The exhibition titled More Light!, presenting development of lighting and lights, to be opened today at 8 p.m. at the Škofja Loka castle by Minister of Culture Julijana Bizjak Mlakar goes back in time to prehistoric times, starting with fire as civilizational achievement. Visitors can get acquainted with the development of lights, their use and their production, but also with the symbolic meaning of fire and light. The organisation of the exhibition takes them back to the beginning of the 20th century characterized by electrification, and industrialization.

Electricity was supplied from the hat factory Šešir
For the first time the streets of Škofja Loka were lit by 40 electric light bulbs in the beginning of August, 1894. The electricity was supplied by the then cloth factory, operating in the premises of the present day hat factory in Škofja Loka, owned by Alojz Krenner. Thanks to Krenner the electrification came to Škofja Loka much sooner than to Ljubljana and other towns which kept using gas for lightning. He was among the first to use electricity in his cloth factory to power the machines; since 1893 he used electricity produced by a power station located on the factory premises.

The power station provided more electric energy than it was required, therefore Krenner offered the surplus to the town, and the municipality decided in favour of the purchase: the cost of the new lightning with 40 electric bulbs which gave twice as much light as the previous 28 paraffin lamps was higher by only 50 florins per year!
M. K.