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FROM what one can see on this postcard, it looks as if time has stopped in the eastern Slovak town of Sabinov. This picture of the town's historical centre was taken sometime in the 1950s, but would've looked the same if it had been taken in the middle of the 19th century.
Sabinov lies in the historical Šariš region, which was colonized by Germans in the 14th century. Within just 100 years, it had a quality educational system, which peaked around 1740, when a Catholic grammar school was opened by the Pairists, with Latin as its language of operation.
On the left side is a preserved Renaissance bell tower. Bell towers were among a town's most important objects, ringing to signify time for church, the arrival of midday and midnight, to announce important events and to warn of danger, such as fires.
Sabinov, together with Prešov and Bardejov, were the biggest towns of the Šariš region, and became home to many Ukrainians.
Prepared by Branislav Chovan
