Plaveč – week #5 – The Place where we are – Spiš et Šariš

Walk Plaveč – Muszyna

Arrival on Muszyn’s cargo train station. “Show me the border” gesture, in reference to the movie “Morgen” from the Romanian director Marian Crisan – Photo Seydou Grépinet

Departure from Plaveč’s cargo trainstation. “Show me the border” gesture, in reference to the movie “Morgen” from the Romanian director Marian Crisan – Photo Agata Dutkowska

The place where we are – Spiš and Šariš – László Milutinovits

Even though I have not been to Plaveč before, the region around has always attracted me, partly because of natural
beauties of the High Tatras and partly because of its cultural heritage. Before I came here mostly to climb mountains near the city of Poprad or hike in the Slovensky Raj. However, one summer before my usual trip I happened to read a few writings by Gyula Krúdy, a 19th-20th century Hungarian author, and recognized that he used to study as a pupil
in nearby Podolin, the next settlement after Stará Ľubovňa. He depicts the magical 19th century atmosphere of this small, historical
town in the shade of the mighty mountains in several of his short stories. That was the first time when I decided to spend a few days to discover the area around besides climbing the peaks of the Tatras, and learn about the region.
The most famous towns of Spiš (Szepes) and Šariš (Sáros) counties, including
tiny Podolin but also important municipalities like Levoča, Prešov, Bardejov
or Kežmarok were founded by German-Saxon settlers, who were invited by Hungarian monarchs after the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. As the Ottoman-Turkish occupation in the 15th-17th century did not reach out to this part of the country, the architecture of these relatively well-to-do towns remained untouched, therefore some of them are today on a UNESCO world heritage list. The region was located on an intersection of trade routes between Poland and Hungary, therefore became a rich centre of trade. Locals exported iron, copper, furs, leather, corn, and, for example, the famous Tokaji wine. Additionally, the nearby mines and other resources
like wood (an extremely important, almost only fuel before the age of petrol and coal) also provided lots of opportunities for industry. The population used to be quite mixed, including, among others, Germans, Hungarians, Slovaks and a significant Jewish population. Nowadays, the region is also a home of a numerous Roma community.
Going back to my writer – later he lived more in Budapest, and became famous mostly about his writings of early-20th century bohemian lifestyle in the city. As in his childhood he was fascinated by the stories of the Arabic Tales from One Thousand and One Night, he decided to call his most famous character, an adventurer and womanizer, Sindbad, but put his stories in contemporary frames. Krúdy’s Sinbad also inspired Hungarian director Zoltán Huszárik and cameraman Sándor Sára to make a film, starring Zoltán Latinovits – one of the most well-known and legendary scenes depicting a gentry-style rich dinner in an old-style restaurant.

Alexis Emery-Dufoug, László Milutinovits, Seydou Grépinet
Free Kingdom on the Border

One of our most memorable moments is surely our performance-hike to a hidden, but famous corner of Slovakia and Poland. Yes. I mean both countries, as the Rysy Peak is located exactly on the border of the two countries. Once called the ’Tengerszem-csúcs’, it used to lie on the internal border of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Austrian province of Galicia within the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy. According to the popular legend, even comrade Lenin climbed it once. Nowadays the border is easy to pass, and the area is called „the free Kingdom of Rysy (Slobodné kráľovstvo Rysy ) by the staff of the nearby cottage. Hikers and climbers from Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Germany and from all over Europe and the world come here to enjoy the beauties of nature. Our trip was in many ways symbolic – we started our walk at Štrbské Pleso, the well-known resort, where in 1930 the three countries of the Little Entente (Czechoslovakia, Romania and Yugoslavia) held their most important conference. Our trip connected this spot with the border. A border. A phenomenon that has been a key issue for our project from the very beginning and throughout the whole summer workshop. Limits, borders of countries in past and nowadays, separating and same time connecting cultures and nations. After the performance we can say that borders are in our minds, but we can also take them into our hands, and act. Nevertheless, besides symbols, we can also admit that watching the sunrise over the cloud-covered landscape from the peak was an unforgettable moment for us. Or shall we also think about the sunrise as a symbol?

Walk to the Rysy Pic – Map

Interview LÁSZLÓ MILUTINOVITS on corner of Slovakia and Poland : the Rysy Peak

The place where we are – Spiš and Šariš

Even though I have not been to Plaveč before, the region around has always attracted me, partly because of natural
beauties of the High Tatras and partly because of its cultural heritage. Before I came here mostly to climb mountains near the city of Poprad or hike in the Slovensky Raj. However, one summer before my usual trip I happened to read a few writings by Gyula Krúdy, a 19th-20th century Hungarian author, and recognized that he used to study as a pupil
in nearby Podolin, the next settlement after Stará Ľubovňa. He depicts the magical 19th century atmosphere of this small, historical
town in the shade of the mighty mountains in several of his short stories. That was the first time when I decided to spend a few days to discover the area around besides climbing the peaks of the Tatras, and learn about the region.
The most famous towns of Spiš (Szepes) and Šariš (Sáros) counties, including
tiny Podolin but also important municipalities like Levoča, Prešov, Bardejov
or Kežmarok were founded by German-Saxon settlers, who were invited by Hungarian monarchs after the Mongol invasion in the 13th century. As the Ottoman-Turkish occupation in the 15th-17th century did not reach out to this part of the country, the architecture of these relatively well-to-do towns remained untouched, therefore some of them are today on a UNESCO world heritage list. The region was located on an intersection of trade routes between Poland and Hungary, therefore became a rich centre of trade. Locals exported iron, copper, furs, leather, corn, and, for example, the famous Tokaji wine. Additionally, the nearby mines and other resources
like wood (an extremely important, almost only fuel before the age of petrol and coal) also provided lots of opportunities for industry. The population used to be quite mixed, including, among others, Germans, Hungarians, Slovaks and a significant Jewish population. Nowadays, the region is also a home of a numerous Roma community.
Going back to my writer – later he lived more in Budapest, and became famous mostly about his writings of early-20th century bohemian lifestyle in the city. As in his childhood he was fascinated by the stories of the Arabic Tales from One Thousand and One Night, he decided to call his most famous character, an adventurer and womanizer, Sindbad, but put his stories in contemporary frames. Krúdy’s Sinbad also inspired Hungarian director Zoltán Huszárik and cameraman Sándor Sára to make a film, starring Zoltán Latinovits – one of the most well-known and legendary scenes depicting a gentry-style rich dinner in an old-style restaurant.