MÁRIA RÍMEŠOVÁ: Ľudovít Holotík, Slovak Marxist Historian and his "Cases" in Slovak Historiography

This study deals with the Slovak Marxist historian Ľudovít Holotík and his wife Zdenka Holotíková, who was also a historian. Holotík used to be a director of the Institute of History within the Slovak Academy of Sciences. Through his work he significantly influenced the then history interpretation, especially the establishment of Czechoslovakia and therewith related personality of Milan Rastislav Štefánik. As an exceptionally talented historian preferred by the Communist Party, he participated in many world congresses. The year 1968 brough change in the professional life of Ľudovít Holotík. As a result of serious criticism due to his monography Štefánikovská legenda a vznik ČSR (The Legend on Štefánik and the Establishment of Czechoslovakia), he lost his position of the Institute of History director. He went on working as a historian till 1981. He still had his position of editor-in-chief of Historický časopis (Historical Journal) and chairman in Slovak Historical Society. After the case with the historian Július Mésároš and ongoing mental health problems he retired. Soon after that, in 1985, he committed a suicide.