Bordered by Italy, Austria, Croatia and Hungary, Slovenia has become a focal point in Central Europe.

Just as its name implies, the SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center is all about Slovenia. In the event that you're not familiar with the nation, Slovenia is a relatively small country (roughly the size of New Jersey) located in Central Europe. Once a republic of the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia celebrated its 10th anniversary as an independent, sovereign nation in June 2001 and is currently working toward joining the European Union (EU) and NATO.

The Slovenian Heritage Center was established in the early 1970s under the auspices of the Slovene National Benefit Society (SNPJ), a fraternal insurance provider based in suburban Pittsburgh which is recognized as the largest Slovenian-based fraternal benefit society operating in the United States. Since its inception, the Slovenian Heritage Center has been housed in the Joseph L. Culkar Building at the SNPJ Recreation Center in Enon Valley, Pa.
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To give visitors a taste of the variety found throughout Slovenia, the SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center maintains a display of coats-of-arms representing a number of towns, cities and regions.

Bust of Primoz Trubar, a pioneer of Slovenian literature.

Through its Slovenian Heritage Center, SNPJ is committed to preserving the history and culture of Slovenia in the United States by presenting various aspects of the Slovenian heritage. Visitors can browse through numerous books on Slovenia, learn a bit of Slovenia's history while viewing the displays, and even take a little piece of Slovenia home with them by purchasing items offered in the Heritage Center gift shop.