The Museum of the Slovene Language and Book has opened at the renovated Štanjel Castle

A new Museum of the Slovene Language and Book has opened at the renovated Štanjel Castle.

The Museum of the Slovene Language and Book at Štanjel Castle offers a concise overview of the history and development of the Slovene language, its varieties, characteristics, and peculiarities. The story of the language and the book is told through seven experiences using interactive, innovative, and modern presentation tools. In addition to the language, the museum highlights the Slovene book — its beginnings, development, significance, and influence in spreading the Slovene word, as well as the current efforts to preserve books. All the key literary milestones from Slovene history are brought together in one place, showcasing their importance for the development of the literary language and the formation of the nation and state. The museum also explores topics that shed light on the development of Slovene education, the history of the use and recognition of sign language (the language of the deaf and hard of hearing), and Braille, the writing system for the blind and visually impaired.

Within the museum, there are three panel exhibitions: Men of Language, Reformers in Comics, and A Kiss with Language. Each tells its own story in a unique way: the first about the origins of the Slovene language, the second about the pivotal period of the Reformation, and the third about the development of grammars and dictionaries over time.

The project also involved the Fran Ramovš Institute of the Slovene Language at the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts (ZRC SAZU). The project was professionally led by the head of the institute, Dr. Kozma Ahačič.