In the 17th century, under Turkish rule, the territory of Slovakia was occupied only to a small extent. The border between the remnants of the Hungarian Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire ran through the southern part of the Slovak territory. These territories were a permanent battle ground between the Christian and the Ottoman armies.

In 1683 the Turks conquered the fortress of Nove Zamky, from where they organised robberies in the Vah river valley. The slovaks were struggling to make a living because of the supply and transport obligations for the army. The situation improved with the peace of Karlowitz (1699) and then the peace of Passarowitz (1718). At that time Hungary liberated its territories from the Turks, but the situation of the peasants became increasingly difficult, taxes rose excessively and the peasants population increasingly left their homes and sheltered in other regions.

Slovaks......a pitoresque european nation that can be also found in Banat, a region from Romania. Slovaks left their homes and lands in the XVIIIth century and finally settled in Banat due to Habsburg policy of razing the overpopulated lands from the Habsburg Empire to less populated areas.

Banat is a western region from Romania. The slovaks were welcomed here due to their crafting abilities and also for logging and timber processing.

            Thanks to them, our region is more colourful and rich. The slovaks have improved Banat's general appearance and gastronomy. Some of their special and tasty dishes are: poschuca (a baked dough with cheese which can be associated with yoghurt), kapusnike (a kind of cabbage pie which can beserved at the breakfast), siflike (some pastas that can be added in all kind of soups), rezance (noodles) etc.

One of their special and easy recipe is popato pie. Potato pies are a quick and easy, hearty dish that's great early in the morning for a boost of energy. It goes  alongside a bowl of sourmilk, which changes the slightly heavy taste of the grated potatoes. Found in Slovakia, Russia and Ukraine, potato pies have also reached Banat through the Slovaks inhabitants of these lands. Ingredients:4-5 grated potatoes, 2 eggs, 2 tablespoons flour, salt, pepper. Grate the potatoes, salt them and let them sit for about 10 minutes to let themsoften. Squeezewell, add beaten eggs, pepper and even greens to add flavour (parsley, dill). Spread the mixture in the hot pan and fry well on bothsides. When removed, place on a towel to absorb the oil. Eat it with yoghurt or buttermilk.

            The slovaks have a lot of interesting traditions. They are specialists in the art of woodworking, in embroidery using symbols inspired from the german Baroque. Slovaks have many folk costums and beliefs, due to the fact they come from the border area between Central and Eastern Europe.

The village of Scǎiuș belongs to Fârliug and islocated 42 km from Reșiṭa and 24 km from Lugoj. It is mentioned in documents from 1637. The name of the village comes from the unproductive soil, the region being dry.

The history of the village Scăiuș is a rather turbulent one. It was  founded by the outlaws who plundered the noblemen of the time, because the area was well hidden between hills and forests. The locals say that one of the village wells, called "la Bărboni", dates back to those times.

In the early 1800s, the area was plague-ridden, with almost half the population being destroyed by the terrible plague. Dozens of households were left abandoned. The region was desolated and the people were fewer and fewer. History says that it wasn't until  about 50 years later that slovaks were brought in to repopulate the area. They rebuilt their homes and formed a community with customs and traditions specific to the places they came from.

In the late 1800s, locals donated money to build a church. Everyone contributed the way they could. A family, for example, bought an icon of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child and donated it to the place of worship. The Christians adorned it with a silver crown made in Lugoj by the Jewish silversmith Koloman Blum.

Almost 50 years later, in 1934, after the icon had become the symbol of the local religious confesion, Scăiuș went through an event that would have marked it strongly even today. On the last day of September of that year, the   village celebrated a feast day and celebrated throgh a dance  in the church yard.

A parish clerck was sent to the hora (a traditional dance held nearby the church) on its way so as not to disturb the religious service. Yet the music could be heard all the way to the shrine. Only about 10-12 older women entered the church. As in alltimes people are more inclined to entertain than to pray. At the end of vespersthe parish clerk noticed a tear in the Virgin Mary's (the icon from the church) left eye. He came closer and, convinced of the reality, was amazed. It was a real tear! The priest came, the women of the church came, then the shrine servers were called and they all saw the tears shining in both eyes of the blessed Virgin. The tears stood still, without flowing on the face of the icon, until around ten o'clock in the evening, when they began to dry.The whole community was moved by this event.

After 15 days, this miracle repeated itself and left an evenstronger impact on the community.

I think that the Slovaks were a genuine touch in the Banat region of Romania.

I was very passionate concerning the place of birth of my grandparents, so I decided to find more about my roots. I think that the Slovak community contributed to the development of my grandparents village, Scăiuș. They enriched the local arhitecture, culture, religion and gastronomy.