Pohorelská Maša was founded in the second half of the 18th century in the vicinity of an iron ore smelter and a steel mill. The history of this little village is linked to the Koháry branch of the ducal family of Saxe-Coburg-Gotha also known as Coburgs. Three major monuments that document the presence of the ducal family are still present in the Pohorelská Maša. These are the neogothic church from 1903, a cast iron memorial, and a manor house: summer residence of the Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha with his family and later his son Ferdinand I of Bulgaria and his family.
Roman-catholic church located in Pohorelská Maša was built in 1903 and served for the workers in the village so that they did not need to visit churches in other towns and villages. The church was built on the place of the old wooden manor house. Prince Philipp Coburg, the eldest son of Prince August and the initiator of the church construction, used to visit the church every Sunday when beeing on visite. In the same year as built the church was consecrated by the bishop of Rožňava, Ivankovič. Prince Philipp himself with his family, son Leopold, dauther Dorothea and number of other significant nobility guests but also common people from the county were present during the consecration. Only people with invitation were allowed to attend the consecration.
The church was frequently visited by the members of the Coburgs family during their stay in the Upper Hron River region including the then tsar of Bulgaria, Ferdinand I. In summer 1911 the two daughters of Ferdinand I, pincesses Eudoxia and Nadezdha, and son prince Kyril were confirmed in the church.
Church
The Pohorelá village and Pohorelská Maša were from 18th till 20th century among the most important steelmaking centers of the Coburgs family portfolio in the Central Europe. One of the monuments that document the era of steelmaking in the region is the cast iron memorial from 1841 forged by the ironmongers from Pohorelská Maša located at the of the village on direction Poprad. The memorial was forged in honor of the Ferdinand Georg August Coburg father of Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha. The memorial is on the list of protected cultural monuments of Monuments Fund of the Slovak Republic.
Cast Iron Memorial
The manor house was build by Prince August of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha in years 1834 - 1835. It served as a summer residence for the Coburg family, the king of Bulgary and their guests. Before the new manor house was built, there used to be smaller and older wooden manor house at the place where a church is standing. Once the new manor house was built the old one was used as accomodation for workers until the new church was built on its place.
Manor house in Pohorelská Maša
Ferdinand Coburg
with family in their manor house in Pohorelská Maša
History of Pohorelská Maša
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