The Coburgs in Slovakia
Coburgovci na Slovensku (The Coburgs in Slovakia) is a civic association of three enthusiasts from the Horehronie region, who since 2019 have been actively involved in the subject of the Coburgs and the Pohorelá Ironworks Complex in Horehronie. Their activities interweave history, industrial architecture and tourism. They spread education and awareness about interesting historical contexts, but also focus on direct preservation of structures and on development activities to support the region. They combine the history of the Pohorelá Ironworks Complex into a cultural trail, the Coburg Iron Route, which connects places throughout Slovakia and beyond.
They have also started the tradition of the summer festival Čudesno in the Coburg Park in Pohorelská Maša, and they organise guided tours for the public called The Unknown Coburg Iron Road.
They have also raised and are seeking funds to save the objects through benefit concerts or crowdfunding campaigns. They are actively tackling the difficult task of saving the national cultural monument of Šalanda - the workers' dormitory in Nová Maša, a building on which they managed to rebuild the roof after it was destroyed in a fire.
They participate in the complex revitalization of the historic Coburg Park in Pohorelská Maša, which is being implemented by the Rozvojová agentúra BBSK, n.o. (Regional Development Agency of the Banská Bystrica Region, non-profit organization). They are expanding contacts and cooperation with foreign partners in Sofia, Vienna and Coburg, Germany. They contribute to professional conferences and have also encouraged the development of the topic on the campus of the Slovak University of Technology in Bratislava.
