Michael Kopanic | University of Maryland Global Campus (original) (raw)
Books by Michael Kopanic
Kultúrne dejiny / Cultural History, Volume 13, Issue 2, pp. 291-304., 2022
An Interview with the historian Michael J. Kopanic The historian Michael J. Kopanic was born in D... more An Interview with the historian Michael J. Kopanic The historian Michael J. Kopanic was born in December 1954 in Youngstown, Ohio (USA) to parents Michal and Anna, who came from the Spiš region (Slovakia). He began studying history and German language at Youngstown State University and he completed his master's degree in history in 1977 at Notre Dame University, where he was awarded a full academic scholarship. He started his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto in Canada and completed it in 1986 at the University of Pittsburgh. During his doctoral studies, he participated in three Slovak language summer courses at Studia Academica Slovaca (SAS). His dissertation Industrial Trade Unions in Slovakia 1918-1929 was devoted to the analysis of industrial trade unions in Slovakia. By virtue of his roots, his career as a historian was, from the very beginning, focused on the research of immigration of Slovaks to the USA, and 20th century Central and Eastern European political and cultural history. The courses of Slovak language that he completed greatly influenced the direction of his further studies and research. Thanks to this qualification, he received a scholarship that enabled him to attain an academic stay in Czechoslovakia in 1982-1983. Since 1989, he has made regular visits to Slovakia, taking part in various academic events, as well as personal visits. Since 2007, he has held the position of an "Adjunct Associate Professor" and since 2012, the position of an "Adjunct Professor" at the University of Maryland Global Campus, where he has taught courses on general modern European history as well as the history of Central and Eastern Europe, the history of the Ottoman Empire, and the history of the Second World War. Since the end of the '80s, he has worked at several universities as a resident and visiting lecturer and university professor:
Jednota, Sept. 8, 2020, pp. 12-13/, 2020
I have created two new website groups on Facebook to help facilitate learning and the exchange of... more I have created two new website groups on Facebook to help facilitate learning and the exchange of information and ideas about Slovaks and Slovakia. One is entitled “Slovak History” and the other is “Learning the Slovak Language and Culture.”
Jednota, Dec. 11, 2019, pp. 10, 18, 2019
On October 15-19, 2019, the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI) hosted its 17t... more On October 15-19, 2019, the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI) hosted its 17th Genealogical and Cultural Conference at the Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska. It organized around the theme “Pioneers on the Prairie,” since many Czech immigrants settled on farms in the Midwest from the mid-19th century until World War I.
This paper summarizes some of the presentations, especially those on Slovak topics.
Slovensko a Prvá Svetová Vojna I. Zborník príspevkov z medzinárodnej vedeckej konferencie, Humenne: Klub vojenskej histórie Beskydy v spolupráci so Štátnou vedeckou knižnicou Košice, 2018., 2018
English summary. The publication is a compilation of contributions made at an academic conferenc... more English summary. The publication is a compilation of contributions made at an academic conference entitled “Slovakia and the First World War”. The conference took place in Košice on February 20-21, 2018. The Military History Club of the Beskyds and the State Academic Library in Košice organized the conference.
Jednota, 2019
This is a summary of the speech I presented to the Slovak League of America in New York City in M... more This is a summary of the speech I presented to the Slovak League of America in New York City in May 2019. General Dr. Milan R. Štefánik, the famous soldier, astronomer, aviator, and diplomat, helped create Czecho-Slovakia and is among the most popular and well-known figures in Slovak history..
Jednota, October 18, 2017, pp. 8-9, 2017
This is part 2 of an article about General Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880-1919), one of the found... more This is part 2 of an article about General Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880-1919), one of the founding fathers of the first Czecho-Slovak Republic. This part centers around the statue to him in Paulhan, in southern France, and several other Štefánik monuments.)
Studies in Ethnic Identity: Wandering Slovak People, ed. Yoshimoto Kawasaki (Tokyo: Chuo University Press, 2007), pp. 209 – 241. Translated into Japanese., 2007
Beginning in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the United States of America became the ... more Beginning in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the United States of America became the most common destination for Slovaks who left their homeland of Hungary in Central Europe. “I am going to America” became a common expression for thousands of common people, the majority of whom were landless or poor peasants.
As a result of this migration, many Slovaks consider the United States their second homeland, and almost everyone in Slovakia claims to have a relative, even if a distant one, in America. Apart from those Slovaks living in Slovakia itself today, more people of Slovak nationality live in the U.S.A. than in any other foreign country. While 5.3 million people currently reside in Slovakia, the U.S. is home to approximately two million Americans with Slovak ethnic origins
The edited translation of Anton Spiesz's book surveys the history of Slovakia from its beginnings... more The edited translation of Anton Spiesz's book surveys the history of Slovakia from its beginnings until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Preface, chapter summaries, end notes, bibliography, and first translation by Michael Kopanic.
"Illustrated Slovak History"
You may order a hard copy of the book at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Slovak-History-Struggle-Sovereignty/dp/0865164266
Illustrated Slovak History A Struggle for Sovereignty in Central Europe By Anton Spiesz, ... more Illustrated Slovak History
A Struggle for Sovereignty in Central Europe
By Anton Spiesz, Albert Devine, Michael Kopanic, David Daniel, Ivan Reguli
Edited by Dr. Ladislaus J. Bolchazy, Michael Kopanic, et alii.
Epilogue by Dusan Caplovic (President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences)
Translated by Joseph J. Palus, Jr. and Michael Kopanic
Description
Introduction, Notes, and Bibliography for the English-language edition supplied by Dr. Michael Kopanic.
Academic consulting by Martin Votruba, Albert Devine, Milan S. Durica, Frantisek Vnuk, Ivan Reguli, Charles Sabatos, Patrick Romane, John Karch, Adenko G. Alexy et alii.
Associate Editing by Joseph J. Palus, Jr., Albert Devine, Patrick Romane and Richard Wood
Who are the Slovaks? What is the Slovak nation? Located in the heart of Europe, the Slovak Republic has emerged an independent and sovereign nation after centuries of struggle. The history of Slovak is part of the rich tapestry of the course of human events at the geographical and strategic crossroads of Europe. Yet, very little contemporary scholarship on Slovak history exists in English or is readily accessible to North American and Western European readers. This title thus fills an important gap in historiography about events throughout Central Europe over the last fourteen centuries. This title presents the history of Slovakia in terms of the latest scholarship and in context of on-going historical debate about Slovak history and its presentation in post-socialist world.
http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=slovak&id=4266
Sample pages: http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=slovak&id=4266&add=sam
Michael Kopanic was a co-editor with Steven G Potach of Konštantín Čulen. The History of Slovaks... more Michael Kopanic was a co-editor with Steven G Potach of Konštantín Čulen. The History of Slovaks in America (St. Paul, Minnesota: Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, 2007). Originally published as Dejiny Slovákov v Amerike 2 vols. (Bratislava: Slovak League Publishing House, 1942), 440 pages, hardbound. ISBN 0-9651932-2-5
This 411 page hardbound book was originally published in the Slovak language in two volumes in 1942. Most of the original photos from the book have been reproduced in this English edition, along with rare additional photos of the author and the 1935-36 Matica Slovenska delegation, which he accompanied to America to conduct research for this book.
In History of Slovaks in America, writer and historian Konstantin Culen (1904-1964) paints a vivid portrait of early Slovak life in the U.S. He records in detail the experiences of Slovak-Americans, their struggles and triumphs, their strengths and failings, their passions and prejudices, and their fight to achieve unity and justice for the Slovak nation, both in America and in their oppressed homeland.
Through his rich and extensive use of early newspaper accounts, letters, eyewitness narratives and other original source materials, Culen enables us to hear the "voice" of the Slovak immigrant generation. The result is an absorbing and often dramatic chronicle of the Slovak-American experience. Appearing for the first time in English translation, this book provides an indispensable resource for understanding the foundations of Slovak life in America.
All surnames and place names in the book are fully-indexed, as an aid to genealogical research.
"Konstantin Culen was the first Slovak writer to undertake systematic research in the history of the American Slovaks, and the first to write a part of that history. He prepared many rich chapters on the history of parishes, movements, organizations, societies. . . . Culen was the first to bring about a rapprochement between Slovak America and the land of its origins. And had he accomplished nothing more as a writer and newspaperman, this accomplishment alone would rate him with the best - to be remembered as one of the foremost Slovak intellectuals of our century." - Jednota
“The Slovaks,” in Identity, Conflict, and Cooperation: Central Europeans in Cleveland, 1850-1930 (Cleveland: Western Reserve Historical Society, 2003): 249-306., 2003
“The Slovaks,” in Identity, Conflict, and Cooperation: Central Europeans in Cleveland, 1850-1930 ... more “The Slovaks,” in Identity, Conflict, and Cooperation: Central Europeans in Cleveland, 1850-1930 (Cleveland: Western Reserve Historical Society, 2003): 249-306.
SLOVAKS IN CLEVELAND, 1870 - 1930
Michael Kopanic
During the early twentieth century, Cleveland was host to one of the largest settlements of Slovaks in the United States and was for a time said to have had the largest Slovak population of any city in the world.1 The Slovak neighborhoods that developed in Cleveland were anchored by churches, with religion serving to bind the immigrants together and ease their cultural transition. Religion also, however, created divisions within the community, between and within the various confessions as well as between secular and religiously based organizations. When Cleveland’s Slovak community perceived itself as under threat from the outside, it united, both within itself and with other groups regarded as allies. Such outside threats usually had to do with interethnic conflict, most often stemming from the group’s troubled relationship with the Magyars, or ethnic Hungarians, who also had a large settlement in Cleveland.
Teaching Documents by Michael Kopanic
Recognition for outstanding teaching and service; superior student evaluations.
The lecture introduces students to questions which historians ask to better understand the past w... more The lecture introduces students to questions which historians ask to better understand the past without preconceptions and with perspective.
Awards/Offices by Michael Kopanic
Kultúrne dejiny / Cultural History, Volume 13, Issue 2, pp. 291-304., 2022
An Interview with the historian Michael J. Kopanic The historian Michael J. Kopanic was born in D... more An Interview with the historian Michael J. Kopanic The historian Michael J. Kopanic was born in December 1954 in Youngstown, Ohio (USA) to parents Michal and Anna, who came from the Spiš region (Slovakia). He began studying history and German language at Youngstown State University and he completed his master's degree in history in 1977 at Notre Dame University, where he was awarded a full academic scholarship. He started his doctoral studies at the University of Toronto in Canada and completed it in 1986 at the University of Pittsburgh. During his doctoral studies, he participated in three Slovak language summer courses at Studia Academica Slovaca (SAS). His dissertation Industrial Trade Unions in Slovakia 1918-1929 was devoted to the analysis of industrial trade unions in Slovakia. By virtue of his roots, his career as a historian was, from the very beginning, focused on the research of immigration of Slovaks to the USA, and 20th century Central and Eastern European political and cultural history. The courses of Slovak language that he completed greatly influenced the direction of his further studies and research. Thanks to this qualification, he received a scholarship that enabled him to attain an academic stay in Czechoslovakia in 1982-1983. Since 1989, he has made regular visits to Slovakia, taking part in various academic events, as well as personal visits. Since 2007, he has held the position of an "Adjunct Associate Professor" and since 2012, the position of an "Adjunct Professor" at the University of Maryland Global Campus, where he has taught courses on general modern European history as well as the history of Central and Eastern Europe, the history of the Ottoman Empire, and the history of the Second World War. Since the end of the '80s, he has worked at several universities as a resident and visiting lecturer and university professor:
Jednota, Sept. 8, 2020, pp. 12-13/, 2020
I have created two new website groups on Facebook to help facilitate learning and the exchange of... more I have created two new website groups on Facebook to help facilitate learning and the exchange of information and ideas about Slovaks and Slovakia. One is entitled “Slovak History” and the other is “Learning the Slovak Language and Culture.”
Jednota, Dec. 11, 2019, pp. 10, 18, 2019
On October 15-19, 2019, the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI) hosted its 17t... more On October 15-19, 2019, the Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International (CGSI) hosted its 17th Genealogical and Cultural Conference at the Marriott Cornhusker Hotel in Lincoln, Nebraska. It organized around the theme “Pioneers on the Prairie,” since many Czech immigrants settled on farms in the Midwest from the mid-19th century until World War I.
This paper summarizes some of the presentations, especially those on Slovak topics.
Slovensko a Prvá Svetová Vojna I. Zborník príspevkov z medzinárodnej vedeckej konferencie, Humenne: Klub vojenskej histórie Beskydy v spolupráci so Štátnou vedeckou knižnicou Košice, 2018., 2018
English summary. The publication is a compilation of contributions made at an academic conferenc... more English summary. The publication is a compilation of contributions made at an academic conference entitled “Slovakia and the First World War”. The conference took place in Košice on February 20-21, 2018. The Military History Club of the Beskyds and the State Academic Library in Košice organized the conference.
Jednota, 2019
This is a summary of the speech I presented to the Slovak League of America in New York City in M... more This is a summary of the speech I presented to the Slovak League of America in New York City in May 2019. General Dr. Milan R. Štefánik, the famous soldier, astronomer, aviator, and diplomat, helped create Czecho-Slovakia and is among the most popular and well-known figures in Slovak history..
Jednota, October 18, 2017, pp. 8-9, 2017
This is part 2 of an article about General Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880-1919), one of the found... more This is part 2 of an article about General Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880-1919), one of the founding fathers of the first Czecho-Slovak Republic. This part centers around the statue to him in Paulhan, in southern France, and several other Štefánik monuments.)
Studies in Ethnic Identity: Wandering Slovak People, ed. Yoshimoto Kawasaki (Tokyo: Chuo University Press, 2007), pp. 209 – 241. Translated into Japanese., 2007
Beginning in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the United States of America became the ... more Beginning in the last quarter of the nineteenth century, the United States of America became the most common destination for Slovaks who left their homeland of Hungary in Central Europe. “I am going to America” became a common expression for thousands of common people, the majority of whom were landless or poor peasants.
As a result of this migration, many Slovaks consider the United States their second homeland, and almost everyone in Slovakia claims to have a relative, even if a distant one, in America. Apart from those Slovaks living in Slovakia itself today, more people of Slovak nationality live in the U.S.A. than in any other foreign country. While 5.3 million people currently reside in Slovakia, the U.S. is home to approximately two million Americans with Slovak ethnic origins
The edited translation of Anton Spiesz's book surveys the history of Slovakia from its beginnings... more The edited translation of Anton Spiesz's book surveys the history of Slovakia from its beginnings until the Velvet Revolution of 1989. Preface, chapter summaries, end notes, bibliography, and first translation by Michael Kopanic.
"Illustrated Slovak History"
You may order a hard copy of the book at Amazon.
https://www.amazon.com/Illustrated-Slovak-History-Struggle-Sovereignty/dp/0865164266
Illustrated Slovak History A Struggle for Sovereignty in Central Europe By Anton Spiesz, ... more Illustrated Slovak History
A Struggle for Sovereignty in Central Europe
By Anton Spiesz, Albert Devine, Michael Kopanic, David Daniel, Ivan Reguli
Edited by Dr. Ladislaus J. Bolchazy, Michael Kopanic, et alii.
Epilogue by Dusan Caplovic (President of the Slovak Academy of Sciences)
Translated by Joseph J. Palus, Jr. and Michael Kopanic
Description
Introduction, Notes, and Bibliography for the English-language edition supplied by Dr. Michael Kopanic.
Academic consulting by Martin Votruba, Albert Devine, Milan S. Durica, Frantisek Vnuk, Ivan Reguli, Charles Sabatos, Patrick Romane, John Karch, Adenko G. Alexy et alii.
Associate Editing by Joseph J. Palus, Jr., Albert Devine, Patrick Romane and Richard Wood
Who are the Slovaks? What is the Slovak nation? Located in the heart of Europe, the Slovak Republic has emerged an independent and sovereign nation after centuries of struggle. The history of Slovak is part of the rich tapestry of the course of human events at the geographical and strategic crossroads of Europe. Yet, very little contemporary scholarship on Slovak history exists in English or is readily accessible to North American and Western European readers. This title thus fills an important gap in historiography about events throughout Central Europe over the last fourteen centuries. This title presents the history of Slovakia in terms of the latest scholarship and in context of on-going historical debate about Slovak history and its presentation in post-socialist world.
http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=slovak&id=4266
Sample pages: http://www.bolchazy.com/prod.php?cat=slovak&id=4266&add=sam
Michael Kopanic was a co-editor with Steven G Potach of Konštantín Čulen. The History of Slovaks... more Michael Kopanic was a co-editor with Steven G Potach of Konštantín Čulen. The History of Slovaks in America (St. Paul, Minnesota: Czechoslovak Genealogical Society International, 2007). Originally published as Dejiny Slovákov v Amerike 2 vols. (Bratislava: Slovak League Publishing House, 1942), 440 pages, hardbound. ISBN 0-9651932-2-5
This 411 page hardbound book was originally published in the Slovak language in two volumes in 1942. Most of the original photos from the book have been reproduced in this English edition, along with rare additional photos of the author and the 1935-36 Matica Slovenska delegation, which he accompanied to America to conduct research for this book.
In History of Slovaks in America, writer and historian Konstantin Culen (1904-1964) paints a vivid portrait of early Slovak life in the U.S. He records in detail the experiences of Slovak-Americans, their struggles and triumphs, their strengths and failings, their passions and prejudices, and their fight to achieve unity and justice for the Slovak nation, both in America and in their oppressed homeland.
Through his rich and extensive use of early newspaper accounts, letters, eyewitness narratives and other original source materials, Culen enables us to hear the "voice" of the Slovak immigrant generation. The result is an absorbing and often dramatic chronicle of the Slovak-American experience. Appearing for the first time in English translation, this book provides an indispensable resource for understanding the foundations of Slovak life in America.
All surnames and place names in the book are fully-indexed, as an aid to genealogical research.
"Konstantin Culen was the first Slovak writer to undertake systematic research in the history of the American Slovaks, and the first to write a part of that history. He prepared many rich chapters on the history of parishes, movements, organizations, societies. . . . Culen was the first to bring about a rapprochement between Slovak America and the land of its origins. And had he accomplished nothing more as a writer and newspaperman, this accomplishment alone would rate him with the best - to be remembered as one of the foremost Slovak intellectuals of our century." - Jednota
“The Slovaks,” in Identity, Conflict, and Cooperation: Central Europeans in Cleveland, 1850-1930 (Cleveland: Western Reserve Historical Society, 2003): 249-306., 2003
“The Slovaks,” in Identity, Conflict, and Cooperation: Central Europeans in Cleveland, 1850-1930 ... more “The Slovaks,” in Identity, Conflict, and Cooperation: Central Europeans in Cleveland, 1850-1930 (Cleveland: Western Reserve Historical Society, 2003): 249-306.
SLOVAKS IN CLEVELAND, 1870 - 1930
Michael Kopanic
During the early twentieth century, Cleveland was host to one of the largest settlements of Slovaks in the United States and was for a time said to have had the largest Slovak population of any city in the world.1 The Slovak neighborhoods that developed in Cleveland were anchored by churches, with religion serving to bind the immigrants together and ease their cultural transition. Religion also, however, created divisions within the community, between and within the various confessions as well as between secular and religiously based organizations. When Cleveland’s Slovak community perceived itself as under threat from the outside, it united, both within itself and with other groups regarded as allies. Such outside threats usually had to do with interethnic conflict, most often stemming from the group’s troubled relationship with the Magyars, or ethnic Hungarians, who also had a large settlement in Cleveland.
Recognition for outstanding teaching and service; superior student evaluations.
The lecture introduces students to questions which historians ask to better understand the past w... more The lecture introduces students to questions which historians ask to better understand the past without preconceptions and with perspective.
Jednota July 25, 2007: 14, 1497 words., 2007
Each year on the last weekend of July, Slovaks commemorate the anniversary of the Feast Day of Sa... more Each year on the last weekend of July, Slovaks commemorate the anniversary of the Feast Day of Saint Anne (Svätá Anna) at a chapel in the wooded region just north of the eastern Spiš villages of Kluknava and Richnava. The pilgrimage attracts thousands of believers mainly from the Spiš and Šariš regions.
The revised article of 2024 summarizes the history of the pilgrimage and my experiences attending them.
Slovak Catholic Falcon, April 2024, vol. CXIII – Issue 5186, p. 22., 2024
officially opened in the eastern Slovak village of Ťahyňa, which is situated in lower Zemplín. Pr... more officially opened in the eastern Slovak village of Ťahyňa, which is situated in lower Zemplín. Professor Martin Javor of Prešov University founded the museum, put together the collection, and continues to gather documents, fraternal items, and photos, which portray the life of Slovak emigrants. In June 2023, Professor Martin Javor accompanied by his daughter Anna, visited the USA on short trip, stopping at some key Slovak and Rusyn sites in the USA. He was checking for resources for researching Slovak immigrants and to find materials for the museum. One of the first places they visited was Perth Amboy, New Jersey, which 60 years ago was center of Slovak immigrants on the east coast. His visit there included the home of his ancestors, St. Nicholas Byzantine Church, the site of Holy Trinity Church (built in 1902 and demolished in the 1990s), and St. Nicholas cemeteries. While in New Jersey, he visited the Home Office of Slovak Catholic Sokol in Passaic, NJ. He collected 1400 kg of books and other materials on a pallet, which he sent to Slovakia for the museum. His cousin Milan Javor and his cousin's husband assisted in packing the materials, as he is striving to save the cultural heritage of Slovaks in America. Next, he traveled to Wilkes-Barre, PA where he visited the Memorial room of Jozef Murgaš, the site of his Sacred Heart (closed), Slovak Lutheran church of St. Matthew Slovak Lutheran Church (closed), and the grave of Jozef Murgaš in the former Slovak Botanical Garden in Dallas, PA. Audrey Wagner Cunfer, and Melinda Smith served as guides for his visits here. Heading west, the Javors then stopped to visit the Sisters of SS. Cyril and Methodius in Danville, PA, he former Slovak girls' school, St. Cyril Academy. Sister Loretta Marie, the Director of Jankola Library, accompanied them on a guided tour. Professor Javor was struck by the beauty of the Basilica of St. Cyril and Methodius. The colorful stained-glass windows are decorated with details and subjects from the history of immigration. They concluded their stop with a visit of the Jankola library with its rich collection of books from Slovakia. The last stop of the Javors was in the Cleveland area where they visited the Slovak Institute at St. Andrew's Benedictine Abbey. Milan Kobulský, the director of the Slovak Institute, served as their guide. They all agreed to cooperate in saving the cultural heritage of Slovaks in America. After Javor returned to Slovakia, I met him in Košice on July 16, 2023, and he took me to tour the Kasigarda Museum, so I was able to personally see his rich collection of Slovak immigrant memorabilia. Later that week, I spent the day with him at Prešov University and he showed me the wealth of archival material and newspapers he had collected. He noted that there is a great deal of interest in Slovak emigration to North America in Slovakia among his young students but sees interest fading in the USA as ethnic churches close and most of the younger generation ignores its immigrant roots. For Slovaks, rediscovering the history of emigrants is largely unknown, as the communists suppressed this aspect of Slovakia's history. Finally, in early November 2023, Professor Javor visited me at my home and copied some of my documents and a manuscript which concerned Slovak immigrants. He went on to spend sever
Jednota, March 9, 2022: 1,19, 2022
For Christians in Slovakia, the holy season of Lent is called pôst in the Slovak language (pronou... more For Christians in Slovakia, the holy season of Lent is called pôst in the Slovak language (pronounced "pwost"). The season begins on Ash Wednesday, known as Popolcová streda in Slovak. In Slovak traditions, it was also known as Škaredá streda, or Ugly Wednesday. The lively celebrations of fašiangy (Carnival-Slovak Mardi Gras) ended on Fat Tuesday night (Tučný utorok). Ash Wednesday marked the solemn beginning of an extended period of fasting, prayer, and abstinence. It commenced with an extended period of spiritual reflection that remembers Christ's forty days of fasting in the desert.
Jednota, Aug. 16, 2017, p.7, 2017
Part 2 of an article to learn Slovak online.
Jednota, March 8, 2017, 2017
An introduction to learning Slovak.
Jednota, 2006
This is a link to Jednota, the newspaper archive which I have edited since February 2022. The ar... more This is a link to Jednota, the newspaper archive which I have edited since February 2022. The archive contains a host of articles by me and others about Slovaks and Slovak-Americans, in addition to FCSU membership information.
Jednota January 12, 2022, 2022
In addition to our treasured publication Jednota, Slovak Radio offers another medium to reach the... more In addition to our treasured publication Jednota, Slovak Radio offers another medium to reach the Slovak-American audience and those interested in Slovakia and its culture. Here are some examples of the many radio programs which one may access online or on live radio. Some have podcasts or youtube videos, but other have to be listened to live. They all offer a way to keep up with events in Slovakia and the Slovak community abroad and keep us aware of our rich Slovak culture and heritage. The online radio show "Notes of Slovakia" offers live broadcasts from Cleveland and an online recording on its website YouTube. One may listen to it anytime, even in short segments, and it has an archive to access. And it is easy to find on the web, with a simple Google search. One can go straight to the website and click on
Jednota July 14, 2021 p 10, 2021
The next 2021 CGSI Genealogical & Cultural Conference will be held virtually online from October ... more The next 2021 CGSI Genealogical & Cultural Conference will be held virtually online from October 11-16, 2021 with the theme of "Celebrating Connections". It was originally scheduled for Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a state where many Slovak and Czech settled since late 19th century.
Jednota, Feb. 27, 2016: 10, 18. Slovak Studies Assn. newsletter, 2016., 2016
(Updated) On January 7, 2016, the well known Slovak Roman Catholic priest and former dissident, R... more (Updated) On January 7, 2016, the well known Slovak Roman Catholic priest and former dissident, Rev. Anton Srholec, passed away at age 86. Srholec was a popular and charitable priest who belonged to the Salesian order of Don Bosco.
Srholec was a controversial person who presented his own views rather than that of the bishops of Slovakia. Though popular among youth, he never started a movement or wrote extensively to garner support. An enigma, Srholec was more of a loner who saw himself as a man of action rather than the leader of any type of organized opposition to the Church hierarchy. He was neither a radical reformer nor a revolutionary. He virtually defies easy categorization.
Father Srholec has provided Slovakia and the world an example of selfless devotion to helping others and serving God. The Slovak people will remember his enchanting and "ever-present" smile, his kind and compassionate heart, and his boundless devotion to truth and love.
Jednota, March 10, 2021, pp. 19-20, 2021
The article commemorates Štefan Mikuš's sacrifice of his life to defend Andrej Hlinka on Easter M... more The article commemorates Štefan Mikuš's sacrifice of his life to defend Andrej Hlinka on Easter Monday in 1921. This year of 2021 marks the 100th year anniversary of the event. A ceremony is planned to rededicate a monument to him which the communists destroyed after World War II. The article includes Professor Kopanic's description of the setting and translation of the article by Jozef Mikuš.
Jednota, March 2021, 2021
“One Slovak Family” aims to reconnect Slovaks abroad with their homeland and reunite the Slovak f... more “One Slovak Family” aims to reconnect Slovaks abroad with their homeland and reunite the Slovak family. As a starting point, it is lobbying so that the Slovak government will rewrite legislation on the conditions for becoming a Slovak citizen. It also aims to harness the full power and influence of the larger Slovak community in the world and facilitate its connections with the homeland.
Jednota, 8 Aug 2012, p.15., 2012
Dr. Ladislaus Bolchazy. a well known publisher and Professor Emeritus at Loyola University in Chi... more Dr. Ladislaus Bolchazy. a well known publisher and Professor Emeritus at Loyola University in Chicago, passed away on July 28, 2012, at the age of 75. Bolchazy had served for many years as the president of Bolchazy Car-ducci Publishers. He devoted his life to promoting and publishing classical works of Latin and Greek literature and especially to his special interests in Slovak culture.
During the 1990s, Bolchazy founded and became president of the Slovak American International Cultural Foundation, a non-profit organization which publishes English translations of Slovak literature and promotes Slovak art. Bolchazy collaborated with a number of renown scholars, public figures, and other publishing houses to produce some major works about Slovakia and Slovaks in the English language.
Jednota, December 9, 2020_ 18-19., 2020
Christmas Eve Family Prayers in the Slovak Roman Catholic tradition.
Nase Rodina, June 2012., 2012
During the Great Migration of peoples from Eastern Europe to America that started in the late 187... more During the Great Migration of peoples from Eastern Europe to America that started in the late 1870s and lasted until World War I, New Jersey was among the first stops of many Slavic and Slovak immigrants. While most Slovaks moved on to settle in Pennsylvania and the Midwest, a considerable number decided to remain in the Garden State or New York. Some of the earliest Slovak fraternal organizations originated in New Jersey, and the state spawned two Slovak Sokol (Falcon) gymnastic organizations. Today the state also hosts the current headquarters of the Slovak League of America and the Slovak Catholic Sokol. This is why some have called New Jersey “the cradle of Slovak fraternalism in America.”
Review wrote about an upcoming book scheduled for publication by Global Slovakia in December 2019... more Review wrote about an upcoming book scheduled for publication by Global Slovakia in December 2019, Czechoslovakia: Behind the Iron Curtain: A History of Communism. The book paints a picture of life under communism from the perspective of two young scholars, Dr. Zuzana Palovic and Dr. Gabriela Bereghazyová.
This is a review wrote about an upcoming book scheduled for publication by Global Slovakia in Dec... more This is a review wrote about an upcoming book scheduled for publication by Global Slovakia in December 2019, Czechoslovakia: Behind the Iron Curtain: A History of Communism. The book paints a picture of life under communism from the perspective of two young scholars, Dr. Zuzana Palovic and Dr. Gabriela Bereghazyová.
Jednota April 15, 2020 pp. 18-19, 2020
The Spanish Flu struck Slovakia with a vengeance, much worse than the current Coronavirus, Covid-... more The Spanish Flu struck Slovakia with a vengeance, much worse than the current Coronavirus, Covid-19. In 1918-21, about 2.8 million people lived in Slovakia, and an estimated 20-30,000 people there would perish from the Spanish influenza pandemic. Exact statistics are lacking for fatalities in Slovakia because as the war ended, governments were changing from Hungarian to Czechoslovak, and there was no statistical office tracking the number of deaths. In addition, as Austria-Hungary was disintegrating, Hungarian officials often remained in office and were more interested in retaining their jobs than gathering statistics and stemming the pandemic. The efforts of Alice Garrigue Masaryk garnered the assistance of the British Red Cross to bring doctors, nurses, food, and much needed medical supplies to an under served population suffering the double scourges of the Spanish Flu and Typhus Fever. ** The Wprd update includes the recent research fabout Košice by historian Veronika Szeghy-Gayer and info from the World War I online encylopedia.
Jednota Jan 15 2020; March 11 2020, 2020
The article describes my first impressions when visiting communist Slovakia as a young graduate s... more The article describes my first impressions when visiting communist Slovakia as a young graduate student in 1978
Jednota February 12, 2020, p. 20; updated June 21, 2020., 2020
The Right Reverend George M. Franko went to his eternal resting place on January 30, 2020. He die... more The Right Reverend George M. Franko went to his eternal resting place on January 30, 2020. He died at Hospice of the Valley with his close family by his side. He was 95 years-old.
Father Franko remained quite active in the Slovak-American community. He showed his love for the Slovak people and language, shared his talents and skills with others, and encouraged all to treasure their Slovak heritage. . Frequently, he had traveled to Slovakia to visit his ancestral homeland. Locally, he served as chaplain of Group 17 for the Slovak Catholic Sokol. He presented many talks on Slovak language, culture, customs, history, and Catholic traditions on the Slovak Radio Program, which airs from Struthers on WKTL-FM from 9-11pm Saturdays (Listen online at http://wktl.caster.fm/).
In addition, he regularly composed many articles on Slovak topics for the Newsletter of The American Slovak Cultural Association of the Mahoning Valley, and served as chaplain of the organization since 1996. The Association plans to publish more of his writings posthumously both in its newsletter and in the Slovak Catholic Federation’s annual Good Shepherd (Dobrý pastier), to which he had regularly contributed articles.
Slovo, 2024
Professor Stanislav Kirschbaum, born in Bratislava, has been a member of the prestigious Royal Ca... more Professor Stanislav Kirschbaum, born in Bratislava, has been a member of the prestigious Royal Canadian Academy since 2002. He has lived in Canada since 1949. In the years 1959-64 he studied at the University of Ottawa, 1964-68 at the University of Toronto, later political science at the University of Paris. Since 1970, he has been working as a professor of international studies at Glendon College of York University in Toronto (head of the Department of International Studies), at the same time as a visiting professor at several universities, including the University of Trnava. He mainly deals with the political history of Slovakia in the 2nd half of the 20th century and international relations.
Kultúrne dejiny / Cultural History, Volume 13, Issue 2, pp. 291-304., 2022, 2022
An interview with historian Michael J. Kopanic, Jr., a specialist in Slovak and Slovak-American h... more An interview with historian Michael J. Kopanic, Jr., a specialist in Slovak and Slovak-American history and culture.
Austrian History Yearbook, 1994
Slavic Review: Interdisciplinary Quarterly of Russian, Eurasian, and East European Studies, 1988
Nationalities Papers, 1998
Austrian History Yearbook, 1993
1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War, 2020
General Milan Rastislav Štefánik was a Slovak astronomer and a pilot in the French army. His dipl... more General Milan Rastislav Štefánik was a Slovak astronomer and a pilot in the French army. His diplomatic skills and connections helped gain Allied support for the Czechoslovak independence movement abroad. He organized the Czechoslovak Legion and became minister of war for Czechoslovakia. He perished in a tragic airplane crash in 1919.
Slovo (Magazine of the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library), vol. 12, no. 1 (Summer 2011): pp. 10-13. , 2011
East Central Europe L Europe Du Centre Est, 1992
Acceso de usuarios registrados. Acceso de usuarios registrados Usuario Contraseña. ...
Denník N, 2024
At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Slovaks from there started leaving for the USA in sea... more At the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, Slovaks from there started leaving for the USA in search of a better life. The article summarizes the immigration story of Michael Kopanic's family.
Kristina Böhmer, ed., “Slovenský Američan: Na Spiši bola v uhorských časoch taká chudoba, že Slováci chceli po príchode do USA zabudnúť na domov, Denník N, July 15, 2024, https://dennikn.sk/4087230/slovensky-american-na-spisi-bola-v-uhorskych-casoch-taka-chudoba-ze-slovaci-chceli-po-prichode-do-usa-zabudnut-na-domov/?ref=list (Accessed July 15,2024).
Slovak Studies Association Newsletter, 2018
It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of an outstanding teacher, a dear friend and... more It is with a heavy heart that I announce the passing of an outstanding teacher, a dear friend and an esteemed colleague, Professor Martin Votruba. He served as the Head of Slovak Studies Program and was a Senior Lecturer at the University of Pittsburgh (Slavic Department, Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences). Many considered him to be the country's leading scholar on Slovak culture.
The University of Pittsburgh will host a memorial service in his honor at 2 p.m. on January 13, 2019 at the Frick Fine Arts Auditorium. More detailed information from the university on the memorial service for Dr. Votruba will be forthcoming at a later date.
Pittsburgh has a school for children to learn Slovak as well as Czech.
Mary H. Babnič (1923-2008) was a Slovak-American leader in the Youngstown area and broadcast the ... more Mary H. Babnič (1923-2008) was a Slovak-American leader in the Youngstown area and broadcast the Slovak Radio program on WKTL Struthers, 1983-2007.
The article surveys earliest efforts at organizing Slovak immigrants into fraternal benefit socie... more The article surveys earliest efforts at organizing Slovak immigrants into fraternal benefit societies in the U.S.A.
Western Reserve Studies Symposium, 1989
Jednota, July 8, 2020, p. 18., 2020
This is a brief review of the English translation of Jozef Banáš’s historical novel about General... more This is a brief review of the English translation of Jozef Banáš’s historical novel about General Milan Rastislav Štefánik.
YouTube, 2020
This is a Youtube webinar presentation for the CzechoSlovak Genealogical Society International fr... more This is a Youtube webinar presentation for the CzechoSlovak Genealogical Society International from May 23, 2020. It looks at the devastating Spanish Flu and Typhus Fever and how it spread at the end of World War I.
Some of my contributions to Notable Slovak Americans book
Czechoslovak Studies Association Newsletter, Spring 2024, Vol. 47, No. 1, pp. 11-13., 2024
On May 15, 2024, the world learned of an assassination attempt directed at Slovakia's prime minis... more On May 15, 2024, the world learned of an assassination attempt directed at Slovakia's prime minister, Robert Fico, who was serving his fourth term in office. Fico was attacked after a government meeting in the central Slovak town of Handlová, and suffered four gunshot wounds, one serious. He remains in stable condition. The 59-year-old populist had returned to power last year, but in recent months his controversial policies have led to widespread protests..