The Slovak National Uprising Memorial in Banská Bystrica originated as a competition entry in a competition held in 1959. At the time, architect Dušan Kuzma opted for a characteristic form of the period: a low, simple square volume appeared to float above a raised base.
For political reasons, the architect was only able to resume work on the project in 1963. Upon returning to the design of the Slovak National Uprising Memorial, he decided to revise the original proposal. He transformed the building’s initial geometric form into a striking sculptural composition. For the new concept, he invited the young sculptor Jozef Jankovič (1937–2017) to collaborate. Together, they created an object based on the interaction of two soft, dynamic forms in exposed concrete, asymmetrically anchored to a horizontal base. The rounded concrete shell, “split” into two halves, carries not only its own artistic and compositional value but also a strong ideological and emotional significance. In the words of the architect himself, it was intended to remind society of the gravity of the uprising against fascism during the Second World War – like the blow of an axe.
The building contains exhibition and museum spaces. Each half of the concrete shell was modelled separately to ensure adequate natural lighting. The walls of the inner slit are glazed, while the floor slabs are suspended freely. The lower volume houses research facilities, a lecture hall, sanitary facilities, storage rooms, a collection depository, and other ancillary spaces. The centre of the entire composition is the Memorial Entrance Hall, featuring Jozef Jankovič’s expressive sculpture The Victims Warn. The interplay of architecture and sculpture lends the memorial a sense of monumentality and dramatic expression. Materials such as concrete, metal, and glass form a deliberate contrast with the warmth of wood used in the interior.
The building was opened in 1969 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising. The unique design of the Slovak National Uprising Memorial departed from an economically driven understanding of production, in which means are subordinated to an end. During the period of Normalisation following the invasion by Warsaw Pact troops, however, Jozef Jankovič’s central sculpture was removed from the memorial. In 1972, it was transferred to a storage facility on the outskirts of the city. Following intervention by heritage conservationists, it was given a new location in the grounds of the memorial at the site of the burned village of Kalište. It returned to its original location only in 2004, on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the uprising.
It was the first post-war building in Slovakia to be declared a national cultural monument, in 1973, less than four years after its completion. To this day, it ranks among the most significant works of Slovak architecture.
author of the description: Laura Krišteková
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