Kropa Blacksmiths

The products of the blacksmiths from Kropa rank among Slovenia’s best-known artistic and craft masterpieces, with a tradition spanning several centuries. Alongside numerous works of art, Milka and Metod Badjura also trace the history of blacksmithing in Kropa, from the heavy toil of entire families in old peasant cottages to an organized and highly regarded craft practiced first in manufactories and later in modern workshops. They also highlight the importance of workers’ organization in the flourishing of the craft: as early as half a century before the advent of socialism, the blacksmiths of Kropa and their families had established their own nailmakers’ cooperative.