During Middle Ages lived in the region of Liptov many highwaymen who earned their living by this “profession” inspite of the fact that upon conviction they were often punished by death. His highway robbery history wrote in the region of Liptov also the most famous Slovak highwayman – Juraj Jánošík. During his short highway robbery time period he dwelled with his suite also in our region. He had his refuge mainly in the Liptov sheepfolds in Likavka, Bobrovec, Liptovské Revúce, but also in Važec. Liptov became in the end fateful for him because exactly here his short life pilgrimage ended. Although he was catched in Klenovec at his friend Tomáš Uhorcík’s place, he was kept in prison in the manor house in Palúdzka that is a part of Liptovský Mikuláš. The main merit in this had the top representatives of the Liptov comitatus who were to make good the damage caused by Juraj Jánošík and his suite with their highway robbery in the Liptov region when they robbed the countess Schardon between the villages Východná and Važec and the comitatus had to pay the countess amends from their own resources. The comitatus had also to reimburse Ladislav Zmeškal, the yeoman from the Orava region, who traded with cloth. He was robbed by Juraj Jánošík and his suite in Svätojánska valley. The highwaymen were also pursued because of the assault of the Ladislav Okolicáni’s manor house that was situated in Okolicné.

Juraj Jánošík was born in 1688 in the village of Terchová. He was a son of Martin Jánošík and Anna Cesneková. About his childhood and adolescence we don’t know very many details.

When he was 20 years old, he let himself recruited into the Kuruc army enthused about the ideals of the uprising. In August 1708 in the battle of Trencín suffered the Kuruc army the decisive defeat. At that time the royal soldiers took prisoner almost 400 rebels, among them also Juraj Jánošík who was thus forced to serve as a soldier on the emperor’s side. So he becomes a labanc. In 1710 he serves in the guard garrison in the Bytca château. At that time Tomáš Uhorcík was imprisoned there. Jánošík became friends with him and helped him to escape. In the same year he was discharged from the military service on his father’s request. He returned home to Terchová and in winter he secrectly met with Tomáš Uhorcík. In 1711 he already took part in several raids. In the same year, probably on September 29th, he took the highwayman’s oath and soon he became a highwayman’s captain. Uhorcík resigned this position since he got married and left for Klenovec where he lived under the name Martin Mravec. Jánošík’s highway robbery lasted for one year and a half.

Some members of the highwayman’s suite undertook actions on their own. That was also the case of the shot Domaniža’s priest Juraj Vrtík who eventually died due to the injuries. And just this act of Turiak and Plavcík went against Jánošík at the trial.

In October 1712 he was together with Uhorcík imprisoned but due to the intervention of the vicehead (vicecomes) of the Malohont comitatus Láni they were released, probably in return for a financial payment. Jánošík spent the winter at the turn of the years 1712 and 1713 in Kokava and Klenovec at the friend Uhorcík’s place. Here they were cought at the end of February or in March 1713 by beadles from the Liptov region. They were commanded by Juraj Slávik who, similarly as the Domaniža’s priest Juraj Vrtík, came from Zliechov. Jánošík and Uhorcík were lead away and imprisoned in Palugyay’s manor house Vranovo in Palúdzka. On 16th and 17th of March 1713 Jánošík was tried by the comitatus court in Saint Mikuláš. The court was presided over by the vicecomes of the Liptov comitatus Ladislav Okolicsányi. The attorney was Alexander Cemický, the defense attorney Baltazár Palugyay. Cemický claimed the death sentence. The defense attorney Palugyay referred to the extenuating circumstances, namely the low age of the defendant, the fact that he had neither injured nor killed anybody and that he hadn’t taken part in the assault of the Domaniža’s priest. He claimed total indemnity for Jánošík. On the next day Jánošík was subject to ruthless interrogation and torture. The comitatus court gave judgement not regarding the facts given by the defense attorney and Jánošík was sentenced to execution by hanging on a hook.

The execution of the 25 years old Jánošík was carried out not later than in the early evening on March 25th 1713 on the place of execution “Šibenicky” in Saint Mikuláš.

Of the fact that Jánošík got around in the vicinity of our township bear witness various tales and legends. For example at Lisková under the hill Mních one can find Jánošík’s fist. It is a rock 6 meters tall with which the following tale is tied up. One day baron Révay passed by this hill in his carriage. He was escorted by about 15 purlers. Baron Révay was known for merciless torture of the miserable commons. The Jánošík’s suite raided him, disarmed him and thrashed the baron 25 hits with a stick. Jánošík by the hits of his steel fists beat the purles and deprived them of their sabres. Using these sabres the boys then cut out into the rock at which this took place a clenched fist as a symbol of Jánošík’s strength and courage.

People say that one of the hidden Jánošík’s treasures was also found by the innkeeper from Lupca in a hollow rock situated at the road running through the Lupcianska valley.

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• Mgr. Jana Chmelová, Liptovské múzeum Ružomberok