THIS beautiful postcard dates back to 1912 and is part of an extensive series of works by photographer Pavol Socháň. The series, numbering hundreds of postcards, consists of numerous photos from all over Slovakia and represents an outstanding documentary record of the fading world of 19th-century Slovak history.
The picturesque village of Prenčov lies in the Štiavnické vrchy hills, south of the historical town of Banská Štiavnica. At one time, many Germans lived here, and the German version of the village’s name, Prinzdorf, the prince’s settlement, comes from this period. At that time Prenčov belonged to the emperor’s son who controlled mining in the region from the village.
The well-known priest Andrej Kmeť also lived in Prenčov at the beginning of the 20th century. Priestly duties were just one of Kmeť’s many pursuits. The energetic priest studied geology, mineralogy, ethnography, history and archaeology. He also enthusiastically researched the lands around the village, noting nature as well as historical monuments.
During his life, Kmeť collected a large number of archaeological findings and founded the Slovak Learned Society in 1892, considered the forerunner of the Slovak Academy of Sciences.
Thanks to one of his most important discoveries, a well-preserved ancient skeleton in Beša, he was dubbed “the Slovak Schliemann” after the well-known German archaeologist Heinrich Schliemann.
