HELP REVITALIZE THE OLDEST YMCA BUILDING IN EUROPE
1844 – London, England
Twenty-two-year-old George Williams, a former farm worker turned store employee, together with 11 friends, founded the Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) as a safe place where young men could grow spiritually, socially, and physically.
1851 – Boston, USA
Inspired by the YMCA in London, Boston sea captain Thomas Valentine Sullivan helped establish the first U.S. YMCA at Old South Church in Boston. What began as a small Christian gathering soon grew into a nationwide movement.
1923 – Bratislava, Czechoslovakia
When the new country of Czechoslovakia was founded, some of its leaders were inspired by the YMCA's vision of a community center in the heart of the city. In 1923, the first YMCA building on the European continent was constructed in Bratislava.
1939–1989 – War, Occupation & Communism
Over the last hundred years, this Bratislava YMCA building has only belonged to the YMCA for about 30 years.
During World War II, it was taken over and used by the Nazi state. After the war, the building was seized by the Communist regime and controlled by the state for nearly 50 years.
1990’s–2020’s – Bratislava, Slovakia
In recent decades, the building has returned to civic use and is once again under the leadership of YMCA Slovakia. After years of war and dictatorship, there is now a fresh opportunity for the building to become what it was always meant to be: a community center for the city, focused on serving people of all ages—physically, intellectually, and spiritually.
Today – A Global YMCA Movement
From a single room in London, the YMCA has grown into one of the largest non-profit organizations in the world.
Today, there are over 2,500 YMCA locations in the United States and more than 12,000 YMCAs across 120 nations. The Y has evolved from serving primarily young men to serving families and whole communities, with programs focused on the next generation and on growth physically, intellectually, and spiritually.
WE NEED YOUR HELP
Paradox Church has entered into a partnership with YMCA Slovakia to help revitalize this historic building in the heart of Bratislava.
The church plans to use the large meeting hall for Sunday worship gatherings, while the YMCA continues to operate the building as a community hub. Together, they envision renovated spaces that can be used by the local community groups throughout the week.
The total reconstruction cost to renovate the entire building is estimated at $8–10 million.
PHASE 1 RECONSTRUCTION
Roof & Auditorium Renovation
The YMCA and Paradox will share the fundraising responsibility.
YMCA Slovakia will focus on raising funds to replace the roof and exterior.
Paradox is focusing on fundraising to renovate the Main Hall, key community spaces, and the entrance.
For Phase 1, Paradox has set a goal to raise the first $1 million. The church has already committed nearly $200,000 internally, and now we are inviting partners to help so that reconstruction can begin in 2026.
Partner with us to revitalize this historic building in the heart of Bratislava and serve the city, Slovakia, and Europe.