Native of Bukovina in Romania arrived in Slovakia in 1947 as part of re-emigration of 58 families of Slovak origin, as the Slovak school in the region was abolished after the war. In Bratislava, he began learning the trade of furrier and after completing his apprenticeship, he worked for a short time as a furrier under a master. However, the private businesses were shut down in the early 1950s and young furriers were sent to “build the republic.” As a result, he moved to Banská Bystrica and did not practice his craft for ten years. With the subsequent economic boom, the activity of small businesses intensified, and Karol Jurášek was able to return to his craft.
He found employment at the clothing and manufacturing cooperative Vzor Zvolen, branch Banská Bystrica, where, based on his expertise, he held a managerial position. The branch focused on custom tailoring of fur coats and he supervised 13 employees. He remained in this job until retirement.
He only started making traditional fur coats later in life, at the age of 74, as a fan of sled dog races. Active production began in 2004. Competitors in this specific Slovak winter sport often wore old, sometimes tattered fur coats as there were not many furriers left to repair them. Through conversations with a competitor wearing a Kožuch from Hriňová, he ended up repairing the coat after the race.
Subsequently, more and more sled dog racers, and later folklorists, started contacting him with their fur coats, leading him to create patterns for other regional designs from Podpoľanie and Horehronie. In total, he sewed fifteen models, such as the Kokava, Hriňová, Detva, Očov (he even made a Huňa, a 130 cm long shepherd’s coat from this village), Prievidza, Banská Bystrica, Bacúš, Heľpa, Pohorelá, Šumiac women’s and men’s coats, and more.
Compared to urban fur coats, the traditional fur coats were easier for Karol Jurášek to make. A good pattern was essential, which he could personally create based on measurements. He gladly taught this methodology to other folk artists who sought his advice. In 2020, nearly at the age of 90, he took on a 14-year-old apprentice who was interested in sewing traditional fur coats.
Whenever he faced uncertainty during the coat-making process, he would detach the pattern and learn from it. Thanks to lifelong connections, he had access to quality material, and his tools remained from his professional days.
His collaboration with a finished furrier eventually led him to work with the ÚĽUV (Center for Folk Art Production), showcasing his creations at ÚĽUV stores and events such as the Masters of ÚĽUV Days in Bratislava, and an exhibition at the Regional Craft Center of ÚĽUV in Banská Bystrica.
Sewing fur coats was his lifelong sustenance, and he continued to dedicate himself intensely to it in his retirement.