Katarína Vošková, Architect - Conservationist

Katarína
1 Vošková, Architect – Conservationist

• ICOMOS Slovakia
• Regional Office of Monuments and Sites Preservation, Banská Štiavnica
• Association for Banská Štiavnica ´91
Q Banská Štiavnica
May 2005, Banská Štiavnica

Bardejov
Rural - medievaloftown
Settlement square
Vlkolinec
Slovakia – World Heritage Sites
Q Banská Štiavnica
Medieval urban complex of

Spiš Castle
Banská Štiavnica and Technical Monuments in its Vicinity
Training-education Center for Improving the Preservation and Better
Interpretation of Heritage in Banská Štiavnica - a World Heritage City
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
History and Values
Why does this seemingly
obscure little mountain
town merit such attention?
“…Banská Štiavnica is
situated in the middle of the
volcanic Štiavnica hills,
accesed only by secondary
roads and a spur rail line.
With an elevation of 600
meters above sea level, the
town is spread along two
narrow valleys which
intersect just below the
main square; folk
rchitecture houses climb up
the sides of the steep
slopes which tower above
the historic center.
Landscape area around the
settlement provide a
striking contrast to the
fabulous wealth of
Romanesque, Gothic,
Renaissance and Baroque
architecture crowded
together in the converging
valleys below…
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
History and Values
...During the course of

the 13th to 19th
centuries, the Banská
Štiavnica ore fields
were among the most
prolific producers of
gold and silver in
Europe. …The town
was the European
focus of mining
education, science,
and technology. Many
technological
inventions and
concepts developed in
Štiavnica during that
period were
subsequently used all
over the world…“
Mining water reservoire
Surface and underground situation, 18-th century
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Deterioration During
Last 50 Years
The historic centre of the

city has survived virtually
unchanged despite the
fact that the continuity of
history has been broken
over last 50 years. The
ownership has been
changed, inhabitants of
the historic centre were
removed…
New “development
programmes” were
adopted to restore and
rejuvenate the historic
fabric for the lifeless use.
All the built traditions and
skills were damaged,
even small businesses of
craftsmanship were
stopped.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Last 50 Years and
Present Situation
During this period:
- maintenance work on
historic buildings was often
discouraged;
- preference was given to
reconstruction rather then
conservation of historic
buildings, thus resulting in
serious damages to authentic
works of arts and crafts;
- training of craftsmen was
mainly focused on the use of
modern technologies and
materials;
- traditional craftsmanship
focused mainly on high level
education of restorers, mid-
level craftsmanship in
conservation field was lost
and forgotten;
- the skills and knowledge
needed to handle traditional
materials, techniques and
technologies were in many
cases forgotten.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Western European
Italy – Venice, San Servolo Island – craft centre Countries
In spite of the general and
Europe-wide spread
pressure of the new
artificial materials and
unappropriate technologies
in built heritage
conservation field, the
western European
countries – where
continuity of its history,
relation to ownership,
craftsmanship, traditions
were saved – shows
consciousness to the
necessity to encourage the
owners towards the
traditional materials,
technologies, crafts and
offers well-skilled crafts-
persons. Training centres
were established for
example: in Tierhaupten,
Germany; in Mauerbach,
Austria; in Amay, Belgium;
Germany, Tierhaupten – Building Documentation and Training Centre etc.
Carpentry Tradition, Germany
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
ICOMOS Slovakia
Adoption of “Appeal on
Materials, Techniques
and Technologies in the
Preservation of the Built
Heritage”
“…the establishment of the
training-education center in
Banská Štiavnica for mid-
level crafts-persons...
...the encouraging and
advising property owners to
request the support of
qualified crafts-persons and
skilled technicians, seeking
the advice and coordination of
a competent conservation
architects,
…the building
a documentation and
information center designed
to support training activities
by means of setting up
archives of historic building
material...
... the encouraging
collaboration between the
training centres in different
countries...“
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Training Activities to the
Better Interpretation of
Cultural Heritage
From 2000 year many

institutions and schools in
Banská Štiavnica strive to
contribute to the continuous
maintenance, protection,
presentation, this way to
appropriate iInterpretation of
the heritage.
- Samuel Mikovini
Polytechnical High School
- Faculty of Architecture
(Slovak University of
Technology)
- Regional Office for
Monuments Preservation
- Association for Banská
Štiavnica ’91
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Training Activites
The Regional Office for

Monuments Preservation
and Association for
Banská Štiavnica ’91
organized the course
“Materials, Techniques
and Technologies in the
Preservation in Built
Heritage”, May 2002.
On-site courses were
focused on treatment of:
- plaster/render,
- wooden elements,
- timber structures,
- stone walls.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Training Activites
“Remeselnícka 5 -
Historic Facade Plaster
Conservation”, October
2003
– with the Austrian Training
center in Mauerbach, the
local cratsmen and
students of the High school
were practically trained in
the consolidation and
conservation works on the
historic facade; the
knowledge of the
participants was extended
concerning the importance
of the researches and
diagnostics and other
relevant issues.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Training Activites
Training activities with

students of the Faculty
Architecture, annualy
several groups – under
the leadership of the
experts and professors
the documentation of
historical architectural
details in the city is
performed by the
students – in strive to
train the future architects
to preserve the historical
architectural values as
well as systematically
complete documentation
of historic authentic
details in the city.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Training Activites
Training activities with

the students of the
architectural conservation
program at the Samuel
Mikovini Polytechnical
High School – every
year the practice is
provide to students on
the concrete places –
where students
practically realise for
example: the stucco
elements, plaster
conservation,
stuccolustro techniques,
etc.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Future Vision
Considering all the present activities we
have a strong effort to establish the Training
and Documentation Centre for crafts-
persons and relevant students and, by a
system of courses:
- to introduce a revival of using traditional
materials among professionals,
- to improve the knowledge and skills among
craftsmen,
- to increase the awareness of the residents,
- to emphasize the importance of their
cultural heritage and necessity to preserve
the authenticity and integrity,
- to increase the understanding of these
issues by politicians and local authorities,
decision-makers and all the other
stakeholders.
The long term goal is:

- by an appropriate interpretation of
architectural heritage, to improve the
conditions of a sustainable tourism
respecting the authenticity of the historic
fabric as an important issue for
understanding and sensitivness of tangible
history and also as a tool to attract visitors.
––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––––
Future Vision
The project “Training and Documentation
Centre in Banská Štiavnica” has a great
importance for crafts-persons, local people,
involved institutions, schools, etc. All the
activities come from the experience that even
the most intensive effort of professional
conservationists cannot be successful without
the support of well-trained and skilled
craftsmen and wide public.
Thank you for your attention!
See you in Banská Štiavnica!

Katarína Vošková, Architect - Conservationist

Uploaded by

Document Information

Original Description:

Original Title

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Katarína Vošková, Architect - Conservationist

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Katarína

1 Vošková, Architect – Conservationist

May 2005, Banská Štiavnica

Medieval urban complex of

...During the course of

The historic centre of the

From 2000 year many

The Regional Office for

Training activities with

Training activities with

The long term goal is:

See you in Banská Štiavnica!

You might also like