*** Slovenia Slovenes








Slovenia


Figure 1.--This is a scene from rural Slovenia in 1950. The girl is carrying a sack of flour. We are not sure what her brother's foilage is all about. Slovenia was the most prosperous part of the Communist Yugoslavia, but still lagged far behind the prosperous West as the German Economic Miracle began to take hold and raise the economnies of neigboring Austria and Italy along with it.

Slovenia is a very small country in central Europe south of Austria and east of Italy. Most of modern Slovenia waa included in the Austrian Crown Lands (Carinthia, Carniola, and Styria) and thus heaviy influenced by Austria meaning German culture.. In modern times it was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire After World War I it became part of the Kingdom of the Sothern Slavs (1919) which became Yugoslavia. For most of the 20th century, Yugoslavia was part of Yugoslavia with both a Royal and Communist era. After World War II, Slovenia was awarded Vebezi Giulai (1945) and later the Yugoslav zone of areas neat Trieste (1954). Sovenia was the first country to break away from Yugoslavia and managed to do so without a serious war (1991). Slovenia is perhaps best known for its mountains, ski resorts and pristine mountain lakes. A popular tourist site is Lake Bled, a glacial lake fed by hot springs. The town of Bled contains a church-topped islet and a cliffside medieval castle. The country holds most of The Julian Alps, including the highest points--Truglay and Karst. Slovenia is drained by the Drava and Sava Rivers. There are three geographic area: alpine, Pannonian and Danubian lowlandss, and the Mediterranean coast. Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, boasts a senic baroque facades mixed with the 20th-century architecture of native son Jože Plečnik. His iconic Tromostovje (Triple Bridge) spans the tightly curving Ljubljanica River. We have begun to work on Slovenian history. We also have a page on Solvenian immigration in America. The Slovenia economy was dominted by agriculture. The country like Austria has a long tradition of crafts, and like Austria little industry. Only in the early-20th century did Slovenia begin to modernize and diversify the economy. This continued during the royal period. Slovenia emerged as the most propsperous area of Uugoslavia and this continued during the Communist post-World War II era. Economic develop continued adter Tuto's break with Stalin (1948) and Yugoslavia developed a market-oriented 'self-management' form of socialism (communism). While this was not as efficent as market capitalism, it was more efficent than the economies of the Soviet Union and the rest of the Soviet Empire. The Slovene economy was the star of the Yugoslav federation. Gradually Yugoslave dominted by Serbian Communist leaderhip began to stagnate economically. Communist controls limiting market forces and rising debt levels caused increasing problems. Especially galling to the Slovenes was the Communist central government’s policy of distributing subsidies from the more prosperous northern market-oriented republics to the less-affluent and often corrupt southern republics. This essentially was a olicy punishing economic efficency and rewarding coruption and inefficency. Conined with eyhnic differences it was a major driver leading to the breakup of Yugoslavia and independence from Yugoslavia, meaning essentially Serbia and Communism. This led to major problems. The inherent unprofitability of 'socially owned' enterprises were exposed. And Slovenia lost it s markets which before independence werre primarily in the former Yugoslavia. Slovenes are predominantly Roman Catholic. We have a Slovenian school page. Ethnically they are mostly Slavs.

Geography

Slovenia is a very small country in central Europe south of Austria and east of Italy. Slovenia is perhaps best known for its mountains, ski resorts and pristine mountain lakes. A popular tourist site is Lake Bled, a glacial lake fed by hot springs. The town of Bled contains a church-topped islet and a cliffside medieval castle. The country holds most of The Julian Alps, including the highest points--Truglay and Karst. Slovenia is drained by the Drava and Sava Rivers. There are three geographic area: alpine, lowlands (Pannonian and Danubians, and the Mediterranean coast. While mountaneous, fertile river valleys exist where grain and potatoes are grown. There are fruit growing areas. Stock raising is important. The mountain slopes are forrested and provide the basis for wood product industries. Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana, boasts a senic baroque facades mixed with the 20th-century architecture of native son Jože Plečnik. His iconic Tromostovje (Triple Bridge) spans the tightly curving Ljubljanica River. After World War II, Slovenia was awarded Vebezi Giulai (1945) and later the Yugoslav zone of areas neat Trieste (1954).

History

Slovenia is today an independent country and part of the European Union. This is a very recent development. Except for a brief period after the fall of Rome, Slovenia has been a part of one of several large empires. Although a Slavic peoplke, the Slovenes have beem strongly associated with Austria/Germany, various German empires--especially the Austrian Empire, since the fall of Rome. Most of modern Slovenia waa included in the Austrian Crown Lands (Carinthia, Carniola, and Styria) and thus heaviy influenced by Austria meaning German culture. In modern times it was a part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Slovenes were part of the European immigration to America. After the disolution of the Astro-Hungarian Empire at the end of World War I, Slovenia was incorporated in the new Kingdom of the Sothern Slavs which became Yugoslavia (1919). Slovenia was the one Yugoslav republic able to separate from Serb dominated Yugoslavia without a bloody war. For most of the 20th century, Yugoslavia was part of Yugoslavia with both a Royal and Communist era. Slovenia was the first country to break away from Yugoslavia and managed to do so without a serious war (1991).

Economy

The Slovenia economy was dominted by agriculture. The country like Austria has a long tradition of crafts, and like Austria little industry. Only in the early-20th century did Slovenia begin to modernize and diversify the economy. This continued during the royal period. Slovenia emerged as the most propsperous area of Yugoslavia and this continued during the Communist post-World War II era. Stalinist economic models called for heavy investment in heavy industry with little consideration of profitability. Coal resources helped fuel the news heavy industries. Economic development continued adter Tito's break with Stalin (1948), but with a degree market-oriented 'self-management' form of socialism not permitted in the rest if the Soviet empire. While this was not as efficent as market capitalism, it was more efficent than the economies of the East Bloc countries. The Slovene economy proved to be the star of the Yugoslav federation. Slovenia was a small part of the Yugoslavia, less than 10 percent of thecountry's population. But with its well educated population, Slovenes 20 percent of the country’s GDP and 30 percent of its exports. Gradually Yugoslave dominted by Serbian Communist leaderhip began to stagnate economically. Communist controls limiting market forces and rising debt levels caused increasing problems. Especially galling to the Slovenes was the Communist central government’s policy of distributing subsidies from the more prosperous northern market-oriented republics to the less-affluent and often corrupt southern republics. This essentially was a policy punishing economic efficency and rewarding coruption and inefficency. Combined with ethnic differences it was a major driver leading to the breakup of Yugoslavia and independence from Yugoslavia, meaning essentially Serbia and Communism. This led to major problems. The inherent unprofitability of 'socially owned' enterprises were exposed. And Slovenia lost it s markets which before independence werre primarily in the former Yugoslavia.

Activities

Slovenes are predominantly Roman Catholic. We have a Slovenian school page.

Ethnicity

Ethnically Slovenes are culturally mostly Slavs influenced by German culture. The actual genetic ethnicity is much more complicated. DNA studis provide interesting details. There is a substantial trace of both Celtic and the pr-Celtic people of he area. This is a little difficicult to tellwith any precission as the haplotypes connected with Celtic and pre-Celtic people can have other ethnicities, including some Slavic. The studies provie some clues as to the Slavic tribes which dominated.

Families

We don't have information on Slovenian families yet. We do note that Slovenia pyscician Milko Škofič married rising starlet Gina Lollobrigida (1949). They moved to Canada (1960). We see Gina and Milko Jr. in Canada about 1964. About the same time we note a photograph taken in 1963 of the Kladnik family. They lived in Skomarje, a settlement in the Pohorje Hills northwest of Zreče in northeastern Slovenia. It depicts front of Kladnik home. We can see the parents and their 10 children. Slovenia at the time was part of Communist Yugoslavia. Yugoslavia like other Communist countries began to collectize agriculture after World War II, but many small holders were allowed to keep their land. We do not know much about the process in Slovenia.







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Created: 10:35 PM 1/31/2018
Last updated: 1:31 AM 12/18/2023