NEWS

On October 2, 2022, FOS held a webinar on Jozef Tiso’s Leadership of the Slovak State During World War II and the “Jewish Question.” The featured speaker was Madeline Vadkerty, program coordinator at the Holocaust Documentation Center in Bratislava.  J. Luke Ryder, historian at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, moderated the webinar.  Before moving to Bratislava, […]

Friends of Slovakia mourns the passing of former Secretary of State Madeleine Korbelová Albright. Proud immigrant, trailblazing diplomat, distinguished educator, and tireless advocate for democracy and the rule of law. Rest in Peace! Read Madeline Albright’s Obituary published by the Washington Post on March 23, 2022.

November 2019 marked the 30th Anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent events that brought freedom from communist domination to many countries of the former “Soviet-bloc.”  In Czechoslovakia, public demonstrations, spearheaded by student movements, sparked the relatively peaceful downfall of the communist government and began the country’s “return to the West,” […]

Friends of Slovakia invited former Slovak Prime Minister Mikulas Dzurinda to present the 2018 Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture at the Woodrow  Wilson  Center. The lecture was entitled “Miracles in the Heart of Europe.” The transcript of the former Prime Minister’s optimistic and visionary presentation is below. FOS hopes you will enjoy it as much […]

FOS cordially invites you to be a part of its new film project, which aims to document the life of a Slovak Holocaust survivor, Klara Sever. The project also acknowledges the bravery and selflessness of the Catholic priest and ordinary Slovak citizens who put their own lives at risk to save one Jewish family during […]

Czech Ambassador to Great Britain Michael Žantovský will deliver the 2013 Annual Czech and Slovak Freedom Lecture. Amb. Žantovský was formerly Czech ambassador to the United States (1992-1997). The lecture will be hosted by the Wilson Center for International Scholars from 12:00 to 1:00 p.m. An invitation will be forthcoming. The event is sponsored by […]

A Country Lost, Then Found by Rick Zednik is a touching account of his Slovak family, with a special focus on his father, Juraj “Jay” Zednik. Jay was lucky to be out of Czechoslovakia when the Warsaw Pact troops invaded in 1968. He sought asylum in West Germany and eventually settled in the US, where […]

John Palka, scion of one of the most distinguished families in the history of Slovakia, has written a masterful account of Slovakia’s history. The Hodža and Palka families played a significant role in Slovakia’s history. John Palka’s mother was the daughter of Milan Hodža, the last prime minister of interwar Czechoslovakia. Mr. Palka attended the […]

The Friends of Slovakia and Ambassador Peter Kmec co-hosted a reception and book launch on November 15th for Pavol Demes’ latest book, which explores Slovak-American relations. The event was attended by a large audience, including many members of Friends of Slovakia and Wendy Luers, who played a significant role in strengthening Slovak civil society. Ambassador […]