Schöner Náci

Schöner Náci or Schöne Náci (real name Ignác Lamár) was a renowned Bratislava character of the mid-20th century. He was born in Petržalka on 11 August 1897, and died of tuberculosis in Lehnice on October 23 1967. He was originally buried in Lehnice, but his remains were reburied in Bratislava's Ondrejský cemetery on September 2 2007. [The Slovak Spectator, 'Schöne Náci finally buried in Bratislava', 17 Dec 2007. ]

Schöner Náci was the son of a shoemaker and grandson of a famous clown, also Ignác Lamár, and was inspired by the latter's example to bring happiness to the streets of the city.He walked around the Old Town and in particular the stretch from Michael's Gate to the river, in top hat and tails, greeting women with the words, “I kiss your hand” in German, Hungarian and Slovak. He received free food from several of the city’s cafes, and supported himself with occasional cleaning work. [Twin City Journal, ‘Schöne Náci loved his town’, 4 September 2007.]

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