The Government took cognisance with the preparation procedure for the nomination of Jože Plečnik’s buildings and urban development works in Ljubljana for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Government entrusted the Ministry of Culture with the implementation of activities and coordination of procedures for the preparation and submission of the Nomination File, which is the responsibility of the Republic of Slovenia as a signatory of the Convention Concerning Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia granted its consent for the Nomination File and the submission of the nomination entitled: “Ljubljana: The Timeless, Human Capital Designed by Jože Plečnik” for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia authorised Zoran Poznič, Minister of Culture, to sign the Nomination File entitled “Ljubljana: The Timeless, Human Capital Designed by Jože Plečnik” for inclusion in UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia instructed the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present the Nomination File for the inscription on the UNESCO World Heritage Lists to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris by 31 January 2020 at the latest.

The Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia manages the preparation of the nomination of selected buildings and urban development works by architect Jože Plečnik in Ljubljana for inclusion in the UNESCO’s World Heritage List. The nomination, formed with the help of a working group appointed by the Ministry of Culture and coordinated by the Museum of Architecture and Design, includes a site that erected in a short period between the two World Wars as a result of the work by architect Jože Plečnik. In his designs, the architect took into account the formed city and, while taking into account its qualities, topographic space characteristics and architectural achievement from the previous period, connected and upgraded it into a distinguishable whole, which is today also called the “Plečnik’s Ljubljana”. Six components of the series comprise the water axis of the city (the riverbanks of the Ljubljanica river with bridges, from the Trnovski pristan embankment to the Zapornica sluice gate), the land axis (the Vegova ulica street with the National and University Library, the Kongresni trg square with Park Zvezda), arrangement of an archaeological park (the Roman Wall), complex of the city of the dead (Plečnik’s Žale Cemetery – All Saints Garden), and two churches in the rural suburbs (Church of Saint Michael) as well as in the worker’s suburbs (Church of Saint Francis of Assisi). Everything is characterised by an architectural language, the discovery of the context of the city, the variety of meanings and functions, the cost-effectiveness of the interventions and, above all, the personalised design.

Slovenia has opted to submit an independent nomination after a unanimously coordinated termination of the joint Slovenian-Czech project. Slovenia and the Czech Republic have decided to do so after expert consultations with the International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS) regarding the preparation of the most appropriate, professionally justified nomination, which would also have the greatest potential for success.

The Nomination File is based on the guidelines for the implementation of the UNESCO World Heritage Convention from 1972, which specifies the format of the file and the required documentation, the pre-determined entry criteria, procedures and timetable.  

The deadline for the submission of the Nomination File entitled “Ljubljana: The Timeless, Human Capital Designed by Jože Plečnik” is 31 January 2020. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia will examine the Nomination File and adopt it at one of its meeting, authorise Ministry of Culture Zoran Poznič to sign it on behalf of the Republic of Slovenia, and instruct the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to present the Nomination File to the UNESCO World Heritage Centre in Paris by 31 January.