Tomos was once one of the most important industrial companies in Slovenia and the former Yugoslavia. Over decades of operation, the giant based in Koper produced a remarkably diverse range of goods—from mopeds and motorcycles to outboard and stationary engines, small agricultural machinery, and automobiles.The exhibition Tomos Drives into Oblivion Archives, which was prepared by the Regional Archives Koper, highlights the importance of preserving the archival heritage of Tomos.

Before the Tomos Institute was demolished in 2023, employees of the Regional Archives Koper discovered that the building still contained all of the construction and technical documentation. This came as a surprise, as it was generally assumed that this documentation had been destroyed in a fire on New Year’s Eve 2002. Rainwater leaks, mould and pests left irreparable damage to the material – many documents were partially or completely destroyed.

Archiving and digitising technical drawings and thousands of negatives, slides and photographs in the SI_PAK/1046 – TOMOS Koper archive collection is a long-term project that is far from complete, but will undoubtedly help preserve the memory of Tomos as a symbol of technical knowledge, creativity and economic self-confidence.