Notranjska Museum Postojna
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1 Jul 2011
15 Sep 2011
With a Fibula into Fable exhibition organised by Koper Regional Museum, Sergej Mašera Maritime Museum, Goriška Museum, Tolmin Museum, Ptuj – Ormož Regional Museum, and Notranjska Museum, Postojna
History
The idea of establishing a museum in Karst [Kras] region goes back in time before the First World War, but was realised only after Second World War as the Postojna Cave Museum at the initiative of painter Leo Vilhar (1899–1971), who became also the first director (1947–1964), with headquarters in Postojna castle.
In 1974 following the merger of its speleological collections with those of the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts (SAZU) the museum became a part of the Karst Research Institute and changed the name into Karst Museum Collection. Following the failure of efforts to found a Slovene Museum of Karstology in the 1980s, the Postojna Municipality upgraded Postojna Cave Museum to create Notranjska Museum in 1990. After years at the temporary location, the museum will have new permanent headquarters in the former garrison commands at Kolodvorska 3 in Postojna, where permanent exhibition will be placed as well.
Mission
The Notranjska museum collects and preserves movable cultural heritage and presents documents, photographs, maps and other interpretative materials relating to Postojna Cave and the surrounding Karst landscape. It organises different workshops and expert meeting relating to Karst topics. The conservation restoration workshop maintains the movable cultural heritage.
Venues
The museum administers various satellites, including the Iron forge at Grahovo, Kravanjeva House in Cerknica, and Predjama Castle. It also manages a small memorial room dedicated to local writer Dr Alojz Kraigher (1877–1959) at Postojna Culture House which can be visited by appointment.
Collections
The museum manages five collections: archaeological collection of spelaean finds, of bronze and iron age finds, of objects from the roman period, and medieval items; ethnological collection of local handicraft items, farming tools and equipment, transport items, cave mural signatures, small festive buns, objects of spiritual culture, fishing collection, dormouse collection in dairy farm of Snežnik Castle, blacksmith collection in the Iron forge at Grahovo; biological collection consists of zoological , botanical, osteological collection of vertebrates, and collection of cave beetles from Balkan peninsula collected by Egon Pretner (1896–1982); history collection of documents, items from NOB (National Liberation Struggle), old photographs and postcards, diplomas, leaflets and posters, collection of history of Postojna Cave, cultural history collection; collection of Aeroklub Postojna - collection of flying vintage aircraft by Edvard Rusjan (1886–1911), flight pioneer.
See also
- Predjama Castle
- Postojna Culture House
- Fužina (Iron forge), Grahovo
- Kravanjeva House in Cerknica