Karol Sidor

Karol Sidor (16 July 1901 – 20 October 1953) was a Slovak nationalist politician and journalist. Active from an early age, he was undecided about full independence and as a result was largely sidelined during the Slovak Republic.

Political activity A devout Roman Catholic, he was born in Rózsahegy (Ružomberok) in the Liptó County of the Kingdom of Hungary (present-day Slovakia) and came to politics early as a low-level supporter of Andrej Hlinka. He would later write a biography of Hlinka, his political idol. After finishing his education he joined the Slovak People's Party (SPP) and became one of its leading members on the pro-Poland wing. When independence was declared Sidor served as Minister of the Interior for little over a month in 1939 before their pressure forced him out. Sidor was a strong anti-Semite but nevertheless he had reservations about the Nazis and would later serve in only the very minor role of Minister to the Holy See.

Exile In his diplomatic role Sidor became de facto an exilé in Vatican, because the Nazi authorities never gave him the transit permission over territories under their control, effectively preventing him to return to Slovakia for the rest of the war. As the war ended, Nazi Germany and its satellites were defeated and Slovakia again became part of Czechoslovakia, Sidor was forced to left Vatican for the west, ultimately settling in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Sidor had remained in the Vatican and his presence in Rome had become a source of some embarrassment to the Pope given Sidor's conduct in the war. He was sentenced in absentia to 20 years by a Czechoslovak court in 1947.

Sidor died in Canada without serving the sentence.