On May 27, 2025, the University Library of UPJŠ in Košice organized an event “Šafárik in the Library – Birthday Celebration” for secondary school students. The activity was held on the 230th anniversary of the birth of Slavicist and philologist Pavol Jozef Šafárik, after whom our university is named.
The aim of the event was to introduce secondary school students to the personality and significance of Pavol Jozef Šafárik in the context of our nation’s history and to highlight his legacy as an educator, polyglot, cartographer, writer, teacher, and humanist in the present day.
Visitors had the opportunity to learn about the life and work of Pavol Jozef Šafárik through a short lecture and a tour of the exhibition, which was inspired by original documents of his cartographic works, preserved to this day in unique manuscripts (archive of the Faculty of Science, Charles University) and were inscribed in the UNESCO MoW – UNESCO Memory of the World Register in May 2025. In addition, his Ethnographic Map of Slavic Antiquities from 1839 was also presented, and students could see it along with selected publications from the historical collection of the University Library.
Students tested their newly acquired knowledge in an interactive quiz, with the winning team receiving valuable prizes. As part of the accompanying program, participants enjoyed a “Picnic with Šafárik” and photo corner where they could have met the “living” Pavol Jozef Šafárik.
One of the key objectives of the event was to present the University Library to students as a modern and innovative environment that is also an integral part of the university and a space for education, social interaction, and community building. The event also served to introduce the University Library to high school students as part of their preparation for future university studies.
One of the key objectives of the event was to present the University Library to students as a modern and innovative environment that is also an integral part of the university and a space for education, social interaction, and community building. The event also served to introduce the University Library to high school students as part of their preparation for future university studies.
The event caught the eye of media outlets, namely Slovak Television and Radio, Radio Regina, whose editor came directly to the site to conduct an interview.
We would like to thank the National Theatre in Košice for providing costumes for the event.
