KÉZDIVÁSÁRHELY
Kézdivásárhely is the easternmost Hungarian majority city of the Carpathian Basin. It can also be called a guild town as it was one of the most important craft centers in Szeklerland. Kézdivásárhely is a hub for a total of 60.000 rural and urban dwellers, making it one of the cultural hubs of the Szeklerland region. Especially the villagers still preserve many Szekler folk traditions and art, but their survival is endangered by the changing modern way of life. It was not only one of the centers of Szekler culture, but it was also a breeder. This role is a great importance, even today, as many young people are not following the traditional way of life in the villages that once, of course ,lead to the creation and maintenance of the Székely values and arts.
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PRAETORIA ASSOCIATION
The Praetoria Association is a non-profit organization, founded in 2013. It was created primarily by the woodworking workshop. Where does the Praetoria name come from? King Zsigmond declared Kézdivásárhely as a fairground in 1427, still known as Torjava, but once a Roman military camp was called Praetoria Augusta. Indeed the name Praetoria refers to a nearby settlement of the ancient Székely Torja or once called Thoria. In the immediate vicinity of the workshop we also run an event hall, the so-called Erzsébet Terem. This room is licensed for conferences and exhibitions. It is free of charge for civil, non-profit organizations and projects.
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CSISZÁR DÉNES
Dénes Csiszár was a typical Székely individual. He was a drill-carving, speculative, economical farmer, a generous giver, a suddenly angry but enthusiastic, warm-hearted, loving person. Good and true man, a tasteful narrator. A number of important developments in the history of Kézdivásárhely can be linked to his name. Not only did he establish and equip the volunteer fire department, but he also founded the Csiszárfürdő as his name “Feredő”, owned by Dénes. This was the most popular place of excursion in Kézdivásárhely and its surroundings under Bálványos. In honor of the donating and charitable spirit of Dénes Csiszár, we named the Csiszár Dénes Woodworking Workshop of Kézdivásárhely.
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THE WORKSHOP
The aim of the workshop is to teach and maintain our wood carving and wood traditions in Szeklerland. Woodworking is a significant part of the Székely culture, which is not only witnessed by the famous Székely gates, but also by many other folk traditions that can be connected to the wood and its processing.
As our youth and the villages hardly find the youngsters the opportunity to learn this valuable activity, our association has decided to create an opportunity for this. Today, the attention of young people is directed to another space, and nowadays it is rare for a master to learn the old profession or the original folk art. We want to give everyone the opportunity to get to know the tree and to love it. We want to find the children and young people who have the great talent to carry on the glory of the Székely woods. Also important to us are those in whom we can revive woodworking, significant parts of folk tradition and identity. |
OUR MASTERS
István Sándor, carving masterFor sixty years in the life of the carver, has been in the spell of the Szekler folk art, for thirty years he has been trying to convey something out of the legacy that our ancestors left us over the centuries with perseverance, great modesty and humility.
"The Székely gates, headboards, carved and painted furniture, carpets, stitched companions, were part and parcel of our everyday lives. They bear their meaning in their form and motif world, the reflections of our self-portraits, our spiritual and emotional world. We believe the accelerated who knows what direction is going in the world will have the place for this ancient knowledge. " |
Réti Zoltán, carving masterFor decades, Zoltán Réti, a sculptor and artist, has been engaged in carving art. He has the necessary professional experience in this subject since he has been teaching woodworking for almost 26 years in almost all schools of Kézdivásárhely.
"Wood and its machining have always been part of my life. Its warmth, formality, utility and usability were always my interest and bound.” |