Janez Bleiweis (19 November 1808 – 29 November 1881) was a Slovene

conservative Conservatism is a cultural, social, and political philosophy and ideology that seeks to promote and preserve traditional institutions, customs, and values. The central tenets of conservatism may vary in relation to the culture and civiliza ...

politician, journalist, physician, veterinarian, and public figure. He was the leader of the so-called

Old Slovene Old Slovenes () is a term used for a national conservative political group in the Slovene Lands from the 1850s to the 1870s, which opposed the radical national liberal Young Slovenes. The main Old Slovene leaders were Janez Bleiweis, Lovro Toman, ...

political movement. Already during his lifetime, he was called

father of the nation The Father of the Nation is an honorific title given to a person considered the driving force behind the establishment of a country, state, or nation. Pater Patriae was a Roman honorific meaning the "Father of the Fatherland", bestowed by th ...

. Bleiweis was born in a wealthy merchant family in the

Carniola Carniola ( ; ; ; ) is a historical region that comprised parts of present-day Slovenia. Although as a whole it does not exist anymore, Slovenes living within the former borders of the region still tend to identify with its traditional parts Upp ...

n city of

Kranj Kranj (, ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, fourth-largest city in Slovenia and the largest urban center of the traditional region of Upper Carniola (northwestern Slovenia) and the Slovene Alps. It is located approximately northwest o ...

, then part of the

Austrian Empire The Austrian Empire, officially known as the Empire of Austria, was a Multinational state, multinational European Great Powers, great power from 1804 to 1867, created by proclamation out of the Habsburg monarchy, realms of the Habsburgs. Duri ...

. Since childhood, he was raised in a bilingual environment. He was fluent in both Slovene and

Austrian German Austrian German (), Austrian Standard German (ASG), Standard Austrian German (), Austrian High German (), or simply just Austrian (), is the variety of Standard German written and spoken in Austria and South Tyrol. It has the highest prestige ( ...

, as most of the members of the upper middle class in Carniola at the time. He attended the

lyceum The lyceum is a category of educational institution defined within the education system of many countries, mainly in Europe. The definition varies among countries; usually it is a type of secondary school. Basic science and some introduction to ...

Ljubljana {{Infobox settlement , name = Ljubljana , official_name = , settlement_type = Capital city , image_skyline = {{multiple image , border = infobox , perrow = 1/2/2/1 , total_widt ...

before enrolling at the

University of Vienna The University of Vienna (, ) is a public university, public research university in Vienna, Austria. Founded by Rudolf IV, Duke of Austria, Duke Rudolph IV in 1365, it is the oldest university in the German-speaking world and among the largest ...

, where he studied medicine. After completing his studies, he worked as a professor of

veterinary medicine Veterinary medicine is the branch of medicine that deals with the prevention, management, medical diagnosis, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, disorder, and injury in non-human animals. The scope of veterinary medicine is wide, covering all a ...

and

pathology Pathology is the study of disease. The word ''pathology'' also refers to the study of disease in general, incorporating a wide range of biology research fields and medical practices. However, when used in the context of modern medical treatme ...

in Ljubljana. Bleiweis wrote a number of text from the fields of the veterinary medicine and human health, particularly about infectious diseases. In 1843, Bleiweis founded the journal ''

Kmetijske in rokodelske novice ''Kmetijske in rokodelske novice'' ({{langx, en, Agricultural and Artisan News), frequently referred to simply as ''Novice'' (''News''), was a Slovene-language newspaper in the 19th century, which had an influential role in the Slovene nationa ...

'' (Farmers' and Craftsmen's News) and edited it until his death in 1881. It dealt with economic, as well as with cultural issues in the

Slovene Lands The Slovene lands or Slovenian lands ( or in short ) is the historical denomination for the territories in Central and Southern Europe where people primarily spoke Slovene. The Slovene lands were part of the Illyrian provinces, the Austrian Empi ...

. In the

spring of nations The revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the springtime of the peoples or the springtime of nations, were a series of revolutions throughout Europe over the course of more than one year, from 1848 to 1849. It remains the most widespre ...

of 1848, he became involved in politics and supported the quest of

United Slovenia United Slovenia ( or ) is the name originally given to an unrealized political programme of the Slovene national movement, formulated during the Spring of Nations in 1848. The programme demanded (a) unification of all the Slovene-inhabited ar ...

. At the beginning of the constitutional period in the

, Bleiweis emerged as the leader of the

Slovene national movement United Slovenia ( or ) is the name originally given to an unrealized political programme of the Slovene national movement, formulated during the Spring of Nations in 1848. The programme demanded (a) unification of all the Slovene-inhabited ar ...

. Already in the late 1850s, however, his politically conservatitive leadership was challenged by the younger generation of Slovene nationalists, known as the

Young Slovenes Young Slovenes () were a Slovene national liberal political movement in the 1860s and 1870s, inspired and named after the Young Czechs in Bohemia and Moravia. They were opposed to the national conservative Old Slovenes. They entered a crisis in ...

, among whom were

Fran Levstik Fran Levstik (28 September 1831 – 16 November 1887) was a Slovene writer, political activist, playwright and critic. He was one of the most prominent exponents of the Young Slovene political movement. Life and work Levstik was born in 18 ...

Josip Stritar Josip Stritar (6 March 1836 – 25 November 1923) was a Slovene writer, poet, essayist, the first aesthetic critic, playwright, publisher and translator. Life Stritar spent his early childhood in his home village of Podsmreka in rural Lower ...

, and

Josip Jurčič Josip Jurčič (4 March 1844 – 3 May 1881) was a Slovene writer and journalist. He was born in Muljava, Austrian Empire (now part of the municipality of Ivančna Gorica, Slovenia)Levec, Fran. 1881. Josip Jurčič. ''Ljubljanski zvon'' 1(6) ...

. Bleiweis' group, which included

Lovro Toman Lovro Toman (10 August 1827 – 15 August 1870) was a Slovenes, Slovene Romantic nationalist revolutionary activist during the Revolution of 1848, known as the person who in Ljubljana, at the Wolf Street (Ljubljana), Wolf Street 8, raised the Sl ...

Etbin Henrik Costa Etbin Henrik Costa (18 October 1832 – 28 January 1875) was a Slovenes, Slovene national conservative politician and author. Together with Janez Bleiweis and Lovro Toman, he was one of the leaders of the Old Slovene political party. He was bor ...

, Luka Svetec and

Andrej Einspieler Andrej Einspieler (13 November 1813 – 16 January 1888) was a Slovenes, Slovene politician, Roman Catholic priest and journalist, and one of the early leaders of the Old Slovene national movement in the 19th century. He was known as the "father ...

was identified as the

Old Slovenes Old Slovenes () is a term used for a national conservative political group in the Slovene Lands from the 1850s to the 1870s, which opposed the radical national liberal Young Slovenes. The main Old Slovene leaders were Janez Bleiweis, Lovro Toman, ...

thereafter, although they themselves never accepted such a name. Bleiweis was a

Habsburg The House of Habsburg (; ), also known as the House of Austria, was one of the most powerful dynasties in the history of Europe and Western civilization. They were best known for their inbreeding and for ruling vast realms throughout Europe d ...

legitimist The Legitimists () are royalists who adhere to the rights of dynastic succession to the French crown of the descendants of the eldest branch of the Bourbon dynasty, which was overthrown in the 1830 July Revolution. They reject the claim of t ...

and follower of the Austroslavist ideology. In politics, he followed the example of the

Czech Czech may refer to: * Anything from or related to the Czech Republic, a country in Europe ** Czech language ** Czechs, the people of the area ** Czech culture ** Czech cuisine * One of three mythical brothers, Lech, Czech, and Rus *Czech (surnam ...

leader

František Palacký František Palacký (; 14 June 1798 – 26 May 1876) was a Czech historian and politician. He was the most influential person of the Czech National Revival, called "Father of the Nation". Life František Palacký was born on 14 June 1798, at ...

, who demanded autonomy for the Slavic peoples within a unified

. In 1881, Bleiweis was granted

knight A knight is a person granted an honorary title of a knighthood by a head of state (including the pope) or representative for service to the monarch, the church, or the country, especially in a military capacity. The concept of a knighthood ...

hood by

Franz Joseph I of Austria Franz Joseph I or Francis Joseph I ( ; ; 18 August 1830 – 21 November 1916) was Emperor of Austria, King of Hungary, and the ruler of the Grand title of the emperor of Austria, other states of the Habsburg monarchy from 1848 until his death ...

, the Emperor of Austria. The same year, he died in Ljubljana and was buried in the St. Christopher Cemetery in the Bežigrad district of Ljubljana.

References

Sources

Jože Pogačnik Jože Pogačnik (22 April 1932 – 16 February 2016) was a Slovenian film director and screenwriter. After studying film directing, Pogačnik first worked as a film critic, before becoming a prominent author of documentary films in the 1960s, ...

, "Janez Bleiweis" in ''Slovenska misel: eseji o slovenstvu'' (Ljubljana: Cankarjeva založba, 1987), 437-438

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bleiweis, Janez 1808 births 1881 deaths People from Kranj Carniolan physicians Slovenian Roman Catholics Old Slovenes politicians Members of the Diet of the Duchy of Carniola Politicians from Austria-Hungary Slovenian veterinarians Carniolan journalists Carniolan editors 19th-century journalists 19th-century Carniolan writers Male journalists 19th-century male writers University of Vienna alumni Members of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts Physicians from the Austrian Empire Slovenian monarchists