On Wednesday, 5 February 2025, the opening of the exhibition “IN (Novo) MESTO? German bombing. ruins. reconstruction.” took place at the Park of Military History.

The event commenced with an address by the Director of the Park of Military History, Mag. Janko Boštjančič, followed by a welcome speech from Ms Jasna Dokl Osolnik, Director of the Dolenjska Museum Novo mesto and the exhibition’s author, and Ms Marjeta Bregar, historian and curator at the Dolenjska Museum. The exhibition was officially inaugurated by Mag. Matjaž Ravbar, Director General of the Directorate for War Veterans and Military Heritage. The opening ceremony was enriched by a performance from the Slovenian Armed Forces Orchestra.

The exhibition “In (Novo) Mesto? German Bombing. Ruins. Reconstruction.” was curated by historian and curator Marjeta Bregar from the Dolenjska Museum in collaboration with architect Natalija Zanoški from the Society of Architects of Dolenjska and Bela Krajina, art historian Katarina Dajčman, and designer Maja Rudolf Markovič. The construction of the wooden exhibition structure was supported by the Secondary School of Construction, Woodworking, and Early Childhood Education in Novo Mesto.

The exhibition was financially supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Municipality of Novo Mesto, with additional support for its hosting provided by the Park of Military History.

The exhibition presents the German aerial bombings of Novo Mesto during the Second World War, focusing particularly on the three attacks that struck the Dolenjska capital in the spring of 1941 and the autumn of 1943. However, the exhibition is not solely about the air raids, the suffering, and the fear experienced by the inhabitants; it also highlights the city’s reconstruction, which took more than a decade to complete.

Through extensive archival and photographic material, the exhibition offers insight into the pre-war, wartime, and post-war events in Novo Mesto. It revives the memories of residents who lived through the bombings, raises awareness of the dangers posed by unexploded ordnance, and underscores the importance of preserving both tangible and intangible cultural heritage.

The hosting of the exhibition coincides with the Park’s temporary exhibition “Slovenia Under a Hail of Bombs – Allied Bombings 1944–1945,” which was opened last September. This allows visitors to gain a more comprehensive insight into the wartime events in Slovenian airspace during the Second World War.

The exhibition will be on display at the Park of Military History until 30 March.

You are kindly invited to visit!

On the Slovenian Cultural Holiday, 8 February 2025, the Park will be open from 10:00 to 17:00, and all visitors will receive a 50% discount on the standard admission fee (discounts cannot be combined). Advance booking is required for tours of the submarine interior and for using the MiG-21 flight simulator, with additional services charged according to the current price list. Other activities listed in the programme below are free of charge.

For reservations or further information, please contact us on 031 775 002 or via email at [email protected].

The depots of Slovenian National Museum, Technical Museum of Slovenia and National Museum of contemporary history of Slovenia of will be open from 10:00 to 17:00.

Programme:

10:30–11:30 – Tours of the interior of the P-111 submarine

11:00 – Guided tour of the exhibition “Slovenia Under a Hail of Bombs – Allied Bombings 1944–1945” and screening of the film Bombing of Slovenia

12:00 – Guided tour of the guest exhibition “And (Novo) mesto? German Bombing. Ruins. Reconstruction.” by Marjeta Bregar, curator at the Dolenjska Museum

12:00–15:00 – Children’s workshops by the Park of Military History in the ground floor of Pavilion A

12:30 – Guided tours of the exhibitions and collections in Pavilions B, C, and A

13:00–14:00 – Tours of the interior of the P-111 submarine

14:00 – Behind the Scenes of the Vehicle Collection (guided tour of the operational part of the collection) in the tank garages (meeting point: by the locomotive)

15:00 – Screening of the film Eddy’s War (multimedia hall, Pavilion A). The film has a runtime of 1 hour and 40 minutes. WARNING: The film contains sensitive scenes

16:00 – Guided tour of the exhibition on the development of the Park of Military History “They Shall Beat Their Swords into Ploughshares and Their Spears into Pruning Hooks (Isaiah 2:4)” (behind the Komanda Building)

NOTICE

Discounts cannot be combined. Additional services (guided tour of the interior of the submarine) are charged according to the current price list.

The organiser reserves the right to modify the programme.

Activities within the Park of Military History complex will be photographed and recorded. Photos and recordings will be used for promotional purposes by the Park of Military History. Visitors agree that they may also be recorded or photographed during the event, including audio recordings where applicable.

Since the beginning of January 2025, the Park of Military History has been hosting the exhibition “The Story of Two Transports: Jews of Međimurje and Prekmurje During the Holocaust.”

On Tuesday, 21 January at 17:00, the Park of Military History will hold a lecture and guided tour of the exhibition “The Story of Two Transports: Jews of Međimurje and Prekmurje During the Holocaust,” which was prepared as part of the “Never Forget” project by the Jewish Heritage Centre Synagogue Maribor, in cooperation with the Jewish Community of Čakovec and the Municipality of Lendava. Boris Hajdinjak, the author of the exhibition and Director of Synagogue Maribor, will deliver a lecture on the long history of Jews in the regions of Prekmurje and Međimurje, their contributions to the development of towns and localities in these areas, and the tragic fate they suffered during the Holocaust.

The exhibition features numerous fascinating photographs and other archival material, with its central piece being a display case containing a blanket belonging to Terezija Fürst from the Auschwitz concentration camp and a notebook belonging to Lajos Blau.

We cordially invite you to visit the exhibition and attend the lecture.

The Park of Military History will be open in February from Monday to Friday between 11:00 AM and 2:00 PM and on Saturdays and Sundays between 10:00 AM and 4:00 PM.

On the Slovenian Cultural Holiday, February 8, 2025, the Park will be open from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM. All visitors will receive a 50% discount on the basic admission ticket (discounts cannot be combined). A prior reservation is required for the submarine interior tour and the MiG-21 flight simulator experience, while additional offers are charged according to the current price list. Other events listed in the program are free of charge.

During the winter school holidays, from February 15 to March 2, 2024, the Park of Military History will be open daily from 10:00 AM to 4:00 PM.

A prior reservation is required for the submarine interior tour or guided visits of the police boat P-111 as an additional museum offer. Reservations can be made by phone at +386 (0)31 775 002 or via email at [email protected].

The Park of Military History will be open during the Christmas and New Year holidays, from 21 December 2024 to 6 January 2025, between 10:00 and 16:00. The Park will be CLOSED on 1. and 2. January 2025.

The restaurant Kantina Pivka will operate in December on weekdays from 10:00 to 14:00, and on Saturdays from 12:00 to 16:00. It will be CLOSED on 1 and 2 January 2025

The Military History Park will be open in December from Monday to Friday between 11:00 and 14:00, and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00 to 16:00.

To visit the interior of the submarine and try the flight simulator, which are additional museum offerings, prior booking is mandatory. Please make a reservation by calling +386 (0)31 775 002 or emailing [email protected].

The Military History Park will be open during the Christmas and New Year holidays, from 23 December 2024 to 5 January 2025, between 10:00 and 16:00. The park will be CLOSED on 25 December 2024 and 1 January 2025.

On This Merry Day of Culture, 3 December 2024, we are offering all visitors a 50% discount on tickets for the basic museum tour. The Park of Military History will be open on this day from 10:00 to 15:00.

The restaurant Kantina Pivka will operate in December on weekdays from 10:00 to 14:00, and on Saturdays from 12:00 to 16:00. During the Christmas and New Year holidays, it will follow the same schedule but will be CLOSED on 24, 25 December 2024 as well as on 1 and 2 January 2025. On sunday, 29. December it will be OPEN.