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Front: Pavol Orszagh Hviezdoslav (1849-1921), Slovak poet

As a student in Hungarian schools, Hviezdoslav began writing poems in Hungarian and German. But at the age of 18 he started writing poems only in Slovak. Hviezdoslav is author of a large number of epic and lyric-epic poetry. His most important epic poem is "Hajnikova zena" ("The gamekeepers wife").

Back: Orava mountains

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Front: Jan Amos Komensky (1592-1670), Czech teacher, educator and writer

Komensky was born in Moravia (now Czech Republic). He became a pastor at the age 24 and led the Brethren into exile when the protestants were persecuted under the counter-reformation. Komensky lived and worked in many different countries in Europe including Sweden, Poland, Transylvania, Germany, Prussia, England, Netherlands and Hungary.

Back: Tree of life growing from book

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Front: Ludovit Stur (1815-1856), writer and intellectual leader in Slovakia

Stur was born in Slovakia. He was the leader of the Slovak national revival in the 19th century, the author of the present-day Slovak language standard, an organizer of the Slovak volunteer campaigns during the 1848 Revolution in the Kingdom of Hungary, a member of the diet of the Kingdom of Hungary, politician, Slovak poet, journalist, publisher, teacher, philosopher and linguist.

Back: Bratislava castle

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Front: Klement Gottwald (1896-1953), President of Czechoslovakia 1948-1953

Gottwald started out his career as a cabinetmaker. He was one of the founders of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia (KSC) in 1921. Subsequently, he held several important positions in the party and in the government. He was Prime Minister of Czechoslovak 1946-1948, and President of Czechoslovakia 1948-1953.

Back: Hradcany in Prague