Ján Kollár in Wien: Bemerkungen zu und Edition seiner Denkschrift über die Slowakei vom März 1849
Ján Kollár in Vienna: commented edition of his disquisition of Slovakia from March 1849

Summary/Abstract: The article depicts Ján Kollár’s activities and life in Vienna from March to May 1849. It was short, but especially important period from Slovak history point of view. At that time, Slovak national movement hoped that Slovakia would change into autonomous political unit and thus it intensively propagated and lobbied for this program. Hope of its realization was increased by naming three personalities, including J. Kollár, as Slovak confidants of government of the empire in Vienna. Their task was to analyze the situation in the Kingdom of Hungary and provide information of Slovak society to government and its ministers. However, the study also shows the background of political events and Ján Kollár’s private life. It mainly uses his letters to his wife where Kollár depicted not only his own view on Slovak national movement, personalities of this movement and power of the empire that he met, but also his worries about the destiny of his wife and daughter who stayed in Pest. There are also his plans, desires and doubts of his future and future of his family after coming to Vienna. There are also depicted several backstage moments and motives that had led to naming Ján Kollár as professor of Slavic archaeology at the Vienna university. Edition of one of several Kollár’s elaboration (dated on 22. 3. 1849) is a part of the study where he showed an image and position of Slovak society and proposed measures that the power of empire would accept to fulfil principles of national equality in the case of Slovaks as well.

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