Slovak national hero is Juraj Jánošík. He lived in 1688 – 1713. He was born in Terchová. During our trip we decided to visit the town and monument.
On the hill next to the village, on the 300th anniversary, they erected a monument – a statue depicting the character of Juraj (George) Janosik.
According to the story, robbers under the command of Juraj Janosik operated on the Hungarian-Polish border. They attacked wealthy people and wealthy merchants, keeping the goods mostly for themselves and their people. Part of the loot they gave to girls as gifts.
In the spring of 1713 Janosik was captured and imprisoned in the fortress in Liptovsky Mikulas. There was also a story that he was sentenced to death for killing the pastor of Demanica, to which he pleaded not guilty. He died by hanging on a hook.
After his death Slovaks began to idealize Janosik. He gained positive face like Robin Hood, who allegedly took from the rich and gave to the poor. The story of Janosik found its way into literature, and even on TV screens. That’s how we knew his story. Today is he considered to be a symbol of a person who stood up to injustice.
On the 300th anniversary of his death (in 2013) in his home village of Terchová, they erected a monument. The figure of Janosik looks toward the village from the hill. Access to the monument is free.
We were surprised that in winter the path leading up the hill was covered in snow. Barely two years after the creation of the monument, some tiles were already detached, and the structure of the monument was cracked. We hope that local authorities take care of the monument and prevent its destruction in the near future.