Comments from our speakers

A Tantalising Glimpse

By Michael Taylor, Historic Areas Adviser, English Heritage, West Midlands Region

Sitting on my train on the way to the office on 13th January I could, if challenged, have found the Slovak Republic on a map of Europe fairly confidently, I could have named Bratislava as the capital and offered a few details about the Velvet Revolution and Divorce and Slovakia’s accession to the EU in 2004. That was about the limit to my knowledge of the country.

By the time I made the return journey that evening I had accepted an invitation to speak in Bratislava. Friday the 13th? Unlucky for some! On one level there was a vague sense of disquiet for a public sector conservation professional like me in taking part in what was essentially a commercial seminar aimed at attracting private capital from the UK to Slovakia.

But that slight doubt bore little critical examination. The success of much of my work with English Heritage depends on drawing out finance from the private sector.

The maintenance of the historic environment in England relies overwhelmingly on the commitment of private property owners. And, as far as Slovakia is concerned, we are fellow members of the EU and we all live in the era of globalisation. Slovak properties with British owners are just another facet of the same phenomenon that has brought Estonian waitresses to my local restaurant.

At the SBBC seminar itself I was impressed by the commitment of two First Secretaries from the Slovak Government. It was clear from the seminar papers that the historic resource in Slovakia is vast and fascinating.

Some of the historic buildings for sale were astonishing and it was obvious that any nation would be challenged to generate capital from within its own frontiers to bring such buildings into good repair and new uses. Careful use of traditional methods and materials could be the key to offering investors something precious that Slovakia is well-placed to provide: authenticity.

The visits to the historic centre of Bratislava and to sites outside the city were wonderful, and were clearly only a sample of the riches that the country has to offer. ?erveny Kame? in particular was sublime, especially the cellars, which were like walking through a Piranesi drawing.

I flew back with a hangover from the previous evening’s hospitality. But I also felt that I had been privileged to have an inside view, albeit restricted to a tantalising glimpse, of a part of Europe which is providing much of the continent’s dynamism.
The issues for the historic environment of Slovakia are daunting but fascinating. But from many of the Slovaks I talked to I sensed a confidence in the future, which could be the Republic’s best asset in bringing new life to those wonderful buildings.

“Dakujem” to everyone at SBBC, who made my visit to Bratislava not just possible but fascinating and hugely enjoyable.