Announcement: Opening of the temporary exhibition ‘Border, Language and School
Language plays a key role in building the cultural and civic community within and beyond the borders of the Republic of Slovenia today. However, this has not always been the case. During the turbulent first half of the 20th century, the Slovenian language came under great pressure.
The interplay between state frameworks, public values, language policy, and education is a multifaceted topic that remains highly relevant today. This is why at the Slovenian School Museum, we have prepared a temporary exhibition entitled
BORDER, LANGUAGE, SCHOOL: State Frameworks and Language Policy in Slovenian Education of the First Half of the Twentieth Century.
The exhibition highlights the importance of the Slovenian language and of various language communities in education in the territory of present-day Slovenia and neighbouring regions during the turbulent first half of the 20th century. The exhibition was devised by Dr Simon Malmenvall, a curator at the Slovenian School Museum.
It will be on display from 2 October to 5 November 2025 on Krakovski nasip in Ljubljana.
The opening of the exhibition and public guided tour will take place on 7 October 2025 at noon.
The exhibition consists of twenty-two panels with a total of sixty-one images and accompanying texts in Slovenian and English. The exhibition is created to highlight the importance of the Slovenian language and the various linguistic communities in education in the territory of present-day Slovenia and its neighboring countries during the turbulent first half of the twentieth century. It is indirectly connected to the eightieth anniversary of the end of World War II, after which the majority of the Slovenian-speaking population found themselves once again in a single state unit. It highlights the ideological and social pressures stemming from the rapid changes in the state frameworks, as well as the efforts of Slovenian teachers and other educated people in preserving and developing the Slovenian language. The exhibition panels contain extracts from textbooks, manuals and archive documents, accompanied by photographs and postcards from the period.
The exhibition was created in partnership between the Slovenian School Museum and the Ljubljana Tourism institution, with financial support from the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Slovenia.
About the exhibition
The first half of the twentieth century was a period of socio-political upheaval in the territory of present-day Slovenia and its surroundings. In the aftermath of World War I (1914–1918) and World War II (1939/1941–1945) state frameworks were changing and borders were shifting. During this period, there were as many as eight countries in the region: Austria-Hungary, Germany, Austria, Italy, the Free Territory of Trieste, and two Yugoslavias (the royal and the socialist). In a relatively short time, the population was integrated into different educational systems. Each of them brought with it its own ideological starting points, with a particular emphasis on educating for the values of the collective (state, nation, political party …).
Despite rapid changes and political pressures, certain constants were established in the field of education on the Slovenian territory in the first half of the twentieth century:
- the insistence of Slovenian intellectuals on preserving the Slovenian language at all levels of education;
- the experience of education as a social authority;
- unresolved issues of educational autonomy of national communities (Slovenian, German, Hungarian, Italian);
- the city of Ljubljana, regardless of the changing national borders, as the geographical and cultural center of the Slovenian-speaking population, a role that was strengthened by the establishment of the University in 1919.
The preservation and development of the Slovenian language remains one of the priorities of education in modern Slovenia. Throughout history, the Slovenian language has united the population and, through the efforts of native speakers, gradually shaped a comprehensive educational system. Even today, the language builds the cultural and civic community within and beyond the borders of the Republic of Slovenia.