Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Beginning in the 15th century, the people of Kropa took advantage of their substantial
natural resources: iron ore from nearby mines; plenty ofwoodto keep the furnaces burning;
and water from their rushing river that they diverted into channels to power waterwheels.
By the 16th century, Kropa was already known as one of the most important blacksmithing
townsinEurope,andwasgrantedaprizedsemi-autonomousstatusbytheHabsburgEmpire.
Blacksmithsherespecializedinspikesandnails,producing127differenttypes—fromsmall
tacks for shoes, to bigger nails for horseshoes, to huge spikes used for major construction
projectsalloverEurope.Forexample,theromanticwoodenpilingsintheVenicelagoonare
held together with Kropa spikes.
By the 18th century—still well before the dawn of the Industrial Age—Kropa was one
ofthemostindustriallydevelopedplacesinEurope,churningouthighvolumesofproducts.
Its 70 houses were packed with 1,400 people, and men, women, and children all worked
in the foundries. But by the late 18th century, local iron ore deposits were depleted, the
industry collapsed, and some 800 local residents died of disease and other poverty-related
causes. The 19th century saw another boost, as Kropa spikes were in demand to build the
Vienna-Trieste railway. By modern times, the nail and spike industry had been replaced by
decorativeblacksmithing(especiallyatthebigUkofactoryacrossfromthemuseum),which
included items such as fancy gates and mailboxes. Today, Kropa's 90 houses hold a more
reasonable population of 200.
