Viliam Pauliny-Tóth

(*3 June 1826 in Senica – †6 May 1877 in Martin)

He actively participated in the preparations of the Memorandum of the Slovak Nation (Memorandum národa slovenského) in 1861, and in the period 1869 – 1872 he was a member of the Diet of Hungary and was instrumental in founding the Slovak scientific and cultural institution, Matica slovenská.

As president of the preparatory committee of Turčianskosvätomartinská sporiteľňa, účastinná spoločnosť (Savings Bank of Turčiansky Svätý Martin, joint stock company) from 1867, he significantly contributed to its establishment in Martin in 1868. At the founding general meeting which took place on 7 April 1868, he was elected the savings bank's deputy administrator. He was its administrator from 1869 until his death in 1877.

It was thanks to his efforts that the savings bank together with Ružomberský účastinársky úverkový spolok (Ružomberok Joint Stock Credit Company) and Tatra banka belonged to the most prominent Slovak financial institutions at the end of the 19th century and at the beginning of the 20th century.

In his articles Listy slovenskému Tomášovi (Letters to Slovak Thomas) published in Národné noviny (National Newspapers) in 1870, he invited people who were active in Slovak economic and political life to establish Slovak economic institutions, such as mutual treasuries, people’s cooperatives, savings banks, insurance companies as well as big commercial banks led by a central national bank.