Deputy Defence Minister attends remembrance ceremony in tribute to General M. R. Štefánik in Brezová pod Bradlom

To mark tomorrow's 102nd anniversary of General M. R. Štefánik's death, a remembrance ceremony dedicated to one of the greats of Slovak contemporary history was held at the Tomb of General M. R. Štefánik on Bradlo Hill in Brezová pod Bradlom. The remembrance event was attended by Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer.

Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer said: “History teaches us that acts of courage, help and goodness in favour of the Nation will not remain unnoticed. These words describe the life of one of our most prominent statesmen who greatly contributed to building our free and democratic society.” He underlined that, as the Chairman of the Czechoslovak National Council in Paris, the first and only Czechoslovak Minister of War played a major role in standing up and building the independent Czechoslovak Legion in Russia, Italy and France.

The legacy of this remarkable personality of Slovak history is maintained by the M. R. Štefánik Permanent Exhibition in Košariská, which is organised by the Slovak National Museum in cooperation with the Institute of Military History Bratislava.

Milan Rastislav Štefánik was born on 21 July 1880 in Košariská. On 4 May 1919, he boarded a Caproni Ca.33 biplane at Campoformido Airport near Udine to return home to Czechoslovakia. On approach to landing, the plane crashed near Ivanka pri Dunaji. Štefánik is buried along with the other two crew members at the Tomb of Milan Rastislav Štefánik on Bradlo Hill.

Also today, Deputy Defence Minister saw a presentation of the new Information Point within a walking distance from the Tomb of General M. R. Štefánik on Bradlo Hill.