1100th anniversary of the death of Svätopluk, ruler of Great Moravia

5 000 Sk commemorative gold coin

A new state – the Great Moravia was formed in Central Europe in 833, by the union of the Principalities of Nitra and Moravia. This was the most ancient state of the Western Slavs and the first common state of the ancestors of the Slovak and Czech nations.

Svätopluk, originally Prince of Nitra, later one of the most important rulers, of the Great Moravian has been ruled since 870. Under his rule, the state reached its zenith and included the territories of present day Slovakia, Moravia, Bohemia, Lusatia, southern Poland and important parts of Hungary and Austria. One of his most important acts was the creation of the independent ecclesiastical organization, confirmed by papal bull of Pope John VIII, by which the full independence of the Great Moravia from the Frankish Empire was secured. Svätopluk’s importance in the later period is also shown by the fact that he is often mentioned with the title of king in historical documents.