The influence of Slovak National Uprising (hereinafter “SNP”) on the post-war development in Slovakia and the need to document and first of all to preserve the documentation of active participation of the Slovaks in the fight against fascism and that of suffering, victims and loses caused by Nazism during the World War II were the primary reasons for establishing the Museum of Slovak National Uprising (hereinafter “SNP Museum”)
From past to present
The Slovak Academy of Sciences organised in 1953 the scientific conference on questions of the history of Slovak National Uprising. The conference conclusions contained a requirement to create a Museum of Slovak National Uprising, which will carry out scientific research and documentation activities in the field of the history of the national liberation struggle of Slovaks and the history of Slovak National Uprising.
The museum was established on 8th May 1955, but its profile, organisational structure and concept of activity were not clear. The state commissioner (later ministry) for education and culture and the regional political authorities have started to deal with these issues only at the end of 1956. In April 1957, the museum was transferred from the competence of the Regional National Committee in Banská Bystrica to the competence of the Commission for Education and Culture as a departmental scientific workplace. The scientific character of SNP Museum was constituted in 1957 by Slovak Academy of Sciences. So the museum became as well national museum as scientific institution. Its basic task was to collect, professionally process, protect and make accessible material and spiritual monuments from the period of Slovak National Uprising. The museum should present the results of its museological activity and scientific research mainly through exhibitions, expositions and through professional periodicals, magazines and publications.
Museum’s profile completed
Today, the SNP Museum can be characterised as a nationwide central specialised museum, scientific, professional, educational and information institution with a specialized Public Archive of the SNP Museum, which purposefully collects, protects, professionally processes, scientifically evaluates, uses and makes accessible documents of museum, archive and gallery value related to the history of Slovak society between 1938 and 1945, with emphasis on documentation of the anti-fascist and national liberation struggle and of the SNP as an important part of European anti-fascist resistance during World War II; it documents the post-war court trials, rehabilitation of the rebels and current manifestation of Neo-Fascism, racial hatred and intolerance. The museum carries out scientific-research, professional-methodical, exposition, cultural-educational, educational, editorial and information activities related to the above-mentioned historical events, with its own program of research, collecting, presentation and educational activities in the field of its specialization. It is a museum of nationwide scope with international appeal.