You are cordially invited to view the exhibition, which will be in the National Museum of Contemporary History until 18 September 2016!

The National Museum of Contemporary History is celebrating the 25th anniversary of the creation of the independent and democratic state of Slovenia with the exhibition and book »Independent! Photos and photoreporters on independent Slovenia and the war«. The exhibition, which is a photographic document of the crucial days in 1991 marked by independence and war, in which Slovenia defended its sovereignty with all its strength, has been created from pride in the birth of Slovenia based on a unique plebiscitary decision.

In the exhibition and book are published the photographs of 46 photoreporters and journalists: These are: Bojan Bauman, Jože Biščak, Nace Bizilj, Jurij Cigler, Marjan Ciglič, Barbara Čeferin, Bogo Čerin, Aleš Černivec, Marko Čubej, Lado Čuk, Marko Feist, Marijan Fera, Miha Fras, Marjan Garbajs, Diego Andrés Gòmez, Majda Horvat, Tone Jakše, Boris Jaušovec, Nataša Juhnov, Marjan Kemperle, Borut Krajnc, Miško Kranjec, Davorin Križmančič, Egon Pertot Kukenberg, Mirko Kunšič, Tomi Lombar, Dušan Loparnik, Mario Magajna, Igor Mali, Igor Modic, Igor Napast, Daniel Novakovič, Jože Pojbič, Janko Rath, Tomaž Skale, Tone Stojko, Jože Suhadolnik, Tomo Šajn, Edi Šelhaus, Danilo Škofič, Boris Vugrinec, Marjan Zaplatil, Janez Zrnec, Srdjan Živulović and Joco Žnidaršič.

However, these are not all who collaborated with newspaper houses and immortalized the time with their photographs. It is indisputable that pictures taken by photoreporters and journalists for the printed media left a very extensive trace. Their photographs are extremely rich; at the time they were evidential material for readers of the reality of events and then, because of the seal of historical weight, they became an essential source in constructing the social reality. They tell history in a unique way. Their value is permanent. 

The exhibition and book are at the same time a tribute to the photoreporters and journalists who decisively and courageously created a visual image of key events in Slovene history. Precisely photographs, in other words, often exceeded the power of words and presented reality in new and different extents. Some photographs, which because of their recognisability are already real icons, are republished here, some are newly discovered and published for the first time. Some communicate more powerfully, others have more documentary importance. Behind all the photographs are people, including prominent names, who gave of themselves for their mission.