Kidričevo – The First Industrial City in Slovenia

Abstract

Kidričevo is the first example of a planned industrial settlement built during the socialist era. The lead construction engineer, Danilo Fürst, was also based in Strnišče. His plan was exceedingly ambitious, envisaging the construction of an industrial town with all the necessary infrastructure. The new settlement was supposed to include a hospital, a hotel, a cultural centre, schools, an administrative and economic centre, and a recreation centre. However, only a small part of the project was ever completed. The first two blocks of flats were put into use as early as March 1949, while the construction of the residential buildings was practically complete by 1956. Slovenia’s industrial heritage remains underappreciated, and little effort has been made to revitalise some of the former industrial buildings that are currently decaying.