The book of studies by Ľubomír Lipták brings new views on the modernization of society in Slovakia in the 20th century, development of the urban middle class, civil society and the national movement as part of the modernization processes. The autor combines historical analyses with approaches from ethnology, sociology and the political science. Using the examples of monuments and the attitudes of the people of Slovakia to the capital city of Bratislava, he examines the collective memory of the Slovaks. Studies of the formation of political systems, political culture and elites in Slovakia form a second part. They present Slovak history as an important part of a pluralist image of the world and the organization of society.