Ljubljana Castle, Ljubljana, Slovenia – History

A silhouette of the castle has been looming over Ljubljana for centuries, but its content was never related to the life of the city below.

The title of this text is how Ljubljana Castle was still referred to in various articles in the 1950s. Although parts of the complex had existed as a fortification since at least the Bronze Age, it never had any special symbolic significance for the city below. On the contrary, it served for most of its life as a military barracks, a prison, a place to store gunpowder and weapons, and, finally, as a shelter for the homeless, and was not part of the city’s life. In the 12^th century the castle is mentioned as the property of the Carinthian dukes of Spanheim. It obtained much of its present form, with the towers, walls and chapel, in the 15^th century under Frederick V, the Duke of Styria, Carinthia and Carniola, who later became better known as Frederick III, the Holy Roman Emperor, and head of the Habsburg dynasty. In the 16^th and 17^th centuries a number of Baroque-style buildings were added to the ramparts, which were functional but without any architectural qualities.

Already in 1639, when the threat of the Ottoman invasion had passed, the fortress engineer Pieroni assessed that the castle was no longer needed for the defence of the city. It was also too expensive to maintain and was therefore left to fall into increasing disrepair, with the army only having two weapons storehouses left to supply the military working in the borderlands. In 1793, the authorities in Vienna even considered demolishing the castle. The Landstände (the feudal nobility) of Carniola opposed this, but before the final decision could be taken the French occupied Ljubljana in 1797. During the Illyrian Provinces, from 1809 to 1813, the French had a military garrison and hospital in the castle. After the withdrawal of the French troops, the castle was converted into a prison. A penitentiary wing was thus built to divide the outer courtyard from the inner one, and in 1848 a castle tower was added, which so characteristically complements the castle’s silhouette today. The prison continued to operate, with a short interruption, until the earthquake of 1895, when the castle suffered considerable damage and had to be evacuated. At that time a city councillor called Valentin Krisper, one of the initiators of tourism in Ljubljana, called the city the Slovenian Salzburg, since the silhouette of a castle dominates both. Ivan Hribar, who was Ljubljana mayor at the time, had a long-term vision and saw the castle buildings as having considerable potential for the development of the city. As he later wrote in his memoirs, he wanted to turn the castle into a national symbol: “It was to become for us what Karlův Týn is for Czechs, Wawel for Polish people and Wartburg for Germans. On the outside, it was to retain its historical face, while its interior was to be used partly for art, partly for practical purposes.” Thus, in 1897, the Municipality of Ljubljana approached the Ministry of Finance in Vienna with a request that the castle be given to the city at no cost, as it was in need of a complete renovation, which the city was willing to undertake. The authorities in Vienna replied that they were not prepared to give up the castle for free, but would offer it to the city first and then try to sell it at a public auction. The city was aware of the importance of the castle for tourism, and at the same time feared that it would be bought by a private individual and so remain closed to the public forever. On 16 May 1905 the Imperial Royal Ministry of Finance and the Municipality of Ljubljana thus signed a contract for the purchase of the castle. The buildings were surveyed and Hribar commissioned a design for an electric lift to encourage tourism. In his memoirs, he wrote: “The view from the castle of the surrounding countryside near and far is enchanting. The wreath of our mountains, partly covered with perpetual snow, with their varied articulations, makes such a powerful impression that it makes one stare in awe.” However, in 1910 the authorities in Vienna refused to confirm Hribar’s re-election as mayor , and the project stalled. During the First World War, the castle was once more occupied by the army and used as a quarantine for Italian prisoners from the Isonzo Front. Hribar revived his efforts in the new State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, although a housing shortage meant that the castle was turned into a shelter for the homeless. In 1921, Hribar was appointed Provincial Deputy for Slovenia. He worked to bring the King as close as possible to the Slovenes, convinced that this would influence his policies. He therefore proposed that the King should have his headquarters in both Zagreb and Ljubljana, where the Castle would be rebuilt as his residence, and which would “become a visible monument of the freedom of the Slovene nation and a harbinger of its sovereignty from afar”. Hribar approached Jože Plečnik, who was enthusiastic about the proposal, seeing parallels with Prague Castle, which he was at the time decorating for Tomáš Masaryk, the first president of Czechoslovakia. However, the politics of the time did not favour the project, and the proposal was rejected.

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