Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
WorldWarItoindependencein1991.OutfrontisaT-55Yugoslavtankthatwascommand-
eered by the Slovenes during their war for independence. Inside, the ground floor displays
temporary exhibits, and upstairs you'll find several rooms using models, dioramas, light-
and-sound effects, and English explanations to creatively tell the story of one of Europe's
youngestnations.Whileit'salittledifficulttofullyappreciate,thecreativityandthespunky
spirit of the place are truly enjoyable.
Cost and Hours:
€3.50, permanent exhibit free first Sun of the month, guidebook-
€5, open Tue-Sun 10:00-18:00, closed Mon, in Tivoli Park at Celovška cesta 23, tel. 01/
300-9610,
www.muzej-nz.si
.
Getting There:
The museum is a 20-minute walk from the center, best combined with
a wander through Tivoli Park. The fastest approach: As you emerge from the Cankarjeva
cesta underpass into the park, climb up the stairs, then turn right and go straight ahead for
five minutes. You'll continue straight up the ramp, then turn left after the tennis courts and
look for the big pink-and-white mansion on the hill.
Visiting the Museum:
The exhibit begins at the dawn ofthe 20thcentury,duringSlove-
nia's waning days as part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. You'll walk through a simulated
trench from the So
č
a Front, then learn about the creation of the post-World War I Kingdom
of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (or, as this exhibit pointedly puts it, “Kingdom of Slovenes,
Croats, and Serbs”).
YourfootfallsecholoudlyasyouentertheroomdescribingSlovenia'sWWIIexperience
(ask them to start the 12-minute “multivision” wrap-around slideshow, with music and
soundeffects).You'lllearnhowduringthatwar,Sloveniawasdividedbetweenneighboring
fascist powers Germany, Italy, and Hungary. Each one tried (but failed) to exert linguistic
and cultural control over the people, hoping to eradicate the Slovenian national identity.
Video screens show subtitled interviews with people who lived through those war years.
Passing through the ballroom, you reach the “Slovenia 1945-1960” exhibit, outlining
both the good (modernization) and the bad (prison camps and secret police) of the early
Tito years. Despite his ruthless early rule, Tito remains popular here; under his stern bust,
page through the photo album of Tito's visits to Slovenia. Find the display of the country's
former currencies. Examining the Yugoslav dinar, notice that the figureheads on that com-
munist currency were generic, idealized workers, farmers, and other members of the pro-
letariat...except for a few notable individuals (including Tito). Meanwhile, Slovenia's short-
lived post-Yugoslav currency, the
tolar
(1991-2006), featured artists and scientists rather
than heads of state and generals.
ThemostevocativeroomhasartifactsfromtheSlovenes'bravedeclarationofindepend-
ence from a hostile Yugoslavia in 1991. The well-organized Slovenes had only to weather a
10-day skirmish to gain their freedom. It's chilling to think that at one point bombers were
