Join us for the grand opening of the Furdek Special Collection. Light refreshments will be served.
The Furdek Special Collection is part of an NCSML acquisition of the Reverend Matthew Jankola Library based on the existing agreement between The Sisters of Saints Cyril and Methodius, Danville, PA, and the National Czech & Slovak Museum & Library in Cedar Rapids, IA.
This collection enhances the mission of NCSML and opens opportunities for scholars, students, and all interested in Slovak history, culture, and immigration to the U.S. to come and explore over 20,000 books, papers, journals, and artifacts.
The title, Furdek Special Collection, is dedicated to Stefan Furdek, the first President of the Slovak League of America. Furdek is considered by many Slovak Americans the most important Slovak leader in the U.S. at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries, who was a true leader coming from the remarkable Orava region in the present-day Slovakia. This Catholic priest, under whose leadership the First Catholic Slovak Union and the First Catholic Slovak Ladies Association were founded, was the parish priest for 33 years in one of the most significant Bohemian parishes in Cleveland. A true Slovak, Moravian and Czech story to be told.