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January 2025
Concession for the Lower Carniola Railway Line Ljubljana-Novo mesto-Straža with the Branch Line for Kočevje
About a year ago, Mr. Walter Heimerl-Lesnik from St. Pölten purchased a charter at willhaben.at that he believed to be a reproduction. When he was surprised to discover that it was an original, he decided to donate it to »its homeland«. The charter arrived at the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia in November 2024 through the Slovenian Embassy in Vienna. Our new acquisition is presented here as the first archivalia of the month in 2025.
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February 2025
The Persecution of Homosexuals in Ljubljana in 1913
This month's archivalia first briefly presents the attitude of the authorities toward homosexuality throughout history. It then moves to a partially preserved file of the State Prosecutor's Office in Ljubljana, revealing how, just a few years before the fall of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, persecutions of homosexuality primarily targeted the so-called "little people". A young vagrant in Ljubljana was sentenced to 14 months of imprisonment for it.
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March 2025
Donate for Winter Help
The propaganda poster by painter Jože Beránek bearing the slogan Donate for Winter Help was created to address the people on the streets of Ljubljana during the winter of 1944. Despite its political context, it carries a universal message: the greatest victims of all wars are children. By choosing to present this poster, which was printed on lower-quality paper that is irreversibly deteriorating, we also want to highlight the importance of the preservation of our cultural heritage.
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April 2025
Documentary Film Nepal – »Lost« and Found Again
Slovenian Film Archives at the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia keeps a sizable collection of films on mountaineering and of film footage taken during various expeditions in the Himalayas. In terms of the scope and the quality of these recordings, those taken by Aleš Kunaver really stand out. An interesting story is connected to his 1962 documentary film Nepal, which was considered lost for many years.
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May 2025
The Expropriation of the Land Estates owned by the Diocese of Ljubljana
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, which, in addition to freeing us from the firm grip of our occupiers, also caused a major shift in the political, social, and economic spheres. The post-war wrath often led to revenge, new injustices, and unreasonable decisions. The agrarian reform, which is the subject of this month's archivalia, also brought with it many contradictions.
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June 2025
Request Made to Archduke Charles II for the Transfer of the Fief Holding after the Sale of the Part of the Fief-Based Tithe in Draga on the Sora Plain
Archival fonds of the Carniolan Provincial Commission for Fief-Related Matters includes documents created between the second half of the 13th and the early 19th century and consists mostly of transcripts of various charters, which are important for understanding fief-based relationships. They can also help clarify many dilemmas found in both noble and non-noble genealogies. We believe that the recently completed inventory of this fonds will encourage the use of this interesting material.
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July 2025
Few Surviving Written Traces of the Post-War Extrajudicial Killings
This month's archivalia is a document that serves as a starting point for a brief reflection on the incomplete and blurred written traces of the post-war killings in Slovenia. Although the killings were not limited to the middle of 1945 only, most of Slovenian victims of these tragic events – military and civilian opponents of the newly established authority – died precisely in June and July eighty years ago.
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August 2025
»Indecent Dance 'Boogie-Woogie'«: on the Unlawful Prohibition of Performing Jazz and Popular Music
In the autumn of 1948, the members of the orchestra Veseli berači were fined 3,000 dinars for »often playing songs to which almost all dancers danced the indecent dance 'bogie-wogie', which was prohibited.« After their appeal against the decision was dismissed, the orchestra members requested protection of legality, and in April 1949 the Public Prosecutor’s Office concluded that the criminal sanctions against them were unlawful and void.
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September 2025
From Concentration Camp to an Institute – Life's Journey of the Oncologist Majda Mačkovšek Peršič
Two short documents from June 1967 and January 1968, which discuss the procedure for appointing oncologist Dr. Majda Mačkovšek Peršič (1919-2014) to the position of the chief physician, provide a starting point for presenting her remarkable life's journey, marked by both great challenges and great achievements. Her work was characterized by »critical judgement in professional matters, her unwavering dedication to her patients, and good relations with her colleagues«.
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October 2025
Pondering at Republic Square on Sunday, May 14, 1995
This year marks the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, as well as the centenary of the birth of Ciril Zlobec, one of Slovenia's most influential cultural figures of the second half of the 20th century. In 2012, the Archives of the Republic of Slovenia acquired part of Zlobec's written legacy, which includes a document created thirty years ago but still very much relevant today.
