Country Summary for SLOVENIA

Definitions

“Heritage” means resources inherited from the past which Slovenes, members of the Italian and Hungarian ethnic communities, and of the Romani community, as well as other nationals of the Republic of Slovenia, determine to reflect and express their values, identities, religious and other beliefs, knowledge, and traditions. The concept of Heritage shall be taken to include those features of the environment which have been shaped over time by the interaction between people and place.

There are two categories of Heritage:

- Tangible Heritage (which includes movable and immovable heritage)

- Living Heritage (intangible properties such as expression, knowledge, and
cultural space).

Professionally identified and registered Archaeological Remains shall be Heritage. (CHPA, Art. 1(2)-(3))

“Monument” means Heritage that is statutorily protected or that is entered into the inventory of an authorized museum. (CHPA, Art. 3(1)(17))

“National Treasure” means an object subject to limited transfer or export from the
Republic of Slovenia that:

- is a State cultural Monument or a local cultural Monument;

- is an archaeological object more than 100 years old that is the product of land or underwater excavations and finds, or of archaeological sites or archaeological collections;

- is an integral part of an artistic, historical, or religious Monument that has been dismembered, and is more than 100 years old;

- is listed as part of a collection or equipment of ecclesiastical institutions; or

- has a cultural value for the Republic of Slovenia due to its historic, artistic, scientific, or general human importance. (CHPA, Art. 3 (1)(19))

“Archaeological Find” means:

- a movable Archaeological Remain that has been under the soil or water for at least 100 years; or

- arms, munitions, other military material, military vehicles, and vessels or their parts that have been under the soil or water for at least 50 years. (CHPA, Art.  3(1)(2)).

“Archaeological Remains” means:

- items connected with burial sites;

items pertaining to war that have been under the soil or water for at least 50 years; and

- all items having properties of Heritage that are evidence of human activity over different historical periods, the conservation and study of which enhances existing knowledge of the historical development of humankind and its connection with the natural environment, and which may be assumed to have been under the soil or water for at least 100 years. (CHPA, Art. 3 (1)(3)).

“Export” means the physical transfer of any movable Heritage from the Republic of Slovenia to another Member State of the European Union or of the Agreement on the European Economic Area. (CHPA, Art. 3 (1)(39)).

"Unlawfully removed" means that an object of cultural heritage has been removed from the territory of a Member State in breach of its rules on the protection of cultural heritage or in breach of the Regulation 116/09/EC, or that an object of cultural heritage has not been returned at the end of a period of lawful temporary removal, or that there has been a breach of the rules governing such temporary removal. (Return Act 2016, Art. 6(2)).

 

Relevant State Agencies

The Ministry of Culture shall notify other authorities and organisations in the Republic of Slovenia, responsible for the protection or search of the objects of cultural heritage, about activities related to the return of objects of cultural heritage. (Return Act, Art. 2(2))

The Ministry of Culture is the central authority for cultural heritage in the Republic of Slovenia and is responsible for co-ordination, organisation, and supervision of tasks related to the return of unlawfully removed objects of cultural heritage. The Ministry of Culture must co-operate with central authorities of Member States that are responsible for the co-ordination of tasks relating to the return of unlawfully removed objects of cultural heritage. (Return Act, Art. 2(1))

Registry

A Heritage Register of immovable, movable, and living Heritage is kept by the Ministry of Culture and is the central repository of data on Heritage. Traders in Heritage shall also be entered. (CHPA, Art. 3 (1)(34))

A Register of Museums containing information about all museums which comply with the basic requirements for conserving and protecting heritage is kept by the Minister of Culture. (CHPA, Art. 87)