaval: a wartime client state, communist rule after 1948, the crushed reforms of the 1968 Prague Spring, and finally the 1989 Velvet Revolution that ended communism. On 1 January 1993, Slovakia and the Czech Republic peacefully separated in the "Velvet Divorce," creating the independent Slovak Republic. Since then Slovakia has joined the EU and NATO in 2004 and adopted the euro in 2009, building a modern economy anchored by automotive manufacturing while preserving castles, mountains, and folk traditions that reach back over a thousand years.

Timeline — key moments

1. circa 833

   Great Moravia founded under Prince Mojmír I, one of the first major Slavic states.

2. 863

   Byzantine missionaries Cyril and Methodius arrive in Great Moravia, bringing Slavic literacy and Christianity.

3. circa 907

   Great Moravia disintegrates; the region becomes part of the Kingdom of Hungary for close to a millennium.

4. 1536-1830

   Bratislava (Pressburg) serves as the coronation capital of the Kingdom of Hungary.

5. 1843-1846

   Ľudovít Štúr codifies the modern Slovak literary language.

6. 1918

   Czechoslovakia is founded on 28 October, uniting Slovaks and Czechs as one state.

7. 1939-1945

   A wartime Slovak Republic exists as a Nazi client state; the 1944 Slovak National Uprising resists it.

8. 1968

   Slovak reformist Alexander Dubček leads the Prague Spring, "socialism with a human face."

9. 1989

   The Velvet Revolution ends four decades of communist rule.

10. 1993

    Slovakia becomes independent on 1 January in the peaceful "Velvet Divorce" from Czechoslovakia.

Top 10 things to know about Slovakia

1. Slovakia became independent on 1 January 1993 in the peaceful "Velvet Divorce" from Czechoslovakia.
2. Bratislava is the only national capital in the world bordering two other sovereign countries (Austria and Hungary).
3. Great Moravia, founded circa 833 CE, was one of the first major Slavic states and an ancestor of modern Slovak identity.
4. Slovakia has one of the highest densities of castles and chateaux in the world, including Spiš Castle, one of the largest in Central Europe.
5. The High Tatras, part of the Carpathian range, hold the highest peaks in the country and are a national symbol.
6. Slovak is a West Slavic language closely related to Czech and Polish, and largely mutually intelligible with Czech.
7. Slovakia was the first Central European country to adopt the euro, in 2009.
8. Slovakia's wooden churches of the Carpathian region are UNESCO World Heritage-listed.
9. Per capita, Slovakia is one of the largest car producers in the world, home to plants for Volkswagen, Kia, Stellantis, and Jaguar Land Rover.
10. The fujara, a giant Slovak shepherd's flute, is recognised by UNESCO as intangible cultural heritage.

Famous people from Slovakia

Say it in Slovakia's language

Did you know?

• ★Slovakia has one of the highest densities of castles and chateaux per capita of any country in the world.
• ★Bratislava is the only national capital that borders two other countries, Austria and Hungary.
• ★Andy Warhol's parents were Rusyn/Slovak immigrants from the village of Miková in northeastern Slovakia.

Slovakia culture

• Christmas Eve (Štedrý večer) dinner traditionally opens with oplátky wafers and honey, followed by carp.
• The fujara, a metre-long shepherd's flute, and traditional kroj costumes remain part of regional folk festivals.
• Bryndzové halušky, potato dumplings with sheep's-milk cheese, is considered the national dish.
• The High Tatra mountains are central to national identity, hiking culture, and outdoor tourism.

Why read Slovakia's books

Slovak literature carries the voice of a small nation that spent centuries under larger empires yet built a language and literary tradition of its own, from Ľudovít Štúr's 19th-century revival to the poetry of Hviezdoslav. Reading Slovakia's books is a way into that quiet, resilient national imagination.