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Górale Pienińscy

The Szalay emblems of Szczawnica

In the days of spa founder Józef Szalay, Szczawnica had a tradition of bestowing emblems upon private abodes. Contemporary inhabitants and institutions of Szczawnica have kept the memory of this traditional, globally unique custom alive.

The Szalay emblems of Szczawnica – an interview

In the days of spa founder Józef Szalay, Szczawnica had a tradition of bestowing emblems upon private abodes. Contemporary inhabitants and institutions of Szczawnica have kept the memory of this traditional, globally unique custom alive. Marta Słowik, a historian with the Józef Szalay Pieniny Museum in Szlachtowa, tells the story of Józef Szalay and the notion he had coined, of requirements which had to be met by local homeowners to be presented with an emblem, and of the “Szalay Emblem Trail” recently opened in Szczawnica.

Where did Józef Szalay get his idea to bestow emblems upon the homes of Szczawnica?
Józef Szalay took the spa over from his parents in 1842, and began expanding. There were obviously far fewer guesthouses or other places people seeking local spa treatment could stay at in those days. Emblems hung outside local chalets let visitors know that the house was for rent. Today, a regular sanatorium stay is no longer than two weeks, three at most – whereas in Józef Szalay’s times, people would stay four months to be treated at a spa: May until September. The so-called white room (hearth-free bedroom and guestroom in a peasant home, usually with best furnishings and décor) would thus become a patient’s home for a few months, spa holidaymakers arriving with well-nigh all their worldly goods.

Was everyone eligible for an emblem? Or were there requirements host homes had to meet?
Józef Szalay came up with the idea of allowing private individuals to rent out “white rooms” in their highlander homes, listing three conditions they had to meet in order to be eligible for spa patient hosting. In the 19th century, most highlander cottages were no more than chimneyless huts. Anyone interested in taking in guests was thus obliged to build a chimney protruding above roof level. Potential hosts were also required to put in wooden flooring (most homes had threshing floors), and glaze windows. Only people who had thus modernised their homes were eligible for an emblem.

Who made the Szalay emblems?
Tradition has it that all plaques were painted by Józef Szalay himself – yet we have found that they were also manufactured by other anonymous authors.

When were the Szalay emblems first mentioned?
In 1841, the news published by one of the contemporaneous periodicals.

Who came up with the idea of designing a Szalay Emblem Trail in Szczawnica? Who is the author?
The Trail was organised at the spa on initiative of the Józef Szalay Museum and the Municipal Authority of Szczawnica, with intent to promote the spa. Home emblems are a feature unique to Szczawnica, the custom not found anywhere else in Poland or across the world. Regrettably, few original plaques dating back to Józef Szalay’s days have been preserved.

What did the emblem renovation process involve?
The Pieniny Chapter of the Polish Tourist and Sightseeing Society came up with the concept of renovating Józef Szalay emblems back in the 1970s. Plaques which had not stood the test of time were restored as well. Two artists were commissioned to renovate emblems: Jan Papież and Józef Bieniek. Later, over the years 2008-2010, during preparations to open the “Szalay Emblem Trail” at the spa, ninety-three emblems were renovated and/or restored by visual artist Wieńczysław Kołodziejski, owner of the “Musical Sheepfold”.

Was the notion popular with Szczawnica residents?
Yes, our initiative was hugely popular. Many locals, including those originally with no emblems on their walls, are now enthusiastic about accepting one. This is ample proof that contemporary residents of Szczawnica are interested in preserving this unique, inimitable tradition.

How many emblems were there in Józef Szalay’s days?
Regrettably, it’s hard to say. There is no way we can have them counted today. Using reference sources preserved since Józef Szalay’s days, “Szalay Emblem Trail” organisers came up with a count of approximately 105 original Szczawnica emblems. This is, however, no more than an estimate.

Thank you very much for the interview.

- Weronika Błażusiak

Godła szczawnickie (fot. Weronika Marciszewska)