Amidst the serpentines, approaching Sleszowice to meet Mr. Jozef Krzak, a storyteller and carpenter, we pass a multitude of signs advertising wooden products: sleds, toys, swings. But it's not the huge, eye-catching, colorful banners and signs, of which there are too many in Malopolska and they disfigure the landscape - it's the old, faded, unassuming signs, placed here surely years ago, since the sun and rains have taken so much of their luster away.
The signboard, welcoming us to Mr. Joseph's farmyard, is no different. "Stol-hand - wood products" - the small inscription does not stand out in the scenery of an ordinary farmyard; just a farm building and a one-story house - and an ordinary-sized yard in the middle. Mr. Joseph briskly steps out of the barn to greet us. Without shaking hands and wearing the obligatory masks, we smile at each other with our eyes. In a moment we are already led inside, for now to the unofficial part - the workshop or workshop.
Joseph Krzak
Mr. Joseph carefully prepared everything for our arrival. In the middle part of the building he has set up a whole lot of wooden toys - his handicrafts. They are colorful, varied and eye-catching, making the eyes run from wheelbarrows to cockerels and birds, from wooden trains to decorated cradles and carts, and above all - among the rocking horses. Because of this abundance, I initially find it difficult to focus on the story of Mr. Joseph, who begins his tale with vigor.
Mr. Józef Krzak was born and raised in Krzeszów in a family with carpentry traditions. A family account, passed down from generation to generation, says that in 1830 the first Krzak functioning in family memory came to Krzeszów from nearby Slemie. The man was said to have been involved in various wood crafts - coopering, wheelwrighting, or making household goods in the broadest sense. A by-product of his activities were rocking horses. Later the profession was taken over by Mr. Jozef's great-grandfather, then his grandfather, his grandfather's brother, and finally his father. This family history was briefly written down by Mr. Jozef to protect it from possible oblivion, thus establishing a family archive.
It was after the war, and Poland was functioning under the socialist system, when it was Mr. Jozef's turn. As a young boy, he hankered for his father's workshop - he tried his hand with tools, cutting boards, planing, combining. He helped his schoolmates prepare wooden products for technique lessons: brooms, spoons, bird feeders, cutting boards. His father, however, was not thrilled - he advised the youngster against toy-making; he urged him to take up something more modern and up-to-date. He said: "this is the kind of work of grandfathers. You won't make a business on it."
So Mr. Joseph trained as a car mechanic. He then settled in Silesia. However, his father must have missed his son, since he persuaded him to return to his hometown - under the pretext of opening a car mechanic shop here. For the time being, however, Mr. Jozef started working in his parent's workshop. And not a month passed - when he realized that carpentry was his calling after all. When he moved to Sleszowice some time later, he built a house and workshop in the new place. Here he lives to this day, nurturing the craft tradition of his ancestors.
Toys
Officially, they had been in business with their father since 1982. At first, they produced various types of gardening equipment, shovel or rake handles or ladders. Starting in '91, Mr. Jozef began producing sleds, which became, as he puts it, his "crown production." They sold "in markets," but also managed to find a market for them abroad - mainly to Lithuania and Latvia, also to Slovakia. Mr. Jozef determines that there is a very receptive market for wooden sleds. Although there were hesitations - when plastic and metal sleds appeared on the market - but they never displaced the wooden ones.
One day a school trip came to Mr. Joseph's workshop to see the carpenter's work. The maker told the children about local toy-making traditions - after all, in ethnographic sources one can find attestations from as early as the second half of the 19th century about the popularity of the region's toy-making profession. Then one of the boys was said to have started asking Mr. Joseph:
And why don't you make such toys? So that we can play with them?
Thus he planted the seed that germinated over time in the carpenter's heart with the decision to try his hand at the craft - more broadly than just making sleds. Although he still remembered the words of his father's sainted memory - about "grandfathers' work."
He started with rocking horses and wheelbarrows. Then he tried with other designs: he made (or still makes): chaises; cradles; klepoki - birds on wheels that, when set in motion, clap their wings - hence the name; horses on a stick; rattles; birds and other animals on wheels; and even cars, trains, helicopters and airplanes.
"Krzakowski Horse".
But the real pearl of the craftsman's production are the first of his toy creations - rocking horses. These are the ones Mr. Jozef loved the most. He patented the design of the rocking horse at the office and now, although he has been working alone for some time (with occasional help from one employee), he produces a thousand of them per season. As he says, he recreated them from more ancient ones, "typical of the region." However, in order to "go to market" with them, it was necessary to make some modifications to the original design - so that the toy meets safety requirements. First of all, the thing was that the edges (poles, seat) should be sanded; and the head should be rounded. Only then could a larger production run be launched and try to find a market for such a creation. Like the sled, in addition to Polish buyers, the horses manage to be exported (Mr. Jozef mentioned Belgium and Germany; I, in the amazon.com archives, came across buyers from Italy, the Netherlands, or the UK). The original design was used for an unusual order - a lady ordered from Mr. Jozef a whole series of various items based on the style of Mr. Jozef's horses - a hanger, a wicker cart and other items were created.
Of the other toys, only his horse (let me call it - "Krzakowski Horse") was made "for business". He treated the other creations more as a hobby, or they were created for competitions. Mr. Jozef was convinced of how difficult it was to make a name for himself in these competitions, citing numbers - in such toy competitions, due to the popularity of this craft in the region, there are sometimes dozens of participants. So I asked Mr. Jozef why such popularity of toy-making in the area. He told an interesting, quasi-legendary story: once upon a time, a boy was put in the service of a hermit from the vicinity of Kalwaria Zebrzydowska. The hermit was a sculptor, and the youngster helped him in his occupation. After several years of service, he received an album about birds as a gift from his guardian. When he returned home, he began planing birds from the album in wood, using the skills he learned in the ministry. His father, not knowing what to do with the products of his son's new passion, decided to start selling them. And since the goods were "going," the neighbors picked up on it. After all, there was no shortage of material - wood - in the surrounding mountains, and tools - chisels or small saws - were also in abundance. In this way, toy-making began to stagger in the area, eventually dominating local crafts.
In the studio
After the presentation of toys from the region, Mr. Jozef dresses in a work jacket, puts on a baseball cap and leads us to his workshop in the left side of the building to show us the creation of the "Krzakowski Horse." In the vast room, wooden dust hangs in the air, flecked with the glare of the cold winter sun. It smells of wood and grease. A small radio buzzes quietly, which the maker turns off after a while so as "not to disturb it" - and a thought runs through my mind: that it does not disturb the momentousness of the moment. For despite the banality of Mr. Joseph's daily toil, I see passion in his eyes whenever he gets down to business.
With true passion, he traces the shape of the seat on the perfect board with a pencil. "It must be first-class wood," he says as if to himself, "with no knots, no kinks, no bulges." Then it's time for the horse's head - skilled fingers mark the cut line. "I'm a weak carpenter, because I have all my fingers," jokes Mr. Joseph, sitting down to the band saw. With impressive efficiency, he cuts out the necessary pieces, and the roar of the machine drowns out what he says in the meantime, and to no avail are the two switched-on voice recorders, which - just in case - I operate. The cloud of wood dust thickens.
Using a stationary drill, he drills the horse's head - somewhere under the eye, somewhere above the muzzle - that's where the holder will be located immediately, with a shorter one on the left, a slightly longer one on the right. Similarly, holes are created in the seat, which will be used to fix the legs: pole holders. In the moments when the machines are silent, we are silent too, focused on the work: fabrication, photography, observation - the shutter of the camera taps, the scraps of wood, thrown into the baskets prepared for this. After a while, the hammer also taps - and carpenter's glue will further strengthen the fixture. Then there's the final sanding, smoothing the edges.
Ot a longer moment of hard work - the rocking horse is ready. Crude, made of light wood, we must admit - beautiful. I do not spare admiration, the photographer and I are impressed by the efficiency, accuracy, precision; Mr. Jozef only waves his hand. It is, after all, just a horse.
And I think about how much joy this "just a horse" can bring to someone, how it will please the eyes with its raw and simple beauty, and I no longer ask anything. We let ourselves be invited into the house. "There we will talk."
Identity-seeking
As befits a "white room," the living room is an exclusively festive place, used only on special occasions - as can be seen from the furnishings. The lady of the house, Marynia, serves coffee; Mr. Joseph offers liquor. I lead the way, politely declining, but the photographer is eager to try it. The men drink: "cheers!" - after which the host continues the story he started earlier.
At first, the talk is again about the toy traditions of the region. It is about the municipality of Zembrzyce and the villages belonging to it: Tarnawa Górna and Dolna, Sleszowice, or just Zembrzyce. It is indeed a sled production basin, which has been manufactured since before the First World War. Besides - strollers, cradles, rocking horses: in general - big toys. Toys are also produced in the municipality of Makow Podhalanski; nearby Stryszawa is famous for its production of small toys, especially the famous wooden, colorfully painted birds. All this is the so-called Zywiec-Suska region.
From this topic, it's easy for me to stray into a thread that I'm particularly interested in, and which Mr. Jozef and I have already tentatively touched on during previous phone conversations. Here's the conundrum: what ethnographic group do the residents of Sleszowice, located at the junction of different ethnographic regions, identify with?
This topic clearly excites Mr. Joseph, as the artisan becomes animated and talks at length about his search for a local, indigenous identity.
It began in the 1990s, somewhat by accident. It was then that Mr. Jozef met Dr. Urszula Janicka-Krzywda, an irreverent folklorist who devoted her life to the titanic effort of documenting and interpreting the folk culture of this part of Poland. Dr. Krzywda (as she is usually referred to in these regions), was an important ethnographic authority on local, fragmented identities - hence Mr. Jozef turned to her for help: in order to enroll in the Association of Folk Artists, he needed her opinion on the matter - an opinion that would support his aspirations. In the conversation, the toymaker raised the issue of the planned organization of a folk band in Sleszowice. That's when the lady doctor uttered a question that would forever confuse Mr. Jozef's consciousness:
Before you start a folk group, you need to define what kind of highlanders you are.
Mr. Joseph was bemused. What do you mean, "which ones?" After all, highlanders are just highlanders. And Mrs. Ursula calmly explained: well, no. Highlanders are a highly diverse group. There are highlanders of Podhale, Babia Góra, Gorce Mountains, Pieniny and others... And since she was not sure to which highland identity the Sleszovichi should be assigned, she promised to "investigate the matter" and get back to me in a while.
Not two weeks had passed when she called Mr. Joseph to announce:
You are the Klishchak Highlanders.
"Great," replied Mr. Joseph, "thank you for the explanation. Just what does it actually mean? And who are these Klishchak highlanders?". Dr. Krzywda promised to prepare a "study" on the matter. But it never made it into Mr. Jozef's hands. It was necessary to look further.
The municipality belongs to the Association of Babia Góra Municipalities - these are all municipalities from which you can see Babia Gora. Mr. Jozef concludes from this: perhaps it is Babiogórski - Babia Góra highlanders after all?
Still, Urszula Janicka-Krzywda pushed the thesis of the Kliszczacz Highlanders. Taking advantage of the flourishing of Rural Housewives' Circles and regional ensembles after 2000, on the occasion of various competitions, festivals and regional events, she began to "teach us the culture of the Kliszczacz Highlanders." How it "should" be done, what is "correct" and not borrowed from neighboring regions, what "pure" - unmodified - folk culture means.
More than a decade later, after 2010, among other places, a large ethnographic study was organized in Zembrzyce and the surrounding area with the participation of ethnographers and students. Their fruit is a study published in 2015 by PTTK, edited by Katarzyna Ceklarz and Justyna Masłowiec, titled "Folk Culture of the Kliszczacz Highlanders." Mr. Jozef, looking for answers to his identity difficulties, went to a promotional meeting in Skomielna Czarna. There he had the opportunity to talk with one of the editors of the volume (he does not remember which one specifically). He pointed out to the interlocutor that the study on the Kliszczaks did not mention the municipality of Zembrzyce. Yes, confirmed the ethnographer, we did not find the presence of Kliszczak highlanders in this area; in fact, it is difficult to claim highlanders in this area at all. In the face of this, Mr. Jozef fired straight out:
Then who on earth are we?
Unfortunately, the answer was not satisfactory:
This you must already determine for yourself.
So Mr. Jozef dabbled further. Especially since the Highlanders Union offered him to organize a branch in Sleszowice; but the same problem arose again, Mr. Jozef says:
What do I tell people? That they are what? That they are highlanders? What kind of people? Or are they not highlanders?
Ms. Stanislava Trebunia-Staszel, Ph.D., a lecturer in ethnology at Jagiellonian University, undertook to address the issue. She has organized field research with the participation of students. The material they collected is to be part of a monumental study of the folk culture of the Highlanders, organized by the Malopolska Cultural Center "Sokol" of Nowy Sacz. Originally, completion of the collection of materials throughout the Highlands (and beyond) was planned for 2022; however, Mr. Jozef suspects that the pandemic has made things more difficult. Besides, once the materials have been collected, they still need to be compiled and published... which will probably take another couple of years. And the answer to "who are" the Sleszovich people - is again moving away.
Mr. Joseph is not the only one who has been plagued by similar doubts. The municipality has been discussing the issue for years. The mayor (Lukasz Palarski) concludes that since Zembrzyce (and therefore Śleszowice) lies at the meeting point of several cultures - bordering the Żywiec region to the west (the highlanders of Żywiec), to the south with Podbabiogórze (the Babia Góra region), and to the east with the Kliszcze region - then, adding to this the Jewish culture, very numerously represented in this area before the war, one should speak of a "region of four cultures". Mr. Jozef believes - yes, this could be a certain solution.
But there are other threads. For example, the Krakow thread. Mr. Jozef recalls that both before and just after World War II, many of the community's residents traveled to Krakow "for service" - and from there they brought Krakow costumes; the Krakow aesthetics and style were very much to the liking of local residents. Since this is the case, these elements would also have to be taken into account.
Another idea for solving the issue, as the maker explains, has the members of the very vibrant KGW from Zembrzyce. The ladies have decided to represent their own culture, the culture of Zembrzyce - without looking at other regional affiliations. In turn, women from the association "Our Village Sleszowice" - the counterpart of the local KGW - sewed costumes for themselves along the lines of those of the Babia Góra region. They concluded: since they are not Kliszczak, and the district belongs to the Association of Babia Góra Municipalities and the Local Action Group "Podbabiogórze" - then "so be it." In another nearby village, Marcówka, Kliszczak costumes work well; while the ladies of Tarnawa operate with "bland, stylized" costumes - combining elements of various styles and folklore. The same goes for the women of Maków Podhalański, who have adopted the typical Zakopane ninnysil.
Finally, the manufacturer concludes:
This is what I care about - to attract some ethnologist to help us define ourselves. That he would describe it, publish it. In my lifetime I would like [it] to be brought to order.
Storytelling
We are changing the subject. I would like Mr. Joseph to talk about his second passion, after toy-making, which is storytelling.
It all started when once, in Krakow, he met people from Podhale. He was shocked to find that these were educated, level-headed people - and they spoke a dialect. This is because we are talking about a time when dialect was discredited and ridiculed; and the rural people of many areas of Poland tried to get rid of it and learn a national, literary language. So if they are not ashamed of dialect, why should I not speak it? He started by writing in dialect - poems, stories - although his family commented that he was going crazy, going backwards instead of progressing. That didn't stop him, however. And since the texts were written down, they would have to be presented somewhere. That's when Mr. Joseph started taking part in storytelling contests.
His storytelling is about the life of simple people in the countryside - telling about daily work, nature, customs. With time, he began to present them more and more often on stage: at various festivals or folklore meetings. All he lacks is for his texts to be published - and thus secured for posterity, as he has not yet succeeded.
For the purpose of competitions, he began to gradually complete the outfit - he decided on a kliszczacki one. Regional costumes are very expensive, so it was a long process for Mr. Jozef; he spent mostly the winnings from competitions. But in the end he has an outfit almost complete. On top of that, just in case, he also sewed Babia Góra pants - so as not to be different from the ladies of his village.
Mr. Joseph comes out and we can soon see him in this beautiful, complete outfit. We then move to the gazebo at the back of the farmyard, where, despite the pinching cold, Mr. Joseph warms us up with his storytelling, a recording of which is shown below.
In farewell, Mr. Joseph once again referred to his identity search. He asked: and maybe you, as an ethnographer, can help? Maybe you can organize something?
I appeal from this place to fellow ethnographers - let's help. But in a balanced way: let's not inform the Sleszovich people "who the heck they are". Let's also not leave them to their own devices, let's advise them, because it's clear that they need such advice. What is needed here is sensitivity and common sense - in a word: the golden mean.
We met to learn about Mr. Joseph's work, production and activities. And we touched on something much more momentous. The issue is broader - I'm thinking of other places in Poland whose residents have similar dilemmas. For isn't this the case, for example, with the northern shores of Lake Czorsztyńskie - an area that remains on the border of Podhale, Gorce and Pieniny?
And let some sociotechnicians make excuses about a world without identity, why not? Their right. But contrary to such theses, Mr. Joseph's example shows that identity (whether regional or national, or perhaps new-tribal or subcultural - or whatever else) is needed by the Earth's inhabitants like oxygen. Perhaps especially in the 21st century. And for some, including Mr. Joseph, the issue spells "life's work." Let me remind you:
In my lifetime, I would like to bring this to order.
Text: Jan Baranski
Photographs, audiovisual production: Stan Baranski
Editor. A.S.
