8. Juraj Jánošík: The Slovakian Robin Hood
Late seventeenth, early eighteenth century Slovakia was a place of great social instability and injustice. As a result, some people became outlaws- from necessity or choice. Juraj Janosik was one of them. The son of peasant farmers, Janosik was serving as a prison guard when, he met the man who changed his life, Tomas Uhorcik, the leader of a notorious gang of outlaws. Janosik and Uhorcik struck up an unlikely friendship and when they met again several years later, Uhorcik having escaped prison and Janosik having resigned from the army, they banded together to undertake their first raid, stealing a cargo of canvas from a wagon.
When Uhorcik left to marry, Janosik was in sole charge of their gang. He instigated a change in direction, turning the gang‘s attention from modest carters to robbing wealthy merchants and aristocrats. Janosik also shared his loot with local people, who showed their gratitude by hiding the band from the law. However, in 1711, Janosik‘s career ended abruptly when soldiers captured him during a visit with Uhorcik. On March 17, 1713, aged just 25, Juraj Janosik was hung from a hook in the Slovak town of Liptovsky Mikulas. The Slovak people immortalizing him as a national hero because of his generosity- and his stand against authority.