20/03/2019 – Our Everyday Heroes – Let’s Write History!

In our work, we present a personality who is an active participant not only in the cultural life of her native village, Balog nad Ipľom, but whose activities are also known in the wider Ipoly region, and even across the border. She is Lőrincz Sarolta Aranka, a retired kindergarten teacher, whose work and dedication greatly contribute to making the history and traditions of the settlement and the Palóc region known, preserving them through her collections, and making the values of the past come alive with her folklore group. Through her books, the folk customs, traditions, and history of the region are revived and made accessible to multiple generations and residents of other areas. Choosing the method of oral history, and utilizing her own experiences, she presents the life and mindset of our ancestors, the major historical turning points, or the daily lives of the people who remained on the home front in a way that is understandable and interesting for young people. Lőrincz Sarolta Aranka is thus a dedicated servant of culture in the best sense of the word, who, if necessary, tells stories of old times, or holds book presentations in schools, village libraries, and various gatherings, conducts storytelling afternoons in kindergartens, performs at village days and festivals with her traditional group, writes the village chronicle, and curates the material of the local village museum, where she also serves as an expert tour guide.