MOD holds 4th Veteran Ascent of Mt Ďumbier as tribute to General Štefánik

To mark the 142nd anniversary of Gen M. R. Štefánik's birthday, top Defence officials will pay tribute to General Štefánik by participating in the 4th edition of the Veteran Ascent of Mt Ďumbier and in a commemoration in honour of all heroes – WW2 and contemporary veterans – at the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Memorial at the Štefánik Chalet in the Low Tatra Mountains.

Service personnel, civil servants and civilian employees in Defence will be joining Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď and Deputy Defence Minister Marian Majer in climbing Mt Ďumbier tomorrow. Members of the public are also warmly invited to participate. The hike is due to start at 08:00 on Saturday 25 June 2022 from the parking lot in front of the Trangoška Mountain Chalet.

Today (24 June 2022), Marian Majer participated in a ceremony at the Nemecká Memorial in the village of Nemecká, to commemorate the victims of Nazi killings in the local lime kiln. Speaking at the ceremony, Marian Majer said: “This Memorial stands in memory of one of the most tragic chapters of Slovak contemporary history. About 900 people were slaughtered at the hands of German Nazis and collaborators on this spot. May the victims remind us of the atrocities and encourage us to reject aggression against freedom and democracy.”

Elsewhere, working in close coordination with the village of Tajov, the MOD held a commemoration dedicated to Eduard Gregor, a local resident and WW1 soldier. On behalf of Defence Minister Jaroslav Naď, Marian Majer posthumously awarded an “In Memoriam” commemorative medal to him today. Despite losing his arm in the legendary Battle of the Piave River, Eduard Gregor became a wood carver. His woodcarvings can be found on display at museums across Slovakia. His masterpiece – the Pieta of Tajov – is on display at the Chapel of Our Lady of the Seven Sorrows on the Calvary hill in Tajov.