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Article: The synagogue at Liptovsky Mikulas: Slovakia's ever-present past.
- Article from:
- Commonweal
- Article date:
- July 14, 1995
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 1995 Commonweal Foundation. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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The Slovak town of Liptovsky Mikulas lies near the Tatra Mountains, in a countryside of almost other-worldly natural magnificence. Ruins of castles look down from heights over the Vah, a river along which Slavs have lived since the sixth century. Jews are known to have been in Prague during the tenth century; possibly, some arrived in this part of Slovakia at the same time.
My wife's parents were born in nearby villages, and some relatives still live there. Besides its location, Liptovsky Mikulas has several distinctions. One is a succession of Jewish mayors during the latter years of the nineteenth century, a time when Slovakia was experiencing violent anti-Semitic ...