Hribar Memorial Garden

In the centre of Cerklje na Gorenjskem, next to Hribar Villa, is the Hribar Memorial Garden, dedicated to important figures of Slovenian history. The renovated garden was officially opened on 25 June 2026, on Statehood Day and the 35th anniversary of Slovenia’s independence.

The garden holds busts of four important Slovenians whose work shaped Slovenian history and contributed to the development of Slovenian national awareness, democracy and an independent state.

• Ivan Hribar (1851–1941) – Slovenian politician, diplomat, businessman and long-serving Mayor of Ljubljana. He was a strong advocate of Slovenian national development and was connected to Cerklje through his summer residence, today’s Hribar Villa.
• Ivan Oman (1929–2019) – politician and one of the key initiators of the Slovenian democratic movement. As co-founder of the Slovenian Peasant Union and a member of the Demos coalition, he made an important contribution to the democratisation and independence of Slovenia.
• France Tomšič (1937–2010) – trade unionist and politician who played an important role in the beginnings of democratic change in Slovenia. He initiated the independent trade union movement and co-founded the Social Democratic Union of Slovenia.

Dr France Bučar (1923–2015) – lawyer, politician and one of the central architects of Slovenian statehood. As President of the first democratically elected Slovenian Assembly, he played an important role in the process of Slovenia’s independence.

When the memorial garden was renovated, busts of Ivan Oman, France Tomšič and France Bučar were unveiled alongside the existing bust of Ivan Hribar.

The Hribar Memorial Garden is a place of remembrance and tribute to people who left an important mark on Slovenian history. It invites visitors to learn more about their lives and work as they view the busts.