Difference between revisions of "Idrija Municipal Museum"

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{{Article
 
{{Article
| status      =  
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| status      = TOPROOFREAD NIFERTIK! PHOTO
| maintainer  = Ivan Pirnat
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| maintainer  = Admin
 
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{{Infobox
 
{{Infobox
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| founded by          = Municipality of Idrija
 
| founded by          = Municipality of Idrija
 
| contacts = {{Contact
 
| contacts = {{Contact
| name                = Ivana Leskovec
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| name                = Dr. Miha Kosmač
 
| role                = Director
 
| role                = Director
 
| email              =  
 
| email              =  
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| accounts            =
 
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http://www.facebook.com/MestniMuzejIdrija
 
http://www.facebook.com/MestniMuzejIdrija
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https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC-aWMVPoqHBR-BmfLbGeqsQ/
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https://www.instagram.com/mestnimuzejidrija/
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https://www.tripadvisor.com/Attraction_Review-g2177201-d6840176-Reviews-Idrija_Municipal_Museum-Idrija_Slovenian_Littoral_Region.html
 
}}
 
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{{Teaser|
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{{Teaser
The [[Idrija Municipal Museum]] was founded in [[established::1953]] as the Museum of Idrija and Cerkno. It is housed in [[Gewerkenegg Castle]], which dominates the old centre of the town. The 16th-century castle had been mostly a seat of management and administration for many centuries of the second oldest and largest mercury mine in the world, which dates back to 1490. The museum's main aim has been to preserve, present, and research the rich technical heritage of the mercury mine and the ethnological features of the life of miners and peasants of this region that lies on the borderline between the Karst and the pre-Alpine hills.  
+
|image=Grad Gewerkenegg zunaj Bojan Tavčar-2017.jpg
 +
|
  
The museum is responsible for the area's natural sights and technical, ethnological, historical, and cultural monuments, as well as for the major monuments of the National Liberation Struggle from the Second World War. It also administers the [[Cerkno Museum]] and the [[France Bevk Homestead]] in Zakojca, and publishes the ''[[Idrijski razgledi Magazine]]''.  
+
The [[Idrija Municipal Museum]] was founded in [[established::1953]] as the Museum of Idrija and Cerkno. It is housed in [[Gewerkenegg Castle]], which dominates the old center of the town. The 16th-century castle had mostly served as a seat of management and administration for many centuries of the second oldest and largest mercury mine in the world, dating back to 1490. The museum's main aim has been to preserve, present, and research the rich technical heritage of the mercury mine, along with the ethnological features of the life of miners and peasants in this region, which lies on the borderline between the Karst and the pre-Alpine hills.
 +
The museum is responsible for the area's natural sights and technical, ethnological, historical, and cultural monuments, as well as for the major monuments of the National Liberation Struggle from the Second World War. It also administers the [[Cerkno Museum]] and the [[France Bevk Homestead]] in Zakojca, and publishes the ''[[Idrijski razgledi Magazine]]''.
 +
In 1997, the Idrija Municipal Museum received the Luigi Micheletti Award as the best European museum of industrial and technical heritage.
  
In 1997 the Idrija Municipal Museum received the Luigi Micheletti Award, as the best European museum of industrial and technical heritage.
+
}}
  
{{Image|Municipality of Idrija 1689 Valvasor.jpg}}
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== Exhibitions on the Gewerkenegg Castle ==
 +
The central museum exhibition titled ''Five Centuries of the Mercury Mine and the Town of Idrija'' presents the development of the town of Idrija and 500 years of the second oldest and largest mercury mine in the world. While operating, the mine produced one-eighth of all mercury globally.  
  
}}
+
The ''Collection of Rocks, Fossils, Mercury Ores, and Minerals'', with nearly 3,000 different specimens, is the largest exhibited collection of its kind in Slovenia. ''Documents Tell the Story'' and ''View of the Town'' in the front tower of the castle showcase a selection of significant archival sources from all over Europe, along with documents from Idrija cartographers and mine maps from the 18th and 19th centuries.
 +
 
 +
The ''Mercury Tower'' is the highlight of the exhibition, designed like a shaft with three levels. Each level presents different symbolic values in the life of the miner. The first level displays equipment, methods, and customs before entering the shaft; the second level showcases work conditions, tools, and miners in the 17th century; and the lowest part features a 320 kg transparent Plexiglass cube with drops of mercury hanging in the air on iron wires.
 +
 
 +
''Famous Personalities'' presents portraits and documents relating to the workers, intellectuals, and mining experts who influenced Slovenia's and Europe's science and culture. Notable figures include naturalists Scopoli, Hacquet, and Paracelsus, who lived in Idrija.
 +
 
 +
The process of extracting mercury and cinnabar is illustrated in a room with a massive millstone used for grinding cinnabar, clay retorts for smelting ore, and original mercury scales from 1830. An important support industry for mining is forestry; Idrija is surrounded by hills and forests that were cut for centuries for shaft support and mining architecture. Wood was also exported, and the Idrijca River and its tributaries served as transport routes. Architectural and technical solutions are vividly presented through various models of water dams, barriers, and water rakes designed to pool incoming wood. The facilities shown in the models can still be visited in the town of Idrija and surrounding areas.
  
== Exhibitions ==
+
''The Heartbeat of the Bourgeois Idrija'' highlights the vibrant social and cultural life in historical Idrija. The [[Idrija Brass Music Association]], with over 350 years of tradition, has a permanent tribute in the museum. Mining operations led to the establishment of several high-quality local schools and craft traditions such as lace-making. Bobbin lace-making was introduced into Slovenia from the Czech and German lands of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy over 300 years ago, with the first mention dating back to 1696. Idrija gradually developed its own techniques and design patterns, establishing a lace school in 1876, which achieved European dimensions. Lace, like mercury, was exported worldwide.
=== Gewerkenegg Castle ===
 
The central museum exhibition with the title ''Five Centuries of the Mercury Mine and the Town of Idrija'' presents the development of the town of Idrija and 500 years of the second oldest and the largest mercury mine in the world. While operating, the mine produced one-eighth of all mercury in the world. The exhibition is thematically divided into 11 sections with 25 exhibition rooms covering a total area of more than 1,300 square metres.  
 
  
The ''Collection of Rocks, Fossils, Mercury Ores and Minerals'', with nearly 3,000 different specimens is the biggest exhibited collection of its kind in Slovenia. ''Documents Tell the Story'' and ''View of the Town'' in the front tower of the castle exhibit a selection of significant archival sources from all over Europe along with documents of Idrija cartographers and mine maps from the 18th and 19th centuries.  
+
The Memorial Room of [[France Bevk]], a famous Slovene writer, was donated by his wife after his death in 1971. His study was moved from Ljubljana to the museum's permanent exhibition at [[Gewerkenegg Castle]] that same year.
  
''Mercury Tower'', is highlight of the exhibition and is designed like a shaft with three levels. Each level presents different symbolic values in the work of the miner. Equipment, ways, and customs before entering the shaft. The second level presents work, working conditions, tools, miners at work in the 17th century, etc. And in the lowest part, a treasure here hangs in the air on iron wires, represented by a 320kg transparent Plexiglass cube with drops of mercury inside.    
+
On display in the Idrija Municipal Museum is a relief model of the Partisan Hospital ''Bolnica Pavla'', a lesser-known but significant hospital where more than 1,600 Partisans were treated.
  
''Famous Personalities'', show portraits and documents relating to the activities of all those workers, intellectuals, and mining experts who came to or lived in Idrija and influenced Slovenia's and Europe's science and culture at large. For instance in Idrija were the naturalists Scopoli, Hacquet, and Paracelsus.  
+
''The Flow of Knowledge and Goods; the Heritage of Mercury'' is one of the newest exhibitions. Since the 17th century, mercury from Idrija and Almadén primarily traveled across the Atlantic to the Spanish mines of the New World. From Idrija to America, mercury was transported in special steel bottles, traveling up to 10,000 kilometers and taking up to five months to reach its destination. In American mines, it was used in procedures for extracting gold and silver, which then returned to Europe in the form of bars or coins. Knowledge of metallurgy accompanied these goods. Unfortunately, the processes associated with mercury heavily polluted the environment; in the past 200 years, the rate of mercury in the atmosphere has tripled. In 2013, awareness of the serious environmental effects led to the creation of the Minamata Convention, a document aimed at protecting global health and the environment from mercury's effects. Since 2011, Europe has banned the use of mercury.
  
The process of extracting mercury and cinnabar is illustrated in a room with a massive millstone used for grinding cinnabar, clay retorts for blasting ore, and original mercury scales from 1830. An important support industry for mining is foresting, and Idrija is surrounded by hills and forests that were cut for centuries for shaft support and mining architecture. Wood was also exported and the Idrijca River and its mouthing streams were used as transport routes. Architecture and technical solutions are vividly presented by various models of water dams, barriers, and water rakes to pool incoming wood. The facilities shown in the models can still be visited in the town of Idrija or in surrounding areas.    
+
The exhibition ''Idrija Lace, A History Written in Thread'' traces the origins of bobbin lace in Europe and the development of Idrija lace. Most likely, the wives of German and Czech mining experts brought lacemaking knowledge to Idrija in the second half of the 17th century. Here, lacemaking spread rapidly and gained prominence both in the town and the countryside. Idrija lace features various techniques that have grown and improved over time. To help women create lace more efficiently and of better quality, trading companies encouraged the establishment of a lace school in Idrija. Operating continuously since 1876, the lace school preserves and develops lacemaking knowledge with around 400 students per year. In the second half of the 20th century, the role of lace began to transform, becoming increasingly popular as a highly respected ceremonial gift. One notable example is Jovanka’s tablecloth, intended for the wife of former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito, which is on display.
  
''Witnesses of Life's Beat'' presents the lively social and cultural life in the Idrija of the past. The mining operation was responsible for the establishment of several very good local schools as well as craft traditions such as lace-making. Bobbin-lace making was introduced into Slovenia from the Czech and German lands of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy more than 300 years ago; the first mention goes back to the year 1696. Idrija gradually developed its own techniques and design patterns. In 1876 a lace school was established and its activities achieved European dimensions. Lace was exported worldwide the same as mercury.
+
===Temporary exhibitions===
 
A part of the museum is the Memorial Room of Dr. Aleš Bebler (1907–1981), a Slovene politician, diplomat, ecologist and participant in the Spanish Civil War. There is a permanent gallery collection, donated by Idrija-born translator and Rome gallery owner [[Valentina Orsini Mazza]], which comprises 33 paintings and prints by renowned Slovene and Italian artists. There is also the Memorial Room of France Bevk, the famous Slovene writer, that was donated by his wife after his death in 1971. His study was moved from Ljubljana to the museum's permanent exhibition at [[Gewerkenegg Castle]] the same year.
 
  
On display in the Idrija Municipal Museum is a relief model of the Partisan Hospital ''Bolnica Pavla'', the less-known, but no less important hospital where more than 1600 Partisans were treated.  
+
The museum also runs two separate exhibition spaces in the castle: the Small Gallery [Mala galerija] and the [[Nikolaj Pirnat]] Exhibition Space [Razstavišče Nikolaja Pirnata]. Specific research projects, such as well as contemporary artworks, are exhibited there.
  
=== Satellite locations ===
+
== Satellite locations ==
The museum works closely with the [[Idrija Mine Museum]] and the [[Municipality of Idrija]] to run numerous sites (the theatre, a warehouse, the city hall, [[Gewerkenegg Castle]], miners' houses, the water barriers [[Flood Dams, Klavže|''klavže'']], etc.). In 2007 the whole complex was added to the tentative list of the [[:Category:UNESCO World Heritage Sites in Slovenia|UNESCO world heritage sites]] under the title ''Idrija on the Mercury Route of the Intercontinental Camino Real'', while in 2011 the nomination was prepared again, this time as ''Heritage of Mercury'' by Idrija and Almadén.
 
  
The museum therefore oversees the activities of various satellites showing works which were necessary to maintain mine shafts, wood cutting and transport: the [[Flood Dams, Klavže]] in Idrija, built in 1772; [[Francis's Shaft]], the museum's technical department, a mine shaft that has 15 of the most modern battery and steam machines for pumping water out of the mine from the 19th century to the early-20th century. It has the biggest water pump, known as Kley's Pump, made by the E. Škoda Pilsen factory (Plžen, Czech Republic) in 1893 and operated until 1948. After being repaired and renovated, the pump was opened again for the public in 2009. The [[Idrija Kamšt]] (from the German word ''Wasserkunst'' – "water art"), the largest wooden water wheel in Europe which pumped water from the mine from the time of the French Revolution all the way till 1948. It was restored and reopened for public viewing in September 2009.  
+
The museum collaborates closely with the [[Idrija Mine Museum]] (Mercury Heritage Management Center) and the [[Municipality of Idrija]] to manage numerous sites, including the theater, a warehouse, the city hall, [[Gewerkenegg Castle]], miners' houses, and the water barriers [[Flood Dams, Klavže|''klavže'']]. In 2007, the entire complex was added to the tentative list of the [[World Heritage Sites in Slovenia|UNESCO World Heritage Sites]] under the title ''Idrija on the Mercury Route of the Intercontinental Camino Real''. The nomination, as ''Heritage of Mercury'' by Idrija and Almadén, was successful in 2012.
  
Another site is the [[Miner's House - Ethnological Collection|Idrija Miner's House]] dating from the end of the 19th century which was renovated in 1990. Natural heritage is represented by the [[Wild Lake Natural Museum]], located two kilometres south of Idrija; the [[Franja Partisan Hospital]].  
+
The museum oversees various satellite locations showing works necessary for maintaining mine shafts, wood cutting, and transport, including the [[Flood Dams, Klavže]] in Idrija, built in 1772; [[Francis's Shaft]], a mine shaft that houses 15 of the most modern battery and steam machines for pumping water out of the mine from the 19th to early 20th century, featuring the largest water pump, known as Kley's Pump, made by the E. Škoda Pilsen factory (Plžen, Czech Republic) in 1893, which operated until 1948. After being repaired and renovated, it was reopened to the public in 2009. The [[Idrija Kamšt]] (from the German word ''Wasserkunst'' – "water art"), the largest wooden water wheel in Europe, pumped water from the mine from the time of the French Revolution until 1948 and was restored for public viewing in September 2009. The [[Miner's House - Ethnological Collection|Idrija Miner's House]], dating from the late 19th century, was renovated in 1990.
  
The [[Slovenia Partisan Printing Shop]] in Vojsko is one of the best preserved monuments in the region from the Second World War. The Printing House operated from 1944 till the end of the war, and ''Partizanski dnevnik'' [The Partisan's Daily] was the only daily newspaper in occupied Europe printed by a resistance organisation.
+
The museum also cares for the World War II heritage, including the [[Franja Partisan Hospital]] and the [[Slovenia Partisan Printing Shop]] in Vojsko. The Printing House operated from 1944 until the end of the war, and ''Partizanski dnevnik'' [The Partisan's Daily] was the only daily newspaper in occupied Europe printed by a resistance organization.
  
 
== See also ==
 
== See also ==
Line 76: Line 84:
 
== External links ==
 
== External links ==
 
* [http://www.muzej-idrija-cerkno.si Idrija Municipal Museum website]  
 
* [http://www.muzej-idrija-cerkno.si Idrija Municipal Museum website]  
* [http://www.fondazionemicheletti.it/luigi_micheletti_award/lma.aspx?id_aw=15 Idrija Municipal Museum as the Luigi Micheletti Award winner]
+
* [http://www.luigimichelettiaward.eu/winners/dettaglio_winner.asp?id=67 Idrija Municipal Museum as the Luigi Micheletti Award winner]
* [http://www.idrija-turizem.si/en/1.nivo/heritage-of-city-idrija.html/ City of Idrija Heritage]
 
 
UNESCO World Heritage List  
 
UNESCO World Heritage List  
*[http://www.mizks.gov.si/fileadmin/mizks.gov.si/pageuploads/novice/pdf/SPAIN_Slovenia_AB_evaluation_Almaden_Idrija_2012.pdf Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija (Spain, Slovenia)] (pdf)
+
* [https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1313/ Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija, UNESCO presentation]
* [http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1313 Heritage of Mercury. Almadén and Idrija, UNESCO presentation)
 
  
 
{{gallery}}
 
{{gallery}}

Latest revision as of 11:58, 21 October 2024




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Grad Gewerkenegg zunaj Bojan Tavčar-2017.jpgView of Gewerkenegg Castle, the central location of the Idrija Municipal Museum. Author: Bojan Tavčar


The Idrija Municipal Museum was founded in 1953 as the Museum of Idrija and Cerkno. It is housed in Gewerkenegg Castle, which dominates the old center of the town. The 16th-century castle had mostly served as a seat of management and administration for many centuries of the second oldest and largest mercury mine in the world, dating back to 1490. The museum's main aim has been to preserve, present, and research the rich technical heritage of the mercury mine, along with the ethnological features of the life of miners and peasants in this region, which lies on the borderline between the Karst and the pre-Alpine hills. The museum is responsible for the area's natural sights and technical, ethnological, historical, and cultural monuments, as well as for the major monuments of the National Liberation Struggle from the Second World War. It also administers the Cerkno Museum and the France Bevk Homestead in Zakojca, and publishes the Idrijski razgledi Magazine. In 1997, the Idrija Municipal Museum received the Luigi Micheletti Award as the best European museum of industrial and technical heritage.



Exhibitions on the Gewerkenegg Castle

The central museum exhibition titled Five Centuries of the Mercury Mine and the Town of Idrija presents the development of the town of Idrija and 500 years of the second oldest and largest mercury mine in the world. While operating, the mine produced one-eighth of all mercury globally.

The Collection of Rocks, Fossils, Mercury Ores, and Minerals, with nearly 3,000 different specimens, is the largest exhibited collection of its kind in Slovenia. Documents Tell the Story and View of the Town in the front tower of the castle showcase a selection of significant archival sources from all over Europe, along with documents from Idrija cartographers and mine maps from the 18th and 19th centuries.

The Mercury Tower is the highlight of the exhibition, designed like a shaft with three levels. Each level presents different symbolic values in the life of the miner. The first level displays equipment, methods, and customs before entering the shaft; the second level showcases work conditions, tools, and miners in the 17th century; and the lowest part features a 320 kg transparent Plexiglass cube with drops of mercury hanging in the air on iron wires.

Famous Personalities presents portraits and documents relating to the workers, intellectuals, and mining experts who influenced Slovenia's and Europe's science and culture. Notable figures include naturalists Scopoli, Hacquet, and Paracelsus, who lived in Idrija.

The process of extracting mercury and cinnabar is illustrated in a room with a massive millstone used for grinding cinnabar, clay retorts for smelting ore, and original mercury scales from 1830. An important support industry for mining is forestry; Idrija is surrounded by hills and forests that were cut for centuries for shaft support and mining architecture. Wood was also exported, and the Idrijca River and its tributaries served as transport routes. Architectural and technical solutions are vividly presented through various models of water dams, barriers, and water rakes designed to pool incoming wood. The facilities shown in the models can still be visited in the town of Idrija and surrounding areas.

The Heartbeat of the Bourgeois Idrija highlights the vibrant social and cultural life in historical Idrija. The Idrija Brass Music Association, with over 350 years of tradition, has a permanent tribute in the museum. Mining operations led to the establishment of several high-quality local schools and craft traditions such as lace-making. Bobbin lace-making was introduced into Slovenia from the Czech and German lands of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy over 300 years ago, with the first mention dating back to 1696. Idrija gradually developed its own techniques and design patterns, establishing a lace school in 1876, which achieved European dimensions. Lace, like mercury, was exported worldwide.

The Memorial Room of France Bevk, a famous Slovene writer, was donated by his wife after his death in 1971. His study was moved from Ljubljana to the museum's permanent exhibition at Gewerkenegg Castle that same year.

On display in the Idrija Municipal Museum is a relief model of the Partisan Hospital Bolnica Pavla, a lesser-known but significant hospital where more than 1,600 Partisans were treated.

The Flow of Knowledge and Goods; the Heritage of Mercury is one of the newest exhibitions. Since the 17th century, mercury from Idrija and Almadén primarily traveled across the Atlantic to the Spanish mines of the New World. From Idrija to America, mercury was transported in special steel bottles, traveling up to 10,000 kilometers and taking up to five months to reach its destination. In American mines, it was used in procedures for extracting gold and silver, which then returned to Europe in the form of bars or coins. Knowledge of metallurgy accompanied these goods. Unfortunately, the processes associated with mercury heavily polluted the environment; in the past 200 years, the rate of mercury in the atmosphere has tripled. In 2013, awareness of the serious environmental effects led to the creation of the Minamata Convention, a document aimed at protecting global health and the environment from mercury's effects. Since 2011, Europe has banned the use of mercury.

The exhibition Idrija Lace, A History Written in Thread traces the origins of bobbin lace in Europe and the development of Idrija lace. Most likely, the wives of German and Czech mining experts brought lacemaking knowledge to Idrija in the second half of the 17th century. Here, lacemaking spread rapidly and gained prominence both in the town and the countryside. Idrija lace features various techniques that have grown and improved over time. To help women create lace more efficiently and of better quality, trading companies encouraged the establishment of a lace school in Idrija. Operating continuously since 1876, the lace school preserves and develops lacemaking knowledge with around 400 students per year. In the second half of the 20th century, the role of lace began to transform, becoming increasingly popular as a highly respected ceremonial gift. One notable example is Jovanka’s tablecloth, intended for the wife of former Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito, which is on display.

Temporary exhibitions

The museum also runs two separate exhibition spaces in the castle: the Small Gallery [Mala galerija] and the Nikolaj Pirnat Exhibition Space [Razstavišče Nikolaja Pirnata]. Specific research projects, such as well as contemporary artworks, are exhibited there.

Satellite locations

The museum collaborates closely with the Idrija Mine Museum (Mercury Heritage Management Center) and the Municipality of Idrija to manage numerous sites, including the theater, a warehouse, the city hall, Gewerkenegg Castle, miners' houses, and the water barriers klavže. In 2007, the entire complex was added to the tentative list of the UNESCO World Heritage Sites under the title Idrija on the Mercury Route of the Intercontinental Camino Real. The nomination, as Heritage of Mercury by Idrija and Almadén, was successful in 2012.

The museum oversees various satellite locations showing works necessary for maintaining mine shafts, wood cutting, and transport, including the Flood Dams, Klavže in Idrija, built in 1772; Francis's Shaft, a mine shaft that houses 15 of the most modern battery and steam machines for pumping water out of the mine from the 19th to early 20th century, featuring the largest water pump, known as Kley's Pump, made by the E. Škoda Pilsen factory (Plžen, Czech Republic) in 1893, which operated until 1948. After being repaired and renovated, it was reopened to the public in 2009. The Idrija Kamšt (from the German word Wasserkunst – "water art"), the largest wooden water wheel in Europe, pumped water from the mine from the time of the French Revolution until 1948 and was restored for public viewing in September 2009. The Idrija Miner's House, dating from the late 19th century, was renovated in 1990.

The museum also cares for the World War II heritage, including the Franja Partisan Hospital and the Slovenia Partisan Printing Shop in Vojsko. The Printing House operated from 1944 until the end of the war, and Partizanski dnevnik [The Partisan's Daily] was the only daily newspaper in occupied Europe printed by a resistance organization.

See also

Mining monuments and sites:

WWII monuments

External links

UNESCO World Heritage List

Gallery