IBAN: SK19 1100
0000 0029 3838 1683
(click and copy IBAN to mailbox)
If you want to become a part of the project Socha na korze and support the bronze sculpture financially, please send your donation to the account:
IBAN:
SK19 1100 0000 0029 3838 1683
(click and copy IBAN to mailbox)
After receiving your donation, the Donnor´s Contract will be sent to you (in electronic form) to prove the acceptance of your donation.
If you support with the minimum sum of 10 EUR and more, you become a part of the project. You will be also included in the complete list of donors (printed brochure issued as a part of the project) and invited for official unveiling of the bronze sculpture.
If you support with the sum of 1000 EUR and more, you will be recorded in the memorial/thank-you plaque placed on the facade of the Shop on Main Street replica on Námestie slobody No. 68 in Sabinov. On the occasion of official unveiling of the bronze sculpture, you will be invited for a gala reception and a meeting with the sculpture author.
Thank you for your donation. Mgr. Juraj Karniš - Author of the sculpture
Register and become a part of the project
Ján Kadar and Elmar Klos's film The Shop on Main Street (1965) deals with the story of an ordinary man. a carpenter called Tóno Brtko. He isn't interested in events taking place around him and even he doesn't understand them much. The town in the First Slovak Republic lives peacefully, only the building of the Monument of Victory points out the regime clearly. An elderly widow Lautmann enters Tóno's life fatefully as Tóno with the help of his brother - in - law becomes the Aryan controller of her little shop. Mrs Lautmann doesn't omprehend what Tóno is doing in her shop while Tono is just pretending he doesn't understand her and is arization in order not to be striking before the eyes of his wife and his brother - in - law. The Jewish community even pays Tono because they are aware of the fact that the little shop is non - profitable. They want to prevent Tóno from taking away even the little money the elderly widow Lautmann possesses as Tóno needs to bring the money earned by arization home to Evelina, his wife. However, the circumstances are becoming worse and Tóno watches bitterly his benefactor Imro Kuchár being beaten and dragged off. He gets to know about the transport approarhlng through Andomič and Uncle Piti. when the two incomprehensible worlds of Mrs Lautmann and Brtko meet. the critical moment leads to cataclysm and the top of the culmination in the form of a tragic scene - an unintentional murder and a forced suicide.
The film won the highest film prize - the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film or simply an Oscar on 18 April 1966 as the first in the history of Czechoslovak Cinematography
"I suffered with him (Tóno Brtko) right from the very first moment, had an internal fight with inhuman surroundings, experienced the Jewish tragedy, tried to understand the behaviour of Mrs Lautman who understood nothing. Even though the pictured suffering caused me pain, I realized that the suffering had its sense. I like the Jews mainly for their skilfulness, wisdom and natural togetherness by which they help each other. I do not understand the people who are fundamentally allergic to them. Do you know the Jews at all? Do we know how they think?”
"It was great honour for me to participate in unveiling the square as a remainder of the film The Shop on Main Street in Sabinov together with Zuzana Kronerová. Apart from this event, the visit of artist Juraj Karniš´s studio, where the great statue of Tóno Brtko played by Jozef Kroner, is being created, made a great impression on me. It was a big experience for me and I am looking forward to unveiling this undoubtedly precious artistic result and another decoration in Sabinov."
Best regards, Pavel Traubner
“Sabinov is a town close to my heart. Being a 12-years old girl, I spent a part of my summer holidays there when my father took me with him for The Shop on Main Street shooting. I will never forget the unforgettable atmosphere spreading around the whole town back then. I deeply appreciate the initiative of the film buffs in Sabinov who endeavour to preserve the message of this extraordinary film. When I was invited to participate in the opening of “The Pavement - The Shop on Main Street" in early April of 2019 and got to know the enthusiastic authors and co-authors of the project, I was happy. Then I learned that Juraj Karniš was working on the sculpture of Tóno Brtko that was to be placed right in front of the replica of the film shop of Mrs Lautmanová in Sabinov. When Mr Karniš enabled me to see the sculpture in the final stage, I was convinced that the realization of the idea is in the best hands. I keep my fingers crossed and wish much creative enthusiasm not only to Mr Karniš, but also to all enthusiasts and self-sacrificing people in Sabinov who devote their time and energy for a good purpose.”
Zuzana Kronerová
The preparation of the statue took several years with some breaks. I was trying to chose the pose in which I would portray Tóno. In the end, I decided to eternalize the scene from the film when he went out of the shop of Mrs Lautmanová "to admire" the mound of victory. First, I studied his face, his expression, the disgust he had on his face when he was looking around at the nonsense around him.
I created several portraits of Mr Kroner using his photographs that remained. Later, I proceeded to model the whole life-sized figure. I have always been fascinated by the acting mastery of Jozef Kroner, by lightness, plausibility he engaged when playing his characters.
It was not easy to capture his face expression. Moreover, when he played Tóno Brtko, he was only over 40, so his face was yet without wrinkles with which people remember him now. The posture I was modelling him in is like he wanted to say:... you do not really mean it, people!? This cannot be truth!?"
It was only a moment, but for me, it has been the crucial moment of the film The Shop on Main Street for a long time. It is the reminder of nonsensicality of the war, its cruelty, hatred, incomprehensible human behaviour back then, but sad to say, also nowadays. I was thinking about it often back when I was modelling Tóno Brtko in my studio.
I believe that not only Sabinov residents will adopt it, but all the visitors of Sabinov Main Street. They will come by, have a walk and maybe remind themselves the Oscar winning film The Shop on Main Street.
I thank to all my supporters.
To my family for patience, especially to my wife Táňa, daughter Zojka and son Juraj.
To ambassadors - Zuzana Kronerová,
Prof. MUDr. Pavel Traubner, PhD, MEDEKO CAST s.r.o.
To co- workers - G. Pavlík,
Š. Lompart, S. Uličný, M. Gargalovič, J. Gargalovič, J. Vrábel ml.
