Marek Sobola

Sobola was born in Žilina, Czechoslovakia (now Slovakia) into a family from Lalinok and Divina. He spent the first years of his life in Divina.[4] Sobola studied landscape architecture at the Slovak University of Agriculture in Nitra (SUA) at the Horticulture and Landscape Engineering Faculty. He graduated in 2004 and began working in own studio. Alongside the architect's practice he continued doctoral studies at SUA at the Faculty of European Studies and Regional Development, the Department of Sustainable Development in 2004 – 2007.[5] After finishing his Ph.D. study he again continued his studies at the Constantine the Philosopher University in Nitra at the Faculty of Arts as an historian for another five years.[6][7] He works as a heraldic artist since 2015. His specialization is the Ecclesiastical heraldry in Missionary countries.[8] Sobola has since 2011 been a member of the Slovak Chamber of Architects. Between 2018 and 2019 he was a visiting member of the Czech Chamber of Architects.[9] From 2017 is a member of the Liturgical Commission of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Žilina.[10]

In 2018 three projects represented Slovakia at the international landscape exhibition entitled “Landscape Architecture as a common ground”. One of them was the author's work of Marek Sobola called Green wall Gothal in Liptovská Osada. The exhibition was organized by the European branch of the International Federation of Landscape Architects (IFLA).[11]

He is also a member of the Scientific Board of the Kysuce Museum in Čadca[12] and a member of the Council of the Episcopal Conference of Slovakia for Science, Education and Culture.[13] Since 2020 is a member of the Heraldry Society of New Zealand and the Orders & Medals Research Society.[6]

The project of restoration The statue St. John of Nepomuk in Divina was carried out under auspices of the Embassy of the Federal Republic of Germany in Slovakia.[35] St. John of Nepomuk is one of the most frequently illustrated saints in the territory of the former Habsburg monarchy and there are monuments (mostly statues) of him in almost every village in Slovakia and Czechia. The, until now, unknown story of the statue of St. John of Nepomuk in Divina goes back to canonical visitation of the Divina parish on 1 September 1828, which provides the first reference of the time of origin of the statue – 1796. As referred to by the canonical visitation, the statue was damaged by a massive flood in 1822. Partners, who were addressed by Marek Sobola, the author of the project, to cooperate have either some connection to St. John of Nepomuk or to Slovakia.[36] The project was honoured by patronage of His Majesty Norodom Sihamoni, the King of Cambodia and His Majesty Simeon II., the last Tsar of Bulgaria. Along with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Žilina, the project donors are: His Royal Highness Franz, Duke of Bavaria, The Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem (Ordo Equestris Sancti Sepulcri Hierosolymitani), The Knights of the Cross with the Red Star, the only Catholic knight order or Czech origin (Ordo militaris Crucigerorum cum rubea stella in pede pontis Pragensis), Metropolitan Chapter House of St. Vitus in Prague, which is the owner of the saint's grave and the town Nepomuk – the birthplace of St. John of Nepomuk. Out of domestic partners, the project was supported by municipalities of Divina, Divinka–Lalinok, Svederník and the Philatelist Club 53-19 from Žilina.[37] The ceremonial holy mass in the St. Andrew's Church in Divina was on Friday 2 June 2017. After the holy mass, the statue was uncovered on its new stand by Joachim Bleicker, the Ambassador of the Federal Republic of Germany in Slovakia together with Emil Molko, Mayor of Divina and author of the project. Subsequently, it was blessed by Mons. Tomáš Galis, Bishop of Žilina.[38]

1. SOBOLA, Marek (ed.): Divinka Lalinok. Divinka : Municipal office of Divinka 2018. ISBN 978-80-570-0193-5.
2. SOBOLA, Marek (ed.): Príbeh svätojánsky, Socha sv. Jána Nepomuckého v Divine / The Story of St. John, Statue of St. John of Nepomuk in Divina / ដំណើររឿងរបស់ St. John, រូបចម្លាក់ St. John Nepomuk នៅក្រុង Divina / Die Johannisgeschichte, Die Staute des hl. Johannes Nepomuk in Divina / Историята на св. Ян, Статуята на св. Ян Непомуцки в Дивина. Žilina : Servare et Manere, o. z. a Kysucké múzeum v Čadci, 2017. ISBN 978-80-972614-3-6.[39]
3. SOBOLA, Marek: Marek Sobola PORTFOLIO. Žilina : Marek Sobola 2016. ISBN 978-80-972537-0-7.
4. SOBOLA, Marek: Ľudová architektúra v Javorníkoch. In: KOLEKTÍV AUTOROV: JAVORNÍKY, Veľká kniha o nemalom pohorí, monografia. Martin : Matica Slovenská 2016. ISBN 978-80-8128-175-4.
5. SOBOLA, Marek: Kaplnka sv. Lazára z Betánie v Novej Bystrici. [S.l.], Slovenská komenda vojenského a špitálskeho rádu sv. Lazára Jeruzalemského, 2015. ISBN 978-80-972071-4-4.
6. JANURA, Tomáš - ZVEDELOVÁ, Kristína - SOBOLA, Marek. Vidiecke šľachtické sídla v Turčianskej stolici. Spoločnosť Kolomana Sokola s finančnou podporou Ministerstva kultúry SR a Historického ústavu SAV, 2014. Projekt HÚ SAC CE Hrady na Slovensku. Interdisciplinárny prierezový pohľad na fenomén hradov. ISBN 978-80-89756-02-5.
7. SOBOLA, Marek – BIELEK, Pavol: Prioritné a deficitné poľnohospodárske oblasti v katastrálnom území obce Oponice určené pedologickými charakteristikami (Preferred and deficit agricultural areas in cadastral area of Oponice village defined by pedological characteristics). In: Vedecké práce Výskumného ústavu pôdoznalectva a ochrany pôdy. Bratislava: Výskumný ústav pôdoznalectva a ochrany pôdy 2007, p. 138 – 151. ISBN 978-80-89128-40-2.

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  Vertical garden, Gothal Liptovská Osada
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  Roof Garden, Eurovea Shopping Centre
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  The Silver Cross of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Žilina – diocesan award

• Media related to Marek Sobola at Wikimedia Commons
• Marek Sobola: Official website