Collections
Regardless of all the devastation that was caused by the war and the influence of various rulers, the Bovec region has preserved its status as an important borderline and strategic region, while its people have preserved their national identity and their typical Bovec dialect throughout history. The history of the Bovec region is full of stories that were inspired by great men. The exhibition focuses particularly on the Stergulc family and Andrej Stergulc (1927–2002). Andrej was well aware of the importance of history and actively participated in co-creating a better life for the population of the Bovec region. He was an amateur researcher of local history, a collector and the first mayor of the Bovec Municipality in independent Slovenia. He was an ardent researcher of family surnames in Bovec and studied four numbering systems of the houses in various periods (from the time of the Habsburg Monarchy, from the time of Italy and two from the time of Yugoslavia). This helped him come into contact with every house in Bovec. Images of old Bovec houses could be seen on numerous postcards. It was perhaps exactly this that made him into an avid collector of old postcards. The rich archive that was left by Andrej Stergulc has made it possible to show images of Bovec and the Bovec region through various time periods with the help of postcards and photographs at the exhibition. The rich documentary material allows us to take a closer look at the stories of individual families and houses in Bovec, especially those that have long since gone.
Exhibited personal items of Stergulc, awards as well as furniture that were the integral parts of the old home, are also a powerful witness to the past. The documentary movie with the living testimony of Stergulc’s fellow travellers in life shows us this family as one that has lived among us and that has remained a part of a living historical memory among the fellow townsmen. The most pronounced characteristic of the Bovec region cultural identity is, of course, its language. An integral part of the exhibition is therefore represented by videotapes and audio recordings of the storytellers of dialectic folklore stories from the Bovec region. Selected texts are mainly recollections of the events from the period between both world wars.
The history of Bovec was co-created by certain prominent persons that have been highlighted at the exhibition: civil engineer Mihael ŠTRUKELJ (1851—1923) from Log pod Mangartom, priest and historian Ivo JUVANČIČ (1899—1985) from Bovec; movie actress Ida KRAVANJA - Ita Rina (1907—1979) whose parents came from Bovec, and the great literary historian, critic and academician Anton OCVIRK (1907—1980) from Žaga.
The Bovec region of today can also boast of important creators that claim success in various fields. There have been several authors that have devoted their attention to the past of Bovec in their books – persons, historical events as well as the mountains of the Bovec region.
All of this is part of the story of the Stergulc house. This house accompanied the pulse of Bovec during the 19th and 20th centuries. It accompanied natural and other disasters and saw rises as well as falls that were fashioned by the life itself (fires, wars, earthquakes). The Stergulc house is today enriched with the museum collection of the Tolmin Museum, a tale-telling witness of the turbulent history of the Bovec region. The credit for the contribution to the preservation of the living memory of the population of the Bovec region belongs primarily to the Stergulc family. Additional contents in the new form of the Stergulc house in the centre of Bovec gives us a link to the past, the present and opens a window into the future.
mag. Damjana Fortunat Černilogar
Authoress: mag. Damjana Fortunat Černilogar, Tolminski muzej
Designers: Mojca Turk, Polona Zupančič
Images: the family Stergulc collection, Tolminski muzej, Narodni muzej Slovenije
Audio and video records: Avdiovizualni laboratorij Inštituta za slovensko narodopisje ZRC SAZU, Glasbenonarodopisni inštitut ZRC SAZU, TV Slovenija
Artefacts: Helena Stergulc, Tolminski muzej, David Kemper
Documentary film:
Script and direction - Jadran Sterle,
Sound designer - Boštjan Perovšek,
Cameraman - Ivo Saksida,
Production - Fluks in decibel, Tolminski muzej 2010
Image editing: Marko Grego
Lighting: Marjan Viskovič
Computer presentation: Damjan Leban
Audio and videotapes: Story selection and transcription - dr. Barbara Ivančič Kutin, Inštitut za slovensko narodopisje ZRC SAZU
Restoring: Darjan Ozebek s.p.
Proofreading and English translation: Multilingual
INFO:
Občina Bovec (Municipality Bovec),
Trg golobarskih žrtev 8, SI-5230 Bovec
T: +386 (0)5 38 41 900, +386 (0)5 38 41 909
e-pošta: obcina.neg@bovec.si
http://obcina.bovec.si
Tolminski muzej (Tolmin museum), Mestni trg 4, SI- 5220 Tolmin
T: +386 (0)5 38 11 360
e-pošta: muzej@tol-muzej.si
http://www.tol-muzej.si
TIC Bovec - Tourist information centre Bovec,
Trg golobarskih žrtev 22-23, SI-5230 Bovec
T: +386 (0)5 3896 444; Gsm: +386 (0)31 388 700
e-pošta: info@bovec.si
Opening hours:
Every day from 16:00 to 22:00
Visits outside these hours are possible for prearranged groups.
