Vavro Šrobár: Slovak politician and publicist as a medical doctor involved (also) in the history of medicine

Introduction

Vavro Šrobár was born on 9 August 1867 into the family of a magistrate in Lisková, which is located in today's Central Slovakia, then part of the Kingdom of Hungary. He pursued his secondary education in Ružomberok, Levoča, Banská Bystrica, in present-day Slovakia, and Přerov, in present-day Czechia, where he completed his studies. ¹ At a young age Šrobár's academic path was complicated by his awareness of national consciousness. His pursuit of medicine led him to the Faculty of Medicine at Charles-Ferdinand University in Prague, where the young Šrobár found new opportunities in Prague's liberal environment. ² There he became actively involved in the Slovak student association Detvan serving as its chairman in 1894–1895.

Cultural and ideological background

In the closing years of the 19th century, young intelligentsia, including Šrobár, were deeply influenced by the ideas of Leo Tolstoy (1828–1910), particularly the moral fervour of his philosophy and his emphasis on the ethics of Christianity. ³ On the other hand, Šrobár was exposed to Western European culture and intellectual traditions, which profoundly influenced his perspectives on both science and religion. This engagement helped shape his worldview and intellectual development, enriching his contributions to Slovak society. ⁴ The younger generation of Slovaks, newly stimulated to action, began pursuing their own initiatives across East-Central Europe.

Within the student association Detvan, a group known as the Hlasists emerged in the final decade of the 19th century, under the ideological influence of Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk (1850–1937), later the first president of the First Czechoslovak Republic in 1918–1935. These intellectuals, predominantly politically liberal-oriented, championed scientific methodology, prioritizing rational inquiry. As Anton Štefánek (1877–1964), the Slovak politician and sociologist noted, they sought truth ‘regardless of religious or philosophical worldview’. ⁵ The group coalesced around the magazine called Hlas (The Voice; published between 1898 and 1904). Prominent figures associated with the Hlasists movement include politician and journalist Milan Hodža (1878–1944), medical doctor, publicist, writer and personal physician of Leo Tolstoy, Dušan Makovický (1866–1921), medical doctor, writer, translator, and also a personal physician of Leo Tolstoy, Albert, Škarvan (1869–1926), politician and sociologist, Anton Štefánek (1877–1964), politician, diplomat, aviator, and astronomer Milan Rastislav Štefánik (1880–1919), among others. Vavro Šrobár, along with Pavol Blaho (1867–1927) who was a medical doctor emerged as the leading figures within this group. Upon his return to Slovakia from Prague, after eleven years of study, Šrobár established his own medical practice. Shortly thereafter, he became actively engaged in political affairs within Slovakia.

Vavro Šrobár became a prominent member of the political elite and contributed significantly to advancing Slovakia's interests. His efforts played a vital role in shaping the political and cultural development of Slovakia during a transformative period in its history. ⁶ Following the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the subsequent establishment of the First Czechoslovak Republic in October 1918, Vavro Šrobár emerged as a central figure in the political landscape of the nascent state from its inception. A pivotal moment in his career occurred when he was appointed Minister Plenipotentiary for the Administration of Slovakia, a position he held until the parliamentary elections of 1920, at the same time, he served as Minister of Health and Physical Education. ⁷ Šrobár played a significant role in the formation and consolidation of the new state under challenging political, economic, and military circumstances, primarily owing to his exceptional organizational and political acumen. ⁸

Vavro Šrobár is primarily recognized for his political contributions in Slovakia during the first half of the 20th century. However, as a doctor, healthcare advocate, and a key figure in the founding of the country's foremost scientific educational institution, his contributions in these fields remain largely unknown to many. It is important to acknowledge the recognition of Šrobár's name in both the international context and foreign literature. As early as 1919, Šrobár presented a seminal paper on the state of healthcare in Slovakia and potential solutions at the Medical and Social Congress. ⁹ The primary objective of this paper is to highlight Šrobár's contribution as a doctor and his role as an important representative of the largest and oldest existing university in Slovakia.

Vavro Šrobár, Comenius University and the history of medicine

Šrobár's official involvement with the Faculty of Medicine at Comenius University (FM CU) did not begin until 1935, coinciding with a brief period during which he stepped back in political activities. His name, however, had already raised considerable interest among the faculty. The first mention of him appears in 1924 reports of the faculty's Professorial Staff, where he applied for veniae legendi, authorization to read, specifically in the field of social pathology. Although his request was approved, the minutes do not provide further details regarding his subsequent academic activities. ²⁵

At the meeting of the Professorial Staff on 23 January 1924, the matter of appointing Vavro Šrobár as a professor in hodegetics ²⁶ and the history of medicine was discussed. Professor Stanislav Růžička (1872–1946) informed the assembly that Šrobár was willing to accept the professorship in these fields. This proposal was subsequently approved by the attendees. ²⁷ The first issue was that, at that time, there was no institute or department within the Faculty of Medicine dedicated to hodegetics or the history of medicine. The second challenge arose from the fact that the central authorities in Prague opposed the appointment, arguing that the professorial position was incompatible with high-level political involvement. ²⁸ Consequently, Vavro Šrobár temporarily withdrew from academia to focus exclusively on his political activities.

It can be hypothesized, that if Vavro Šrobár had accepted the professorship in this field, the faculty might have established an Institute for Medical History, Philosophy, and Hodegetics to support Šrobár's academic endeavour. ²⁹

An institution dedicated to research in the field of medical history was created ad hoc at the FM CU, for the pathological anatomist Antonín Spilka (1876–1948) 3 years later. ³⁰ Spilka was one of the founding members of CU in Bratislava. He was among the first Czech professors to join the university in September 1919 and remained among the last to be forced to leave in 1938. ³¹

From the latter half of the 1920s, Spilka's health deteriorated. He developed a pituitary gland tumour, which compressed his optic nerve, resulting in impaired vision, and hemeralopia. His state of health eventually rendered him unable to responsibly manage his previous duties. ³² In light of Spilka's deteriorating physical and psychological health, his appointment as head of the Institute of Pathological Anatomy was addressed during a faculty meeting on 1 December 1926. ³³ With the conclusion of Spilka's role as a pathological anatomist at the FM CU, a new chapter commenced with the establishment of the Institute for Medical History, Philosophy, and Hodegetics FM CU, which remained operational until 1938. Despite this Vavro Šrobár had no involvement with the institute. On 10 June 1930, Šrobár was nominated for the position of free professor of hodegetics and history of medicine, following a regulation issued by the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment on June 5 of that year. Unusually, the proposal was not decided by secret ballot but was approved by acclamation. ³⁴ It was not until the faculty meeting on 18 June 1930 that the proposal to appoint Vavro Šrobár as a free extraordinary professor of social medicine was presented. ³⁵ However, it was only on 22 October 1930 that a formal proposal for Šrobár's appointment as a free professor of the history of medicine and hodegetics was submitted to the Ministry of Education and National Enlightenment. ³⁶

No further information is available regarding the proposal for Šrobár's appointment as a professor of the history of medicine. Šrobár ultimately accepted the position of unpaid full professor of social medicine in April 1935. In this role, he focused on three main areas: the compilation and evaluation of health statistics scientific investigation of pressing issues such as social diseases, epidemic diseases, public nutrition, occupational hygiene, and the development of educational and pedagogical initiatives. ³⁷ However, his involvement in these tasks was brief, as he soon became fully occupied with his political and national education activities.

Conclusion

It is worth noting that Vavro Šrobár came quite close to being appointed Dean of the FM CU. On 13 May 1936, the election for the position took place. Of the 23 electors present, an overwhelming majority cast their votes in favour of Šrobár. Notably, 22 out of 23 ballots bore his name, ³⁸ suggesting that, considering subsequent events, Šrobár likely refrained from voting for himself. Immediately following the election, Šrobár presented the reasons why he could not accept the position of dean. Although these reasons are not documented in the faculty records, it can be reasonably inferred that his extensive political commitments played a decisive role in his choice. It is probable that the responsibilities of the dean's office would have been incompatible with his political duties. As dean, he would have been unable to regularly attend faculty meetings, necessitating the appointment of a representative in his place.

During Šrobár's tenure at the FM CU, his name appears more frequently in the faculty reports among those listed as absent and excused than among those being in attendance. His pedagogical and scientific contributions to the university were, in large part, more symbolic than substantial. Regarding the history of medicine, although Šrobár came close to entering this field, he never really actively practised it. Nevertheless, his affinity for history is evidenced by his 1946 donation of 100,000 crowns to the oldest Slovak national, cultural, and scientific organization, Matica slovenská, intended to establish a prize for young historians producing high-quality historical research. ³⁹ As historian Miroslav Daniš observes, the later establishment of the Section of the History of Medicine and Health System, now known as a part of the current Institute of Social Medicine and Medical Ethics FM CU, may have been seen as a symbolic representation of Šrobár's contributions not only to social medicine but also to historical scholarship in Slovakia.