Museum of the Posavje Region, Brežice

The Museum of the Posavje Region, Brežice originated before World War II from the private collection of archaeology enthusiast Otto Aumann of Krško where it was stored in Church of Holy Spirit. In 1949 artist Franjo Stiplovšek, assisted by curator and archaeologist Dr. Rudolf Bratanič, moved the collection from Krško to the Brežice Castle which is one of the most representative castles in Slovenia. It was fortified as part of military frontier against invasion of Turks (16th Century) in Renaissance style and has rich baroque architectural elements and decoration. Knight's Hall from 18th century is the largest fresco painted hall with secular narrative in Slovenia. It is believed to be painted by Frančišek Karl Remb, courtly painter of Attems family which were the wealthiest nobles in 18th century and possessed almost all mayor castles and palaces in Styria and Lower Savinjska Region (Podčetrtek, Štatenberg, Dornava pri Ptuju....) In 1951 the exhibition of National Liberation Struggle (NOB) was added to previous archaeological collection an exhibited in Knight's Hall. At the time, after Second World War, Brežice Castle was pretty neglected, because since 1848 Attems family abandoned it and it was used for Austro-Hungarian army post, social housing, offices. In 1917 earthquake badly damaged some parts and Second World War and post war period added to the miserable state. With the care for museum collection since 1949 also conservation and restoration works on the castle complex had to be carried out and space was eventually adapted to museum conditions. Now is one of the biggest and picturesque museum spaces in Slovenia, it has approx. 2000 square meters of exhibition space in 25 halls. With the collaboration of National Museum of Slovenia they organised and complemented the permanent exhibitions. Every summer SEVIQC Brežice Festival international music festival is organised, Knight's Hall being the main location for the concerts of music composed between the Middle Ages and the beginning of 20th century.

Collections

Museum collection is divided into several exhibition sections:

the archaeological exhibition presents the cultural heritage of Posavje from the end of the Stone Age to the settlement of ancestors and the shaping of feudal society in the Early Middle Ages;
the ethnological exhibition presents the life and creative activities of the domestic population in the 19th and 20th centuries (agriculture, stock-breeding, furnishing homes, forging, wickerwork, honey pastry, pottery, spinning, weaving and viticulture);
the medieval collecion with arms, armours and cannons from 16th and 17th century, when Brežice Castle was one of the important strongholds against invasions of Turks.
Puntarji exhibition presents the Slovene peasants' revolt in 1515 and big Slovene - Croatian revolt in 1573 its leaders (Matija Gubec, Ilija Gregorič) reasons, plans, and consequences. At the same time the Reformation had big impact on Slovene language and national awareness, Reformation displays, include also a precious Dalmatin Bible (the first complete Bible translation from German into Slovene) dating from 1584;
the musical instrument collection features a square piano made in Ulm around 1770;
the contemporary history collection presents the events of the late 19th-mid 20th centuries in Posavje, bourgeoisie and way of living in City, with part of the exhibition named Meščan. An Exile Memorial Room is dedicated to Slovene deportees during World War II;
the art history collection features Baroque paintings, sculptures and arts and crafts products. Illusionistic frescoes the castle interiors are definitely one of the best examples what rich maecenas as Attems family could afford in 18th century, painters working in Brežice Castle covered all major secular and church orders in the region of nowadays Slovenia, north Croatia and Austrian Styria and those were: Franz Ignaz Flurer, Karl Franciscus Remb, Valentin Metzinger and Franc Jelovšek. Permanent exhibition presents baroque winter sleigh supposedly of Austrian Empress Maria Theresa;
the Stiplovšek Memorial Room honours the memory of painter and graphic artist Franjo Stiplovšek (1898-1963), presenting a collection of his expressionist woodcuts from the 1920s, genre paintings, portraits, landscapes and still-life paintings.

Temporary Exhibitions

The Museum of the Posavje Region, Brežice also organises temporary exhibitions in collaboration with four other museums in the neighbouring regions, Bela krajina Museum, Metlika, Dolenjska Museum Novo mesto, Božidar Jakac Gallery, Kostanjevica na Krki, Kočevje Museum that are exchanged among the institutions, recent exhibition is Landscapes From The Museums Depos, Independence War for Slovenia is about to be next. Museum encourages collaboration with other museum institutions or individuals and presents and promotes various museum topics and art exhibitions for instance of sculptor Jurij Stopar

External Links

Museum of the Posavje Region, Brežice

Contents

Collections

Temporary Exhibitions

See Also

External Links

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