ATLAS OF RELIGIONS, RELIGIOUS COMMUNITIES AND RELIGIOSITY IN SLOVAKIA

Introduction l Content l Contents of the Map Section l Contact

Religiosity was and still is the phenomenon which is reflected in a wide spectrum of human activities.The first forms of religiosity had often been of determining function in the life of man. On the basis of this many literal, music, artistic and architectural gems had been made which are admired by believers and those of no confession.
Long periods of years Slovaks have been living on the territority of Central Europe together with Czechs, Austrians and Hungarians. Christianity was the linking tie that connected these nations in the multinational state. The roots of present facts are to be found only on the basis of historical context. The last period which is presented in the Atlas is of course the outcome of a long complex process of forming municipalities (villages), towns and regions. Geographers have been concerned especially with the two aspects connected with religiosity. The first one is bound with forming of human settlements with dependence on faith of the inhabitants. The other one is connected with the study of a wider regional structure of religiosity. An independent part of geography originated - the geography of religions. This discipline is at the beginning of its formation in Slovakia. As for map description there is well-known presented structure of inhabitants in Slovakia according to confession on the basis of the data from census of the year 1930 (Š. Fekete, in (J. Hromádka (1943)). During the period of years 1945 - 1989 there were no religio-geographic studies. An information vacuum has been formed which partially could be filled up with census of people, houses, flats held in 1991. This fact formed also the background for the realisation of this work. Several studies, which filled up this gap at least partially, originated in the last period of time.
With the help of this work we would like to draw an onlook on the map of religions in Slovakia after fifty years. We would like to make an attempt on ecumenical work, where there will be place also for smaller Churches.