POWIAT RACIBORSKI - GoRaciborz.pl

MUSEUM OF SMITHERY
– BIEŃKOWICE
Bieńkowice can take pride in the oldest working
smithy and the best equipped museum of
smithery, owned by the Socha family. According to tradition,
it all began with Janek Socha from the neighbourhood
of Cracow, who would go to Vienna with Sobieski.
When the Polish army pitched their camp in the fields
near Racibórz, he met a girl in Bieńkowice. He fell in love
with her so much that he promised her he would be back
very soon. After defeating the Turks, he kept his word.
He came by the Cyna river, married his beloved one, had
a son Andrzej and, being a blacksmith, set up a smithy
in Bieńkowice. It was in 1702. Since then the Socha family
have been practising the same profession for centuries.
After the above – mentioned Janek, his son Andrzej and
then there followed: Franciszek, Urban, Antoni and Jan. In
1910 Alojzy Socha was born, a blacksmith in the seventh
generation. His son Jan and grandson Robert continue the
tradition. They still forge the iron in the old smithy (the
present brick one was built in 1840 on the place of the first
wooden one), next to the house they set up the museum
of smithery. So many monuments of this profession cannot
be seen anywhere else in Poland. The smithy and the
museum can be visited.
Bieńkowice, ul. Wojnowska 5, visiting when previously
arranged, tel. +48 32 419 65 29; 419 65 23
Fot. WAW