They have been occupied by so many different countries....in the 18th century by the Austrians, then between 41-44 German occupation (don't mention the war!), the Russians.... etc...Hence the older population still speak some German, not so much the younger ones....
Before First World War, the city had a population that was 80% Austrian Germans and 20% Slovenes; most of the city's capital and public life was in Austrian German hands.
In 1941, Lower Styria, the Yugoslav part of Styria, was annexed by Nazi Germany. German troops marched into the town at about 9 pm on April 8, 1941.
On April 26, Adolf Hitler, who encouraged his followers to "make this land German again",visited Maribor and a grand reception was organized by local Germans in the city castle. Immediately after the occupation, Nazi Germany began mass expulsions of Slovenes to the Independent State of Croatia, Serbia, and later to the concentration and work camps in Germany. The Nazi goal was to re-Germanize the population of Lower Styria after the war. Maribor 'hosted' a German PoW camp from 1941 -1945 for many British, Australian and New Zealand troops who had been captured in Crete in 1941. The remaining German-speaking population, except those who had actively collaborated with the resistance during the war, was summarily expelled following the end of the war in 1945.
When I had a coffee break at a cafe in the city centre, an old lady came up to me to ask me whether they had tea also (it was a self serve place...)... I responded in German: don't speak Slovene. So she started to chat in German, we had a very nice conversation... she was happy to practice her German. I asked whether she learnt it at school... she said yes and of course during the occupation in 41-44.... uuupppss... yes me German- me bad guy-....She told how people were always poor here and worked hard to make a living... she would like to travel but never had the chance before.... It is nice to connect with the locals.... interesting!
Slovenia is well known for their honey and bee keeping, the Thermes (Spas), Alps for skiing and winter olympics, the mediterranean, pannonian plains and the karst... most diverse type of countryside and nature....
Although Slovenia is a small country, there is an exceptionally wide variety of habitats. In the north of Slovenia are the Alps (namely, Julian Alps, Karavanke, Kamnik Alps), and in the south stand the Dinaric Alps. There is also a small area of the Pannonian plain and a Littoral Region. Much of southwestern Slovenia is characterised by Classical Karst, a very rich, often unexplored underground habitat containing diverse flora and fauna. Domestic animals originating in Slovenia include the indigenous Karst Shepherd, the Carniolan honeybee and the Lipizzan horse.
Today, Monday 16 January, we drive into Maribor (+3C), the second largest city in Slovenia, about 1/2hours drive away from Ken & Yvonne's home.
Maribor (German: Marburg an der Drau) is the second largest city in Slovenia with 95,200 inhabitants. Maribor was named as an Alpine city in 2000 and chosen as European Capital of Culture 2012 alongside with Guimarães, Portugal. Maribor will be the host city of the 2013 Winter Universiade. In 2011 it was also announced that Maribor will be European Youth Capital in 2013.
Popular tourist sites in Maribor include the 12th century Maribor Cathedral in the Gothic style and the Maribor Town Hall constructed in the Renaissance style. The Maribor castle dates from the 15th century.
Find the deer in the field.....
Then drive alongside the river Drava....which is partly frozen.... poor ducks....
I take off and walk around the city centre, to the train station (to get the timetable for my train back to Germany), to the river.. and looking for the tourist office and the cultural office for information on events....
I finally found them both and got maps and info.... There was going to be a 'sound expo' under one of the bridges.... depicting the sound of the river as it used to be in its hayday..... I wanted to attend that!.....however, when I got there, there was no sign, no people... first I thought I got the wrong bridge, but then when standing close to it, you could hear the raging river flowing..... How silly though - there was absolutely no indication that this sound expo was happening here! So much for organization.....
The cathedral....
Grafiti is a big problem in Slovenia.... it's everywhere.... a shame really...
Prekmurska gibanica is a layered cake, originating in the region of Prekmurje. It contains poppy seeds, walnuts, apples, raisins, and ricotta fillings. Although native to Prekmurje, it has achieved the status of a national speciality of Slovenia. The unique sweetmeat shows the variety of agriculture in this region.
I have to try all the different cuisines and traditional foods, everywhere I go.... never mind my wasteline.... what wasteline????
S & D & L
Very interesting... as I've just arrived in Maribor!
ReplyDeletePlease, could you tell me where to find this very nice cake in town? Thanks a lot.