Klobuchar , the first woman senator from Minnesota and an important figure in the political and public life of the United States . Her father was of Slovenian descent , and one of her ways to honor her ancestors ’ heritage is to make poticas for Christmas , sending them to her fellow politicians .
( Too ) often , migrations are associated with “ an emergency situation ”, “ a problem ”, while completely ignoring that they are a historical and social structural phenomenon that makes a positive contribution to the communities we live in .
Old as humankind , migrations contribute significantly to economic and social development , and as such , they will be a key to reaching the objectives of sustainable development in the future .
Through dedication to science , our compatriots presented in the exhibition went beyond frontiers ; not only the state borders of their homeland , but they also defied those most persistent – frontiers in our heads and minds .
What can museums do to break them ? A modern museum involves the public , it doesn ’ t exclude anybody , meaning it is accessible , inclusive and participatory . Its objective is to preserve , protect , hold , pass down , interpret and exhibit heritage identified valuable enough to be preserved . The Technical Museum of Slovenia is a keeper of movable technical heritage , while at the same time it is our mission , a major one , to make the achievements in science and engineering , together with the people credited for them , known and appreciated . In the end , museum is people , and only people can cross the frontiers they have set themselves .
Science and engineering contribute to progress , and museums are a place for a critical assessment of progress and development .
Our fellow compatriots – to whom this awarded exhibition is dedicated and who we proudly present in the catalogue – found their new homeland in the U . S . But first , they had to find a way to make this land their own . How did they accomplish that ? By doing their best to add to its prosperity and welfare of its people , and by affecting a lot more than a particular geographic area and their own time . They live on through their knowledge , findings , inventions , research , innovations and , quite often , their role in education , proving it is possible to ( co ) shape the future and make it better .
I am confident they never abandoned the memory of their ethnic origins and the homeland of their fathers and grandfathers . This year , Slovenia celebrates the 30th anniversary of independence . The exhibition we present perfectly coincides with the anniversary which symbolically lifts Us and Them without Frontiers to a higher level .
Identity and heritage enrich us , they demonstrate who we are . Once we know it , we can add our little piece to the mosaic of the world which belongs to all of us . Following the example set by the featured individuals , the world can be made a better place , more connected and gentler to the lives of us all , without exceptions .
A big thank you to Ms . Alenka Jerak , General Consul of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland , without whom our exhibition would never make it to the United States , my colleagues at the museum and in particular Dr . Estera Cerar and Irena Marušič , curators at the Technical Museum of Slovenia and project managers of the exhibition , which was in the Republic of Slovenia properly acknowledged by being granted the 2018 Valvasor Award , the highest award for achievements in the field of museology .
Sincere thanks to the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia for their financial support to the project .
Safe journey to the exhibition on its U . S . tour . I am sure it will do a lot of good and open many new worlds .
Dr . Barbara Juršič Director of the Technical Museum of Slovenia
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