Culture-historical Collections

They include items made and used by the man that have an important informative value in knowing his activities. They document show caves in Slovakia as well as in abroad, their history, utilization, speleological activities, and history of nature protection in Slovakia. This category of collections consists of philately, phillumeny, phaleristics, numismatics, sound and written artefacts, philocartics, posters, and other promotional and advertising items and printed matters, badges, awards, utility items, and souvenirs. 

In the numismatic collection there are ranked notes, coins, medals, and phone cards. Moneys come from various countries of the world. These items are thematically connected with presentation of caves, natural sceneries, fauna, and flora. The collection of philately and phillumeny includes stamps and match stickers from all over the world with focus on natural motives. Postcards on themes of caves and protected nature belong to the philocartic collection. Unique ones are postcards related to the first show caves in Slovakia, and the oldest postcards of the High Tatras. The collection of written and literary artefacts is created by literary manuscripts, diaries, scenarios, correspondence, and visitor books from caves that offer information about attendance rate of caves in the specific period, document interest in them at home and in abroad, and marginally indicate property-legal situation in the cave operation. Visitor books from the Dobšiná Ice Cave from 1871 – 1879, 1880 – 1884, 1884 – 1888, and 1889 − 1894 belong to the most valuable social-scientific items. They were acquired by purchase in 1984. They have a great value because of other books reportedly burnt on fire of the hotel in Dobšiná, where they were placed. Among signatures of visitors, there were identified several eminent personalities such as Svetozár Hurban Vajanský, Štefan Marko Daxner, Mór Jókai, Jozef Cíger Hronský, Viliam Figuš Bystrý, Miloš Bazovský, noble families of Pálffy’s, Coburg’s and Széchenyi’s, functionaries of the Club of Czech Tourists, and many others.

Curators:  Mgr. Iveta Korenková, Mgr. Zuzana Šimková, Mgr. Mária Ošková