Heritage

Slovenia map — Bordered by Italy, Austria, Croatia, Hungary and the Adriatic Sea, Slovenia has become a focal point in Central Europe since becoming an independent nation in 1991.

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 became an independent, sovereign nation in June 1991, and has since joined the European Union (EU) and NATO. The country celebrated its 30th anniversary as an independent nation in 2021.

The Slovenian Heritage Center was established in the early 1970s by 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.

shields — To give visitors a taste of the variety found throughout Slovenia, the SNPJ Slovenian Heritage Center displays a collection of coats-of-arms which represent a number of Slovenia’s regions, cities and towns.

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.

trubar — Bust of Primoz Trubar, a pioneer of Slovenian literature.