Winter has eased into its early phase here in Bratislava, with a pronounced nip in the air, and weather that the forecasters didn’t call for. Some days start out cloudy, and somehow, despite the “weather outlook”, rain and sleet come out of the sky. It’s a bit like living in Chicago; the same applies here as well.. “if you don’t like the weather, hang around, it will change”.  On the other hand, the apostille of my birth certificate is done, and now hopefully we can begin the visa process. I’m starting to get excited at the prospect of being able to move around a bit more freely. There was a great buzz last Tuesday night at Jelen as I sat in the corner with the “big boys” and they were kind enough to use English when discussing my “situation”.

   This is blog/post #5 in my renewed explanation of Slovak History, Culture, and Geography.  In the following we will look at the end of the Western Roman Empire prior to the appearance of the Slavs into the European sphere. I want to be clear here; The people that are today’s Slovaks are the descendants of not only the Slavs, but the peoples that have been a part of her history from time immemorial. Archeology plainly supports this theorum. While it is true that many tribes  traversed, and came to stay for a spell, and they are just a small part of our history… each was instrumental in their own manner, they mixed with the locals and thus departed with a small portion of that particular genealogy. The inculcation of the Slavs into Europe, especially here in Central Europe, was to say the least, a major boost to the genealogical background of our present Slovak; they have always been here.

   There are many claims, by a long list of historians, that this land was unsettled, or without some sort of sound citizenry. That is fiction and quite untrue. The Slavs have always existed here with their language intact, and some aspects of the linguistic patterns were co-opted by those that were here, together it was melded, and grew to become used in dialects across early Slovakia. It would not be for a few centuries that early Slovakia would have some cohesion, but in this post we will talk about migratory period. [Note: Zbigniew Golab is a great resource – his thesis on linguistics and the original Slavs is invaluable]

   In our earlier post, “Slovakia: “The Migratory Period”… we discussed the Huns and their forays into the Roman sphere. We didn’t talk about “The Crisis of the Third Century” (235 to 305 +/-). In this period, we must be acutely aware of the fact that the “Pax Romana” is well over and that the vast number of tribes are a greater danger to Rome than they had been in the past. The “Barbarian Invasions of the 3rd Century”; this is an  illustrious crowd. On the Northern frontier are the Picts, the Caledonians, and the Saxons in the modern British Isles. While to the near-west of Rome orbit the Frisi, Saxons, Franks, Allemani, Burgundians, Marcomanni, Quadi, Lugii, Vandals, Juthurgi, Gepids (to be prominent in Slovakia), and of course – the Goths (two tribes each/East & West). The tribes in the Danube/lower Danube – we may be familiar with, some new/some old. The Dacians, the Alans (off-shoot of the Sarmatians), the Heruli, and various Slav-related tribes from the Carpathians radiating outward into modern Western Russia to the East and Poland to the north. In short, although Romans may rule most of the Mediterranean Basin, the area from the North Sea across to the Baltic Sea, and South to the Pannonian Plain are a constantly shifting mass of tribes jostling for position and supremacy.

The “crisis” is well due to many factors.  Rome’s resources are thinning, and it is unable to protect all that which was included in its “Imperial Form”, I.e., organization, economics/wealth, and trade networks, as well as its physical entities – military, structures and the like… the aforementioned tribes are much more than an existential threat, they are certainly a physical threat. We emtioned the “limes” (lee-mess) on the Danube a post or two back, and these fortifications were put in place to hold the line against attacks on Rome’s Northern border (frontier). As time goes on and the numerous tribes become melded, unified, and allied – they give Rome its greatest challenge. By the beginning of the 3rd century, Rome has been or is at its peak power power. I believe this where the “double whammy” occurs. The first is “The Crisis of the 3rd Century”, and the second is the “Barbarian Invasion” [Note: Quotation marks are mine; the tribes were no more barbaric than the Romans] In this critical period for not only Rome, but for our lands at the time, another transition will take place, and again our early Slovakia changes.

   Almost always in my opinion, the second of the “double whammy” gets lumped in with the causes of the crisis. I have had a tendency to believe most that I have read about this period, and my humble opinion sees the tribal existence as the biggest influencer of the crisis, alongside the litany of probable causes. Here are some of the “probable causes” of “The Crisis of the Third Century” beginning about 230 AD (+/-): civil war/infighting for power, the “Plague of Cyprian” (248 – 262 AD), a breakdown in commerce/trade, a downturn in production of food (invariably a result of the pandemic/plague), and as a result, an ensuing labor shortage. Yet the pressure of the tribal aspirations and a Peasant’s rebellion make for a complex moment of overall instability for the Western Roman Empire.

    In the end, after attempting to weather the 50 years (+/-) of the “Crisis of the 3rd Century”, the Western Roman Empire is deeply sapped and weakened. Near this point in Rome’s history appears my own favorite – Diocletian. He institutes the infamous Diarchy (“rule of two”) first and then the Tetrarchy (“rule of 4”), and then he begins work to divide the Empire into East & West. Diocletian also, in doing this, stabilized the Empire. He subdued the Sarmatians, Carpi, and the Alemanni – adding to this he also defeated and lessened the power of Persia under Bahram II.

    Reading this particular blog/post, you may be asking; “Why is Niel spending all of this time with Rome, and what does it have to do with Slovakia”? The answer is simple. This is all about the “6 C’S” of historical study —> “Change Over Time”, Context”, “Causality”, “Contingency”, “Complexity”, and always “Continuity”. For my own reasons, this is my discipline when studying history. [Note: “continuity” is usually melded into “change over time”]  Pehaps we can devote a separate blog/post to these ideas. and my own study research habits as well.

   I believe that the earliest years in “our Slovakia”, were directly influenced by Rome – as ripples across a pond. This extends to many other political entities as well. Many historians espouse “continuity” as a primary factor in the study of history – Herodotus, Thucydides, Schopenhauer…etc. This we can save for a later blog/post… let me know with your comments.

    So… Diocletian has divided the Roman Empire, and the “Barbarians are at the gate”. We have looked at the Huns in our previous post, and at this moment in the territory of Pannonia, as always, there is movement. We have the Heruli, Ostrogoths, Lombards (Langobards), and Gepids as the main tribal power between the Tatra and Danube…roughly. Across Central Europe, from the Baltic Sea to the Balkan Peninsula, an awakening comes from the Slavs. Below the Carpathians (South), the Balkans bear a considerable weight from the the humanity coming off the Steppe. A significant publication by Zbigniew Golab regarding the origins of Slavs from a linguistic point of view further draws forth that we (the Slavs) have always been here. Ergo, the genetic and historical ancestors of the Slovaks have always resided here in the land near the Carpathians, and down to the Danube… at least.

   By the time Diocletian retired to his eponymous palace in modern-day Split, Croatia… he is in poor health, and passes away in 311. Some say that Diocletian was responsible for keeping the frontiers secured. Roman Gaul (modern France) is inundated by forces for and against Rome. During this period, Rome has many of the tribes as “foederati” (fed-der-ahtee)… essentially mercenaries paid by Rome to live within its borders, provided military/economic assistance, and provided with “Roman citizenship”. This was a standard practice for the “late-Roman Empire”, in which it needed the “barbarians” to help defend its frontiers… but also to quell the ambitions of the various tribes.

   I have taken time to explain some of the moments I believe are crucial in the “Migration Period” where the Romans are concerned. Yet this is entirely simplified, and in order to get the full picture, we would need at  least 4 or 5 blog/posts. A large crowd of scholars, from many disciplines, have studied (or are currently studying) this period for a good reason. Rome was the very first “complex empires” to ever exist, and in many ways it never disappeared. We will begin again with the Slavs in Pannonia, and further developments as Rome falls.

   UMBRELLA MOMENTS

   What else is going on in the world from the turn of the 1st millennium until the 3rd century AD? The accepted date of the birth of Jesus Christ is 4 BC… he will be crucified nearly 30 years later. In Asia, the Han dynasty is in its “death throes” as the Jins will eventually combine (East & West) until 316/340 AD. The Silk Road is growing from its infancy in the 2nd century BC… (+/-). In China also, porceain is invented around 100 BC. The Yamato state begins in Japan (200 AD until 600 AD). India has various dynastic rules, it is not a united entity as yet, and witnesses the “Classical Age of Hindu Culture”, In Meso-America the intricate civilizations of the various early cultures come to the fore. They are widely considered to be in league with other “cradles of civilization”. We count Meso-America alongside Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, India, and China; in this case 2,000 years before the Olmecs (another of this type) – were the pre-Incans (Caral-Supe); the “typical civilizations” in that they grew from agricultural/marine supluses of food to bolster a Central govermnent, political and religious leadership, with a dedicated system of public works, i.e., architecture, social stratification, irrigation…etc. We are so deeply imbued with the idea that the ideals of civilization came from Greece and Rome, that we forget there is an entire world where events are taking place, molding and shaping cultures into nations (or consolidated political entities), that we lose sight of the fact that history is occuring on a global scale. Unfortunately here in the Western world we are entirely “Euro-centric”, or “American/US-centric” that we don’t believe anyone but us can create history. I know, I don’t believe, that today’s problems are a result of our refusal to to look at our past with open eyes.

   “Those that cannot remember their past are condemned to repeat it” George Santyana – 1905

   I will leave you here with this blog/post, and look forward to our next meeting. Our next blog/post will be about the early proto-Slovaks and their emergence from an unknown Slavic entity around the 5th century AD. There is a reason for this, and we will get a good look at it in the next post.

   Until we meet again, I thank you very much for taking the time to read my blog/posts, and I look forward to any and all comments you may have. Please… prosim, take care of yourselves, and take of each other… no matter their politcal or philosophical bent. All we have is each other.

    Ahoj..Hello and Vitaj…Welcome!   I would have liked to post sooner but I have been dealing with the passing of one of the most influential people in my life. My dear friend Jim Rivera has left this life, and went on to explore another world. Jim was absolutely crucial in helping me to hone my skills in the back-country and the outdoors in general. We went on many adventures together, Isle Royale National Park being one trip that stands out. Through rain, snow, and sunshine… we had too many good and tough times to list. All of them were faced with quick thinking and humor. It was more than the outdoors, there were lessons in life, and I was lucky enough to work for Jim at Erewhon as well. His generosity and kindness toward not only me, but my family was one-of-a-kind. In the between time, I met many, many people that became best friends to this day. All I had met through Jim; we shared the same values about the outdoors… both in reverence and respect. There are a few years worth stories to share about him, perhaps, maybe someday I can get it on paper and publish a few in a post. I will never forget those times, I will never forget the people, I will never forget what I learned about the outdoors from him…and I will never forget Jim Rivera.

HISTORY CORNER

   Going forward, for at least 1,500 years, the entirety of Central and Southeast Europe, will be continiously overturned, overwhelmed, and changed by the arrival of numerous tribes (and tribal confederations) coming off of the Steppes to the East. When we talk about the turn of the millennium (B.C. to A.D.), like many historians, I believe the Steppe is a major factor for change, and therefore, I have my own ideas regarding the existence of the Roman Empire, and how the peoples on the frontiers shape the “Empire” into that which it became. Parallel to the rise of Rome, out on the Steppe and far to the East the Huns are beginning to gain power.

   Aside from the Quadi, the Marcomanni, and the Suebi in Central/Western Europe, the Sarmatian/Scythians are beginning to make inroads into the eastern edges of Europe. The Scythians appear first, along with the Sarmatians, and become major powers on the Pontic Steppe (the area between the Black and Caspian Seas). Previous to this, the Scythians were driven by the Medes (an ancient Iranian people) from West Asia, out onto the Steppe and into the Caucasus as well. By the 3rd century BC, the Scythians are defeated and absorbed by the Sarmatians. It is generally agreed that the Scythians, and quite possibly the Sarmatians, brought the “horse culture” into vogue at the time.*[See End Notes “1”)] The Proto-Indo-Europeans named the Scythians, translating into “shooter-archer”. Alongside them, or following them, the Sarmatians would come to be known as “those throwing darts or arrows from atop horses”. While it is folly to try and pin down exactly who the “first horsemen” were, it is generally agreed that the Steppes were the proving ground for light cavalry, and some of the best came from the East. Ancient authors often refer specifically to these “Iranic peoples” that existed in the Pontic Steppe between the Don and Danube Rivers.

   I realize that we keep revisiting this issue, but in my mind, it is truly seminal in the rising and falling of power on the continent, and will leave a lasting impression on our Slovakia for many years. The entirety of Central Europe and SE Europe (The Balkans), will be overturned, overwhelmed, and changed by the numerous tribes (and tribal confederations) coming off of the Steppe. As the Roman Empire grew at the turn of the millennium, so too did the Huns far to the East on the steppes of Central Asia. By the 2nd century AD, moving westward over the Pontic Steppe, and pushing many tribes ahead of them to the west, the Huns will dramatically change Europe. Also another notable aspect to keep in mind is that the Roman Empire is split in two leaving it with the “Western” and “Eastern” Roman Empire(s).

   It took Diocletian many years to divide the Empire into two parts for stability, as he began in the late 3rd century (286AD), and the division was not complete until just before the beginning of the 5th century (395). This was done to stabilize the empire and make it easier to administer and protect, as the empire had become too large to do either. Both capital cities, Rome and Constantinople, would bear attacks by many of the steppe-borne tribes.

   Two of the tribes who were driven westward are the Goths and Alans. Others will have names as familiar, like the Vandals, Gepids, Suebians, and lesser known – but very powerful – Rugians and Heruli. We have mentioned the Scythian/Sarmatians, and the Huns eventually would settle in their territory on the Volga in the late 4th century (370AD), conquering the Alans; taking over the former Sarmatian lands to use as their base to foray into the eastern frontier of the Roman Empire, and in time westward to the Italian Peninsula.  Despite what history will tell you, Attila and the Huns actually attacked Rome because of tribute issues, not because they were totally “blood – thirsty barbarians”. Even a cursory look at the Huns on Wiki will set the background for this narrative, and perhaps break a few more myths.

    The defeat of the Huns at the “Battle of the Catalaunian Fields” in Roman Gaul, signaled the end of the Hun threat in the Western Roman Empire, along with Atilla’s death in 453AD,and the Huns would eventually be assimilated into the surrounding populations. The Romans enlisted the the tribes from the Germanic/Gothic/Frankish territories to vanquish the Huns. While the Huns may have used Thuringians, and Burgundians as well as Gepids, Alans, and a few other tribes to attempt to get the upper hand on the Romans. This moment, across the turn of millennium, was one of deep importance, because not only was Rome unstable from time to time, the tribes on its frontiers were gathering power, and unifying to maximize their strengths against the Roman Empire.  Among these tribal connections, and movements, the people living in Slovakia come into view for the first time in this story. I am currently working on a “Part II” for this “Migratory Period”.

   UMBRELLA MOMENT:

     One outstanding statement: At the turn of the first millennium, the Silk Road (or Silk Routes* See End Notes “2”) become active and last until the 16th century A.D. (1700+/-). This system of thoroughfares leading from East to West covered more than 14,000kms (9,000mis +/-). The Han dynasty in modern-day China was beginning to exert influence with-in and with-out. Korea (Gojoseon) and the Hexi Corridor* are the Han’s focus in the Asian/Chinese theater. The “Great Wall of China” was given additions to protect the Northern route of the Silk Road, and this entity will come to be of prime importance for a vast number of those on the Steppe.

    END NOTES* 

  1) The Scythians may not be the very first of the “horse cultures”, but they certainly were one of the most famous. The history of the horse on the Steppe is timeless and runs deep into the past, with the Kazakhs more than 5,000 years back being known as early horse traders. That would mean that those surrounding cultures would have been tremendous horsemen as well. 2) There is a contention among many historians that the overland Silk Road was just one portion of the trade avenue. Many are convinced that the sea routes to Asia Minor, and the Mediterranean were as vital (or more) to the entirety of the silk trades. For this purpose, they are combined to be “The Silk Routes”. We will touch on this in our following post.

   I am attempting to take as much time as I can to describe how consequential this period in history for our lands that will come to eventually be known as Slovakia. In “Part Two” we are going to see the Slavs appear on this stage, although those people who will coalesce with the Slavs have always been here, and were autochthonous (indigenous) to our Slovakia. Again, apologies for being so late in posting, as the posts take a great deal of time to research and draft. Also my side projects and English-tutoring demand much of my time. Until we meet again… please take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.

   Apologies for taking so long to get this post out. It has been a very busy time, and I have to triage, leaving these blog/posts to the bottom of the pile of “work-to-be-done”. If the next month is anything this month has been, then I can only hope to post again next weekend. So then, we will advance into the Neolithic Period with inhabitants of early Slovakia.

   HISTORY CORNER

    We ended our last post with the mention of several notable ideas and terms from the the end of the Paleolithic period (2.5 million to +/- 10/9/8,000 BC), and the beginning of the Neolithic periods (11/10/9,000 to roughly 3,000 BC). As I mentioned in our prior post, there is a lack of borders between when and where these overall dates apply. We must keep in mind that the most significant development, one that demarcates one period from another, is the trend from hunter/gatherer to settled agriculture. The Neolithic humans, those from the “new” Stone Age, further cultivated their weaponry, jewelry, pottery, as well as their agricultural skills. Because of the change in climate, from Ice Age-typical conditions, to seemingly more temperate conditions, these cultural outcomes appeared at different times for different people… in the many geographical regions. That being said, we will continue on with the influencing cultures here in early Central Europe.

   By the middle of the Neolithic periods here in Central Europe, small settlements had arisen, and some might even be termed “towns” by modern standards. One of those giving its name to a Neolithic culture was Hallsttat in what is now Austria. The “Hallsttat Culture” was known to have territorial growth from its inception in the 12th century BC, and grew to its widest reach by the 6th century BC. This a notable culture because it was part of, or may have ushered in, the Bronze Age here in Central Europe. Their metal-work was considered advanced for the time and place. Very important is the fact that there were signs of social castes. While this is nothing new, I’m sure there was a wide-spread use of elite classes like chieftains, warriors, priests or shamans, and artisans of varying skills. Archeology has exhibited the chieftain’s graves as an example, along with intricate metal-crafting for belt buckles and other items. There is speculation that the Halsttaters were able to smelt iron, presaging the “Bronze Age collapse” [see End Notes]

   Breaking away from the Bronze-Iron age narrative for a moment, I want to spend a few moments on the importance of the Eurasian Steppe  for those in early Central Europe. This subject will also be a recurring theme throughout the early story of Slovakia, and is just as important as the Amber Road, Bronze/Iron Age weaponry or any of the aforementioned notables. As far as I’m concerned, the role of the Eurasian Steppe in the further development of not only Central Europe, but Europe as a whole, it is a subject I feel is vastly overlooked.

   The term “Steppe” refers to a zone of unbroken land, usually flat and grassy, but often arid and unending. The Eurasian Steppe is the largest in the world – some 8,000 km (5,000mi) wide East to West, and they are often referred to as the “Great Steppe”.  By comparison, the “Great Plains” of North America (Canada & United States) are also considered “steppes”. They are 4,800km (3,000mi) North to South, and only about 1,600km (1,000mi) East to West. The Eurasian Steppe is the largest in the world and the most significant because of its influence on history. The unbroken land area allowed for freedom of movement, mostly East/West, also has served as an “incubator”, if you will; it has influenced empires, cultures, and change – both political and societal. In a separate paper that I’m writing, I describe my theory of the “Caspian Conveyor Belt”; one in which the impact of the movement of people across the northen Caspian and Black Sea has shaped and influenced Europe for ages past. Bordered mostly by the Siberian forests to the north and the mountain ranges of the Tien Shen, the Altai, and the Himalayas to the South, the “ocean of grass” extends from from nearly the Pacific Ocean on the east to Slovakia’s doorstep here in Pannonia.

   In pre-history the Steppe were home to Proto-Indo-Europeans, Mongols, Turkic, and Uralic peoples. This flat expanse allows for, at times, the rapid movement of people. Riding over the top of the Indian Subcontinent, and Persia, many of the earliest of Europe’s ancestors arrived via this “Sea of grass”, as well as through the lands of pre-Turkey’s Asia Minor. Home to the Silk Road, which we will introduce in the next few posts, mounted cavalry, and chariots, the Steppe have given many innovations to Europe. The mass of tribes, armies, and indeed whole early civilizations owe this geographic wonder a great deal as their starting point.

   The Steppe are divided into six different regions. If there is greater interest, I will devote a post to the Steppe, but I don’t want to spend too much of our 6/7 minute read on it. Let me hear from you in the comments, and I am all too happy to expound further on this incredible place in geography and history. We will refer to it often for the next 1500 years at least, so I believe it is important to have your geographical bearings set properly.

   The last of the significant “cultures” here is the Puchov Culture. With a seamless transition from the La Tene Culture. Following the Halsttat Culture’s disappearance (and during/after La Tene), the Proto-Celtics established a center in the Trencin area near the modern town of Puchov, Slovakia. This culture arose from the Lusatian culture, which may have been a bridge between the Halsttats and the Celtic Puchovs. In the melding of the Bronze and Iron Ages, the Puchov culture puts us squarely in the time of “Antiquity”… this period has the Greeks rising and falling, as the Romans begin to exert Iron Age influence. Classical Antiquity usually refers to the Mediterranean civilizations, but I always like to connect the dots. The Puchov culture is notable for its many hill forts (Havranok/Vah River), and settlements near rivers and streams. They are called “oppidum” or “oppida” – fortified Iron Age settlements. The Proto- Celtic tribes (Cotini, Boii, Anartes) would later be taken over by the Marcomanni and Quadi (Germanic tribes) and the Dacians (Indo-Europeans/Black Sea- Carpathian tribes). The Cotini and Boii both to the Germanics and the Anartes to the Dacians; all three tribes would be assimilated and disappear, and their fates, although intriguing – have no further connection to our history going forward to the turn of the millennium (BC to AD).

   Lookout over the Vah River at Havranok

   Another significant Celtic oppida was right here in Bratislava. It is perhaps one of dozens of settlements on this site, fortified, and erected overlooking the Danube from this commanding spot. It is exactly here that Bratislavsky Hrad (Bratislava Castle) sits. Much like the site a little west of us at Devin Castle, which sits on the point at which the Morava River empties itself into the Danube; the heights in both places have been used for centuries reaching back into pre-history – and now going forward into the turn of the millennium and beyond. (Late Iron Age – c400 to 800 AD). Fort/settlements of this type served a multitude of functions, aside from protection, most were centers of commerce, hubs for surrounding roads that carry goods, and early administrative cores. It’s here at the Bratislava oppida that some of the earliest writing takes place, notably that with coinage bearing a Celtic king’s name. This is the last of the Celts in shaping our history, for they would be defeated by the surrounding tribes, mostly the Germanic and Dacian groups. As the Celts become assimilated into the stronger tribal alliances, the late B.C.’s witnesses Rome’s rise to prominence, changing the breadth and scope of Slovakia’s participation in the history of Central Europe.

   It should be noted and known; this land of ours was not the only region this change was taking place… human civilization was developing in all of the cardinal directions. My onus is to tell the world about Slovakia, from the beginning through to the end of WWI.

   At this point, as mentioned the two largest and most notable tribes are the Celtic Cotini and Boiis. Some label the Cotini as “Gaulic/Germaic” and others name them as “Celtic”. The consensus among many anthropologists is that although the Cotini lived in an area surrounded by “Germanic” tribes, they were not “Germanic” in their language. The Boii on the other hand, were a Celtic tribe known in the late Iron Age for their expansion, and also for their invasions into the burgeoning Italian Peninsula. They captured the Etruscan (pre-Roman) capital and made it their own (modern Bologna). The Boii would eventually succumb to the Romans and be driven to the Ister River (early name for the Danube), becoming shepherds in Illyria (the Balkan Peninsula).

   The Iron Age crosses the turn of the millennium, *”BC” to “AD”, and with it brings a very critical influence on this landscape with the Romans arriving somewhere between the 1st and 2nd century AD, as part of the “Danubius Limes” (limes – lee-mus). These were a series of fortifications.  The Romans are known to occupy the right (South) bank of the  Danube; a very thin strip at that. They were able also to gain a foothold on the site of the former Celtic oppida at what is now Devin Castle, and modern-day Komarno on the left bank (North) of the Danube. It would be not more than 100 years later that the Romans would venture northward into the big river valleys of the Vah, Hron, and Nitra rivers. Trencin Castle has engravings from the Romans, thus marking Rome’s most Northern point of their presence in our part of Central Europe. [See End Notes*] This sets up for our next blog/post of Slovakia’s earliest history, and in my mind, the most important… the “migratory period”.

UMBRELLA MOMENT:

   In this stretch of time – from the Stone Ages (Paleo/Meso/Neo-lithics) and into the “Ages”, humankind is undergoing rapid and indelible changes. Civilizations are beginning are succumbing to empires… a metamophosis that will be ongoing to the “Late-Modern” period.  In the Americas, the Olmecs (1200 – 400BC) will yield to the Zapotecs (700BC – 1520’s AD), both existing concurrent with the Maya 2000 BC – 16/17thc AD). The civilizations of the AMericas, Incas included, were known to have specialized calendars, highly-ritualized religious practices, and urban-centered populations. In Asia, aside from the civilizations of the Persians, and the Indus Valley cultures – China was already beginning to develop into a military and political power in its own sphere. On the African continent, besides Egypt and the “coastal cultures”, Great Zimbabwe was developing from a settlement in the early AD’s to become a commercial and military by 1000 AD, in South-Central Africa.

END NOTES:

   The “Bronze Age Collapse” was period in the 12th century BC, that refers to the events in the Mediterranean Basin, where there was a downfall of adaptive abilities by societies or cultures. In the Mediterranean areas it occurred in Hellenic (Greek), and Anatolian/Levant cultures, extending as far as Egypt, Eastern Libya, and into the Balkans. There are many periods in history in which various cultures/civilizations/empires collapse due to a vast array of possibilities. Competing theories have everything from climate, to environmental, to invasion, drought, and disease.

* I have chosen to use the most familiar citings for time periods – “AD” and “BC”. Going forward into the “AD” (Anno Domini -“year of our lord”) period it may not be as consequential, but I will continue to use “BC” (Before Christ) when referring to the eras prior to the first millennium AD. in the next blog/post, we will be in the “CE” (Common Era) as it is known now. I will stick with tradition and use “AD” when necessary, while eschewing “BCE” (Before Common Era) for the deeper past. My choice to remain “traditional”. As an “Anarcho-historian”, I could easily go with the non-Christian/neutral CE/BCE, but I want to pay homage to those that wrote history before me; I feel no need to feint being “politically correct” or neutral/secular. It is “old school” and I have been exposed to it for such a long time it feels more natural.

   As we continue on our excursion through the living history of the early inhabitants of Slovakia, followed by the Slavs, and then the forerunners of the Slovaks here in Central Europe… I hope my dear reader’s awareness and interest grows clearer regarding that which makes this particular place so rich, complex, and vexing – all at the same time.

   I thank you all for your patience in awaiting my posts. I am beginning the draft of my next post and hopefully I can publish it this coming weekend. For me, it is imperative that the world knows that Slovakia is more than hockey players and automobiles. Until we meet again, please take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.

   Ahoj a vitaj (ahoy-ah-vit-eye)… hello and welcome back. I am two weeks late to post, as I had promised in our first blog/post. I had a long bout of “flu-ishness”  and I was out of commission for the nearly the past half-month. Excepting the details, I lost some weight, read some, and slept a great deal of the time. In the interrum, our weather has transitioned to Fall. Our days are mostly in the teens during the day (17C/62-63F), and single digits in the evening (5-7/low 40’sF). The last few days have been filled with nice slow walks through a nearby cintorin (cin-tor-een), a cemetery. This quiet, green space is just what I needed. A short walk from my apartment here on the east side of the Stare Mesto (Old Town). I am happy to be moving again, and had my 65th birthday last weekend. I have to thank my good friend Karol (Slovak – Carl), a physiologist who was very kind in helping me to get well… his care and advice were definitely a game-changer.

HISTORY CORNER

   As I have done in the past blog/posts, I will continue to refer to this place as Slovakia, even though we are a long way from the actual term applying to our existence here in Central Europe. The Slavic tribes that will appear in the 5th and 6th centuries AD are the forerunners of our modern Slovaks. I just think it will be easier and less confusing to use the terms “Slovakia” and “Slovaks” when I speak about this history. We will be using the age-old citation of BC and AD, eschewing the modern trend of BCE/CE; a personal preference and it has no bearing on the accuracy of the eras cited.

   Omitted in the opening blog/post was my notion of how closely history and geography are related. We know geography came first, and recorded history second – but the  influence on each other is certainly “yin and yang”. There have been attempts to combine the two disciplinary studies; I prefer the dynamism of each study being separate in a numinous and equi-perpetuating entity. On to our story….

   Our topography drew many cultures prior to the arrival of the Slavs in the 5th and 6th centuries AD. The earliest known and recorded were the Celts c. 450BC. Before the Celts, Slovakia’s fertile lands were host to many “lithic” cultures. Artifacts dated to 270,000 BC have been discovered near Nove Mesto nad Vahom – NE of Bratislava. This is near Trencin.  The most notable cultures were the Gravettian and Puchov, with influence spreading into the surrounding areas. The Gravettians existed more than 33,000 years ago, and were hunter-gatherers. They were known for hunting mammoths, during this particularly colder period in Paleolithic Europe. Despite our notions regarding the Paleolithic peoples – “Stone-agers”, the Gravettians did not live in caves, but in near-subterranean dwellings. More famously, the Gravettians in the West were known to live in caves.The Gravettians in the region of Slovakia were nomadic and mobile. They innovated the use of tools – arrowheads, knives, and bone/antler/ivory-pointed spears…etc. Most often their remnants are discovered in our river valleys.

   The most telling of the Gravettian Culture was the “The Venus of Moravany”. Unearthed by accident in the 1930’s by a farmer and his plow, this ancient ideal of beauty and fertility was fashioned from mammoth bone. The statuette has been radio-carbon dated to 22,000 B.C.. Oddly, and humorously enough, this figurine pre-dates the Venus from classical mythology. It should be remembered that these ideals were common; many of the earliest cultures and civilizations honored the “goddess” of fertility, love, wisdom, beauty…etc. Another famous “Venus” is “The Venus of  Willendorf”, carved from limestone is from the Upper Paleolithic Gravettians.

   Just as importantly as the figurines and tools/pottery of Paleo periods (Lower, Middle, and Upper), are the remains of shell necklaces originating from the Mediterranean areas which have been found in Slovakia. We can clearly relate Slovakia’s geographic position between the Baltic and Adriatic Seas, to its trade and commercial bearing from early in its habitable time. Essentially, sitting in the geographic center of Europe, this land will serve as a trading hub- North/South, and East/West… a recurring motif we will hear very often going forward.

   We must keep in mind that the “lithic” periods haven’t any hard stop and start points. As with Bronze and Iron Ages, there is a melding and coalescing among the vast amount of early cultures and civilizations. Not one of the pre-history humans were ahead or behind the development curve. Their growth as societies, tool-makers, artists, and the like were entirely dependent and influenced by the geography and climate they lived in. In short, human development was occuring world-wide at its proper pace, not just in Slovakia and Central Europe. Modern-day Slovakia has many open-air museums scattered across it. I have been to many, and hold Havranok as my own personal favorite; we will see this in our next post, in which we delve into the Iron and Bronze Ages.

   Around the rough border of the Upper Paleolithic and Neolithic periods – 11,000 to 8,000 B.C., there is a sort of “settling down” for some cultures as they domesticate livestock, invest more time in their tool work and pottery/vessel making. This true of the tribes and cultures in Slovakia’s region. During this Neolithic periods, the design of pottery and containers became more intricate in construction. Around this time, the “neolithics” began to color their pottery. Agriculture grows as they are now clearing fields in keeping with the transition to husbandry for consumption. The hunter/gatherers are beginning to build permanent structures, mining ores and metals, and crafting jewelry. Here is the point that we can see the development of cultures becoming a bit more complex. This period in Slovakia witnesses the inhabiting cultures trade and barter for goods such as shells, weapons (from others and their own outward), and more importantly amber. The “Amber Road” ran from the Northern regions of the Baltic Sea, South through to Poland, Bratislava, down and Southwest-ward to the Adriatic Sea. This trade route is of importance because 1) it has been in place well before the Neolithic era (16th century B.C.) and 2), it replaced the Mediterranean center for the trade in amber. Also of note is the fact that trade networks “spiderwebbed” off the Amber Road, supplying many more goods and assets than just amber. A phenomenon similar to the Silk Road, which we will discuss further in upcoming posts. In the next post, forthcoming by this weekend, We will finish up with the Neolithic period and discover the “Ages” in Slovakia. Both the Bronze and Iron Ages are an incredibly significant time in the cultural development of those in Slovakia. I also want to introduce the importance of the Steppe in our history. Yes, more geography!… the Eurasian Steppe was an “incubator” for civilizations and tribes entering Europe and this cannot be overlooked.

   UMBRELLA MOMENT

   At this period in the history of the entire globe, there are developing cultures nearly everywhere. It is difficult to be precise about exactly where innovation is occuring because many cultures are growing according to their geography, climate, and resources. Some are at the fore of  “civilizing” technologies, while others are still chipping stone weapons, and figuring out how to make their lives easier (in a manner of speaking). Our coming “Umbrella Moments” will delineate exactly who is doing what, when it is happening, and where it takes place.

   I appreciate your time, and patience as I have not fulfilled my promise to be more consistent in posting. Being unwell put a damper on my plans. I hope to post again by Sunday the 20th of October. I thank you all sincerely for sticking with me, and have a fire lit under me to deliver a timely and relevant post in the future. Until we meet again, please, take care of yourselves… and take care of each other. There is not enough of this behavior in the world today.

   Ahoj a vitaj… hello and welcome! After a short summer break, I am resuming our blogs/posts on Slovakia, and the history of my ancestors here in Central Europe. Yes, this is “Central Europe”. We will disseminate this subject shortly. First a very short introduction. The most important facet of our history is the “where”, followed by the “who” and “when”, and then perhaps coloring in the “what” and “why”.

   We are going to expound on this in our next post, but the “where” – the geography is the most consequential – “the where” – before we get into the “who”… the Slovaks and those that came before them.

   The history of Slovakia, the geographical entity, is clothed in the movement of people and cultures early on. Beginning in the earliest of historical and archeological times, this land had seen various groups move in, and then move out. Only in the post-Roman era it would be settled out and steeped in political tumult.  From roughly the 5th/6th centuries, until total control by the Magyar/Hungarians in the 11th century, the early Slovaks had a ruling leadership that were Slavic. Magyar/Hungarians are not Slavic – we will delve into that subject in a later posts. In this first post, my aim is to lay before the reader my geographic reasoning behind the attraction of this particular place in Central Europe. [See Endnotes]

   I want to highlight the fact that, as with most of the European continent, there are enumerable reasons why this particular geographic area was amenable to the tribes that moved through it. Slovakia is rich in features that range from mountains, to thick forests, open grasslands, and riverine habitats. Mixed in are specific places where wine has been made since 600 AD, with introduction by the Romans, early mining of metals, and grain production. Waterways remain a singular asset when humans are seeking a place to settle. Wildlife drew the first hunter-gatherers here, and the rivers were full of fish. From the North to the South, Slovakia has three significant mountain ranges, 1) the Tatras, 2) the Fatras, and 3) the Matras. The Tatras are the backbone of the Northern Carpathians forming Slovakia’s border with Poland. The Fatras lie below the Tatras, and are divided into the Velka (Big/Large), and Mala (Little/Small) Fatras. They are part of the Western Carpathians. In the South, the Matra range, which are mostly in modern Hungary, are claimed a bit by Slovakia… they appear as one of three mountains on its flag. 

   In turn, two of the above-mentioned ranges (Tatra and Fatra) drain their snow-melt and rain run-off into Slovakia’s rivers. Slovakia holds the Vah as its longest river (403km/250mi), followed by the Hron (300km/186mi), and the Ipel, Nitra, and Orava rivers. The Danube, Europe’s 2nd longest river forms Slovakia’s Southern edge, and serves as the recipient of Slovakia’s drainage accepting 96% of its watersheds. The other 4% flows northward to the Vistula (Poland), and on into the Baltic Sea. In any of the settlement sites of early European history, we can find the activity centered around rivers and large bodies of water (oceans and lakes). 

   Another influence in exactly how geography impacts history is climate. Slovakia’s climate is “continental” which means it experiences all four seasons. For those that live in the US, our climate which is similar to the Midwest (“humid-continental”), or Notheast (also “humid-continental”), and only lacks the high summer humidity found in either of those zones.  Our winters are snowy in the north, with cold and damp being the motif here in Bratislava (Southwestern Slovakia).  Although, it was in the past, much colder and snowier, I have my suspicions that climate change is actively changing weather everywhere, as of this writing, we experienced our hottest summer in recorded history… as well as the mildest winter (2023/2024). As we wind our path through Slovakia’s earliest history, we will certainly be considering weather as a deciding factor in how history takes place. This will include weather/climate holding sway over the outcome of battles, the many famines or crop failures, and the movement of peoples. 

   Being swaddled in a near-horseshoe of mountains did not shutter Slovakia from the movement of people. Spread to the East, beyond the Carpathians, and beginning in neighboring Ukraine and Romania is the Eurasian Steppe. From this vast grassland came a prolific number of people, forming my own theory of how much of Europe became populated. I have termed this theory the “Caspian Conveyor Belt”, and we will incorporate this into our next post on the migratory growth of Slovakia going forward. Slovakia, is among the countries that share the “Pannonian Steppe” which is a steppe area extended through the Carpathians… a continuation of the Great Eurasian Steppe. Through the gaps of the Carpathians, and around its Southern edge came the migrating tribes and bands from the East and the South. It is at this point that Slovakia’s history crosses tracks with human habitation. Supported by archeologic and anthropologic evidence, we can follow along the development of mankind’s movements and settlements in Slovakia.

   The most outstanding feature of Slovakia is the Carpathian Range; from this arc of mountains, comes an extensive cave system, upland forests, meadowlands and glens, as well as the rivers which were noted prior. Our area is not vast – actually it is quite compact. When compared to the rest of the 50+ European countries, Slovakia falls in at 28th in size. As with many places in Europe, Slovakia has remnants of Paleolithic (Old Stone Age) settlements, and can even boast a “Venus figurine” that is a prevalent motif of the earliest cultures. the Gravettians, and Slovakia’s “Venus of Moravany” dates from nearly 25,000 years ago. This was a “colder” period in the climate of Central Europe, and the Gravettians were a noted hunter/gatherer culture, carving their statuettes out of mostly mammoth tusk. There is archelogical and anthropological evidence of Neanderthals and then Neolithic settlement of our area from the Stone Age, and then on into the Bronze Age and the Iron Age.

   In short, Slovakia has a history, both geographic and human, as old as that of the rest of Europe. Slovakia as an political ideal will not appear for many years, but Slovakia the geographic entity has existed for many eons. In the ensuing blogs, I will refer to these portions of this first blog on Slovakia, because our geography has defined us. From as early as the 4th century (300 CE), the Slavs (forerunners of the Slovaks) are chronicled as having inhabited the Eastern areas of Slovakia. I want to create as vivid a picture as possible, and although maps can be deceiving, I will make great use of them to illuminate the growth of this land at the crossroads of Northern, Southern, Eastern, and Western Europe…  this is for all intent and purpose “Central Europe”. We will delve into my reasoning in our next post, and it is important that all disagreements are on the table. I will accept comments arguing against any notion of mine. In the next post, geography will continue to be the subject matter as we discuss how Slovakia became populated. This post is just the beginning of our longer journey with Slovakia, its environs, and its past as our focus.

End Notes

   I have my own notions as a lay historian, and I will posit many of them as we once again visit this place in Central Europe – its land, its people, and its history. For many that have been following this blog/post, it will be a re-visit of the last 5 years of the history, and culture of Slovakia. The difference in this next round will be that I have learned 2 to 3 times more than I knew before, and I will do my best to cast a greater recounting, on a singular event, and thus a more precise idea of what “Slovakia” means to me. We will delve into the history of the bordering areas, as they are crucial in the development of the story of Slovakia also. We will have the same format as in past posts: 1) my cultural and personal experiences, 2) “The History Corner”, and 3) “The Umbrella Moment”, and if necessary “End Notes”.  I have an aim to post weekly, usually on Sunday/Monday, and I will do my level best to adhere to that goal. In the past, I believe there was a longer period between posts.

   In the next many posts, I will begin with a sketch of the importance of the Eurasian Steppe as regards the complex and lengthy fall of the Roman Empire, the parting of the Papacy into two Christian capitals, and the spread of the Slavs (among others) into Central Europe. Of utmost importance is a short tutorial on how I approach my study of history, using both my “PERSIA” and “The 5 C’s  of Historical Thinking” outlines. We will incorporate the elements of “PERSIA” where possible in order to broaden my dear reader’s scope of understanding exactly what is happening here at any one time in the historical period we are looking at. Along the way I will also take the time to introduce you, the reader and my companion on this journey, to the chroniclers, historians, and observers of the past… they will emerge in the “End Notes” section I will include – in order for you to look further for yourselves if you are so inclined.

   In the end, I will do just as I had with the last series of blog/posts, finishing up with my own ancestry and their emigration to the United States. I am, and have been of the mind, that knowing ones past pathways will always illuminate one’s future pathways. Lastly, I will do my best to keep the blog/posts to a “short-read” of no more than 5/6 minutes, as I know most are busy and don’t have a great deal of time. I ask humbly for your indulgence if I happen to run a bit longer. We are looking at at least 1,500 years of history, and even as we travel decade-by-decade, or yet event-to-event, it may require a tad more length in attention. In the lower right-hand of the page will be a subscribe toggle, readers can get direct-to-email box delivery of the blog/posts. I encourage you to do so, and more importantly, I encourage comments, questions, and the like from you, dear reader… don’t be shy. Receiving comments and questions from anyone reading this blog is a great joy, and I stand ready to take suggestions as well; if there is a particular aspect of our journey you would like to see, let me know… I pay for this site, and receive no compensation for anyone subscribing to it, so it’s free and it belongs to both of us.

   I will close with this thought… I am merely beginning to scratch the surface of the history of this fantastic country, and its fantastic people. I absolutely love living here, and although I miss my family and friends in the US, I feel more fulfilled than I have for quite some time. Sharing this timeless history and its places, brings me immense joy, and ever greater gratitude. I thank you all for reading this very short introduction, and it is good to be back after a short summer vacation from writing. I wish all of you peace, love, and understanding (what’s so funny ’bout it?). I will post again next week, and look forward to our shared journey from here on out. 

My Grandparents: Jan (John) and Mary (Maria) Hlavatovich

  Our little town, Blue Island, Illinois… was surely a miniature version of the “immigrant experience”. Coming of age there in the late 1960’s, and then through the 1970’s and early 1980’s… my generation dwelled in a  time and space that was something out of a Norman Rockwell painting. While we were hardly sheltered from the outside world, there was still a sense of being nestled and cared for. Both of my Slovak Grandparents would be gone by the time of my birth in 1959. My Dedko (Grandfather) would pass first in 1956, and my Babicka [Bah-beech-ka] (Grandmother) followed two years later in 1958. Between them passed my Uncle Rudy (Rudolph) in 1957, a son that marched off to Europe to fight in WWII.  What they may or may not have known – was that they left a lasting legacy in me that would not go away. My Dad and my Tetkas (Aunts) would carry on to achieve the “American Dream” that Dedko and Babicka set out to find almost 50 years prior. 

   Blue Island, the town they settled in, was a tiny window into that “Dream”. We had virtually the whole world’s ancestry in that “City On The Hill”. My Mother’s lineage was filled with Western European blood from the earliest 1st wave of immigration to the beginnings of the massive 2nd wave. My best friend Greg Roll had the same, with German, Swedish, and French-Canadian (among a few) bloodlines; of whom the Rolls began a coal and ice business in 1886, and are still trading to this day as a building materials business – 5 generations. We had Greek grocers, a bakery began by the Iversens (Scandanavian) and still in business to this day, although under ownership outside of the family… I went to high school with the scion that took over from his Father and retired, selling the business that operates to this day. Small stores, owned or started by immigrants in the late 19th or early 20th century, occupied corner spaces on every other block, it seemed – along with taverns, and for years a neighborhood could get their goods in the style of the homeland… yet it would be reshaped and remolded over the years. By the time we were growing up in the 1960’s and early 1970’s, the population of our town was hardly as segregated as it had been in prior decades. There were whole sections that held one or two distinct defined groups of immigrant populations, with fresh arrivals altering the make-up of our town’s cultural flavor. New immigrants from Mexico, Central America, and Asia have again re-shaped the cultural landscape of the small railroad town. Blue Island’s history is a mirror of the immigrant experience in that it was mostly Western Europeans that settled it in the 1830’s, with the tenor changing as it grew, drawing more Central, Southern, and Eastern Europeans to the surrounding factories that were expanding… aided by their proximity to the the heart and soul of its body – the railroads.

    Another best friend Bill Murphy was “all Irish” and many of my good friends were “100%  Italian” and “100% Polish”. There were many of us though with a mix of ancestry; the notion of “staying within one’s own” was a rarity as the young of many immigrants didn’t discriminate when it came to attraction and love. Overall, as generations continue to adapt to the cultural and economic tides, the immigrant’s descendants did as well… sometimes with positive results and sometimes with a downward trend. Our little town was no exception.  I think the most telling, and saddest trend was the “death of Main Street”.  As kids, we could go uptown, a roughly 6 to 7 block-long run of Western Avenue, our “Main Street”… and shop for anything and everything. When the first malls were built in the late 1960’s and early 1970’s the death knell of our commercial district was beginning to toll (I’m looking at you Dixie Square, Orland Square, and Evergreen Plaza) Without knowing it, the folks that were happy to drive 30 minutes to shop under a single-roofed indoor warehouse of goods, penned the obituary of the well-being of our little town. A ripple-effect spread to their neighbors who owned and worked in those stores and shops. As a side note: my Mother chose to shop in town until there were very few options, then she like everyone else, drove to the malls.

   The “immigrant experience” for those from any part of Europe is long past, but in thousands of cities and towns in the US, past generations are still noticeable… even though most (or all) of its progeny have relocated.

   My “immigrant experience”, although removed by a generation, is one that I’m extremely proud of. Sure, I’m happy to claim that I was born and raised in the US, although the thought of myself or my countrymen as “The Americans” is repellent… I’m happier still to think that my family (both sides) helped to grow, and shape the United States from 1848 onward. More than the Rockefellers, Duponts, J.P. Morgans, Fricks, or Carnegies, it was the blood, sweat, tears, and trials that built it… not the money of the tycoons. Until perhaps sometime at the turn of the 20th/21st century, we in the US were not afraid to think big thoughts, or to reach for the stars. We worked hard to solve our problems together with the combined wit, wiles, and intelligence of our forefathers and mothers. In this time, that same thinking is belittled, and sullied by those who choose not to embrace such a lofty ideal as working together. Intelligence is now seen as a fault, as it has been replaced by “if you’re not with us, you’re against us” polemics. Oh for simpler times, the events and days of our youth!

   As ever, the cultural/societal struggles had continued for those of us in the US. While my Grandparents dealt with nativism, cultural segregation, and the endless conflicts among the political parties of their day. It was no different for those of my generation coming of age in the 1960’s and 70’s, as we had a front row seat to the social and cultural tumult related to the war in Vietnam, racial unrest related to the rights of the Black-Americans, Women’s liberation, the killings of nascent leaders, and the shooting of students at Kent State University. There were always elements of a “counter-culture”, but during this time it became much more visible and prominent. Blue Island was no different as it squirmed and flexed like a body trying to get into a too-small shirt. All in all, we were safe, well-fed, clothed, and given every opportunity to go further than our parents and ancestors. Through all of this, came my “greater awakening” to my heritage, proffered by my Tetkas and my own Mother  who imbued me with a sense-of-self. I think in a some manner, I owe it to them to tell this story. Perhaps someday I will undertake the re-telling of the history behind my maternal ancestry; no less compelling, yet as deep and rich as my Slovak antecedents. For now, I am entirely “Slovakia’s Grandson”.

  My Dad with his Sisters on vacation. (L to R) Irene, Elsie, and Jennie. First-generation Slovaks One of my personal favorites, we chided my Father because he looked like a “mob-boss”.

    The Endnotes here are, in one sense not a finish, but a pause. I wish to begin anew in the Autumn with a newer, and possibly a fresher interpretation of our history. I have learned vastly so much more at the elbow of Professor Homza, as I work with him on his own book regarding the earliest Slovak History. I hope to fill in the open spaces that my posts over these last 3 to 4 years have exposed. My aim will be to forego broad strokes of the history of the Slovaks here in Central Europe, and focus on the timeline in greater detail, while also bringing in the sharper contrast of what surrounded them as well. Instead of chunks of time, I would prefer to get through smaller passages on an event-by-event basis. There is no denying that their history is exigent and complex, but I wish to do a better job at conveying the richness and notability of the Slovaks in the grand sweep of history. Somewhere along the re-telling, I plan to make visible my distaste for “Modern Czecho- Slovakia” (Post-WWI), and my reasoning for ending with Slovak emigration to the US.

As this is my last post until the Autumn, I will now be giving more of my attentions to Prof. Homza’s book, my single English tutee (the others are through now with school ending), and the possibility of proofreading and editing a book on the Treaty of Trianon. It may prove to be my busiest summer ever in Bratislava. My own birth certificate is in the process of being apostilled, and that should be the end for “documents needed”. My visa should be well in hand this Fall.

   In closing, I wish to acknowledge those whom are most important in this “journey of discovery”. My warmest and deepest thanks to my daughter Ana, my dear Sister Sue, and my Brother John. To ex-wife Romaine – along with my Brother-in-law (always!) Jack Rusnak, love to you both. To my Son Cezar, Niece Laura, and Nephew Jim – I love you and thank you. Also no less important are my Cousin Patricia, my Cousin Randall, his wife Sandra, and daughter Jenny Brown and her husband David, my supreme cheerleaders. A true “Brother from another Mother”, my very best friend on the planet, Gregory Roll, as well as his Brother Brian. Amy Malysa, and Diane Bolda Rice, the best “Soul Sisters” I could ask for; their boundless enthusiasm and strength has made it possible for me to carry on during times that I wanted to throw in the towel and return to the US. To my only Hlavatovich relative outside of my immediate family… thanks Chris, you always give me something to think about!  My good old Buddies John Mican and Jeff Piediscalzi, for always staying touch and taking the time to read and comment. To my close brethren from the “back-country days”, Alex Kaye and Jim Rivera, this is just another of the many trails we have traveled… thanks for sharing your gorp.  To the innumerable family members, friends, and band-mates that wholeheartedly boosted this idea, and my dearest-of-dear friends Tooch and Vera… you know who you are!

Not to be outshined, nor overlooked; John and Mirella Mahoney, friends, neighbors, and legal counsel of the highest order. Deb and Bob Petersen, and Bob Kosobucki, that I miss profoundly and wish well. Hovering above as a ethereal raft are my own Slovak angels, Professor Martin Homza, and Vlad Sveda, always my grandest benefactors. A short parade of my kindest confidants, Daniel Halcin, Stanislava (Stanka) Mysova, Vlado Andras, Jan Vician, and Igor Cajka… the best friends an ex-pat is allowed. Lastly, and not least, to my good friend Ildar Bagautdinov who continues to light the way for me here in Central Europe… “you’re the best – Chad!”. Every single person mentioned has aided in shaping me to exist at this moment in time as a humble retired Slovak-American, a lay historian, and an open vessel into which is poured the sweet wine of life… aged by the past and present. Lastly, my sincerest and most earnest bow to the staff of Dolnozemska Krcma, Mishko, Illia, Lenka, Viky, Valerii, Nastia, Filip, and Ema. My endless time on your Palacovy Rad Terasa (Palace Row Terrace) to read and write unhurried, coupled with your bottomless hospitality, is worth more to me than you can know. Finally, to the readers and followers that I have not met, a glowing and honest “thank you”. It is you that this blog is important to reach. The intent of my posts was for the whole round world to know the history and culture of the Slovaks, and I can only wish that I have been able to provide it in some small measure; I offer you a steady Buddhist bow.

    Until we meet again in September, please take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.

   Last Wednesday, 19 June, I was treated to half of Sitra Achra. Bobos, Pista, and Juraj filled in for an act that couldn’t make it. Pista is on of my favorite guitarists, as I have mentioned before, and Juraj is a great bluesman, and wonderful interpreter of the Blues. Bobos is one of the pre-eminent harp players on this side of the globe. As I have mentioned before, I have been unbelieveably blessed to play with them… if only on a small djembe. They have truly become “bratko” (brother) to me. Originally, I was going to support Pista, as he was playing with the act that couldn’t make it, and upon my arrival I found the three of them filling in. Petko, the owner of Jazztikot, has become a friend too! He somehow always manages to find great bands, and they run the gamut from pure jazz, fusion, traditional, and of course, the blues. Petko always keeps a table for me right down in front, and if I am able to check in with him the day of a show, he tells that the table is already mine… no questions. I also attended a gallery opening for Prof. Homza’s daughter Greta. She is well on her way to being an artist-in-standing. I was graced with meeting a gentleman from Britain who has lived here for 30 years and will meet him this coming week for a time. Bratislava has a great art and music scene, as I have been saying, and the more people I meet, the better the exposure I get to it. Along the way there are fascinating conversations regarding, the history of the people I meet, and often, their take on our history as well. I am never “not learning”.

   Let us return to the “History Corner” and one of our last posts on this subject of our dear Slovaks and immigration to the US. I  previously mentioned in my last post, the fact that my Slovak Grandparents wanted my Dad and his siblings to “be American”, there didn’t seem to be much talk about “the old country”. In later years, any query I posed my Tetkas (Aunts) were usually given short shrift and they would talk about my Grandmother and her letter-writing back to Slovakia. The overall consensus from my Dad and my Tetkas was that my Dedko (Grandfather) was “a hard man” and didn’t show affection to his children on any notable scale. My Grandmother was the doter and made sure that her children were fed, clothed, and loved. The running theme that I perceive from reading a book or two about the Slovaks immigrants, was that the women were in charge of the house and all of its functions, and the men were to attend to their duties everyday in the mines, steelyards, refineries, railroads, or any place that they earned a paying wage. It is not debatable who really did the most work. I have to believe that it was the women. Most took on boarders to help subsidize the cost of rent and food, which in turn, created a day as long as the men… or longer. While I cannot argue that a 10 hour shift, sometimes for 7 days a week could be harrowing for the men (remember, this is in the days before OSHA and any care for worker safety); the women were up before the men, preparing breakfast and lunchboxes, getting the children ready for school (if they went at all), and then washing clothes, cleaning the house, shopping, back in the kitchen for supper, and then getting things for their husbands (or boarders) who worked the night shifts. One outstanding account of this is the book (available on Kindle), “Out Of This Furnace” by Thomas Bell. I found it to be an informative and compelling read. A story that surrounds 3 generations of Slovaks from 1881 into the 1930’s. Interwoven into this story is the history of steel strikes centered in Braddock, Pennsylvania from the 1890’s through to post-depression United States. For me, Bell’s telling of the trials and travails of immigrant life in the US, struck me as hard as reading “The Jungle” by Upton Sinclair. Although written for different purposes, both books give an inside look at the conditions of the immigrant’s lives in the tumult-filled growth of the US as an industrial power on the world stage.

   My research also reveals that the Slovaks by and large eschewed Socialism/Communism in growing the unions. This was mostly due to the strong ties to their churches and the dim view the Clergy had regarding either ideological/political movements. Apolitical to some degree, the Slovaks, as well as the other various immigrants, simply wanted better working conditions, better pay, and better welfare measures… which if one knows anything about the “barons of industry” in the US, these were not issues they felt germane to the well-being of their profits. For this lay historian, this is a riveting facet of the of the life of the immigrants in the US, Slovaks or otherwise. As I continually point out, the Slovaks share their struggle across the board with those who arrived to the US in the great 2nd wave of the late-19th and early-20th centuries. I must confess that there are many websites dedicated to the Slovaks in the US, and it is difficult to avoid going down the many “rabbit-holes” doing research on exactly what life was like for the Slovaks after they passed through Ellis Island. I might add, it was the very people that fled their homeland that re-ignited the flame for Slovak autonomy in the Hungarian Kingdom. The Slovaks in the US were influential in the push for Slovak rights and succession after WWI. They sent their sons to fight for the US, and cobbled statehood together with the Czech-Americans at the time. This sole facet is a history unto itself and it was one that could be quite tense at times. Despite this, the Slovak immigrants continued on, as they faced some of the issues they had originally fled Upper Hungary for.

   The immigrants that chose to travel by rail, from the East coast westward, discovered a situation very similar to their Trans-Atlantic crossing. They were segregated, as were the Negroes, and the Asians and Native Americans. The railroads mirrored the US social/cultural landscape and the new arrivals from Sothern, Central, and Eastern Europe were given no quarter. Although it was a cheap form of transportation, it may having been very trying for those with limited English; the stations were not adorned with any multi-lingual signage as today. Also, lacking any guidance, the immigrants were susceptible to being taken advantage of. The dichotomy (or contradiction) here, is that  the earlier and present immigrant groups made major contributions to the growth of the US rail system from the mid-19th century until well after WWI. [immigrationtounitedstates.org]

   For my own Slovak Grandparents, I have to assume they covered the distance from New York to Whiting/East Chicago, Indiana by rail. How they came to live in Blue Island, Illinois is also a question that I cannot answer. So I will turn my attention to what I do know, and we will lay the foundation for our next, and last post on the Slovaks, their history, and the path that led to my “walk through the rich parade of history”.

    I can guess that my Dedko, Jan Hlavatovich, wanted to “make his mark” in the US, he may have wanted his children to be successful, and he might have been pleased to know that many of his grandchildren acquired college degrees and became successes in their own right. The 5 children of Jan and Mary (Marija) Hlavatovich in order: Irene, Elsie, Rudolph, Jennie, and Lester (my Dad). All 1st generation “Americans”, and as I pointed out, the 2nd generation would attained higher educational degrees; in this tier their would be a Psy.D. (Doctor of Psychology), 2 Masters, and a small slew of Bachelor degrees (I hold two of them). In my Father’s legacy, there is virtually a complete sweep: from 5 Grandchildren (John and Mary’s great-grandchildren) there are 4 degrees: PhD in Physics at the top, and 3 Bachelors degrees, with the youngest (my son) attaining a real estate license. Not a bad run for the 3rd generation of semi-literate immigrants upon arriving on the shore of Ellis Island in 1907 and 1912… respectively. We will look at life in our small town in the last post.  

   In the last, I would like to reveal a short list of my bibliography on this subject. For those reading this, even if you are not Slovak, perhaps it might compel you to look into your own ancestry. The amount of information at hand on the internet is simply staggering. Talking to a friend recently, my age, we were laughing about doing research in a library, at a big table, with piles of books surrounding us as if building a castle wall. Arrayed inside would be 2 or3 legal pads brimming with information and cites. Here are a few of my sources from the web:

* archive.wvculture.org/history/government/immigration 05. html {Regarding Slovaks in West Virginia coal mining}

* sav.sk/journals/hum/full/num198f.pdf {Contemporary Ethnicity… Slovak-Americans in Western Pennsylvania}

* guides.loc.gov/slovaksinamerica/chronology {a bibliography that is short, but full of great books}

* immigration to United States.org/category/20 {Nativism and a myriad of subjects related to immigration}

* Anything by M. Mark Stolarik, the distinguished professor from the University of Ottawa, Canada, the University of Minnesota, and Cleveland State University. His writing is all I could ever hope to achieve regarding our dear Slovaks. One paper “The Slovaks & The Socialist/Labor Movements” —> core.ac.uk.download/pdf/33267783.pdf   (This is an important look inside the mindset of the working-class Slovaks in North America)

* “Out of This Furnace” by Thomas Bell {I downloaded this to Kindle and couldn’t put it down}

For Illinois Residents —>

* encyclopedia.chicagohistory.org/pages/1152.html

* cl.streator.il,US/about_streator/city_profile.php {Streator is the 1st place in Illinois to have both Slovak Catholic and Protestant churches, and maybe the earliest…1883 &1893, respectively)

Elsewhere:

* https://www.nailhed.com/2014/06/no-place-like-home.html { The Slovaks in the history of mining in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, and their contribution to industry in the State of Michigan}

The resources are endless. Each state has some background for the Slovaks. Beside the industrial-heavy states like New Jersey, Pensylvania, Ohio, Michigan, NW Indiana, and Illinois… the Slovaks have a history in the rural communities as far-flung as West Virginia, North Carolina, Arkansas, Minnesota, Wisconsin, The Dakotas, and as well, the neighbors to the North – Canada. Slovaks can be found in cities and towns from Nova Scotia west across the prairies to British Columbia.

   My final post, within the next few days, will be the very end of the “immigration experience”, how it affected me, my family, and what life was like in our small town on the Southern edge of Chicago. I will consider this post as an “Endnote On Slovakia, and My Journey Through It”. Because I have nearly finished the draft for it, I want to post it as soon as this coming mid-week. It may end up being a longer read, but I am unconcerned at this point in time. I am eternally thankful to those that have stopped by, choose to “follow” and comment, and give me feedback on how I am doing.

   Until this coming mid-week, please take care of yourselves, and please… take care of each other.

   It has been a good week here in Bratislava, the weather has been spotty though, with rain and cooler temperatures at night. After facing a few days that were 50% rain-forecasted, and no rain, I decided to ride my bike along the Danube and got caught in a torrential downpour. I returned to my flat feeling like a wet dog. I had the distinct joy of playing again with Sitra Achra at Next Apache and just a few nights ago, I was able to see my dear friends Silvia and Pista (Peesh-ta) play at Jazztikot. As with Sitra Achra, they have wonderful re-workings of the Blues classics. Silvia combines power-house vocals with a chanteuse’s breathiness, and Pista’s playing is truly incredible. His “feel” and ability to fill a space is incomparable.

   I may have pointed out that the Danube cruise season has begun, and the Stare Mesto (Old Town) is once again full of tourists being – well – tourists. On the terrace at Dolnozemska, where I do most of my writing (research at home), I love to hear the tourists talking about what they are experiencing. You cannot “not” hear it. Most are loud and the people from the US seem to be the loudest. If they hear me engaging the staff in English and Slovak, they will ask where I’m from, and most are taken aback by the fact that I left the US to retire here. After citing my reasons, they are speechless, and summarily don’t have much to say. That is when I wish them a good trip, ask them to come back and see all of Slovakia (not the 1/4 mile from the boat), and return to my writing. While I find the other Europeans far more understanding about living here, people from the US (Canadians are really nice) seem to have the most culture shock.

    Since we’re on the subject of “culture shock”, I would imagine that it was much like that for my Grandparents in the US in the early 20th century. Even after traveling through the largest cities in Europe, and on to Bremen, Germany where they would depart… I’m sure New York, Boston, Philadelphia, or any of the big East coast cities might have been overwhelming. After looking through countless books and articles about the immigrant’s experience in the US, this is the most apparent sense that I gather; that and the feeling that at times they were not wanted in “America”. Often some immigrants had been made well aware that they “different”. At times they would have been stigmatized by their own people, who a generation earlier stood in the very same shoes. Add to this, the bias or bigotry they may have faced, and it is difficult for us to understand. Yet it still occurs to this day. I have mentioned “Nativism” in a prior post, and at the risk of repeating myself it was quite prevalent for the immigrants from Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. What my Grandparents faced, I can only make a guess, and to my knowledge it wasn’t great.

   I do know that there was an effort to have my Dad and his siblings to “be American”, and there was not a great deal of talk of the “old country” from either Dedko or Babicka. The neighborhood that my Grandparents settled into was filled with mostly Polish, and other Central/Eastern Europeans. By the 1950’s, the neighborhood had changed somewhat and was populated by a few Mexican families, as well as families from the Southern US. Blue Island, while founded and settled by Western Europeans, became a center of railroading, and industrial support, providing jobs for many people of Eastern/Central, and Southern European backgrounds. It is easy to get too much into the immigrants in Blue Island, and I would like to avoid it, if at all possible… it may be unavoidable. I can say, based on my own experience, that virtually every ethnic group was living and thriving in our little town of 23,000 on the Southern edge of Chicago.

   I would like to finish this post with some facts and figures I’ve come across as I researched the incredible journey of the Slovaks to the United States. I will state also, that I find it necessary and immediate to carry on another post regarding the “immigrant experience” for the Slovaks in the United States. After the last 2 weeks of nearly exhaustive digging (and the occurrence of a few “rabbit-holes”), I want to share what it is exactly that I’ve found, and if it’s not too “marne” (Slovak – vain… or in vanity), I’m hoping to share what I’ve learned from this education. Here is a good list of some of the facts and figures that have revealed themselves; Slovak Immigration To The U.S./ Numbers & Factoids.

* In the 1870’s the US railroads sent agents to Europe (Upper Hungary/Slovakia included), and offered to pay the $70 fare for Slovak laborers.

* By the start of WWI (1914), an estimated 1/3rd of Slovakia’s total population was in the US.

* Between 1900 & 1915 – 15 million immigrants arrived in the US. Equal to the number that has arrived in the previous years combined.

* 1910 –> this is the 1st census to classify a person by “language spoken”, replacing Slovaks as “Austrians” or “Hungarians”.

* In 1900 there were 29,243 Slovak emigrants = 21,235/men and 8,008/women.

* 1907 —> mo papers were required to enter the US.

* During peak immigration/ 1905-1912/ 10,000 passengers and several ships a day [Ellis Island}

* 1919/1920 US census reports –> 619,866 Slovaks, 1st and 2nd generation/ 296,219 in Pennsylvania

* The Dillingham Commission (formed in 1911) counts that the turn of the century (19th/20th) finds Slovaks accounted for 13.1% of US steelworkers, 12.8% of its coal miners (bituminous coal). The Pittsburgh region had higher numbers –> 15.3% steelworkers & 20.3% of the miners.

* 1980 & 1990 census has the area of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and adjacent counties as the locale with the most significant population of Slovaks in the US, followed by Cleveland, Ohio, and Chicago, Illinois.

* The University of Pittsburgh is the only university in the US where students can take language and culture classes, and opt to receive a minor in Slovak Studies.

   There is so very much more, a veritable monolith of dates and facts, and I plan to intersperse some in my next post, along with a bibliography to look for yourselves… if you may be inclined. Without risking too much of a read-time (5-8 minutes max) I feel there is a need to extend this coverage. Also, this journey is not quite over, so with your kind permission, I have plans to post at least two more blogs on this subject (with an “Endnotes” blog) before starting all over again to explore Slovakia’s history. My intention is to convey the complexity of the Slovak/Magyar relationship. Having already primed my dear friend Prof. Martin Homza with two questions, his reply is that it is “very complicated to answer these questions”. We will table that matter for the here and now. There has been a vast amount learned at the elbow of Prof. Homza, in the editing of his coming e-book, and in our casual confabs regarding the minute details of this “history very few know”.

   Once again, apologies for taking two weeks to post, but with the weather becoming nicer, I am riding my bike, taking nice long walks and spending a great deal of time on “the terrace” at Krcma. I hope this post finds you all hale, happy and healthy. My deepest gratitude for those who choose to follow, and equally to those that have just stopped by. Until we meet again, please take care of yourselves… and please… take care of each other. 

   When we left off in the previous post, our dear Slovaks had entered New York Harbor. My Pradedo (Great-Grandfather) Matej, and my Babicka (Bah-beech-ka/Grandmother) Mary (Marija/Maria) went through the “process” at Ellis Island, and if all went well, they would have been admitted in a few hours. I must point out again, that 80% of the emigrants entering the US from 1892 to pre-WWI, came in through Ellis Island. What is also surprising is that Boston, Philadelphia, Baltimore, and New Orleans along with Angel Island in California, were also points of arrival. I have very little input on the Asians and the West Coast as my focus is on the Slovaks and their emigration from Europe.

   My ancestors would have gone through the process of being admitted. They had to face another medical exam, and a barrage of questions like:  “where were you born?, what is your name?, do you have a criminal past?, do you have any money?, and do you know anyone in this country?”. For a good many of the Slovaks, the answers would have been positive. The average of $11.42 in their pockets might have been enough to further them along. I imagine that both of my Grandparents were in good health, being so young… and my Pradedo might have just shown his ticket of passage back to Bremen and led my Babicka to her next step on her journey. The mean average for most emigrants was 3 to 4 hours. Having been admitted to the US, my Babicka was now an “immigrant”. As a reminder, “emigrant” is leaving and going to… while “immigrant” is coming in and remaining. My own decision to retire in Slovenska is a reversal of my Grandparents; I “left and went to”, and I will attain a visa and remain.

   What befell the immigrants after they landed in the US is essentially the same across the board. I must say that the “nativists”, those who had earlier ancestry to the US, looked down on the “huddled masses” and believed themselves the “true Americans”. This sentiment is captured well in many films like “The Gangs of New York”, for example. Among most immigrant groups the Irish bore the brunt of backlash from the “nativists”, owing to the fact that the bigotry of the Protestant English pervaded the common thinking of the White Anglo-Saxon Protestants in the US. All immigrants faced some form of discrimination at some point, as they do to this day. Honestly, if you are not First Nation (“American Indian”), you have descended from immigrants somewhere in your past, and you have very little right to deny anyone a chance to make a go of it in the US.

   Most immigrant groups dealt with discrimination in various ways. The most common way to combat it, obviously, was to keep to their fellow cultures. It is widely known in many big urban centers of the US that there is a “Chinatown”, or “Little Italy” for example. Those of us from the Chicago area know of Pilsen, Andersonville, Little Italy, and our own Chinatown… to name a few. For the East/Central Europeans, Aid Societies and churches were magnets for survival. Passaic, New Jersey had one of the largest and most active Aid Societys on the Eastern seaboard, helping young Slovak women in the 19th century… the waves began with men that were able to get out of the KIngdom of the Hungary; a law enacted in 1879 deterred men as they were to remain and “fulfill their military obligation” to the Kingdom.

   If I am able to assume the path that both Grandparents took west, it might be westward, across Pennsylvania, through Cleveland, and on to Whiting, Indiana. A color map of Slovaks and their distribution across the US, reveals an arc from New York (State & City), around and down to the Western Pennsylvania/Pittsburgh area… as well as the Eastern seaboard. The thickest of the color spreads west to the southern shorelines of Lakes Erie and thins out west to Lake Michigan. The town of Whiting, Indiana is where my ancestors had friends (or family) to help them out. Whiting has a sizeable Slovak population – whether in ancestory, or in Slovaks remaining there (I have not looked into the demographics). I can recall my father and Tetkas (Aunts) talking about going to Whiting on the weekends and staying with family friends.

   From Whiting, it is not entirely clear how both Grandparents made it to Blue Island where our family was centered, and where I was born. I don’t know how they met, or where, and I know virtually nothing about their early lives in the US. What I do know is that they lived on Vine Street, along the old Grand Trunk tracks. I know also that there were many Slavs in their neighborhood… Poles mostly, and my Dedko (Grandfather) would spend time at Holstein’s Bar/Saloon at the end of the their street on the north side of Broadway.

   I do know that my Babicka worked as a maid in the Prairie Avenue district of Chicago for a time. As for my Dedko, I am not sure how he got his job at Ingalls and Shepard (bought by Wyman Gordon in 1920) working in the drop forge shop. I am sure he knew another Slovak that helped him get the job, that was how it worked in those days. It was not uncommon for a single group of immigrants to work side by side in a factory in the US. Sometimes, it might two or three different cultures working witin a particular industry. The immigrant experience was virtually the same across the board. They stayed close to their own cultures, and had a developed “support network”, I.e., churches, shops within their communities, and fraternal organizations. Outside aid groups would also assist with the assimilation into the US culture.

   Lastly, one bit of information, the letters home and communication with the “old country”. There are two sides to this subject. Those who were successful, and those who did not do well. Either way, the letters back to their home countries were embellishments, or truth. Some that struggled, chose to not correspond at all. In the “old country”, the letters (or postcards) would draw the whole village to see how “Jano” or “Marija” were making out. Often the letters were printed in the local newspaper. This would spur further emigration, it is thought, and those who sent the letter might be responsible for the next incoming emigrate to their fold in the US. The immigrants found out very quickly that the “streets of gold” did not exist. Without seeing the letters back home, I can only surmise that those who did well were anxious to convey it to their friends and family from the homeland. Those who were only a little better off, possibly belied how they were doing, and would 1) continue to struggle, 2) assume that their situation might change, or 3) return to the homeland no better than when they had left – humiliated and again in need.

    Up to this point, this is my best take on the immigrant Slovaks in the US. I am doing research for my next two posts. I have decided to continue with the “last two” because this aspect of the “Slovak experience” is very fascinating, and a story that I feel is relevant to my own past as well as Slovakia’s. I still, at times, feel like I am existing in a dream. My whole life, from my late-teens onward, has been to know not only about my own roots and “Slovakness”, but also the incredible and unparalleled history of this country and its people. I can only hope that I am doing it justice… if slightly – I will be content. I thank you all for joining me on this odyssey of discovery, and I deeply appreciate  your attention. Please…prosim, feel free to comment, or if you’d like, contact me at bodhindh1012@gmail.com., you can do so. In the meantime, take care of yourselves, and take care of each other.

   A couple of Mondays ago, I had the distinct honor of playing a small djembe with some of my dear friends in Sitra Achra. My good buddy Ico (Eee-cho) was there to support me. and my dear drumming brother Ajdzi (eyed-zhee) kept me in line with eye contact as I accompanied them through a few of their brilliant covers of blues, country blues, and beyond. This was definitely something I will never forget. They are all great musicians and I am thankful to have met them.

   Next Apache is one of my top “have-to-visits” in Bratislava. I’ve written about it in past posts. It is a funky-cool bistro that fills quickly with students of all studies, and some of the most interesting people here in town. It has great energy when full, and very nice quiet vibe when less populated. The backroom we played in is lined with bookshelves, and crammed to the gills with everything you can imagine, in many languages, and intriguing in its eclectic mix. I’ve met people here, young and old, who’ve become good friends. I am grateful to Ico for introducing me to it many months ago.

   The following post will be my second-to-last on the Slovaks, as I intend to end with WWI. The outcome of the war, Czecho-Slovakia, has a history that I am not very fond of, and have limited knowledge of. Realizing, of course, that the Slovaks needed the Czechs to help form their own place as a “free entity” after the Treaty of Trianon, the reality of the the actual situation was no less an advantage than being under the thumb of the Hungarians for almost 1,000 years… that is just my opinion. Some historians would easily shoot my outlook down, but the Slovaks needed the Czechs mainly because they had nothing in place to administer themselves. The Slovak portion of the union had to be built from the ground up, in effect – administration, judiciary, infrastructure…etc. They were still treated as “little brothers” by the Czechs, and not as equals. I will leave it at that, again… just my opinion. On to the History Corner and the exodus of the Slovaks from the “Kingdom of Hungary” to the U.S. in the early 20th century. This is perhaps the most intriguing aspect of the history of Slovakia for me. Because it is here that the past (my ancestors) comes into direct contact with my life.

HISTORY CORNER

   If you have been following my posts, even a few, you might get the sense that I am incredibly proud to be of Slovak heritage… if just 1/2 – from my Father’s side. I have tried to give an unblemished account of what our history was like and made an effort to keep my emotional involvement in check. It is a difficult task to carry out. My heritage is very close to my heart, and I have been studying it for more than half of my lifetime.

   In this post I would like to set the scene for our last post in this series… the experience of the Slovaks prior to WWI. I have pointed out that the first real exodus, of the Slovaks from the Kingdom of Hungary began in 1873, and they were mostly from the Spis (Speesh) area. This is an area in the north of Slovakia. There were many Slovaks that went before this group, some time earlier, a few so early into the world that they would end up taking part in the US revolutionary war against Great Britain, and an entire unit from Chicago that would fight for the Union in the US Civil War.

   Although I have cited Hungary’s forced Magyarization as a primary reason for the Slovaks to leave their natural and historical homeland, there are other reasons, and it is important to point out that many of those reasons were shared across the board with other emigrating cultures. The story of the Slovaks is well related to any and all of the emigres that went west to the US. Unsurprisingly though, they quickly discovered that it wasn’t paved in gold. Oddly enough, many Slovaks were only going for a short time to work and save enough money to buy their own plot of land in Slovakia, returning in a much stronger financial standing than when they had left. Many decided to stay in the US, after all, and sent for the rest of their families… but back to a couple of the other circumstances. There was a Cholera epidemic in 1873 (among many from1831/32, 1848/49, 1854/55, 1866/67, and numerous crop failures. The promised (and enacted) land reforms did not manifest a better quality of life for the peasants. The large estates reserved the best arable lands for themselves, thus leaving a thin poor soil for subsistence farming. The average income for any peasant working the estates was 15 cents a day; some would make up to .30 cents in a day. A paltry sum when compared to wages in the US. $1.00/$1.50 a day was an enticement to try their luck in the United States. But before they go West, let’s look at the conditions that they had to meet prior to getting on the boat to their new life.

   Since we have an idea of the “why” for the Slovak emigration, I want to touch on the “how”. Let’s begin the odyssey in Pokryvac where my Babicka (Bah-beech-ka), my Grandmother was born. It is located in the far north of Slovakia (“Upper Hungary” at the time), and my Great-Grandfather accompanied Babicka, Marija Halaj (Huh-lie) to New York City. My Babicka was about 15 years old at this time in 1912. The trip that my Great-Grandfather undertook, he had done three years earlier with my Great-Aunt Zuzana, Marija’s older sister, in 1909. If you stop to think about it, Matej (Mah-tay) crossed the Atlantic four times. In that day and age, this is epic. He was a MIller; quite a prestigious line of work for the age. The millers were considered go-betweens from the people working the land and the estate owners. Also, they had to be good with their hands, and adept mechanically to keep the water-driven mill in top shape. How did they go about getting from a remote place to a port? Many emigres traveled by cart, by one of the few railways, or they walked. The distance from Pokryvac to Gdansk, Poland (nearly straight north) was 700km (430mi +/-), and to Bremen, Germany it was a little more than 1,000km (620mi +/-). To the south was the port of Trieste, and it would have been an 815km (500mi +/-), through Hungary proper – so that route was a not a choice. We can only assume that it was not an easy trip by any measure. Most went to Bremen.

   Once in Bremen, they may have had to wait until the ship was to set sail. I’m sure that Matej and Zuzana/Marija would have been in 3rd class, if not steerage to cut costs. On the “Kaiser Wilhelm der Grosse”, which both Grandparents traveled on, the whole ship was renovated after a fire in 1906 – all 3rd class. In 1912, for instance, the Titanic charged 7pounds for 3rd class travel. It equates to roughly $1,000 (+/-) in todays money. Often, 3rd class was steerage; the emigres were crowded into essentially the bottom-rear of the ship. The noise of the engines, the heat, and the density of human bodies would not have been pleasant. The passage could take up to ten days, depending on how often the ship stopped at various other ports-of-call. In this day and age, it is nearly unimaginable, that they could be treated like cattle, and had the meddle to endure the 7-10 day trip in a such a small space. The wretchedness of which is well-known.  Most often the emigrants would under-go a medical inspection before boarding the ship; this was either mandated by the steamship lines, or the state in which the port was located. This was done also because, most often, the steamship companies had to pay the return passage for those that were turned away from their port of entry… be it the US or Canada – another country the emigres would seek to enter.

If you want to understand what that experience was like, I am attaching a very good read via a link to a post on the steerage experience. https://freepages.rootsweb.com/~gregkrenzelok/family/The%20Steerage%20Experience.html. I thank and cite Greg Krenzelok for this report.

   Although I think it would’ve been possible for the emigrants to leave their 3rd class (steerage) compartments, it would not seem likely that they could do it very often. One had to believe that the pictures we are most familiar with seeing, people crowding the deck to see the Statue of Liberty, the emigrants were not only excited to see that they had finally made it to the “new land”, but I”m absolutely sure that were happy to get fresh air at last.

   In my last post on this subject, I will aim to explain what the experience was like for my Grandparents, not only going through Ellis Island, but finding their way from New York to Blue Island, Illinois… where they finally settled.

   I want to thank you all for following my posts, and welcome any to comment. In the next (last?) post I will also explain my reasoning for starting all over again with early Slovak History, and more importantly the reason that I cannot bring myself to follow Slovakia in the post-WWI era. Until we meet again, please take care of yourselves, and please, take care of each other.