SVÄTOPLUK AKO SYMBOL NÁRODA A IDEÁL OBČIANSKYCH CNOSTÍ (V UČEBNICIACH DEJEPISU PRE ZÁKLADNÉ A STREDNÉ ŠKOLY VYDÁVANÝCH V ROKOCH 1918 - 1945)

Analysing history textbooks used in Slovak schools in two different political regimes in 1918 – 1938 and 1939 – 1945, the article discusses the political instrumentalization of medieval ruler Svätopluk in school history education. Despite of changing regimes, different political values and agendas and developments in historical research, history textbooks tended to ascribe him in two distinctive roles, constantly. Historical hero, who became an iconic figure in Slovak nation-building historiography, was used in two different ways in the formation of the collective identity and collective memory of the pupils – as a symbol of social cohesion of the community – members of the nation, and as an embodiment of the fight against the Others – the enemies of the nation. This lead to the exclusion of many students with minority background (Hungarian, German, and in the later period also Czech) from the mainstream narrative and labeled them as enemies.