The plan for the building was designed by the architect Edo Ravnikar (Plečnik’s student), based on the competition solution, which was also the architect’s first major work. The building was built on the north-eastern side of the oldest (A) section of Žale. The Statue of the Unknown Soldier(by sculptors Peruzzi and Dolinar), which was dedicated to the victims of World War I, used to stand on that spot among war graves.
The cylindrical ossuary was festively opened in December 1939. The remains of 5,258 victims of World War I and directly related conflicts were moved into it. Here are also the remains of the member of the Austro-Hungarian army, Serbian, Russian and Romanian war prisoners, Judenburg rebels, the Koroška fighters, members of the Preporod Movement, etc. On 28 September 1985, with the Decree on the declaration of monuments of the revolutionary movement and national liberation war for historical monuments, Official Gazette of SRS, no. 31/85-1340; the ossuary was pronounced a historical and cultural monument.