100th anniversary of the birth of Imrich Karvaš

200 Sk commemorative silver coin

Imrich Karvaš (25th February 1903 – 20th February 1981), economist, jurist, university professor, and publicist, was not only an outstanding, internationally acknowledged expert, but also a great humanist and patriot. He became an important figure in the field of economic policy and its implementation. He was a co-founder of Politika journal (Politics) and editor of the Hospodárske rozhľady (Economic Perspectives) monthly. He published 13 monographs, a large number of articles, and gave lecturers in Europe and the USA. In 1938 he became a minister in the government of Czechoslovakia. From 1939 to 1944 he served as governor of the Slovak National Bank and contributed significantly to the favourable development of the Slovak economy during the difficult war period. As the Governor of the SNB and Chairman of the Central Supplies Office, he was involved in preparations for the Slovak National Uprising, arrested by the fascists and sentenced to death. After the liberation, he played an important part in rebuilding the economy of Slovakia. He refused to co-operate with the communist regime, was falsely accused of espionage and treason and thrown in prison. He was granted amnesty in 1960, and rehabilitated in full as late as 1969.