Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana

Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana
Reviews Google: 4.6
Reviews TripAdvisor: 4.4

Discover the history of Slovenia from the First World War to the present day.

At the Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana are on display both the permanent exhibition, presenting the lives of Slovenes in the 20th Century and temporary exhibitions presenting a specific detailed look at the life in Slovenia in the recent past.

Stop by and enrich your travel experience and knowledge of the Slovenian culture and history.

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Address: Celovška cesta 23, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
Phone: +386 1 300 96 10, Monday CLOSED
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What they say about themselves in the Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana

Collections

Our collection of museum objects began during the Second World War, especially under the auspices of the Partisan Scientific Institute. In the first years after the war, a special field group worked in the museum with the task of planning the collection of museum material important for Slovenian history. Then the collection at Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana was taken over by the museum’s professional colleagues. The collection of museum objects was especially enriched during the preparation of permanent exhibitions and is further enriched during the preparation of occasional exhibitions, during important events, or by exchanging material with related institutions. The museum collections were originally related mainly to war and the military, but over time we acquired more and more objects related to everyday life from all periods of the 20th and 21st centuries. New collections are also being created, including the Oral History Collection, which includes audio and video testimonies. We are constantly supplementing our already extensive Photographic Collections with newly acquired material.

History of the Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana

The history of the Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana dates back to 1944, when the Scientific Institute, the predecessor of the museum, was established at the Executive Committee of the Liberation Front, which was abolished by the government of the People’s Republic of Slovenia in 1948.

Welcome to Cekin mansion

In 1752, Count Leopold Karl Lamberg began building a typical Baroque mansion. Due to the stylistic characteristics of the building, its design is attributed to the architect Johann George Schmidt. It was modelled on the Viennese mansions and intended for the relaxation and entertainment of the educated and leisured nobility of the Baroque era. In 1787, the mansion was given as a gift to Ivana Lamberg, who was married to the riding master Laurenz Szögeny. From its original construction until the Second World War the mansion was a private residence, with many owners over the years. The last owner was the Kozler family, who built Ljubljana’s largest brewery nearby. Peter Kozler was a patriot and national awakener, and the author of the first map of Slovenian lands and provinces, called the Map of the Slovenian Lands and Provinces. The reasons for naming the edifice Cekin Mansion are still shrouded in mystery. According to one explanation, the inhabitants of Ljubljana did not know how to pronounce the surname Szögeny and simply slovenialised it. According to another explanation, Kozler’s father left his four children, in addition to all his property in Ljubljana, Rijeka, Vienna and Trieste, a top hat of gold coins (Slov. cekini), which they then used to buy the mansion, but this story has not been confirmed by any of their descendants. After the Second World War, the Cekin Mansion was nationalised, temporarily used for public housing and a school, and since 1951 it has been a museum.

Source: www.muzej-nz.si