Ivo Janez Cundrič, Metallurgical engineer

Bohinj, a wonderful valley in the heart of Julian Alps, the South West part of Slovenia is not known only because of its beautiful nature with forests, clean water, well known lake of glacial origin and waterfalls, but it is interesting because of its long history of iron production as well. Ancient Bohinj was a part of  Norik in Iron Age and became also Roman word  in the last decade B.C.

It is the author's birthplace and the place of living.

Education and Employment

The author finished his studies at the University of Ljubljana in 1973 and was employed as metallurgic engineer at Iron and Steel Works at Jesenice (Železarna Jesenice) – the biggest iron company in Slovenia.
In 1975 he was engaged in big project Cold Rollig Mill (Hladna valjarna ) with Know How by Armco Steel Corporation from USA. It was designed for Yu-market. In 1990  it collapsed and Slovenia fell into economic troubles. Bad managing and lak of economic interests created many personal tragedies. He was forced to go out of manipulation and arrogance and began to search ancient iron-makers at home and started with experiments.

 

Ivo Janez Cundrič

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

contact e-mail : ivo.cundric@gmail.com

Epilogue

At that time he met some excellent people who encouraged him with his work and one of them was Jadran Sterle (reporter and journalist of TV Slovenia). He made some exellent films and reportages about it.

In November 15th 2002 the author's monographic book POZABLJENO BOHINJSKO ZLATO (Forgotten Gold of Bohinj) was presented. It was of great reputation for Bohinj.

 

Research is continuing

In 2016 there was INTERNATIONAL IRONWORKING FESTIVAL at  Stara Fužina in Bohinj. It is a meeting of European Bloomery fire Researchers where the autor was participant as organizer and he also joined with his iron workig group from Bohinj.

At the time of Festival the author put up his own exhibition Glow of Iron. It was about 2000 years of iron history in Bohinj which completed  his monographic book with additional facts.  

 

In April 2018 the article - Glow of Iron in the Bohinj Alpine Valley - Iron Age Metallurgy in Slovenia – was published on ACADEMIA.EDU by the author himself.

 

In April 2020 the author's new book Glow of Iron in History was published. It is based on the first book Forgotten Gold of Bohinj and also on Alfons Müllner's book Geschichte des Eisens - Das Eisenwesen in Krain (Wien and Leipzig, 1909) and on modern sources and experimental Ironworking.

Jadran Sterle-Cundrič

Journalist Jadran Sterle, author Ivo J.Cundrič and director of
Gornjesavski muzej Irena Lačen Benedičič (june 2002)

Julijana Cundrič

Ivo J.Cundrič, author