Galob's Beekeeping Collection Mežica | Koroški Pokrajinski Muzej

Permanent Exhibitions Mežica

Since August 2012 Galob’s Beekeeping Collection Mežica has been on display at the former Gutenberger mill in Mežica. The permanent exhibition contains the legacy of Rudolf Galob, teacher, sportsman, fruit grower and above all beekeeper, who was born in Brnca near Beljak (Austrian Carinthia) in 1900. In 1921 he moved to Mežica, where he began his teaching career and started a family.

As an enthusiastic and progressive beekeeper he soon became secretary of the Mežica Beeeepers’ Society and consequently the co-creator, editor and custodian of a vast archive, presenting the history of beekeeping in Mežica, the Meža Valley and wider area between 1921 and 1968. All materials have been photocopied and collected in thirteen volumes available to the public and researchers interested in the topic.

The central exhibits are beehive panels that Rudolf Galob collected mainly in Mežica and its surroundings. The oldest beehive panel dates back to 1820, while the majority of them are from the second half of the 19th century. Well-preserved and colourful, they offer a selection of biblical motifs, saints and legends about them, various secular motifs, for instance historical events, images of animals and objects, mockery of professions, human traits, hunters and other imaginary motifs.

In addition to the exhibited beehive panels we are acquainted with the history of beekeeping in Mežica and the Meža Valley, together with an overview of the development of organised beekeeping in the whole of Koroška. The historical overview is complemented by various beekeeping tools donated by the Mežica Beekeepers’ Society, and films about bees and their importance for nature and humans, courtesy of the Slovenian Beekeepers’ Association. The exhibition is complemented by the Rudolf Galob memorial room and also offers an insight into the history of the building – the former Gutenberger mill –and the fate of its owners.

The museum offers professional assistance.