Betliar Manor House (source: Peter Podolinský)
A bitter row has erupted at one of Slovakia’s most prominent regional museums, with allegations of workplace bullying, physical misconduct and financial mismanagement igniting a deeply polarised standoff between employees, the Culture Ministry and a civic association.
At a press conference on Wednesday, 2 April, Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová, a nominee of the far-right Slovak National Party (SNS), mounted a vigorous defence of Andrea Predajňová, the acting director of the Betliar Museum, who is accused by some staff of harassment and inappropriate physical contact. Šimkovičová dismissed the claims as “coordinated lies” and a “discriminatory campaign” orchestrated by activists, museum employees, and former museum officials.
“This is the same harassment I’ve been experiencing since taking office,” the minister said, drawing parallels between Predajňová’s situation and her own. “It’s a playbook of mobbing, falsehoods and media manipulation.”
Since Predajňová’s appointment in November, tensions at the museum have escalated. A group of employees submitted a formal complaint to the National Museum, under which the regional museum operates, and the national labour inspectorate, alleging discrimination and bullying, including incidents where Predajňová is said to have grabbed subordinates by the nose and neck.
Vintage cars displayed in Betliar Museum park on 28 May 2024. (source: TASR - František Iván)
The Roman Waterfall in the park of Betliar Manor House on 9 April 2024 (source: TASR - František Iván)
An alleged octopus of fraud
Predajňová, a former spokesperson for the General Prosecutor’s Office, claims she is the target of “stuffing” — workplace bullying by subordinates — and says her critics are motivated by her efforts to expose financial irregularities. “I uncovered an octopus of fraud,” she said, accusing the former leadership of siphoning state funds through a civic association called Andoras.
Šimkovičová and Predajňová claimed that Andoras siphoned off some €442,000, though it remains unclear how the figure was calculated.
The Culture Ministry now plans to file criminal complaints against former staff and members of Andoras, which it accuses of profiteering from public assets. “They stole Betliar,” Šimkovičová declared. “They ran it like a private fiefdom.”
Július Barczi, the museum’s former director and a founding member of Andoras, vehemently denies the accusations. “It’s all absurd and defamatory,” he told Slovak media. “Since 2018, I haven’t received a single cent from the museum.”
Andoras has long supported the museum’s activities by securing grants, organising events and publishing museum publications, including a recent visitor guidebook. “This is the simplest way to get support—just like schools or hospitals have associations,” Barczi added, explaining that the state museum’s poor reputation with donors had made such structures essential. Zuzana Lukáčová, the group’s current chairperson, described the minister’s claims as “deliberately misleading”, designed to distract from complaints against Predajňová. “She employs friends, sacks staff arbitrarily, and avoids addressing real concerns,” Lukáčová said.
Culture Minister Martina Šimkovičová (source: SME - Marko Erd)
Open letters
The labour inspectorate confirmed that an inspection is ongoing but has not yet concluded. Meanwhile, the National Museum has remained publicly silent, prompting employees to take their grievances directly to the parliamentary cultural committee and the culture minister.
In a detailed open letter, employees accused Predajňová of inappropriate behaviour, including humiliating gestures and intrusive questioning about private lives. They also described a climate of fear and communication breakdown. “There are no briefings, no vision, no transparency,” they wrote.
A separate group of employees, however, published a letter defending the acting director, claiming she was being unfairly maligned and never given a chance to lead. “The boycott began before she even arrived,” they said.
Predajňová has defended her actions as part of a clean-up. She questioned the legality of past contracts with Andoras and alleged that museum resources — including cultural assets and real estate — had been improperly ceded to the association. “We are correcting unlawful arrangements,” she said.
The National Museum has annulled the cooperation agreement with Andoras, and Predajňová ordered the group to vacate all museum premises.
Yet critics remain sceptical of Predajňová’s methods and motivations. Lukáčová said even equipment purchased for the museum, such as a lawnmower, had been removed at Predajňová’s insistence. “I offered to leave it there, but she refused,” she said.
As the cultural skirmish escalates, legal threats are flying on both sides. Ministerial officials have hinted at lawsuits against interest groups in the cultural sector and media outlets that “make fun” of them, while Barczi, now head of the Soga auction house, and Andoras are considering their own legal response.
Caught in the crossfire is the Betliar Museum itself, a jewel of Slovak heritage housing the Andrássy family’s legacy — now overshadowed by a public spectacle over who holds rightful stewardship of its future.
