OĆEVIJA/VAREŠ, August 13 (FENA) – The village of Oćevija near Vareš is probably the only place in Europe where iron is still forged and processed using a medieval, pre-industrial method powered by water, just as it was done hundreds of years ago.
A visit to this unique place and its forges, or ‘majdans’, offers a glimpse into a bygone era, with each object found there telling a centuries-old historical story.
At one of the three remaining active forges in Oćevija, FENA found Dražen Jozeljić, who inherited the blacksmithing trade from his father, Mijo, and has practiced it for 25 years.
He says his family has been involved in blacksmithing for approximately 700 years, with the craft passed down from generation to generation.
“I am now the last one left. Whether someone will inherit the craft later, we don’t know. There are a few others, but they are older and getting on in years, and that’s about it,” Dražen said.
He added that there were once nine forges here, all located along the river, but only three remain.
According to him, agricultural tools were once the main products, but they are now manufactured by machine.
“Nowadays, we make sač or peka lids, pans and other items, while there is less demand for agricultural tools. The most popular products are sač lids, pans and griddles for barbecuing and preparing various dishes,” Jozeljić said.
He added that there is strong interest in the handmade products and that everything they make is sold, both in Bosnia and Herzegovina and abroad, including in European Union countries and the United States. Some products from the forge have even reached Japan.
“We have never had anything left unsold. The only problem is that there is no one to do the work. Young people mostly leave the country. No one has come forward yet to learn the trade. Sometimes the work is hard. You can’t learn everything in a lifetime. We’ll see what happens,” Jozeljić said.
He would gladly pass on the knowledge he has acquired over the years if someone interested in learning the craft came forward. He stressed that the doors of his forge are always open.
“But it’s difficult. In general, it is hard to find workers for any manual job. Everyone has their own path, and I chose this one,” Jozeljić said.
He emphasized that no job can be done without a passion for it, adding that he inherited his love for this old craft from his father.
“The whole family worked at it – my father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and going back as far as anyone can remember. That’s how it continued. I don’t know how long it will last, but as long as we can work, we won’t give it up. If I had to choose again tomorrow, I would most likely choose this,” Jozeljić said.
He demonstrated to the FENA team, as well as several tourists visiting Oćevija and his forge at the time, how the entire system works, emphasizing that its main source of power is water from the Oćevica stream, which drives the machinery.
“Water is the key, the main power source. It has remained that way to this day. We’ve made some improvements using electricity, but without water, we couldn’t do anything. I don’t think there is anywhere else in the world with this kind of system, and I don’t think there is anything else this old,” Jozeljić concluded.
