THE HISTORY
The Borovnik family looks back on a long history.
The name Borovnik has developed out of the name of the town of Borovlje and, translated from the Slavic, means “from Ferlach”.
1848
When everything began
Ludwig Borovnik I. turned his passion into a career and set up business as an independent gunsmith. The company that he founded was later taken over by his son, Ludwig Borovnik II, and remained a small, family-run enterprise well into the 1930s.
1890
The first period of prosperity
for the business under the leadership of Ludwig Borovnik II. Just before the turn of the century, the company employed more than 50 gunsmiths who manufactured hunting weapons. Four product catalogues in two languages were sent out every year, describing the company´s extensive range of weapons, ammunition and hunting accessories.
1925
Ludwig Borovnik III.
Ludwig Borovnik III was born and enjoyed a happy, carefree childhood with his parents and two sisters.
1942
The darkest hour
This was when the Borovnik family lived through their darkest hours. On 14/04, 1942, the family fortunes were undone by their mother tongue and patriotism. In the dead of night, all members of the family were deported to Germany on cattle wagons by National Socialist henchmen.
1945
Return
After the end of the war, the family returned to Carinthia and found it in ruins. Just a few years later, Ludwig Borovnik II. died of ill health that had never improved since his return from Germany. It was now down to his son to prove himself worthy of the role of head of the family and to rebuild the business from scratch.
1950
Ludwig Borovnik III.
Ludwig Borovnik III. made use of his language skills to import and sell on timber from Yugoslavia. Having got the business off to a good start, he was the first one in Ferlach to start trading stock wood and rose to become one of Europe´s largest walnut wood traders.
1960
Friendship
Ludwig Borovnik III first met passionate hunter Helmut Horten and his wife Heidi. Their relationship should blossom into a friendship and business partnership that would last 25 years. A great many hunting trips to Yugoslavia were organised, facilitated by Ludwig Borovnik III\\u2019s excellent relations to Marshal Tito, giving rise to hunting adventures that remain unforgettable to this day.
1986
Ludwig Borovnik IV.
Ludwig Borovnik IV. joined the business and continues to head it proudly and respectfully to this day.
2001
New business
2001 was maybe the proudest business transaction of his career, Ludwig Borovnik IV received Juan Carlos de Borbon, King of Spain, in his rooms. The King personally inspected the guns that had been ordered for him and was delighted with the manufacturing and precise handiwork of the guns.
2010
UNESCO cultural heritage
In 2010, the Ferlach gunsmithing industry, and therefore also the Borovnik company, was included in the UNESCO list of intangible cultural heritage an important step towards protecting the outstanding reputation of our craftsmanship for future generations.
HEUTE
Crafting a Borovnik rifle calls for extreme precision and the utmost discretion. After four years at a special technical school, our gunsmiths also have to undergo more training supervised by our master gunmaker.
As a Borovnik rifle is 90% crafted by hand without the use of any machines, it can take up to two years to complete. The client is involved at every stage in the manufacturing process from gunmaking and stockmaking to engraving. Personal wishes can therefore be taken into consideration at any time. Each of our precision guns thus becomes a unique masterpiece.