Šafárik’s Learned Society (USŠ) was established in 1926 at Comenius University of Bratislava, on initiative of some of its lecturers – literary critic Albert Pražák, linguist Miloš Weingart, lawyers Otakar Sommer, Richard Horna and Rudolf Rauscher. The main objective of USŠ was to conduct general scientific research of Slovakia, Carpathian Ruthenia and entire Czechoslovakia and all Slavs at large.

The founding General Assembly, that took place on 2 December 1926, appointed lawyer Augustín Ráth as the Society‘s Chairman and Albert Pražák as its General-Secretary. USŠ was divided in two departments – humanities and natural sciences. Josef Hanuš became the Chairman and Rudolf Rauscher the Secretary of the humanities‘ section, while Kristián Hynek was elected as the Chairman and Zdeněk Frankenberg as the Secretary of the natural sciences‘ department. A decision was adopted by the very same assembly to begin the publishing of a scientific journal of the Society under the name of Bratislava. This journal would serve as a place for Society’s members to publish their own research and in eleven years of its existence, eleven issues were published. The journal would soon be sought-after in foreign learned societies, libraries, museums and archives. For this reason, the Society could develop contacts with these institutions (situated in Prague, Vienna, Paris or capitals of Balkan countries), thus creating means for exchange of ideas and scientific literature.

Other publishing achievements iclude the creation of series of Works of USŠ, Lectures of USŠ, Sources of USŠ and Slovak Archives. A different kind of publishing accomplishment is the editing and publishing of Collected Poems of P.J. Šafárik.

The establishment of the Hydrological Station in Šamorín, which focused on the hydrobiological research of Southern Slovakia’s fauna and flora, played an important role in the development of natural science research.

Despite its short duration, the contribution of the Society was significant. In accord with the academy it played a remarkable role in the organisation of Slovak science during the first Czechoslovakian state. Its members were all important figures in the development of scientific research in fields of natural science, engineering, medicine and humanities.

However, the general situation in Europe and Czechoslovakia near the end of the thirties took its toll on the Society. Shortly after the change of regime and the creation of independent Slovak State, the Society’s fate was sealed on 21 December, when it was dissoluted and its belongings transferred to a newly-established Slovak Learned Society.