Rudolf Chmel
Encyclopedia
Rudolf Chmel is a Slovak
politician who was Minister of Culture
in the government of Slovakia
from 2002 to 2005 and again in 2006. He was also the last ambassador of Czechoslovakia
accredited to Hungary
, a member of the Parliament of Slovakia, and a writer and editor. Since 2010 he is a Deputy Prime Minister in Iveta Radičová
's government.
and language at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava
. He received the academic title DrSc. in 1992 and became an Associate Professor in 1993. Between 1993-2000 he was the president of the Open Society Foundation in Bratislava. He taught at Charles University in Prague
and at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava.
From 1961 he worked for the Slovak Academy of Sciences
in Bratislava, initially at the Slovak Literature Institute, later, in 1964, he moved to the World Literature and Languages Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He became a researcher at the Literary Studies Institute in 1973. Between 1972-1982 he was an editor of the journal Slovenská literatúra (Slovak Literature) and from 1982 he was secretary of the Czechoslovak Writers Union. In 1988 he became editor-in-chief of journal Slovenské pohľady (Slovak Views).
In the 2002 elections he has been elected Member of the Parliament for the Party Alliance of the New Citizen
, which has nominated him for the Minister of Culture
. He held this position from 16 October 2002 to 24 May 2005 and 5 April 2006 to 4 July 2006. Since 2009 he is the vice-president of Most–Híd
. In 2009 he was one of those who got the Award for Good Neighborhood and Understanding.
, Slovak
, Russian
, Hungarian
, Polish
and German
.
He is married and has four children.
Slovaks
The Slovaks, Slovak people, or Slovakians are a West Slavic people that primarily inhabit Slovakia and speak the Slovak language, which is closely related to the Czech language.Most Slovaks today live within the borders of the independent Slovakia...
politician who was Minister of Culture
Minister of culture
A culture minister is a Cabinet position in some governments responsible for protecting the national heritage of a country and promoting cultural expression....
in the government of Slovakia
Slovakia
The Slovak Republic is a landlocked state in Central Europe. It has a population of over five million and an area of about . Slovakia is bordered by the Czech Republic and Austria to the west, Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east and Hungary to the south...
from 2002 to 2005 and again in 2006. He was also the last ambassador of Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
accredited to Hungary
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
, a member of the Parliament of Slovakia, and a writer and editor. Since 2010 he is a Deputy Prime Minister in Iveta Radičová
Iveta Radicová
Iveta Radičová is the Prime Minister of Slovakia and a member of the Slovak Democratic and Christian Union – Democratic Party. She was sworn into office on 8 July 2010 as the head of a four-party center-right coalition government following the 2010 Slovak parliamentary election, until the fall of...
's government.
Education and literature career
He graduated in 1961 in Slovak literatureSlovak literature
-Middle Ages:The first monuments of literature in present-day Slovakia are from the time of Great Moravia . Authors from this period are Saint Cyril, Saint Methodius and Clement of Ohrid...
and language at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava
Comenius University in Bratislava
Comenius University in Bratislava is the largest university in Slovakia, with most of its faculties located in Bratislava. It was founded in 1919, shortly after the creation of Czechoslovakia. It is named after Jan Amos Comenius, a 17th century Czech teacher and philosopher.In 2006, Comenius...
. He received the academic title DrSc. in 1992 and became an Associate Professor in 1993. Between 1993-2000 he was the president of the Open Society Foundation in Bratislava. He taught at Charles University in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
and at the Faculty of Arts of Comenius University in Bratislava.
From 1961 he worked for the Slovak Academy of Sciences
Slovak Academy of Sciences
The Slovak Academy of Sciences SAV is the main scientific and research institution in Slovakia fostering basic and strategic basic research...
in Bratislava, initially at the Slovak Literature Institute, later, in 1964, he moved to the World Literature and Languages Institute of the Slovak Academy of Sciences. He became a researcher at the Literary Studies Institute in 1973. Between 1972-1982 he was an editor of the journal Slovenská literatúra (Slovak Literature) and from 1982 he was secretary of the Czechoslovak Writers Union. In 1988 he became editor-in-chief of journal Slovenské pohľady (Slovak Views).
Political career
From June 1990 until 1992 he served as the last Czechoslovak ambassador in Hungary. After his return, he went back to the Slovak Academy of Science.In the 2002 elections he has been elected Member of the Parliament for the Party Alliance of the New Citizen
Alliance of the New Citizen
The Alliance of the New Citizen is a liberal party in Slovakia. The abbreviation ANO also means YES in Slovak. It was a member of the government coalition from October 2002 to September 2005. Its leader Pavol Rusko is the founder and former owner of Markíza and he was the Minister of Economics...
, which has nominated him for the Minister of Culture
Minister of culture
A culture minister is a Cabinet position in some governments responsible for protecting the national heritage of a country and promoting cultural expression....
. He held this position from 16 October 2002 to 24 May 2005 and 5 April 2006 to 4 July 2006. Since 2009 he is the vice-president of Most–Híd
Most–Híd
Most–Híd is a centre-right political party in Slovakia. Its programme calls for greater cooperation between the country's Hungarian minority and ethnic Slovaks...
. In 2009 he was one of those who got the Award for Good Neighborhood and Understanding.
Personal life
He speaks CzechCzech language
Czech is a West Slavic language with about 12 million native speakers; it is the majority language in the Czech Republic and spoken by Czechs worldwide. The language was known as Bohemian in English until the late 19th century...
, Slovak
Slovak language
Slovak , is an Indo-European language that belongs to the West Slavic languages .Slovak is the official language of Slovakia, where it is spoken by 5 million people...
, Russian
Russian language
Russian is a Slavic language used primarily in Russia, Belarus, Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. It is an unofficial but widely spoken language in Ukraine, Moldova, Latvia, Turkmenistan and Estonia and, to a lesser extent, the other countries that were once constituent republics...
, Hungarian
Hungarian language
Hungarian is a Uralic language, part of the Ugric group. With some 14 million speakers, it is one of the most widely spoken non-Indo-European languages in Europe....
, Polish
Polish language
Polish is a language of the Lechitic subgroup of West Slavic languages, used throughout Poland and by Polish minorities in other countries...
and German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
He is married and has four children.