Ljubljana was the capital of the Austro Hungarian Province of Carniola at the end of the 19th century having less than 30000 inhabitants and being very rural in appearance. The turning point was the devastating earthquake which struck the town in 1895. Immediately after that the regulation plan was prepared with the help of two top experts in urban planning of the time in Vienna, Camillo Sitte and Maks Fabiani. The image of Ljubljana started to change rapidly and the first echoes of the new Secessionist style in Ljubljana appeared.

Secessionist Ljubljana”, which developed mainly in the first decade of the 20th century is the synonim for the whole town quarter between the old medieval core and the railway line. The first real secessionist work, Dragon Bridge (Zmajski most) by the Dalmation architect Jurij Zaninovic was erected only in 1901.
The architecture of Ljubljana was mainly influenced by Vienna Secession and its special variant of modern art, accentuating more rational and geometric forms. Maks Fabiani and Joze Plecnik, two central figures of modern Slovene architecture are internationally recognized as co-founders of modern art movement in Vienna.

While Plecnik contributed to the Secessionist movement only in his early works in Vienna, Fabiani gave an important character of the period to Ljubljana. His architecture shows the evolution from the decorative Secessionist to the modernist phase, in which he concentrated on trying to use and re-create the traditional local elements in a modern way.

Although Secession mainly left its imprint on the decoration of the facades, in some cases, modernism surpassed the use of individual stylistic elements and intervened also in the building structure.

Even more than architecture Art Nouveau influenced the style of furnishing domestic and public interiors. Several important factories in Slovenia produced decorative and functional objects for everyday use. The ideals of Art Nouveau inspired painting as well, particularly the caricature, illustration and different kinds of graphic arts. The most important was the group of young painters Vesna, who studied in Vienna at the turn of the century, absorbing the decorative language of Vienna Secession and introducing the Slovene folk art motifs into their art.

Image artist function date
Maks Fabiani architect 1865-1962
Joze Plecnik architect 1872-1957
Ciril Metod Koch architect 1876-1925
Josip Vancas architect 1859-1932
Friedrich Sigmundt architect 1856-1917
Jurij Zaninovic architect 1876-1946
Ivan Vurnik architect 1883-1980
Maksim Gaspari painter 1883-1980
Sasa Santel painter 1883-1945
Hinko Smrekar painter 1883-1942
Fran Berneker sculptor 1874-1932
Cover Author Description date Link
Simonišek, R. Slovenska secesija

Ljubljana, Slovenska matica
2011
Hrausky, A., Koželj, J. Maks Fabiani: Dunaj, Ljubljana, Trst.

Ljubljana, Cankarjeva založba
2010
Obal, F. Obal, F.
Murska Sobota, Pomurska založba
Ljubljana, Znanstveni inštitut Filozofske fakultete
2002
Žmuc, I. Homo sum --- Ivan Hribar and his Ljubljana

Ljubljana, Mestni muzej
1998
Pirkovič, J., Mihelič, B. Art nouveau Architecture in Slovenia

Ljubljana, Ministrstvo za kulturo, Uprava Republike Slovenije za kulturno dediščino
1998
Pozzetto, M. Maks Fabiani - vizije prostora

Kranj, L.I.B.R.A.
1997
Burkhardt, F. (ur.), Eveno, C. (ur.), Podrecca, B. (ur.) Jože Plečnik: Architekt 1872-1957
1986, 1987?
München, Callwey
Dežman, J. (ur.), Hudales, J. (ur.), Jezernik, B. (ur.) Slovensko meščanstvo: od vzpona nacije do nacionalizacije (1848-1948)

Celovec, Mohorjeva
2008
Koželj, J. (ur.), Repše, R. (ur.) Ivan Vurnik: 1884-1971: slovenski arhitekt / Slovenian architect

Ljubljana, Organizacijski odbor projekta Vurnik
1994
Čopič, Š., Prelovšek, D., Žitko, S. Ljubljansko kiparstvo na prostem.

Ljubljana, DZS
1991
Prelovšek, D. Slovene Insurance Company building

Ljubljana, Zavarovalna skupnost Triglav
1988
Fabiani, M. O kulturi mesta: spisi 1895-1960

Trst, Založništvo Tržaškega tiska
1988
Pozzetto, M. Max Fabiani: ein Architekt der Monarchie

Wien, Edition Tusch
1983
Prelovšek, D Josef Plečnik: Wiener Arbeiten von 1896 bis 1914

Wien, Tusch
1979
Šumi, N. Arhitektura secesijske dobe v Ljubljani.

Ljubljana, Mestni muzej
1954
Mavrični svet Schützove keramike
katalog
Celje, Pokrajinski muzej Celje
2009
Kos, M., Lozar Štamcar, M., Pajagič Bregar, G. Secesija po slovensko

Ljubljana, Narodni muzej
1997
Žmuc, I., Rebolj, J. Homo sum

Ljubljana, Mestni muzej.
1997
Prelovšek, D. Antoni Gaudí in Jože Plečnik: vzporednice / Antoni Gaudí i Jože Plečnik: paral.lelismes / Antoni Gaudí and Jože Plečnik: parallels
katalog razstave
Ljubljana, Arhitekturni muzej
1992
Kos, M. (ur.), Žargi, M. (ur.) Gradovi minevajo, fabrike nastajajo: industrijsko oblikovanje v 19. stoletju na Slovenskem

Ljubljana, Narodni muzej
1991
Pozzeto, M. (ur.) Max Fabiani: nuove frontiere dell’ architettura

Venezia, Cataloghi Marsilio
1988
Gostiša, J. (ur.), Prelovšek, D. Arhitekt Jože Plečnik: 1872-1957
razstava v Ljubljani 1986
Ljubljana, Delavska enotnost
1986
Bučić, V. (ur.), Horvat, J. (ur.) Secesija na Slovenskem: uporabna umetnost, umetna obrt in njej sorodni pojavi v obrtni in industrijski proizvodnji:
katalog razstave
Ljubljana, Narodni muzej
1984
Pozzetto, M. La scuola di Wagner 1894-1912: idee - premi –concorsi.

Trieste, Comune
1981
Pozetto, M., Cevc, A., Rozman, K., Mušič, M. Maks Fabiani: 1865-1962
katalog razstave
Ljubljana, Narodna galerija
1977

Partner:
City of Ljubljana, Department of Urban Planning
Poljanska 28, 1000 Ljubljana
Slovenia
Phone: +386 (0)1 306 1500
Fax: +386 (0)1  3061557
E-mail: karel.pollak@ljubljana.siurbanizem@ljubljana.si
Website: www.ljubljana.si/en

Local Partners:
ART NOUVEAU LJUBLJANA:
City Museum of Ljubljana – MGML
National Museum of Slovenia – NMS 
National Gallery of SloveniaNGS
Museum of Architecture and Design MAO
Department of Art History, Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana – FF UL
Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia – UIRS
Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage, Ljubljana Regional Office – ZVKDS

Links

Art Nouveau Ljubljana
Art Nouveau heritage in Ljubljana

Exhibition, Network News Ljubljana

In the passage of the Urban Planning Institute of the Republic of Slovenia, from 11.06. until 30.08. 2019 exhibition photographic exhibition Secession motifs on Ljubljana houses; renovated secessionist heritage with the co-financing of the City of Ljubljana under the program Ljubljana – My City (LMM) Photographer: Блаж Зупанчич Curator of the exhibition: Polona Zupančič The exhibition… Read more »

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