Universalmuseum Joanneum Priopćenje za tisak Universalmuseum Joanneum [email protected] EKTC Maribor Mariahilferstraße 4, 8020 Graz, Austria Telefon +43-316/8017-9211 Streliska cesta 150, 2000 Maribor, Slowenien www.museum-joanneum.at www.ektc.si Slovenian Styria in the Archeological Collections of the Joanneum Universal Museum The Order to Collect Historical Finds For approximately 700 years, eastern Slovenia was part of the Duchy of Styria: from the Middle Ages until the end of the First World War. In 1811, Archduke John of Austria founded the Joanneum in Graz as the National Museum of Inner Austria. The archduke sought to raise awareness of regional history with the Joanneum collections. To this end he called upon the population to send historical documents such as deeds, ancient manuscripts, and coins to the Joanneum in Graz. In 1879 Friedrich Pichler, an archeologist at the Joanneum, produced an archeological map of Styria and listed all the finds and archeological sites alphabetically. The Joanneum also conducted archeological excavations in Slovenian Styria; the most important were the ones in Libna and Ptuj (Lat. Poetovio). The Conflict over the Helmets found in Ženjak near Negova In 1811, the same year that the Joanneum was founded, Jury Slatsheg discovered over twenty bronze Negau helmets in the settlement of Ženjak near Negova (Germ. Negau). The four most beautiful helmets were gifted to the Joanneum, but the museum also purchased an additional thirteen helmets. However, the law of that time required that all archeological finds be sent to the Imperial Court Chancery in Vienna. Because of this, in 1812 the Joanneum had to send all seventeen of the Negau helmets to Vienna. Five of them were returned to Graz shortly thereafter. Until the law was relaxed in 1846, the Joanneum was not allowed to conduct archeological excavations, even though such collecting activity was required by the museums’ charter. “Country of Origin” and “Cultural Property” In 1919 the Treaty of Saint-Germain-en-Laye determined the division of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, as well as the return of cultural property to the countries of origin. These two concepts were new at that time. Austria reacted by declaring large collections its own cultural property, refusing to return individual pieces from them. The Joanneum also refused to return objects from Slovenian Styria to the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes. From 1941 to 1945, the territory of the former Lower Styria was governed by Gau Styria (Germ. Reichsgau Steiermark). The Joanneum assumed the tasks of historic preservation and conducted multiple archeological digs there. In 1971 the Joanneum opened a new archeological museum. Stranica 2 Finds from Slovenian Styria were intentionally not exhibited there. Only the Roman finds from Ptuj were displayed because otherwise the Roman era could not have been presented. In this exhibition, the Joanneum is presenting these finds publicly for the first time. Now more than ever, the Joanneum is aware that it bears a great responsibility for a part of Slovenian history. .