Kingswood Senior Living Community – Westminster Hall
Ten Thousand Wornall Road, Kansas City, Missouri 64114
Monday October 28th – 7:15 P.M.
In Bratislava, the Capital of the Slovak – the “Most Slovenskeho Narodneho Povstania”, or the Slovak National Uprising Bridge, that has spanned the Danube River since 1972.
Introductory Remarks:
Richardson K. Noback, M.D.
Mr. Stan Salva, President Czech and Slovak Club of Greater Kansas City
Presenter:
Ross P. Marine, DHL, MHA, FAAMA, FACHCA
Honorary Consul of the Slovak Republic to the Midwest
Brief overview and reasons for The Slovak National Uprising and its Failure:
Occurred partly because of the decision taken by Catholic Priest Father Josef Tiso, President of the Slovak Republic a Nazi puppet state, to concede to the German occupation of Slovakia on August 28, 1944 – the Uprising began the following day. It was also the result of long months of preparation, and the political ambitions of the Czechoslovakia government-in-exile in Great Britain, the Czechoslovak Communists in Moscow, sections of the Slovak Army becoming an insurgent force, and the work of the pro-democracy and Communist resistance. The Uprising began as General Staff Lieutenant Colonel J. Golian the military commander of the insurgent Slovak Army ordered Slovak troops to resist the German Troops. The order with the code name: “Start the Evacuation” came into effect at 8pm that evening.
Banska Bystrica, Slovakia became the center of the anti-Nazi uprising.
(Source: Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs of the Slovak Republic)
The film is dedicated to the Slovak National Uprising (SNP):
August 29-October 28, 1944 was an armed insurrection organized by the Slovak partisans and uprising soldiers who fought against Nazi occupation German forces. The film is a reflection by survivors of the SNP fighters who were captured by the Nazi’s after the failed uprising. A number of SNP fighters were summarily executed the remainder of them were sent either to Mauthausen and Auschwitz concentration camps where they were tortured and executed.
The film records their daily life at the same time reflects upon the past during the Uprising through fragments of photographs and archived pictures in short flashbacks., and in the twilight of their years as veterans they look at the world of changed values, which they can hardly understand, they ask the question: “What did we actually fight for”?
Museum of Slovak National Uprising in Banska Bystrica, Slovakia)
Program note: As part of the program a special video interview will be screened featuring WWII U.S. Army Air Corps veteran Tail Gunner, SSgt Lawrence G. Baumgarten (retired) who was a participant during the Slovak National Uprising. Director Dusan Hudec featured him in the Slovak documentary film “The Final Mission” which is a story of American Airmen who were shot down over Slovakia in WWII struggling for survival in an unknown country. It tells about their refusal to admit hopelessness of their situation as well as their determination to confront it with dignity and self-respect. Moreover, how Slovaks took care of the Airmen as if they were their own family.
On August 29, Slovakia marked the 75th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising. The celebration took place in Banska Bystrica, the city that played a pivotal role in the SNP. This year’s celebration had a multimedia exhibition about the SNP, a ceremonial military parade. That included a mobile post office that was issuing postal stamps dedicated to the 75th anniversary of SNP.
Film and Reception Sponsors:
Light refreshments and beverages after the program. Space is limited; for additional information please contact rossmarine@earthlink.net
To RSVP to the event, please contact Laurie Ralston in Marketing at (816) 442-3267.
