Aljaž Tower

Aljaž Tower
Aljažev stolp
Aljaž Tower. Two inscriptions are visible: Aljažev stolp on the tower, and 1895, the year of construction, on the flag
Map
General information
Typestorm shelter
LocationMount Triglav summit
Coordinates46°22′42″N 13°50′11″E / 46.37833°N 13.83639°E / 46.37833; 13.83639
Construction startedEarly 1895
Completed7 August 1895
Inaugurated22 August 1895
OwnerSlovenian government
LandlordLjubljana Matica Alpine Club (unofficially)
Height1.90 metres (6.2 ft)[1]
Dimensions
Diameter1.25 m (4.1 ft)[1]
Technical details
Structural systemadditionally guyed tower[citation needed]
Design and construction
Structural engineerJakob Aljaž
Civil engineerAnton Belec

Aljaž Tower (Slovene: Aljažev stolp) or the Triglav Tower (Triglavski stolp) is a tower, a storm shelter and a triangulation point on the summit of Mount Triglav in northwestern Slovenia.[1] Along with Triglav, it is a landmark of Slovenia and a symbol of the Slovenehood. The tower was designed by Jakob Aljaž, a priest in the Upper Carniolan village of Dovje, who also had it erected, in 1895. Today it is owned by the state, tended by the Ljubljana Matica Alpine Club and stands on a parcel belonging to the Municipality of Bohinj.[2]

History

In early 1895, hoping to be able to restrain the increased interest of foreigners in the Slovene mountains, Aljaž drew up with a chalk on the floor of his room in the Parish of Dovje plans for a cylindrical tower with a flag on its top.[3] In April that year, he purchased the summit of Triglav for the sum of one florin from the then Municipality of Dovje. Having done so, he secured himself the right to erect a building on his own real property.[4] The tower was constructed from iron and zinc-coated sheet steel by Anton Belec from Šentvid near Ljubljana. He and four workers brought the parts of the tower to the summit of Triglav and put the tower together in only five hours on 7 August 1895. Its opening ceremony and blessing took place in a small circle on 22 August that year.[5]

Aljaž donated the shelter to the Alpine Association of Slovenia.[6] In the beginning, there were three four-legged chairs, a summit register, a spirit stove, and the image The Triglav Panorama by Marko Pernhart in the tower.[1] It was later repainted and renovated several times by Alojz Knafelc and others. In the communist era, as the highest point of the former Yugoslavia, it was painted red and decorated with a red star.[7] However, it has more or less retained its original appearance.[2] The star was removed shortly before the dissolution of Yugoslavia.[7] On the proclamation of Slovene independence in June 1991, the flag of Slovenia was ceremonially raised at the tower.[2] On 5 October 1999, the tower and its immediate surroundings were proclaimed a site of national cultural importance for Slovenia.[8]

The tower was removed from the summit by helicopter for restoration on September 7, 2018,[9] and put back on 3 October same year.[10]

  • Summit view with the Aljaž Tower
    Summit view with the Aljaž Tower
  • Inside the Aljaž Tower, showing its view orientation map
    Inside the Aljaž Tower, showing its view orientation map

References

  1. ^ a b c d Cvirn, Janez (2000). Vidic, Marko (ed.). Ilustrirana zgodovina Slovencev. Mladinska knjiga. p. 271. ISBN 86-11-15664-1.
  2. ^ a b c Belimezov, Maja (2007-07-25). "Stolp ima 110 let" (in Slovenian). Gore-ljudje.net. Archived from the original on 2011-07-23. Retrieved 2008-09-12.
  3. ^ "Ali ste vedeli ..." [Did You Know...]. Slovene Mountaineering Museum. Retrieved 27 May 2014.
  4. ^ Mikša, Peter. "Narodnostni boji v planinstvu na Slovenskem do 1. svetovne vojne" [National Battles in Mountaineering in the Slovene Lands Until World War I]. Zgodovina za Vse: Vse za Zgodovino (in Slovenian): 65–68. ISSN 1318-2498.
  5. ^ Mikša, Peter (January 2015). "Aljažev stolp in Jakob Aljaž – najvišji posestnik" [Aljaž Tower and Jakob Aljaž – the Highest Landowner]. SLO: časi, kraji, ljudje: Slovenski zgodovinski magazin (in Slovenian): 30–35. ISSN 2350-4641. COBISS 56812898.
  6. ^ "Aljažev stolp vrh Triglava" (in Slovenian). Ljubljana Matica Alpine club. Archived from the original on 2007-12-27. Retrieved 13 November 2007.
  7. ^ a b Bartolj, Jaka (17 December 2013). "Jakob Aljaž built a tower that has become a Slovenian symbol". MMC RTV Slovenija. RTV Slovenija.
  8. ^ "Odlok o razglasitvi Aljaževega stolpa na Triglavu za kulturni spomenik državnega pomena". Official Gazette of the Republic of Slovenia (in Slovenian). Government of the Republic of Slovenia. 1999-10-05. Retrieved 2008-09-13.
  9. ^ Intihar, Anja (September 7, 2018). "Zgodovinski dan: Aljažev stolp uspešno prepeljali v dolino". Delo. Retrieved September 7, 2018.
  10. ^ Vrabec, Aljaž (2018-10-03). "Aljažev stolp je spet na Triglavu". Delo. Retrieved 2019-07-19.