Monument to king Peter I in Ljubljana

Abstract

in november 1926, the reserve officers association proposed that a monument dedicated to king Peter I be raised in Ljubljana. appealing for donations, the committee raised the funds for the monument during an extensive campaign. the monument was made by sculptor Lojze Dolinar (1893-1970), who was awarded the second and the third prize in the contest. the 3, 30 meter-high statue depicted the king on horseback, clad in a combination of antique and modern garments. Upon the suggestion of architect Jože Plečnik the statue, which displayed a marked influence of sculptor Ivan Meštrović, was placed on a flight of steps leading to the Ljubljana town hall. The sculpture was unveiled on september 6, 1931 as part of the ceremonies with which the town of Ljubljana celebrated the tenth anniversary of the reign of king Alexander I of Yugoslavia. It was estimated that more than 10, 000 people attended the unveiling, and on september 8 Queen Maria came to view the sculpture. In july 1941, the memorial was removed from its location by the occupying Italian regime.