Catholic priest, language researcher, writer, publisher, and mastermind of the religious and cultural life in Slovakia, Andrej Ľudovít Radlinský (born July 8, 1817 in Dolný Kubín – died April 26, 1879 in Kúty) was determined to improve and raise the importance of the Slovak language and nation throughout his life. An extraordinary organisational ability, foresight and strong-mindedness were his excellent characteristics. He tirelessly pursued the establishment of the Slovak language as the language of instruction in primary and secondary schools. Together with Ján Palárik, he promoted a Slovak academy in Hungary. He advocated and published mass media publications in Slovak, as well as religious and pedagogical literature. He was a part of the creation of new language usage. Thanks to his diplomatic talents he was able to help the process of unity and promote the founding of several significant institutions. He was a co-founder of the cultural association, “Matica Slovenská” and after long-term efforts he founded the Saint Adalbert Association, in Trnava in 1870, which continues to this day. Today, the association has more than 92,000 members. To begin it aimed to publish good quality and cheap books for the masses. For a token charge the members were given good quality literature and a calendar called “Pútnik svätovojtešský” every year. The foresight of Andrej Radlinský was also proven when the Saint Adalbert Association began publishing activities of textbooks to improve literacy. As early as 1849 A. Radlinský founded a Catholic newspaper, “Katolícke noviny”. Subsequently the publishing of the periodical was taken over by the Saint Adalbert Association and this is still the case today. Despite his all-round talents and the numerous projects Andrej Radlinský initiated, he was not much appreciated during his life; in fact, he was the target of many attacks and lack of gratitude from his closest colleagues. In the Saint Adalbert Association he was a lifelong honorary vice-president with no decision-making powers. His greatness became clear when he retired from public life and dedicated his time to writing, which gave a way to the most important piece of literature he created “Nábožné výlevy”.  
                                                                                                                                  Martina Grochálová

The motive of the stamp is the portrait of Andrej Radlinský created according to drawing of Jan Vilímek (1860-1938) made in Vienna and reproduced in the Slovenské pohľady magazine as an illustration of J. M. Hurbanʼs essays “Rozpomienky”, issued between 1886-1888.