During the celebrations of its 150th jubilee, the Slovak Matica organized the 2nd European Congress of Slavic Matica Institutions. It was held on 1 August 2013 in the city of Martin, where the seat of Slovak Matica is situated. The representatives of maticas talked about history of their institutions, as well as about their current situation. They also discussed the position and functioning of maticas inside the European Union, while also considering cooperation in all fields of culture, as well as greater common presence in media.
The FSC Business Secretary Alen Novalija emphasized the Forum’s readiness to support the work of maticas and to serve as a linking channel and simultaneously a full partner and organizer in all common projects of Slavic maticas.
All the present agreed that the meeting of all maticas should take place annually or at least biannually. Each year a different matica should host the meeting. At the end of the formal part of meeting, the representatives of maticas and the Forum of Slavic Cultures signed a memorandum, forming a basis for further cooperation.
The next day (August 2), the matica members met with the all the leaders of the Slovak Matica, while also offered guided tours of all the main museums and galleries, especially at the Museum of Compatriots – whose manager Mr. Daniel Zemančík was the main organizer of the meeting, the Literary Museum and the National Library. In the end, in front of the Slovak Matica’s main building, the members of the Matica unveiled the monuments to Ss. Cyril and Methodius, and to the great 19th-century Slovak cultural workers – Ján Francisci, Štefan Moyses and Karol Kuzmány.
