Meeting of the WALKofPEACE Project partners at the Park of Military History

On Tuesday 21 January 2020, we, at the Park of Military History, hosted the third partnership meeting of the participants in the strategic project Walk of Peace, which within the framework of Interrego programs of cross-border cooperation between Slovenia and Italy, promotes the sustainability development of the First World Word heritage between the Alps and the Adriatic. Ten project partners from the areas with the extremely articulated presence of the First World War remains take part in a three-year project ongoing since November 2018. The project development is directed by the Soča Valley Development Centre as the lead partner. On the Slovenian side, in addition to the Institute for Tourism Pivka, the establishment “Fundation Walk of Peace”, the Research Centre of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts and the Municipality of Nova Gorica also participate in the project. While on the Italian side, the Veneto Region (Regione del Veneto) and organisations Gal Venezia Orientale, PromoTurismoFVG and the Regional authority for cultural heritage of the Autonomous Region of Region of Friuli-Venezia Giulia and the Municipality of Ragogna (ERPAC – Ente regionale per il patrimonio culturale della Regione Autonoma Friuli Venezia Giulia in Comune di Ragogna) have joined the project. The project Walk of Peace with the aim of maintenance, exploration and promotion of tangible and intangible First World War heritage for included program areas anticipates the upgrade of touristic offer designed on the modern interpretation of war remains from the First World War next to the former southwest battlefront between the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and Italy, as well as the thematic paths under the umbrella cover brand Path of peace.  

 As a cooperation partner within the framework of the project, the Institute for Tourism Pivka has already started to perform research activities, on the basis of which a comprehensive study on transport during the First World War shall be performed. In addressing the solder transport, weapons, ammunition and other equipment for the needs of war, the study will focus on various types of transport at Isonzo Front, which shall serve as the basis for the setting up of a new museum exhibition at the Park of Military History. As part of project activities, until the end of the project in 2021, in cooperation with the historians and logistic experts on the topic of transport between the First World War, a symposium will also be organised where the findings of the study shall be presented. In the framework of anticipated educational contents, an expert study excursion will be organised at the closure with the aim to get acquainted with the topic of transport and logistics during the First World War.

At the Park of Military History, at a regular meeting, the project partners were welcomed and greeted by the director of the Institute for Tourism Pivka, Janko Boštjančič, MSc. In the presentation address, he described to the participants gathered the development pathway of the Park of Military History up to its today’s scope, the current museum offer, as well as plans and vision for the further development of museum complex. With this regard, he emphasized that the intensive development of the Park of Military History during the last decade was particularly due to active absorption of the European financial funds thanks to which in the previous years, several key projects of museum collection expansion and museum infrastructure renovation were successfully performed. In continuation, at the meeting, the participants presented the project activities performed and agreed on the plans for the current year.

They finished the partner meeting with the visit of collections and exhibitions, during which they made acquaintance with some of the most attractive museum pieces and the newest exhibitions, while they also visited with interest the interior of the former military submarine and thus became more familiar with the rich submarine tradition. On that occasion, they expressed all the compliments to the Park of Military History for achievements and extensive work up to this point in the field of presenting the military-history and technical heritage.