Velenje Museum

Housed in Velenje Castle, Velenje Museum is a public cultural institution which collects, documents and preserves the cultural heritage of Velenje and the Šaleška Valley.

The Museum originated in 1957 when the Association of Mining and Metallurgy Engineers and Technicians of Velenje (DRMIT) established the Slovene Coal Mining Museum here. Gradually first collections were organized and at the same time an intensive renovation of the building was done. In year 1966 the permanent exhibition of Coal mining in Slovenia was presented. 1971 museum gained internationally important collection of African vessels, masks and puppets collected by Czech sculptor František Foit that moved to Velenje after 25 years of living and researching in Africa. Other collections not conected to mining started to pile in the Velenje Castle. However, in 1998 mining collection was relocated to the authentic environment of the 180-metre deep Old Shaft (Stari jašek) at Velenje Coal-Mine, where it became part of the Slovene Coal Mining Museum, Velenje.

Velenje Castle first mentioned in year 1270 as Wellen is one of the most preserved in Slovenia. During it 740 year old history it was changed and rebuilt many times. Especially in 16th century when it was transformed into renaissance residence. Each owner and zeitgeist contributed to its outlook and Velenje Museum embraced this differences and incorporated the collections into suited part of the castle. The north-eastern defence tower of Velenje Castle, rearranged into a chapel in 1660, was renovated in 1985 and a collection of Baroque church art (St George in Škale) was installed there. The collection comprises works of well-known sculptors and painters from Štajerska. Particularly eminent are the works of the sculptor Ferdinand Galle from Celje, especially two wooden statues representing St Florian and St George, dressed in Roman military costumes. Two authentic interiors from the 1930s are of a general store and an inn are installed The general store exhibits the original furniture of two shops from the Šalek Valley and about 1,500 different articles from the period. They comprise various cartons, advertising boards, vessels, scales, boxes, textiles, bags, fashion accessories, tobacco products, perfumes, a cash register and even original spices, teas, soap, and detergents. The inn is decorated with original furniture and features a bar, refrigerator, cupboards for glasses and plates, tables, chairs, benches, coat stands, a gramophone and wall paintings. Further smaller items include various soda and soft drink bottles, glasses, beer jugs, wine carafes, beer bottles and crates. Both rooms are arranged to be used functionally. The Museum also incorporates two fine art collections - the Lojze Perko Gallery of paintings by Lojze Perko (1909-1980) and the Gorenje Art Collection. Other exhibitions presented at Velenje Castle include: the remains of a mastodon - bunolophodon (anancus) arvernensis - discovered in Škale near Velenje in 1964 together with a life-size replica of the animal; the Šalek Valley from the 10th to the 17th Centuries; African Art collected by Czech sculptor František Foit; the Šaleška Valley Collection 1941-45; and When Velenje Became a Town, dedicated to the period 1945-1960. The museum manages two satellites - Kavčnik Homestead and the Memorial Room at Topolšica.

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Velenje Museum

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