Vavro Šrobár: Slovak politician and publicist as a medical doctor involved (also) in the history of medicine.

Abstract

Vavro Šrobár was a prominent political figure in East-Central Europe. He played a pivotal role in the establishment and development of the First Czechoslovak Republic, which emerged following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He was the first Minister to exercise full administrative authority in overseeing the Provisional Government of Slovakia, and throughout his career, including until the end of his life, he held several significant political positions, such as Minister of Public Health and Physical Education, Minister of Unification, Minister of Education and National Enlightenment, and Minister of Finance. Among his numerous contributions, Šrobár was unquestionably one of the key figures behind the founding of the University in Bratislava. His name subsequently became closely associated with the first decades of the Bratislava Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University, founded in 1919. In the field of medicine, he is regarded as one of the founding figures of social medicine in Slovakia. This article will primarily examine Šrobár's medical accomplishments within the context of healthcare in present-day Slovakia during the first quarter of the 20th century and his work at the Faculty of Medicine in Bratislava. Additionally, we will explore the connection between his person and the early history of medicine in Slovakia.