3. POGLAVJE: Višnarjevo korito
Video section: 01:48 - CHAPTER 3: Višnar Trough
Mirca is a hill above Murova that lies at 1025 m above sea level. It is full of water as it runs from everywhere. Frančiška Pristov:
»The old folk told us that there was a lake in it. I believed that because mother caught a real live trout in the trough in Murova.«
Murova residents directed the water into troughs and used it as drinking water, for washing laundry and for providing water to animals. Of the original five troughs, only two remain today – “Pr’ Višnar” and “Pr’ Škafar” (Višnar and Škafar troughs).
Marjan Židanek: Višnar Trough (source: photographic library of the Upper Sava Valley Museum)
Next to the Višnar Trough, on which the year it was built is inscribed, is a house which was known as “Pr’ Grmon”. Karl Višnar, who came here from what was then Czechoslovakia, bought the house from Grmon. His son Drago learned wood carving from a Russian prisoner, and in 1919 he and his wife started a business carving wood souvenirs. They became well-known in this business, not only in Yugoslavia but throughout Europe, and their products were even exported to the USA. They received several international awards for their work. In those times, there were often queues in front of Višnar’s workshop since tourists wanted to buy a souvenir to take home with them.
Drago and his sons Janez and Marjan, around 1970, at an exhibition in Kranj (source: photographic library of the Upper Sava Valley Museum)
Janez Višnar Jr. recalls:
»I was told how grandpa Drago took a train towards Dubrovnik, and with him a suitcase full of souvenirs to sell. He took a train to Rijeka, and then continued his journey by boat. Very often he had sold all of his souvenirs on the way before he arrived. This way he collected orders for his next trip down there ...«
Višnar Chapel with a hand-carved statue of Mary, from 1945 (source: photographic library of the Upper Sava Valley Museum)
The trade was picked up by almost all of the sons, and the grandchildren also took part in the business. The next generations of the Višnar family successfully continued the craft until the end of the 20th century when the lights in the workshop were turned off.
Višnar sons in 1935, from the right: Marjan, Damjan, Janez, Florjan and Bogdan (source: photographic library of the Upper Sava Valley Museum)
The Višnar Trough was later used mainly for watering cattle, and once they started making wooden souvenirs, it was no longer used for drinking.
Višnar wooden souvenirs (source: photographic library of the Upper Sava Valley Museum)
The products had to always be impregnated first which is why they were soaked in the trough once painted so that they soaked up the water; then they were soaked in a special dye, rinsed again in the trough and dried. This way, the products soaked up the dye better which made them last longer.
First water reservoir at the foot of Mirca hill, from around 1927 (source: photographic library of the Upper Sava Valley Museum)
The construction of a water reservoir caused a landslide above this part of Murova. This happened because the works loosened the soil which caused a downslope movement of loose soil and a boulder. Once they noticed it, people who lived below were ordered to evacuate. Fortunately so, as the boulder did indeed roll all the way down to the houses and smashed through three farms (Rekelj, Zima and Glori farm). They were owned by small farmers who fortunately also owned some land in Plavž where they were able to build new houses. People say that an age-old prophecy, which said that an enormous boulder from Mirca would destroy Murova, was realised then. The area where the boulder destroyed the houses became known as “at the landslide” (“na plazu”), and it’s where Drago Višnar built his house.
Sources:
- »Kako so na Murovi včasih živeli?« (Jesenice Adult Education Centre, 2010),
- »Ta stare Jesenice ali Murova in Plavž« (Zdenka Torkar Tahir, Upper Sava Valley Museum Jesenice, 2010),
- Jesenice Municipal Library – estate of Ciril Praček
- Oral testimonies by locals: family Čufer., Janez Pšenica, Avgust Mencinger, Jože Mencinger, Janez Višnar Jr., Anton Ravnikar, Dušan Hafner, Marija Markeš, Zvonka Petrovič
Imprint:
Project: The Memories of Old Jesenice Settlement
Financed by: Municipality of Jesenice
Realisation: Upper Gorenjska Development Agency, Gornjesavski muzej Jesenice
Proofreading and translation: TellUs, Maja Davis s.p.
Photo editing: Jamaja, Maja Rostohar s.p.
Jesenice, 2020
