THE TRADITION OF THE SALAMANDER PARADE
THE TRADITION OF THE SALAMANDER PARADE

Summary/Abstract: Banská Štiavnica’s technical monuments in their surroundings (registered in The UNESCO World Heritage List in 1993) keep alive many valuable historical traditions. Mining work and customs related to it have been remembered by city inhabitants; they present a powerful factor in the formation of local identity. Preservation, transmission and development of the traditions are guaranteed primarily by the institutions: the Association of Miners, various non-governmental organisations, and the Municipality Office. They use the history of mining and the traditions related to mining to build their images. It was one of the reasons why some elements of miners’ customs and rituals that originated in the Middle Age period were registered in the Representative List of Intangible Cultural Heritage of Slovakia. They include the Salamander Days belonging to the specifics of Banská Štiavnica, and the “Aušus” tradition1 nominated by the mining association Herrengrund located in the mining settlement Špania Dolina. The latter tradition is also present in Banská Štiavnica.

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