1. Home
  2. European Heritage Stories
  3. New life in abendoned mansion Gutenbuchel

New life in abendoned mansion Gutenbuchel

Slovenia
Mateja Kumer
Community engagement
Digital, Intangible, Natural, Tangible
2019
  • Share this story:

Project of the Mansion Gutenbuchel in Slovenia is one of the best practice how we can put life in abendoned houses. In project I connect local people, artist, tourism and small local companies.

My first contact with Mansion Gutenbuchel was about 7 years ago when I was writing an arhitectual article about this old building in my own town. History of Mansion Gutenbuchel goes in medival age. But for my own town Šoštanj is important year 1925 when family Woschangg bought it. They renovated house in 5 years. After second world war family Woschnagg was expelled out of the Slovenia land. The family was robbed from all property and pride. About 40 years there was psychiatric department in mansion. Now is about eight years empty and without live in it. The main question five years ago was "Can I help the building? Can I put life back in those wonderful arhitectual masterpiece places?" So I conneted with owners (Ministry of Health) and coordiatator for National and European heritage days in Slovenia. They supported me and my idea. In September 2015 I opened mansions doors for the public for the first time in history. Response of people was incredible. After that moment I couldn't stoped and story goes along way. Three times a year I opened mansion for the public. First for the Easter in spring time. In autum for European Heritage days and in winter time before Advent. In mansion I do exhibitons of local people, artist, florists, tourism and small local companies. In one week we have about 7000 visitors of all generations. It is trully amazing how people bring back life in abendoned place. With my work I remind responsible duty of our societies to keep and protect our own heritage roots. Because if we dont respect our history, we can't live in modern and advanced society. My duty as an arhitect is to bring new life in old building. After first story pepole just owned it. They need good local stories in such an amazing place. I also did Facebook page where I'm telling stories interested public throughout all the year. I do all my work volutary.

European Dimension

I try to tell and teach people how was through history time family Woschnagg (owners) important for Europe society. How they went through injustice regime in time of second world war. I warn people for materpiece of arhitecture and how everyone can put a part of itself in this story. My story of mansion Gutenbuchel goes across the border. Last year I cooperated with marketing artists Fig & Forest from Holland. In last autum I worked with fashion designer Loreta Gudelj from Croatia and in this year I cooperated with English RAW production for commercial. All stories you can find on FB page.

Similar stories

The Letter: Art and Education. Europe's inspirations.

This project aims to recover the story of an artist, who among many other women was educated as part of the Residencia de Estudiantes. She benefited from the spanish institutions’ encouragement of Europeanist programs during the Edad de Plata, programs that, like this project, aimed to reimagine in Spain the lessons learned from the rest of the continent and propel Spanish culture throughout Europe.

Spain

Community engagement, Diversity, Education, Cross-frontier collaboration, Youth oriented


Read More
The trail of the 3. May Constitution in Warsaw

In today’s Warsaw we can still find places related to the History of the May 3rd 1791 Constitution. The idea of the project is to tie them, on the 18th century city map, with Warsaw vedutas by Bernardo Bellotto Canaletto - Stanislaw August’s court artist and create QR-code marks explaining, in different languages, history and significance of the indicated sites/buildings. So far, there are 10 identified places to be pointed out.

Poland

Community engagement, Diversity, Education, Cross-frontier collaboration, Youth oriented


Read More
Krzyżowa Palace - one building situated in four countries

A building tells its story, stretching over three centuries and illustrating the course of history in central Europe.

Poland

Community engagement, Cross-frontier collaboration


Read More