The year 1895 marked a turning point in the history of Slovenian mountaineering, the cultural geography of Triglav and the national symbolic appropriation of the mountains. In that year, Jakob Aljaž, a priest from Dovje, bought the summit of Triglav from the local municipality and personally designed, commissioned and organised the construction of a metal tower on the summit. The structure immediately became a powerful emblem of Slovenian identity. The construction of the Aljaž Tower was not just a technical or alpine initiative, but a deliberate political act in the context of growing tensions between Slovenian and German mountaineering organisations in the Julian Alps. This article reconstructs the chronology of events in 1895, from the idea, planning and construction of the tower to its transport, erection, inauguration and reception. Particular attention is paid to analysing the original summit register, which provides information about the first visitors.

Rights