The Contribution of Gabrovo - from the Revival Crafts to the Industry of New Times (Based on Documents in Regional Historical Museum - Gabrovo)

The scientific research presents 3 major crafts from the National Revival period in Bulgaria. Two of them: furriery and braid-knitting - gave birth to the industrialization of Gabrovo after 1878. Smithery was one of the first crafts in Gabrovo and reached its highest development in the 1860s. After the Liberation of Bulgaria in 1878 smithery production gradually decreased but was revived again during the second half of 20th century's first decade. The Gabrovians Ivan Kolchev Kalpazanov and Totyo Antipov were emblematic for their role in the successful development of braid-knitting and furriery in the National Revival period. The economic experience from this period in Gabrovo was transformed into development of new industry after the year of 1878. Stoyan Dobrev was a representative of one of the significant cutlers' families in Gabrovo. His son Dobri Stoyanov used the family crafts' experience and in the 1860-1870s became one of the most active craftsmen on the cutlery goods market. Despite the market success and the privileges given to Gabrovo cutlers by the Ottoman authorities, those craftsmen were not able to preserve Gabrovo as a center of cutlery. This was caused by the lack of initiative for the industrialization of cutlery and by the unstable political conditions after the April Uprising in 1876. After the Bulgarian Liberation in 1878 the cutlery goods market continued to shrink and in the last decade of 19th century cutlery almost disappeared in the town. The renewal of smithery in Gabrovo in the beginning of the 20th century came due to the activities of the industrialist Ivan Nedkov who developed craft traditions from the National Revival period into a mechanised industry. Gabrovians managed to use the accumulated production and technical experience from the National Revival period in the new political and economic conditions of the restored Bulgarian state after 1878. Crafts' workshops and manufactories in Gabrovo went through a transformation - some of them were closed but others were modernized and new productions appeared. In the last decades of 19th century Gabrovo became an industrial center, known as the 'Bulgarian Manchester'.