The following diploma thesis offers an insight into the life and work of trader, caterer and hotelier Ivan Kenda from his birth in 1877 to his tragic end in 1937. Ivan Kenda is considered a pioneer Slovenian gastronomist who planned cooking classes to educate staff in the hospitality industry. His work gained acclaim both abroad and at home. Ivan Kenda led the Švicarija Restaurant and initiated the construction of the Tivoli Hotel. In Ljubljana, he organised and hosted cooking masterclasses, founded a local food cooperative and began issuing a journal of gastronomy named “Gostilničarski vestnik”. Following the closing of Hotel Tivoli, his family encouraged him to accept the invitation of his Bulgarian acquaintances to travel to Sofia with his wife, Marija. During his time in Bulgaria, he organised cooking courses, managed two hotels and amassed a great fortune. In 1917, the pair returned to Slovenia, as Ivan’s father-in-law Peternel had notified Ivan that a great estate was up for sale in Bled. First, Ivan purchased Hotel Mallner, and later acquired Park Hotel, Casino Bled, Hotel Europa, Zdraviliški dom, Bled Castle with the adjoining old pool complex, several villas and ultimately, Lake Bled. In 1924, he became the mayor of Bled and stayed in the position for three years. Ivan Kenda left an indelible mark on Bled in his quest to develop it as a tourist destination. In 1937, his life was cut short in a tragic automobile accident.
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