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What’s
on display at the
SNPJ
Slovenian Heritage Center?
At its core, the SNPJ Slovenian
Heritage Center is a
musuem. In fact,
you’ll often hear the Heritage Center referred to as the “Heritage Museum.”
And whoever heard of a museum that didn’t have a display area?
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The
SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center has traditional costumes from all eight
regions of Slovenia on display. |
The SNPJ Slovenian Heritage
Center devotes a great deal of space to display area. Some of the displays
are permanant; others cycle on a rotating basis. But the displays all focus
on one of two main themes — Slovenian culture and the Slovene National
Benefit Society. In addition to the permanent displays which line the walls
of the Slovenian Heritage Center, most notably the Slovenian coats-of-arms
and Miss SNPJ photo gallery, you’ll notice the Slovenia display which is
themed and arranged around the country’s regions.
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More than simply offering
an explanation of the culture, the SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center gives
its visitors a glimpse of life as it was for the earliest Slovenian immigrants.
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| Turn-of-the-century
life wasn’t always easy, and the Heritage Center’s mining display captures
the true hardships many Slovenian miners faced day in and day out as they
struggled to eke out a decent living in the coal mines of West Virginia,
Western Pennsylvania and Eastern Ohio. |
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You’ll also admire the exhibits
which showcase the rich tradition of Slovenian polka music by focusing
on the button box accordion and late great Polka King Frank Yankovic (who
was also an SNPJ member). To Slovenians, music was an absolute necessity
when gathering with family, entertaining friends or simply relaxing after
a hard day’s work in the fields, mines and mills.
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| The
Slovenian Heritage Center displays several button box accordions, a staple
of Slovenian polka music. |
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Whether you’re searching
for information on Slovenia or SNPJ, or even if you’re just interested
in taking in a little history and getting acquainted with what it is that
makes Slovenia so unique, a stroll through the SNPJ Slovenian Heritage
Center displays is definitely worthwhile. |