In a time of rapid social change, museums are not just guardians of the past, but spaces for encounter and dialogue. Under the umbrella theme “Museums Connecting a Divided World,” we will explore how heritage connects different generations, communities, and perspectives.

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We invite you to visit our social media channels and website this week, where we will regularly post interesting highlights. Follow us using the hashtags: #naprejvpreteklost #muzejinskupnosti #dediščinapovezuje #muzejbrezmeja

Join us in discovering the stories that unite us!

The post Forward into the Past: Museums Connecting a Divided World first appeared on MNOM.

Why visit us right now?

Peace to explore: Winter brings a calmer atmosphere, ideal for an in-depth tour of the exhibitions without the noise and the crowds.

Inspiration for new beginnings: Every exhibition tells a story that sparks new thoughts and creative energy for the year ahead.

Whether you are looking for a place for quiet reflection, an educational family outing, or just a short escape from the cold, our doors are open.

Join us and let the stories of the past warm your heart!

The post Let culture keep you warm this winter! first appeared on MNOM.

First, we visited the Museum of the City of Zagreb (Muzej grada Zagreba), where we were warmly welcomed and guided through the permanent exhibition as well as an exhibition showcasing Zagreb Gold.

Then we attended the opening of the exhibition Did you want to see me broken? (Ste me hoteli videti strto?) at the Slovenian House Zagreb (Slovenski dom Zagreb). The exhibition was prepared three years ago by 20 authors from various Slovenian institutions and associations, at the initiative of the then-director of the Maribor Museum of National Liberation, Dr. Aleksandra Berberih – Slana, who is today the director of the Museum of the City of Zagreb.

The exhibition speaks about human rights and the violation thereof, offering personal insights into past severe individual and also collective violations. It reminds us that periods when human rights were distant from today’s understanding should likewise not be forgotten. This is one of the exhibition’s strongest messages. The war currently raging mercilessly not so far away unfortunately also tells us that we are capable of forgetting all past experiences or even ignoring them.

At the opening of the exhibition, we were greeted by Mr. Darko Šonc, a Maribor native and President of the Slovenian House Zagreb. We were also addressed by the Ambassador of Slovenia to Croatia, H.E. Mr. Gašper Dovžan. Simona Tripkovič, the Director of the Maribor Museum of National Liberation, presented the exhibition, and the representative of our founder, the Municipality of Maribor, Deputy Mayor Mrs. Davorka Pregl, conveyed greetings from the city beneath Pohorje and officially opened the exhibition.

Time quickly passed in pleasant socializing and conversation.

Photo: M. Pigac

The post Excursion to Zagreb first appeared on MNOM.

The colorful photography exhibition is the result of the 15th EKO DRAVA 2025 photo competition. As part of the opening, awards and prizes, determined by the expert commission consisting of photographer Tomo Jeseničnik, Master of Photography Jure Kravanja, and Master of Photography Stojan Kerbler, were also presented.

The project is organized by Klub Amicus Luminis, led by the renowned Maribor photographer Maja Šivec, and the Maribor Diving Association (Potapljaško društvo Maribor).

The project’s goal is to showcase the importance of the River Drava for life, as well as other rivers, which are not just a space for human recreation, but also draw attention to our irresponsible environmental behavior, thus raising awareness that we only have one planet.

Photographer at the exhibition opening: Aleš Žiberna

The post EKO DRAVA 2025: Life by the River first appeared on MNOM.

The question of establishing a radio station in Maribor was already a relevant topic immediately after Radio Ljubljana started operating in 1928. Consequently, residents in the Slovenian northeast could only listen to the Ljubljana radio without major disruptions during the day and only with very good radio sets. People could not listen to Radio Ljubljana with “cheap” radio sets or with detectors alone. Therefore, the number of radio subscribers grew slower than it could have.

The campaign to establish a radio relay station in Maribor particularly gained momentum in the mid-1930s.
It was accelerated by the fact that Austria significantly increased the power of its radio stations in 1935, making the reception of Yugoslav radio programs nearly impossible, even with better equipment. As was written in the newspaper Slovenec on February 18, 1938: “From that moment on, our cultural and national defence interests also demanded that our border population be given the opportunity to listen to our stations, as they were otherwise subjected to the harmful influence of the neighbours.” The powerful transmitting stations in Klagenfurt and Graz were especially strong.

In the mid-1930s, Radio Ljubljana broadcast several events from Maribor and the wider surrounding area.
These broadcasts once again encouraged the residents of Maribor to consider their own radio station and also demonstrated “how much such interesting national treasure could still be collected in Štajerska (Styria), especially along the northern border.”

The establishment of a radio station in Maribor was strongly supported by the mayor, Dr. Alojzij Juvan. On the tenth anniversary of Radio Ljubljana’s launch, he justified his position as follows:
“Slovenian Maribor already has such a developed cultural movement that it could adequately relieve the Ljubljana station with its own educational lectures, concerts, and theatre broadcasts. /…/ The new station is particularly necessary from a national point of view. National propaganda via radio is even more necessary today than educational programs. We are all aware of how systematically neighbouring countries use the radio to propagate ideas harmful to our national and state life. Day after day, our people listen to this propaganda, and the poison of foreign countries, foreign mentality, and unnecessary respect for neighbours enters the souls of our people. For the national and state idea and consciousness to penetrate and deepen to the last village, it is necessary to eliminate the listening of foreign radio stations and offer good domestic national propaganda via our own station in Maribor.”
He also justified Maribor’s demand for its own station with the number of subscribers: Maribor had 1,376 subscribers in 1933, and five years later, that number had already reached 2,880.

This year (2025), historian Dr. Andrej Rahten informed us that a document was discovered in the Belgrade archive in which the then Minister of the Interior, Dr. Anton Korošec, calls on the Prime Minister, Dr. Milan Stojadinović, “to accelerate efforts for the construction of a relay station in Maribor.”

The post “IN THE BEAT OF BROADCASTING, IN THE RHYTHM OF WORDS. RADIO MARIBOR – 80 YEARS” The Regional Programme of Radio Maribor celebrates first appeared on MNOM.

The exhibition, which depicts the events at the beginning of the Second World War in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, was opened on April 10, 2025. The opening was attended by four representatives of the museum: the director Simona Tripkovič, the author of the exhibition Dr. Irena Mavrič Žižek, the curator educator Uroš Dokl, and the head of the technical service Zlatko Kresnik. The Slovenian delegation also included a representative of the Municipality of Maribor, namely the city councilor and president of the Culture Committee Davorka Pregl, and representatives of the Office for Culture and Youth, the head of the office Nina Kirbiš and Martina Kositer. This makes us very happy, as we are thus convinced that our founder supports our work. The opening was attended by high representatives of the city authorities from Niš, namely the Deputy Mayor of the City Municipality of Niš Vili Hadžić, the Assistant Director of the National Museum in Niš Marina Vlaisavljević, and representatives of the Palilula Municipality, councilor Predrag Petrović, Ivana Jocić Veselić, and Milan Nikolić. The president of the Slovenian Society France Prešeren in Niš, Ivica Gruden, also honored us with his presence. The opening was covered by numerous Serbian media outlets: Bellami, Kopernikus, Zona TV, and Boom 18.

The English translation is:
The curator from the National Museum in Niš, Ivana Gruden Milentijević, gave us an excellent and professional guided tour of the exhibitions at the Red Cross concentration camp. We also visited Bubanj, where numerous hostages were shot during the Second World War, and then we viewed the Mediana archaeological site and the unique Skull Tower (Čele kula).

We were received by representatives of the city authorities, namely the mayor and the representative for culture in the city council of the City Municipality of Niš, Ivana Cvetković.

The post The exhibition “They Expelled Us” at the National Museum in Niš. first appeared on MNOM.

The solemn academy was organized by the Historical Society of Dr. Franc Kovačič in Maribor, the Medical History Section of the Slovenian Medical Association, the Maribor Medical Society, the Home Guard Society of General Maister, and the Maribor Museum of National Liberation.

The following speakers addressed the guest of honor: Prof. Dr. Zdravko Kačič, Rector of the University of Maribor; Prof. Dr. Jernej Završnik, President of the Maribor Medical Society and Director of the Maribor Health Center; Prof. Dr. Iztok Takač, Dean of the Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor, and Head of the Department of Gynecology and Perinatology, University Clinical Centre Maribor; Assoc. Prof. Dr. Gregor Pivec, Medical History Section of the Slovenian Medical Association and Professor at the Faculty of Medicine, University of Maribor; Aleš Arih, President of the Home Guard Society of General Maister; Prof. Dr. Darko Friš, President of the Historical Society of Dr. Franc Kovačič and Dean of the Faculty of Arts, University of Maribor; Prof. Dr. Ludvik Toplak, Rector of the University of Alma Mater Europaea; and Simona Tripkovič, Director of the Maribor Museum of National Liberation.

The cultural program featured a performance by soprano soloist Sabina Cvikl, accompanied by pianist Sofia Ticchi.

The program was hosted by Stane Kocutar.

Foto: Marko Pigac

The post An academic ceremony to honor the 90th anniversary of the distinguished professor of the University of Maribor, prof. dr. Elko Borko. first appeared on MNOM.

The post MARIBOR DAY 2024 first appeared on MNOM.

The post The museum is also open on Sundays! first appeared on MNOM.

Pričujoča razstava razkriva življenje amaterskega fotografa Iva Kvaca, rojenega v učiteljski družini, iz Šmartnega v Rožni dolini pri Celju. Kot celjski gimnazijec se je priključililegalnem domoljubnem krožku Kondor, ki je izdajalo literarno glasilo Leposlovne in znanstvene vaje Savinja, pod mentorstvom Rudolfa Maistra. Po opravljeni maturi so ga kot avstro-ogrskega vojaka napotili na območje Trbiža (it. Tarvisio) na meji med takratno Avstro-Ogrsko in Kraljevino Italijo, kjer je ostal nekaj mesecev in prestajal najtežje trenutke. Bil je ranjen v nogo in ob koncu vojne odlikovan z medaljo za pogum. Po končani vojni se je javil k borcem za severno mejo in odšel v enoto, ki je pokrivala okolico Velikovca na Koroškem. Izobrazil se je za pravnika in se kot prokurist zaposlil v lesni industriji Triglav Celje, prvi jugoslovanski tovarni orodja v Slovenj Gradcu in v Kiefferjevi tovarni kos in srpov v Lovrencu na Pohorju, kjer je po drugi vojni postal prvi direktor tovarne. V kraju Lovrenc na Pohorju se je tudi ustalil in si tam ustvaril družino. Ivo se je v krajih bivanja aktivno vključeval v društveno življenje. Deloval je pri Slovenskem planinskem društvu (SPD) in njegovi mislinjski podružnici. Aktiven je bil v gradbenih odborih za gradnjo planinskih koč. Nekaj časa je bil gospodar planinskega doma na Uršlji gori. Deloval je pri Zvezi Maistrovih borcev, v šahovskem, gasilskem in sokolskem društvu, Jadranski straži, protituberkulozni ligi, Olepševalnem tujsko prometnem društvu in v organizaciji Rdečega križa. V društvih je opravljal več funkcij: od tajnika, računovodje, podpredsednika in predsednika do odbornika. Za zasluge v društvenem življenju je bil odlikovan z redom svetega Save in srebrno kolajno.

Nad fotografiranjem se je navdušil že v gimnazijskih letih, ko je s fotoaparatom večkrat »preganjal dolgčas« in portretiral svoje prijatelje. Fotografiral je tudi v času bojev za severno mejo na Koroškem. Bil je pobudnik ustanovitve Kluba ljubiteljev fotografije leta 1925 v Celju. Njegova najboljša fotografska leta so bila od poznih dvajsetih do poznih tridesetih let 20. stoletja. Iz tega časa hranimo v Muzeju narodne osvoboditve Maribor zbirko 889 negativov na steklu, ki so bili najdeni v Lovrencu na Pohorju. Posnetki razkrivajo različne motive s področja krajinske, portretne in dokumentarne fotografije, nekaterih posnetkov pa ni mogoče umestiti v točno določeno zvrst. Ker je bil navdušen planinec, so pogosti motivi planine, pohodi, izleti in planinski domovi. Predvsem ljuba mu je bila Uršlja gora. Najobsežnejši del zbirke so portreti, vendar jih je najtežje dokumentirati. Na posnetkih so skupine ljudi, delavci, družina, odrasli posamezniki in otroci. Na steklene plošče je zabeležil tudi nekatere dogodke v tistem času: zbor Orjune v Celju, zlet sokolov v Slovenj Gradcu, otvoritev planinske koče na Smrekovcu., 60. obletnico PGD Slovenj Gradec idr.

Kot fotoamaterja so ga opazili tudi v fotografskih krogih. Za svoje fotografije je leta 1926 prejel odlikovanje in častno diplomo na prvi jugoslovanski fotografski razstavi fotografov amaterjev v Splitu. Leta 1929 je sodeloval na razstavi Fotokluba v Beogradu, kjer je za svojo fotografijo Križ v snegu prejel bronasto medaljo. Leta 1932 je sodeloval na prvi jugoslovanski fotografski razstavi v Ljubljani, na kateri se je predstavilo 50 poklicnih in amaterskih fotografov s 500 deli. Kvac je sodeloval s fotografijami Križ na gori, Klasje in Pobočje z marjeticami. Istega leta se je s svojimi fotografijami udeležil še fotografske razstave v Mariboru. Zanjo je ljubljanski Fotoklub izbral 250 najboljših del z obeh dotakratnih razstav. Kvacove fotografije so bile objavljene v Ilustriranem Slovencu, prilogi časopisa Slovenec, ter v publikacijah, kot so Planinski vestnik, zbornik Dravske banovine »Zemlja odmora i zabave, Slovenija, Dravska banovina; Letovališta, lečilišta i kupališta« ter knjižica Slovenj Gradec in okolica. S fotografijami je kot član Fotokluba Maribor sodeloval tudi v Turističnem prospektu Maribora, ki je leta 1940 izšel v 20.000 izvodih. Velikokrat je fotografije izdeloval kot razglednice, predvsem so bile to fotografije letovišč, krajev in planinskih koč.

Avtorica razstave: Marjetka Božičko, višja kustosinja, Muzej narodne osvoboditve Maribor (MNOM)

Postavitev: Zlatko Kresnik, vodja tehnične službe MNOM

Fotografski muzej Maribor, 15. junij -8. september 2024

The post IVO KVAC (1900-1979): The Life of an Amateur Photographer and Selected Photographs on Glass Plates first appeared on MNOM.