Slovenian Alpine Museum receives King Albert I. award in Switzerland...

Slovenian Alpine Museum receives King Albert I. award in Switzerland.

The Slovenian Alpine Museum (SPM) received the King Albert I. Foundation award on September 3 in the Diavolezza mountain hut in Switzerland, which is the first such award for Slovenia and confirmation of SPM's significant contribution to the development of alpine culture across the entire Alps and its role in connecting European alpine museums. The Foundation has awarded the prizes for the twelfth time, specifically for exceptional and lasting achievements of individuals or institutions that have a significant impact on the mountain world and the protection of the Alps.



As stated in the award's explanation, the Slovenian Alpine Museum has been promoting, developing, and shaping Slovenia's identity connected to mountains and mountaineering since its founding. It plays a very important role as the national archive of Slovenian alpinism and is an important regional organizer of cultural events and promoter of tourism. The King Albert I. Foundation recognizes in SPM's permanent commitment, together with Triglav, Slovenia's highest mountain, its unique cultural contribution to the entire alpine region and sees the museum as an important partner in the emerging network of European alpine museums.



The Slovenian Alpine Museum was among the nominees for European Museum of the Year in 2012, and the King Albert I. Foundation award is the second high recognition from abroad, showing the respect of the broader international professional and mountaineering public for the role and mission of SPM not only in Slovenia but in the wider alpine area. "This is great recognition for all generations of Slovenian mountaineers who created Slovenian mountaineering history, especially for those mountaineering enthusiasts in Mojstrana led by Avgust Delavec, who by collecting the material and immaterial heritage of Slovenian mountaineering in 1984 enabled the opening of the Triglav Museum Collection as the foundation of today's Slovenian Alpine Museum. Of course, the award is also intended for all individuals, institutions, and donors who realized the project of building and content setup of the Slovenian Alpine Museum," welcomed the award former SPM head Miro Eržen.



The King Albert I. Foundation was established in 1993 in memory of Belgian King Albert I., an exceptional personality, alpinist, and great lover of mountains. To date, more than 50 recipients have received the award, which is given every two years, and the award to the Slovenian Alpine Museum is the first such distinction for Slovenia, which was proudly accepted in Switzerland by the director of the Upper Sava Valley Museum Jesenice Irena Lačen Benedičič, SPM curator Eli Gradnik, former SPM head Miro Eržen, and president of the Alpine Association of Slovenia Bojan Rotovnik.



"On receiving the King Albert I. award, which we at the Slovenian Alpine Museum are sincerely pleased about, I thank both the awarders and the nominators, the Swiss Alpine Museum. As the only alpine museum in Slovenia operating within the Upper Sava Valley Museum Jesenice, we hope to be recognized also as a national museum, for which we are striving together with the founders and partners," emphasized Lačen Benedičičeva, while PZS president Rotovnik added: "In Slovenia, we can be very proud that such a prestigious Swiss institution as the King Albert I. Foundation has recognized the significant contribution of the Slovenian Alpine Museum to the development of alpine culture across the entire Alps and its important role in connecting European alpine museums. The award is primarily thanks and recognition to all who in the past participated in any way in the establishment and more than six years of operation of the museum, especially to the project manager for setting up the museum and former museum head Miro Eržen and the Municipality of Kranjska Gora. In the Alpine Association of Slovenia, where we have actively supported the museum's operation throughout, we hope that the state will also recognize the great value of the Slovenian Alpine Museum and grant the museum the status of national importance in the shortest possible time."



The award ceremony in the Diavolezza mountain hut at an altitude of 2973 meters with a view of the Swiss four-thousander Piz Bernina was also attended by the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Switzerland Franc Mikša, who said: "As ambassador, I am extremely proud that the very important and prestigious King Albert I. award was received this year by the Slovenian Alpine Museum, which shows that it works very well together with all actors. In addition to awarded individuals from Switzerland, Italy, and Germany, Slovenia or the Slovenian Alpine Museum was the only awarded institution this year. This is good encouragement for the museum's operation and its recognition in the alpine area and beyond."



Among previous awardees are excellent alpinists, geographers and geologists, photographers and writers as well as publishers of mountaineering literature; doctors specialized in medicine dealing with problems at high altitudes, or persons and institutions committed to the protection of the mountain world. All have significantly contributed to the protection of mountains as a magnificent beautiful world - intended for the living environment of inhabitants, the experiential world of mountaineers and high-mounters, and as world heritage. Freedom, ethics, and a responsible and respectful attitude towards the mountain environment are the main criteria on which the award is based. In addition to the Slovenian Alpine Museum as the only awarded institution this year, this year's recipients of the King Albert I. award also include Italian alpinist Nives Meroi and border Slovenian Roman Benet, who have together climbed thirteen of the fourteen eight-thousanders, German landslide researcher Michael Krautblatter, and Swiss climbers Claude and Yves Remy.