Ajnácskő (Hajnáčka, Slovakia). She has chosen a profession that is on the verge of extinction. Andrea Kosec took over the blacksmith’s workshop from her father, where she now creates some of the most beautiful works of art. Many people encourage her, but there are those too, who, of course, don’t seem to understand the reason she chose a craft that is usually represented by the opposite gender. The blacksmith’s trade, which in the past was passed down from generation to generation, is nowadays quite rare. Year after year, there are fewer and fewer blacksmiths in the country, and if we focus our attention on female craftsmen in particular, we soon realize that there are fewer than ten of them. Andrea Kosec, a native of Ajnácskő in the Banská Bystrica district, is one of these rare masters. She learned her trade mainly from her father, Tibor Kosec, who had always wanted to have a son to whom he could pass on his knowledge and experience. However, he never had a son, but he did have a daughter. Andrea is just as good with a hammer and an anvil as the men of the trade. Many people wonder why this young and […]
