František Hrušovský v exile (1945 – 1956)
(František Hrušovský in Exile (1945–1956))
Beáta Katrebová Blehová
Download PDFKATREBOVÁ BLEHOVÁ, Beáta. František Hrušovský in Exile (1945–1956). In Historický zborník, Vol. 32, 2022, No. 2, pp. 88-122.
Abstract: The study deals with the work of the historian František Hrušovský in exile after the Second World War. For the first two years, he lived in Rome, where he studied in both the Vatican Apostolic Library and Vatican archives. In July 1947, he arrived in Cleveland, where he settled permanently. He cooperated with the Slovak League of America and was elected as a registrar and Vice-Chairman of the League in March 1949. Being in the lead, he significantly influenced the organization’s program anchoring favouring the state independence of Slovakia. He taught at the Benedictine High School at the St. Andrew Abbey. After the establishment of the Slovak Institute in Cleveland in September 1952, he became its director. He also co-operated closely with the Slovak National Council Abroad and became its chairman in the autumn of 1955. In September 1956, he died suddenly and prematurely. He was also active as a journalist and historian; published several monographs in his exile. It was of interest to the Czechoslovak State Security secret police, which perceived the Slovak exile and its program of fundamental anti-communism and Slovak statehood as the main ideological enemy and did not hesitate to use all available means to eliminate them.
Keywords: Cold War; anti-communism; Slovak political exile; Slovak League of America; Slovak Institute in Cleveland; Slovak National Council Abroad.