Authors: Dušan Janíček, Miroslav Franko, Gabriela Smerigová, Eva Sudová, Mária Diková, Miroslav Beňák, Miroslav Eliáš
The citizens association PONVAGLI, Sládkovičovo has long since dealt with the history of the region, but mostly with the history of the sugar refinery in Diószeg and the family of Baron Karl Kuffner de Diószegh.
While doing history research we tend to meet our colleagues: professional and hobby historians with similar interests. This is why we have decided to organise a seminar, where everyone would have the possibility to show us their newest research and allow us an open discussion.
For the project “The sweet heritage of the Trnava region” (Sladké dedičstvo Trnavského kraja) we have received the donation for The cultural and artistic activities in 2017 from the Trnava self-governing region. In cooperation with the museum in Sereď and Slovenské cukrovary, s.r.o. in Sereď, we have organised a very interesting programme, including a field trip to one of the two functioning Slovak sugar refineries for the participants of the seminars. The seminar was held during the European Heritage Days 2017 with the help of the coordinator of this event, miss Miroslava Valová, member of the Trnava municipal office. The Regional monuments Board in Trnava supported the event with a grant.
As presenters, we have addressed our colleagues and friends, who have prepared nine presentations and their contributions are part of this book.
We were happy to see professionals and people of the general public show so much interest in history. Archivists, expert and amateur historians, representatives of towns and villages and even the factory workers attended the seminar.
The project has exceeded our expectations and even the feedback of the participants confirmed that the project had contributed to make the history of the industrial heritage in the food industry of the Trnava region more popular. Not only do we strive to remind people of the rich history of the industry, which has for 150 years supplied us with sugar, chocolate and bakery goods, but also to protect and save historic objects and technologies. An important question which we try to answer is how to integrate these non-functional factories into the infrastructure of today’s towns and villages to find a new use for them.