Jozef Lettrich
(1905-1968)
He came from the village of Diviaky in the Turčianske Teplice district, his father was a miner. He studied at the grammar school in Martin and in 1925 finished his studies at the Faculty of Law of Comenius University in Bratislava. Already at that time he became a supporter of the Agrarian Party and an opponent of the claims for Slovak autonomy. After the proclamation of the Slovak state, he was briefly imprisoned for his political orientation. He worked as a lawyer and was active in various underground groups. In 1943, after signing the Christmas Agreement, he became a member of the underground SNR. At the time of the Uprising he was in charge of education. In 1945 he was elected chairman of the newly formed Democratic Party, which included mostly pre-war members of the Agrarian Party and, after the signing of the so-called April Agreement, members of Catholic movements. From 21 October 1945 to 16 May 1946 he served as a member of the Provisional National Assembly. After the elections of 1946 he became chairman of the National Council of National Assembly. After the communist-led coup in February 1948, he and his brother swam across the river near Vysoká nad Moravou to Austria and from there emigrated to the USA. Here he worked in the organizations Council of Free Czechoslovakia and the Permanent Conference of Slovak Exiles.
(1905-1968)
He came from the village of Diviaky in the Turčianske Teplice district, his father was a miner. He studied at the grammar school in Martin and in 1925 finished his studies at the Faculty of Law of Comenius University in Bratislava. Already at that time he became a supporter of the Agrarian Party and an opponent of the claims for Slovak autonomy. After the proclamation of the Slovak state, he was briefly imprisoned for his political orientation. He worked as a lawyer and was active in various underground groups. In 1943, after signing the Christmas Agreement, he became a member of the underground SNR. At the time of the Uprising he was in charge of education. In 1945 he was elected chairman of the newly formed Democratic Party, which included mostly pre-war members of the Agrarian Party and, after the signing of the so-called April Agreement, members of Catholic movements. From 21 October 1945 to 16 May 1946 he served as a member of the Provisional National Assembly. After the elections of 1946 he became chairman of the National Council of National Assembly. After the communist-led coup in February 1948, he and his brother swam across the river near Vysoká nad Moravou to Austria and from there emigrated to the USA. Here he worked in the organizations Council of Free Czechoslovakia and the Permanent Conference of Slovak Exiles.