Slovene Fire Fighters Museum, Metlika
Collections
The Slovene Fire Fighters Museum acquires exhibition space of Exhibition Pavilion at Metlika castle and in the building (former cinema) nearby the castle.
The Fire Fighters Exhibition Pavilion was built in the grounds of Metlika castle and opened in 1984, providing exhibition space for old fire engines collected from various parts of Slovenia, including fire engine from Grahovo by Cerknica dating in 1836 and from Celje, constructed in 1908 in Vienna factory Kernereuter.
After the renovation work in 2008–2009 the exhibition space nearby the castle displays various fire fighters documents, awards, photographs, helmets, medals, fire fighters horns, axes, officers' swords, fire fighters flags, and other items. On the gallery the history of fire fighting until the First World War is on display, including the oldest fire fighter publications (first issue of Gasilec [Fire Fighter] published in 1897) and the 1795 fire regulations for towns and markets in Carniola: Postava sa vola ogna v mejstih inu tergih na Kranjskem, which outlined town and market organisation for the prevention of fires and measures to be taken when fires did happen to break out. Models of the oldest fire engines can also be seen, including the kind used in the 15th and 16th centuries.
In a hall the grounders of Slovene Fire Fighters are presented: Ignacij Merhar, Fran Barle and Josip Turk, as well as the history of fire fighting after the Second World War until the present day. Special attention is drawn to Slovene fire fighters highest order, the Matevž Hace Statuette. In the basement old fire engines are on display, donated by the Technical Museum of Slovenia in Bistra.
In addition to the Slovene Fire Fighters Museum in Metlika, the Fire Fighters Museum Vransko, Fire Fighters Museum Pečarovci as well as smaller fire fighters collections in Muta, Sevnica, Tržič and Žalec are presented.