Martin

This medium-sized city located in north-central Slovakia between the larger cities of Žilina and Banská Bystrica has a pretty, walkable town center that offers a look at the different regimes under which Slovaks have lived during the past several centuries. Martin is home to several important institutions that played key roles in the formation of Slovak national identity, like Matica Slovenská, a cultural-historical organization founded in the mid-19th century, dissolved by the Hungarian authorities, and then re-formed at the outset of the First Czechoslovak Republic.

I traveled to Martin to meet activists from Martin for Democracy (Martin za demokraciu), together with a photographer and a filmmaker. Our visit was short and for this reason I took fewer photos than I typically do when I visit a new city. I will update this page next time I go to Martin with more images.

Photos by Lucia Hasbach/Ekopolis and me.