A commemorative plaque marking the signing of the Christmas Agreement is incorporated into the entrance panel of the apartment building at 11 Gajová Street.  

It was in this building prior to Christmas 1943 that a document was drafted and approved which led to the establishment of the Slovak National Council (SNR) – the last such body to be created, and, although illegal at the time, the only one still in operation today. 

Following the outbreak of the Slovak National Uprising in August 1944, the SNR emerged from its underground function and began operating in the insurgent-held territory. The agreement was drafted and signed on behalf of the Communist Party of Slovakia by K. Šmidke, G. Husák, and L. Novomeský, and on behalf of the civic groups and democratic parties by J. Lettrich, J. Ursíny, and M. Josko.  

The plaque was unveiled on 23 December 1983 by G. Husák, the then General Secretary of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Czechoslovakia and President of the Czechoslovak Socialist Republic. It is formed of rectangle in portrait orientation, and features elaborate sculptural decorations in open niches within the upper and lower sections. At the centre is a solid surface with the inscription: IN THIS BUILDING, IN DECEMBER 1943, THE ILLEGAL SLOVAK NATIONAL COUNCIL WAS ESTABLISHED AND THE PROGRAM FOR THE ANTI-FASCIST AND NATIONAL LIBERATION STRUGGLE, THE CHRISTMAS AGREEMENT, WAS ADOPTED.

Above the inscription is a five-pointed star with broken points, and below it is the abbreviation SNR.

In the upper niche, a warrior is depicted en face. He is wearing trousers and a shirt with rolled-up sleeves; the dominant feature is a billowing cloak that hangs from his shoulders down his back. With arms raised, he holds a rifle in his right hand and a flag in his left. His mouth is open in a loud rallying cry. To the right of the warrior are two trees that reference the illegal nature of the combat.  

In the lower niche, a family group of three figures is depicted. At the centre, a woman dressed in a long cloak and headscarf stands holding the hand of a child standing to her right. The child is wearing a long coat and cap. Both mother and child are depicted en face. To the right, the figure of a man is holding the woman by the arm and checking to the side, watching the activity around him. He is dressed in a long coat and has a beret on his head. 

The commemorative plaque was designed by Ján Kulich, one of the most prominent sculptors of socialist realism in Slovakia.

ZZ

Research status as of 11. 06. 2024.