Home for the Mentally Defective in Trate is the English translation of a guidebook originally published in Slovenian in 2024 under the title Dom za duševno defektne. The publication was supported by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia.
The book aims to raise public awareness of the harsh living and working conditions in the Institution for the Mentally and Nervously Ill at Trate (1949–2004). It challenges stereotypes of “the insane” hidden behind institutional walls and invites readers to see the residents as people– individuals who were systematically mistreated by society.
As a critique of total institutions– structures that, unfortunately, still exist today– the book, like the exhibition Endless Meadows of Madness, offers a glimpse into a world ruled by power, regulations, decrees, and medication, where life was stripped of dignity.
The guide also serves as an invitation to visit the Museum of Madness, a grassroots heritage initiative dedicated to preserving the last historical layers of Cmurek Castle– once stigmatised as an asylum– and to honouring the memory of those who lived and worked there.
The book is available for purchase at the Museum of Madness in Trate.
Text: Sonja Bezjak
Accompanying texts: Prosper Wanner, Darja Farasin
Translation: Mateja Petan
Publisher: Museum of Madness, Trate
ISBN: 978-961-97110-0-2
