In historical era was no science interest in the caves of the Slovak karst for a long time. Hence we can find first mentions about free accsessible caves on them relatively lately. Mainly those are observations of travellers and natural scholars. The investigations of the caves became systematic only last century. A boom in the cave exploration and karst researche broke out with activity of the Slovak Speleological Society in this half-century.

Historic observations

First written mentions of the caves on territory of the Slovak karst are found in the mid-16th century. In 1718 Georg Buchholtz, Junior (1688-1737) described the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave (on picture), which visited in 1704, in his letter. In 1725 he explored, described and surveyed together with Pal Lanyi some cave at Aggtelek.

The entrance of the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave (76kB).

The Silicka ladnica Ice Cave is referred in Matej Bel's (1684-1749) report Hungariae antiquae et novae prodromus, issued in 1723. This author published in a London's periodical the report with description of the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave. Jacob Buchholtz (1696-1754) published his findings from a journey in 1752, when he made references to a cave near the village Gombasek besides the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave. English natural scientist Robert Townson described a cave at Aggtelek and the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave in 1797 year. Karl Gottlieb von Windisch (1725-1783) mentioned the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave and the Mala Ladnica Ice Cave near the village Silicka Brezova quite in detail in his work from 1780.

Count Domonkos Teleki (1773-1798) described dripstone decoration of the cave at Aggtelek and the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave. Important knowledge of the Baradla Cave at Aggtelek and cave near the Smradlave jazierko Lake was published in the years 1806-1808 by Ladislav Bohuslav Bartolomeides. Jan Capkovic (1780-1847) published in 1821 a work, in which the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave was described too. This cave was described also by Carl von Szepeshazy (1780-1829) and J.C. von Thiele in 1825.

Elek Fenyes (1807-1876) mentioned the Zadielska Cave and the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave in his description of Hungary of 1847. Janos Hunfalvy (1820-1888) pointed in his work of 1863 to the fact that on the territory of the Slovak Karst were located many caves, of which the most important were the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave, a cave at Aggtelek, the Jasovska and Zadielska Caves. The same author visited the Baradla Cave and a cave near the Smradlave jazierko Lake in 1867. Pal Balogh (1794-1865) published a broad paper on the Baradla Cave in 1820. The works of Imre Vass (1790-1863) stood a great contribution to investigation of the karst, when he carried out first exact survey of the cave at Aggtelek and in 1825 gave its very broad and accurate description.

Begin of the systematic researche

The Jasovska Cave was made accessible to the public as the first cave in Slovakia in 1846. Hungarian natural scientist Antal Kiss occupied himself with investigation of the caves in the east part of the Slovak Karst, especially the Jasovska Cave. Important French mineralogist Francois Sulpice Beudant (1787-1850) was concerned with various aspects of the conduct of the ice in the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave. Austrian geographer Adolf A. Schmidl (1802-1863) published an extensive description of the Aggtelek Cave and Silicka Ice Cave in 1856.

The beginnings of systematic research of caves were to some degree associated with the activities of members of the Hungarian Historical Society, of which namely baron Jeno Nyari gained remarkable results. Albert Scholtz wrote on karst forms in 1888. He mentioned the caves near Hacava, Hrhov, the Marci's Cave, the Certova diera Chasm, the Snezna diera Cave , and caves in the slopes of the Havrania skala Mt. K. Siegmeth devoted time to the forms in the Slovak Karst in 1891. A year later E.J.Terlanday pursued genesis of the ice in the Silicka ladnica Ice Cave.

Gabor Strompl (1885-1945) was charged with survey of the Slovak Karst area on assignment of the Caves Research Commission attached to the Hungarian geological Society. This author published the results in a form of the index in which he stated seventy-seven various karst openings. In 1916 Tivadar Kormos (1881-1946) explored the Jasovska Cave (on picture). The Caves Research Commission established in 1910 began with a systematically organize research of the caves in the presented karst region until the post - World War I period.

The bear bones from passage sediments in the Jasovska Cave (28kB).

In years 1923-1932 the Section for the East Slovak Karst Research (headed by J. Zikmund ) was functioned in Kosice and explored caves on the Jasovska plateau in eastern Slovak karst. In 1933 the important speleological organization became the Scientific Karst Commission attached to the Club of the Czechoslovak Tourists. In 1944 the Caving Division of the Club of the Slovak Tourists and Skiers was established. One of its founders Vojtech Benicky gained recognition for development of caving in the concerned area.

The Act on the Protection of the Nature passed a bill in 1955 was an advantageous addition to a development of the Slovak speleology. One year later the Advisory Committee for the questions of the Caving and Karst Phenomena attached to the Commissioners for Education and Science (the ministry) was established.

Exploration by Slovak Speleological Society

The Slovak Speleological Society (SSS) established in 1949. It grouped professional and voluntary cavers but the organization could not survive a Stalinist regime in 50th years. In 1969 the Slovak Speleological Society was restored as wide organization. Up to the present day the SSS has participated to a large extent in exploring and protection of the caves in and out the Slovakia.

Caving groups from Kosice, Jasov and Roznava, what had operated in the Slovak karst till that time, joined in SSS as region groups. In 1980 Region Group SSS J. Majko in Turna nad Bodvou was established. The Region Group SSS No.1 Kosice-Jasov transformed into Speleological Club CASSOVIA after The Velvet Revolution in 1989. From 80-th in the Slovak karst operated an underground diving group of SSS from Presov too.

The discovery of Gombasecka Cave, Krasnohorska Cave, Hrusovska Cave, Moldavska Cave, Kunia Abyss, Cave System of the Skalisty potok, Kamenna pivnica Cave, Vapenna Cave, Certova diera Chasm, Brazda Chasm and more, more next caves, abysses and their parts are results of the activity of the voluntary cavers in last quarter of century. The State Budget discontinued a support of the voluntary caving in the Slovak karst after 1989. Now an exploration and research projects are financed from budgets of the caver's families only.

But cavers are always outliving!

SLOVAKIA CAVE SERVER prepared by Eduard Kladiva (Old Cave Dog) from Speleoclub CASSOVIA . Please send all comments, notes and corrections on e-mail kladiva@saske.sk.