National Museum of Contemporary History, Brestanica Unit

The Museum of Political Prisoners, Internees and Deportees is housed at Rajhenburg Castle in Brestanica, the oldest medieval castle in Slovenia, first described in 895. The original structure was demolished at the beginning of the 10th century, but Bishop Konrad of Salzburg had it renovated between 1131 and 1147. The most prominent owners of the castle were the Rajhenburgs, the noble Moscons, the Knights Gradeneck, the Barons Gall Galenstein and the Counts Attems. After 1884 Trappist monks moved into the castle, where they produced chocolate and liqueur. Then in April 1941 the Castle was converted into a Nazi camp for deporting Slovenes. During the course of World War II around 45,000 Slovenes were sent into exile from here. After World War II the castle continued to function as a prison, but in 1968 it was converted into a museum.

The Slovene Deportees exhibition was arranged in 1968 and illustrates German imperialist tendencies towards Slovene territory, the dismembering of Slovenia, the German denationalisation policy, the deportation camps and the exile of Slovenes to Serbia, Croatia and Germany, the arrival of Kocevje Germans in the territory along the rivers Sava and Sotla, life in exile, and the subsequent return of deportees to their mother country. The Political Prisoners and Internees exhibition was arranged by the National Museum of Contemporary History in Ljubljana and illustrates the occupied terror on the territory of Slovenia, including imprisonment, torture, killing and deportation to concentration and death camps. In September 1993 the Trappist Monks exhibition was opened. It illustrates the foundation of the Trappist order in France, the arrival of Trappists in Rajhenburg, the organisation of the order, life in the monastery, and the economic and industrial activities of the monks.

National Museum of Contemporary History, Brestanica Unit

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