Current dissertations

Institute of History, Ethics and Philosophy of Medicine

Doctoral candidate

Veronika Konkol

Working title of the dissertation

Social care for former prisoners of war and war invalids after the Second World War in Slovakia using the example of the Poprad region and its surroundings

Abstract

The aim of the planned dissertation is to examine the socio-political care of former prisoners of war, war invalids and civilian victims of the Second World War. The topic has been largely unexplored to date. The period of collaboration with National Socialist Germany has been comparatively well researched. There are as yet no scientific publications that deal specifically with this period and this problem in detail. The research findings point to a partially uncoordinated and inconsistent
attitude on the part of the political leadership in the Slovak Republic at the time. It can be assumed that there was serious social inequality in the treatment of different groups of war victims. However, the topic has not yet been researched in this form.

The initial sources will be laws and ordinances, also at regional level, as the study will focus primarily on the region around Poprad. In addition, archival records from the Štátny archív v Prešove - pracovisko Archív Poprad, Sobotské námestie 18, 058 01, Poprad (State Archives in Prešove - Deutschendorf Archives Office, Sobotské námestie 18, 058 01, Poprad) will be analyzed.

The aim is to examine the effects of the laws and how this is reflected in the files. How were war invalids and the surviving dependants of the fallen (widows and orphans) cared for? How were economic losses compensated? What help was provided for the social integration of war victims? How and with what measures were they supported in finding suitable work?