Juraj Zajonc

Juraj Zajonc is a researcher at the Institute of Ethnology of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (Ústav etnológie SAV) in Bratislava, Slovakia, specializing in textile culture, traditional artistic expression, and cultural heritage. He holds a PhDr. degree (1989) and CSc. degree (1997), and has been with the institute since 1988. In addition to his research work, he has lectured at the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Bratislava on textile history and techniques from 1995 to 2015.

His educational background includes studies at the Department of Ethnography and Folklore Studies, Faculty of Arts, Comenius University in Bratislava (1983-1987). He is proficient in Russian and German languages.

Zajonc's research focuses on textile culture, traditional artistic expression, and cultural heritage, with particular attention to historical textile production techniques, holiday traditions, and the documentation of material culture. His work often involves interdisciplinary approaches combining ethnology, archaeology, and historical research to understand traditional practices and their evolution. His publications reveal a consistent interest in reconstructing historical textile techniques, analyzing holiday rituals, and documenting cultural heritage through both traditional and digital means.

He has led and participated in numerous research projects funded by VEGA and other programs, exploring topics such as traditional textile production, holiday rituals, and cultural heritage preservation. His research has significant implications for understanding how traditional knowledge is transmitted and transformed across generations, particularly in Central European contexts.

• 2014: Prize of the Slovak Ethnological Society for publication (2011-2013)
• 2013: Literary Fund Prize for scientific literature
• 2013: Prize of the Slovak Academy of Sciences for science popularization
• 2001: Literary Fund Prize and Prize of the Slovak Academy of Sciences
• 1997: International Prize for Ethnological and Anthropological Studies Guiseppe Pitré

Zajonc has supervised numerous research projects and has been actively involved in creating electronic databases and encyclopedias documenting traditional folk culture. His work bridges academic research with practical applications in cultural heritage preservation and education, particularly through his contributions to the 'Traditional Folk Culture in Words and Images' electronic encyclopedia. He has also made significant contributions to understanding how traditional knowledge is transmitted and transformed across generations, with particular attention to the material aspects of cultural heritage.