More than two decades after the downfall of Yugoslavia, a big exhibition at Gospodarsko razstavišče in Ljubljana presents the life and work of Yugoslavia's iconic leader, Josip Broz Tito. In the former countries of Yugoslavia, the old times are still present and people are still remembering the times under the leadership of Tito. And it has to be said: Comrade Tito, as he was called in Yugoslavia, is a controversial figure among the nations of former Yugoslavia. Repressive dictator or benevolent leader? Opinions about Josip Broz are still very different. Like Fitzroy McLean wrote once in the Sunday Times: "Some people like Tito. Some don't. People like the 20th century or not. Some don't. But they belong together, this man and this century."

The exhibition begins with the birth of Josip Broz in Krumrovec, now in Croatia and proceeds with his youth learning the profession of a locksmith and various workplaces in Slovenia, Austria and Germany. Drafted into military service, he distinguished himself, becoming the youngest Sergeant Major in the Austro-Hungarian Army. After being seriously wounded and captured by the Imperial Russians during World War I, he was sent to a work camp in the Ural Mountains. He participated in the October Revolution, and later joined a Red Guard unit in Omsk. Upon his return home, Broz found himself in the newly established Kingdom of Yugoslavia, where he joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.

During World War 2, he led the partisan movement against the Nazis and became the main architect of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, of which he soon became the undisputed leader. He split up with Stalin and became the leader of the countries of the Non-Aligned Movement, who neither were part of the western bloc nor of the eastern one. He established strong ties to third world countries such as Ghana and pursued a way of neutrality during the time of the cold war. Yugoslavia faced economic prosperity and fast development in the 60s and 70s, as well as nationalist efforts, which were surpressed by the Communist Party. After his death in May 1980 in Ljubljana, Yugoslavia lost what held it together for three decades. It was maybe Tito's greatest achievement to maintain unity among the Yugoslav nations and his way of "liberal communism", which was also recognized by his western partners. 

The exhibit in Ljubljana provides the visitors with a wide selection of photos, and material such as paintings, personal belongings other Tito-related stuff. Especially interesting for the audience are the various interviews with people, who worked with and for Josip Broz in former Yugoslavia. You can hear the stories of people from the military and his political cabinet, as well as his personal pilot, who recalls anecdotes of his time with the statesman. Other sections of the exhibition talk about Tito's vehicle fleet, his New Year's Eve celebrations (astonishing!), his travels around the world and the funeral of all funerals. 

After having seen the exhibition as a foreigner, I can say that the Tito exhibition takes a rather neutral position within a dispute, which still divides people in former Yugoslavia into two camps. It neither glorifies Tito nor presents him as a brutal dictator. What I missed a little bit while visiting the exhibit were views of other persons, who were not working for Tito and therefore biased. Only a very small place in the exhibition is reserved for the dark side of Tito's reign and only mentions the prison island Goli Otok, where thousands of political enemies and other prisoners were interned and tortured. The activities around the Yugoslavian secret service hunting down anticommunists and opponents of the regime are not mentioned.

Nevertheless the exhibition will satisfy Tito aficionados, who recall the times of his leading of the common country with nostalgia, as well as his opponents and detractors, since it presents Tito as a personality and not as an ideological figure of the former social organisation.