SYMBOLS Stories of cultural life.

Skok Mirko

On the surface of this tombstone in the form of an upright block is a carved relief, depicting a male figure, dressed in work coat. The tool, which it holds in the right hand, symbolizes practice, and the plan in his left hand theory. Golden rivets on the top of the block are symbol of massive constructions, based on strength of joints, and so show the specialization of the here buried man. These symbols reveal mechanical engineering, which marks an important period of development of the Maribor industrial basin after II. World War. Mirko Skok is important part of this history.

In 1918 the first hydro - power plant on the Drava River began to operate and encourage industrial development of Maribor, especially the textile and metal processing industry. In direct connection with hydro power plant Fala, which in times of Kingdom Yugoslavia gave one third of all electricity in the country, an important company Metalna was founded in 1920. It specialized in hall constructions and mechanical devices. It used the left over inventory and materials, which were used during building of hydro power plant Fala, and all equipment from workshop, where iron construction for power plant were made. Four years later, Mariborska livarna/foundry was founded. An important firm was "Jugokasa", founded in 1908, specialized in products from iron (window in factories and hospitals, iron lockers, steel safes…). And in Maribor was a factory of agricultural machinery with its own foundry, a branch of the Czech factory K. & R. Ježek, Blansko, the oldest such factory in the territory of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. This also applies to the company "Metal", the oldest metallurgical industry in the city, founded 1919.

The development of metal processing industry was interrupted by World War II. Four years later, the badly destroyed factories in the war were nationalized and rebuilt. After the liberation Metalna was expanded by six times its size and specialized in construction of bridges, roof structures, industrial halls, antenna towers, power lines, hangars for aircraft, cranes ... For a long time the factory issued a monthly professional magazine "Our factory", An important role in development of company played its research departments . In post war period the company Hidromontaža was founded. From year 1950, company mounted majority of newly built hydro power plants, thermal power plants and transformer stations in socialist Yugoslavia. From the ruins of a factory of aircraft engines, which had been set by the Germans in war times, grew a famous Maribor car factory (TAM).  At the time, when ing. Mirko Skok died, the factory employed about 3,300 people and had, similar as Metalna, their own professional monthly paper.

The young engineer Skok died during the biggest economic boom in the metal processing industry in the city of Maribor. His cruel fate, however, saved him of having to witness the collapse of the companies in the period after the independence of Slovenia. Mirko Skok lived and died in time, when Maribor was nicknamed as "Yugoslav Liverpool."

Flying became popular

Industrial developments required good distance travelling. Industrial and commercial airplanes connected the world and there was one remarkable accident. Involving many people that Mirko knew and few people that he could not have known about.

Keywords:
work coat
plan
tool
gold rivets
engineer
Constructions