Dr Tomaž Lazar
Curator for early history (Middle Ages and the early Modern Period), curator of arms and armour, toys, tools and appliances, jewellery; Department for History and Applied Art, National Museum of Slovenia
Leader of the Research Program Objects and Prestige: Taste, Status, and Power (Researches of the Material Culture in Slovenia)
Researcher in the Research Project The Material Culture of Nobility in the Territory of Slovenia in the Late Middle Ages and Early Modern Period
Address: National Museum of Slovenia, Prešernova cesta 20, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia
E-mail: tomaz.lazar@nms.si
Information in the SICRIS Information SystemPresentation on Academia.edu
Academic and professional career
- Study of history at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana (2000–2005), graduated with the thesis "Military aspects of the First Crusade" under the mentorship of Prof. Peter Štih (Bachelor of Arts, History)
- In 2005, continued postgraduate study of history at the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana under the mentorship of Prof. Peter Štih; in 2010 successfully defended the dissertation "Military history of the Slovenian lands from the 13th to 15th c." (Doctor of Philosophy, History)
- Since 2008 employed as a curator at the department of History and Applied Arts at the National Museum of Slovenia
- In 2014 obtained the title of research associate within the research institution of the National Museum of Slovenia
- Since 2008 member of the research program "Predmet kot reprezentanca: okus, ugled, moč" (2008–2010 as technical assistant, since 2010 as researcher), leader of the research program since 1 January 2018
- Researcher in the research project J6-4622 "The art heritage of the Counts of Cilli" (2022–2025)
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Active at the National Museum of Slovenia as a curator for early history (Middle Ages and the early Modern Period). Curator of arms and armour, toys, tools and appliances, jewellery.
Research work focusing primarily on history of the Middle Ages and the early Modern Period, military history, history of the noble classes, interdisciplinary studies, in particular archaeometallurgy, experimental archaeology and application of various analytical methods for scientific investigation of museum objects.
Major research achievements
- Military history of the Slovenian territories in the late Middle Ages (monograph Knights, Mercenaries and Gunpowder, 2012)
- Scientific analyses of medieval arms and armour by using various analytical techniques (in cooperation with dr. Alan Williams and Edwin Wood – Wallace Collection – London, and Prof. Dr. J. Lamut and Prof. Dr. P. Fajfar of the Faculty of Natural Sciences (since 2008))
- Interdisciplinary studies of armour from the Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period (monograph Armour from the National Museum of Slovenia, 2021/2022)
- Collective identities in Slovenia during the Late Middle Ages, particularly in relation to warfare (conference The Development of Collective (Ethnic) Identities in Slovenia, ZRC SAZU, 2019)
- Interdisciplinary research of early artillery on the Slovenian lands (monograph Late-medieval artillery in Slovenia, 2015)
- Provenance research (notably the former private collection of H. Kometer from Puchenstein castle)
- Studies into superstition and magic rituals during the early Modern Period
- History of the National Museum of Slovenia and its predecessor, The Carniolan Provincial Museum (monograph National Museum of Slovenia – 200 Years, 2021/2022)
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Involved in a number of museum projects and exhibitions. Among major achievements:
- Ljubljanica: the River and its Past (2009–2010) – manufacture of authentic replicas of 15th c. infantryman's arms and armour based on archaeological finds from the river Ljubljanica
- Discovering the Himalayas (2010–2011) – coauthor, designer of the temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia and the Slovenian Alpine Museum in Mojstrana
- The Chosen and the Decorated: The Insignia of Vatican and the Church Knightly Orders (2010) – scholarly and technical assistant of the temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia, catalogue editor
- The Dice is Falling (2011) – coordinator and scholarly assistant of the temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia
- Knight, Lady and Dragon: the Heritage of Medieval Warriors (2012–2014) – coauthor, editor of exhibition publications and project leader of the main Slovenian museum exhibition in 2012, one of the most ambitious exhibition projects of the National Museum of Slovenia; received the Valvasor award for the year 2012
- Author of the new permanent display of the arms and armour collection at the National Museum of Slovenia – Metelkova (2016)
- Paths of the Samurai. Japanese Arms and Martial Culture in Slovenia (2017), author of the temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia
- The Past under the Microscope. Scientific Analyses in Museums (2017–2018), coauthor of the temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia, recipient of the Valvasor award
- The Song of Metal. Millennia of Metallurgy in Slovenia (2019–2020), coauthor and projetc leader of the major museum exhibition organized in collaboration with the University of Ljubljana
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Other work and assignments
- Editorial board member of the scholarly journals Kronika, Argo and Military History
- Regular collaboration with the Historical Institute Milko Kos at the Research Center of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts; the History and Art History departments of the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana and the Department for Metals and Metallurgy of the Faculty of Natural Sciences, University of Ljubljana
- Co-mentor supervising Jakob Kraner's graduation thesis "Archaeometallurgical Analyses of an early Modern Armour" (Faculty of Natural Sciences and Engineering, University of Ljubljana, 2016)
- Co-mentor supervising Polona Zupančič's graduation thesis "The Armament of the Slovenian Territories from the 14th to 16th c. in Regard to the Armoury Inventories" (Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, 2018)
- Co-mentor supervising Gašper Oitzl's PhD thesis "Social and Economic Effects of Ironmaking in the Slovenian Territory in the late Middle Ages" (Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana, since 2018)
- Mentor supervising Young Researcher Veronika Škofljanec Jagodic, PhD thesis "Material Culture of the Carniolan Elites During the 17th Century" (since 2020)
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Awards
- Valvasor award for the year 2012, for the Knight, Lady and Dragon: the Heritage of Medieval Warriors exhibition project (2012–2014: coauthor, editor of exhibition publications and project leader of the main Slovenian museum exhibition in 2012, one of the most ambitious exhibition projects of the National Museum of Slovenia)
- Valvasor award for the year 2017, for The Past under the Microscope. Scientific Analyses in Museums exhibition project (2017–2018: coauthor of the temporary exhibition at the National Museum of Slovenia)
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Bibliography