Embroideries · Stories · The Memory of Our Ancestors
In my grandparents' cellar, I discovered the embroideries of my great-aunt Anna Šenšelová. From that discovery grew the Map of Memories, where you too can keep your own ancestor's story alive.
Story · Lipa
Anna Šenšelová
director, secretary and custodian of Lipa
The story of the cooperative that helped save Slovak folk embroidery
Lipa was not merely a folk craft shop, but a bold women's enterprise. When it was founded in 1910, economic life was governed almost entirely by men. Women from the Živena association changed that: they gathered old traditional patterns directly from the regions and wove them into goods for modern households, including children's garments, cushions, tablecloths, embroidered collars, national shirts, sheepskin coats, and banners. Folk embroidery travelled from the villages into the cities, and at the same time became a source of dignified income for women who had mastered the traditional arts of embroidery and lacemaking. At the heart of this world stood my great-aunt Anna Šenšelová, a quiet woman with a clear vision of keeping the soul of Slovak ornamentation alive for generations to come.
Collection
These embroidered fragments come from the estate of Anna Šenšelová. I owe an immense debt of gratitude to Tamara Šimončíková Heribanová, Stanislav Talapka, Zuzana Tajek Piešová and Michal Halabrín, who so generously helped me identify them.
Folk costume dolls
These dolls are part of our family inheritance from my grandparents. I cannot say for certain whether they are directly connected to Anna, but they too stirred in me a longing to go searching for traditions and the past.
"In every stitch there is a hidden message: patience, love, and pride in who we are."
Blog · Notes from my searching
A place where I share my journey: searching through family history, embroideries, Lipa, and Živena.
What sources helped me uncover my family's history? From family publications and digital archives to distant relatives.
Tracing family history brought a whole new dimension to my life. Consider yourself warned: once you start, the search draws you in completely…
