"The world is open to you". With such words, a newborn baby male was welcomed. A grannie wrapped him in a blanket, put him on a shovel and pushed him out through the open window three times.
This tradition was associated with tinker crafts, a unique phenomenon that appeared at the beginning of the 18th century and sent the men from Bytča, Kysuce and Spiš worldwide to earn a living.
Thanks to the entrepreneurial skills and craftsmanship of tinkers, the previously vagabond and beggar craft gradually became one of the most economically successful Slovak crafts ever. More than 380 tinker workshops, manufactories and 6 large factories were known in the world. After the World War II, tinker craft disappeared, but there are still several tinkers working in the territory of Kysuce and the surrounding area. They all have the same effort, to revive and introduce the work and art of tinker masters to the public. One of them is Juraj Šerík, a great-grandson of Jozef Holánik - Bakeľ and grandson of Jakub Šerík Fujak.
Juraj Šerík has been continuing the tradition of his famous ancestors since 2002. For the last few years, he has been devoting himself to the restoration of a more than 100-year-old wooden house, the birthplace of Jozef Holánik - Bakeľ (1863 - 1942) in Dlhé Poles, which he "transformed" into a tinkering museum. It was inaugurated in 2018 (video of the opening HERE).
The museum bears the name of one of the best knows tinkers ever. Jozef Holánik - Bakeľ created dozens of works of art and utility (wire, gilded and silver-plated vases, jewellery boxes, bowls, baskets, etc.) during his life, for which he won several awards. The most valuable was the main prize "Gran premio" at the exhibition in Rome in 1911.
Th visitors of the museum can see a typical tinker's room, products and a workshop, all of this in a company of a guide providing an expert explanation. The museum stores tin works of Jozef Holánik - Bakeľ and Jozef Šerík (Heart for Slovakia, One heart, one world – artistically rendered wire hearts as a symbol of love and kindness). On request, the museum conducts workshops for groups - the opportunity to try tinkering techniques and make your own souvenir.
Contact:
The museum is the village of Dlhé Pole (Žilina district).
Jozef Holánik - Bakeľ, birthplace
Long Field 80, 013 32 Long Field
You can pre-book a tour of the museum, creative workshops (for kindergarten, primary, secondary schools) at No.: 0908 490 987.
Opening:
Check the opening of the museum in advance on the phone number: 0908 490 987, or by e-mail:
Photo gallery:
