Barle House

In Cerklje na Gorenjskem stands the birthplace of Fran Barle, one of the most important organisers of the Slovenian fire service. Barle was born here on 20 November 1864, and his work had a significant impact on the development and unification of firefighting in Slovenia.

After military service he worked for the Ljubljana city council, and in 1899 he joined the Ljubljana Volunteer Fire Brigade. With the support of the then Mayor of Ljubljana, Ivan Hribar, he introduced commands in Slovenian in the brigade that same year. An exceptional organiser, he worked to bring Slovenian fire brigades together, and in 1919 he founded the Yugoslav Firefighters’ Association, which he led until his death in Ljubljana on 23 May 1928.

He also made an important contribution to developing firefighting as a profession in the Slovenian language. He edited the magazine Gasilec, wrote technical texts and firefighting manuals, and championed the education and professional training of firefighters. His work earned him great respect at home and beyond Slovenia’s borders.

Today a memorial plaque on his birthplace honours this famous son of Cerklje, and his bust stands in the Memorial Park in the centre of Cerklje. His memory is also kept alive by the Barle Memorial, a traditional firefighting competition in Cerklje named after him.