Šraj’s kozolec from Velike Pece

The name for this kozolec (hayrack) comes from the local name for the first owner’s homestead which was called “at Šraj’s”. Šraj was an innkeeper and farmer from Šentvid pri Stični where the kozolec was first placed. It was set up at the beginning of the 20th century near the local train station. When the Šraj family took up inn keeping as their main occupation, they didn’t need the kozolec anymore so it was sold to the Zupančič family from Velike Pece some 40 years ago. It was taken apart by hand, transported on a waggon, and set up again with the help of friends and neighbours. There were originally twelve “štanti” , however, two were removed, as they were not needed.

Experts say this is a single parallel kozolec, though the last owner, Andrej Novak, claims it is a dvojni kozolec (double hayrack).

Andrej Novak, the son-in-law of Janez Zupančič who bought the kozolec from Joži Čop, said it was known for being “still empty in the evening and full in the morning. At dusk they would start filling it and by 1 or 2pm it would be full. It was often this way – my father-in-law was a hard worker.” (Andrej Novak).

It was common for the locals to gather under this kozolec as it was quite far from the homestead. It offered a pleasant shade to rest in during the work on the fields. It was not placed next to the farmhouse itself, as the homestead was subject to flooding and the kozolec could be in danger because of it. The chosen location was also windier and enabled the drying process to be faster.

Šraj’s kozolec is 27.90 m long, 6.3 m wide, and 4.7 m tall.