Franc Koncilja was born in 1896 in Mekinje. After marrying in 1929, he opened his carpentry workshop.
He had four sons, the eldest of which worked with him, while the others helped him occasionally.
For one of his sons, Jernej, reminiscences on his father and Plečnik go back to early childhood. Plečnik’s scheduled visit meant excitement for the whole family. Koncilja’s son recalls that Plečnik was a very strict gentleman, always wearing a black top hat, but he emphasizes that Plečnik was strict only in appearance. As a person, he knew how to be warm. Plečnik came to their house to discuss work in the presence of Franc Koncilja and friar Martin Perc. At such long meetings, they would review designs, think about materials, and discuss all the important details regarding the making of wooden elements.
Koncilja was rather occupied by Plečnik’s commissions, which he had to fulfil while other orders came in from everyday clients. Jernej recalls that, as a kid, he also helped out with whatever work he was capable of doing in the workshop, when there was a high load of work. For the baptistery in Stranje, for instance, he drilled holes in the ceiling beams. The last project in Belgrade, the church of St. Anthony, was especially demanding. Finished wooden elements were loaded onto a train in Kamnik, to be transported to Belgrade. Two workers and his father went to Belgrade for more than a week to complete the assembly.
Franc Koncilja was devoted to his work and, despite his workload, he liked to take time to relax. These top-quality products were made in a humble workshop, with modest tools, some of which Koncilja had even made himself. For example: Carpenter’s clamps, try squares and rulers to make straight lines. In his memorial corner, the rest of his tools are preserved, like a square-headed mallet, which was used to carve bigger wooden elements, a smoothing plane, planes with special profiles, a compass and handsaws for cutting veneers, and various blades for making marquetry and frames.
Franc Koncilja tried several designs on various types of wood. If one type of wood was not suitable for making a certain detail, he chose another. Letters from Jože Plečnik to Franc Koncilja, dated mostly from 1951 to 1953, are also preserved and reflect a very favorable attitude of the architect towards the master carpenter. In his last period, after stopping work as an active carpenter, Koncilja dedicated himself to his favorite hobby, doing marquetry to give as presents to his friends and family.
Information courtesy of:
Jernej Koncilja, Mekinje
