Šepec–Lash’s kozolec from Dolenja Nemška vas

The low kozolec (hayrack) from Dolenja Nemška vas had been sold and moved twice before – the Land of Hayracks is its third location. It was originally located in Trebnje bellow the castle and belonged to the Šepec family, who owned a small farm, or “sabenšna”. It is presumed to have been built by the original owner, small farmer and carpenter Jožef Šepec. His son, Jožef, sold it around 1958 to Alojz Ladiha, a large farmer from Dolenja Nemška vas, because the Ljubljana – Zagreb motorway was to be built through the spot in which the kozolec stood. Upon its relocation, the kozolec was also renovated.

Šepec – Ladih’s kozolec is a low dvojni kozolec (double hayrack) with three pairs of “štanti”. It only has the ground floor and attic, but no central floor or “brana” . It does not bear the year of make or the initials of the maker or the owner. It is 13.6 m long, 7.4 m wide, and 7.16 m tall. The name comes from the surnames of the two families who owned it, as neither the Šepec nor the Ladih family had a local name. While the kozolec was in the hands of the Šepec family, it was used for drying and keeping more than just feed. Jožef Šepec, the son of carpenter Jožef, was a known wheelwright and barrel maker. He used the kozolec for drying and storing mostly beech wood for making wagons, barrels, tubs, and presses. The kozolec was not in use later as Alojz Ladiha, a wealthy farmer, bought it more for the bragging rights than the function. The drying and storing of feed was still done on the older “cvitar”, or “goat” kozolec, which originally boasted a “tail” (extension at the end) with five or six “štanti”. With no suitable heirs, the Ladih farm regressed and, by the end of the 20th century, a large part of what was once the biggest farm in the village was split between the descendants and sold off.