Davorin Trstenjak (8 November 1817 – 2 February 1890) was a Slovene writer, historian and

Roman Catholic priest The priesthood is the office of the ministers of religion, who have been commissioned ("ordained") with the holy orders of the Catholic Church. Technically, bishops are a priestly order as well; however, in common English usage ''priest'' re ...

Life

Trstenjak was born in the village of Kraljevci near Sveti Jurij ob Ščavnici, in what was then the

Austrian Austrian may refer to: * Austrians, someone from Austria or of Austrian descent ** Someone who is considered an Austrian citizen * Austrian German dialect * Something associated with the country Austria, for example: ** Austria-Hungary ** Austria ...

Duchy of Styria The Duchy of Styria (; ; ) was a duchy located in modern-day southern Austria and northern Slovenia. It was a part of the Holy Roman Empire until its dissolution in 1806 and a Cisleithanian crown land of Austria-Hungary until its dissolution i ...

(now in

Slovenia Slovenia, officially the Republic of Slovenia, is a country in Central Europe. It borders Italy to the west, Austria to the north, Hungary to the northeast, Croatia to the south and southeast, and a short (46.6 km) coastline within the Adriati ...

). He attended the

elementary school A primary school (in Ireland, India, the United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Trinidad and Tobago, Jamaica, South Africa, and Singapore), elementary school, or grade school (in North America and the Philippines) is a school for primary ...

in his home village and later in

Bad Radkersburg Bad Radkersburg (; ; archaic Divald, Kornél. 1931. ''Old Hungarian Art''. London: Oxford University Press, p. 117.) is a spa town in the southeast of the Austrian States of Austria, state of Styria, in the Districts of Austria, district of Südo ...

() where he met the philologist

Peter Dajnko Peter Dajnko (23 April 1787 – 22 February 1873) was a Slovene priest, author, and linguist, known primarily as the inventor of the Dajnko alphabet (), an innovative proposal for the Slovene alphabet. Dajnko was also a proficient beekeeper a ...

, with whom he established a close friendship. He studied at the lyceum in

Maribor Maribor ( , , ; also known by other #Name, historical names) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, second-largest city in Slovenia and the largest city of the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Lower Styria. It is the seat of the ...

and later in

Graz Graz () is the capital of the Austrian Federal states of Austria, federal state of Styria and the List of cities and towns in Austria, second-largest city in Austria, after Vienna. On 1 January 2025, Graz had a population of 306,068 (343,461 inc ...

, where he became a supporter of the

Illyrian movement The Illyrian movement (; ) was a pan-South-Slavic cultural and political campaign with roots in the early modern period, and revived by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of the 19th century, around the years of 1835 t ...

, a

Romantic nationalist Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...

cultural movement that spread from the neighbouring

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

, and which advocated a cultural and linguistic unification of the

South Slavic peoples South Slavs are Slavs, Slavic people who speak South Slavic languages and inhabit a contiguous region of Southeast Europe comprising the eastern Alps and the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula. Geographically separated from the West Slavs and East Slavs ...

. After graduating from theology, he was

ordained Ordination is the process by which individuals are Consecration in Christianity, consecrated, that is, set apart and elevated from the laity class to the clergy, who are thus then authorized (usually by the religious denomination, denominationa ...

in 1844, then he served as a

chaplain A chaplain is, traditionally, a cleric (such as a minister, priest, pastor, rabbi, purohit, or imam), or a lay representative of a religious tradition, attached to a secular institution (such as a hospital, prison, military unit, intellige ...

in the

Lower Styria Styria (, ), also known as Slovenian Styria (; ) or Lower Styria (; ) to differentiate it from Austrian Styria, is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of St ...

n villages in Slivnica pri Mariboru (1844–46),

Ljutomer Ljutomer (; ) is a town in northeastern Slovenia, east of Maribor. It is the seat of the Municipality of Ljutomer. Traditionally it was part of the region of Styria. It is now included in the Mura Statistical Region. The economy of Ljutomer is la ...

(1847), Hajdina (1848), and the town of

Ptuj Ptuj (; , ; ) is the List of cities and towns in Slovenia, eighth-largest town of Slovenia, located in the traditional region of Styria (Slovenia), Styria (northeastern Slovenia). It is the seat of the City Municipality of Ptuj, Municipality of Pt ...

(1849–50). From 1850 until 1861, he was a chaplain and then a

catechist Catechesis (; from Greek language, Greek: , "instruction by word of mouth", generally "instruction") is basic Christian religious education of children and adults, often from a catechism book. It started as education of Conversion to Christia ...

. From 1861 until 1868, he was the parish priest in

Šentjur Šentjur ( or ; ) is a town in eastern Slovenia. It is the seat, and largest settlement, of the Municipality of Šentjur. The town lies on the Voglajna River east southeast of Celje. The settlement, and the entire municipality, are included in th ...

, then from 1868 until 1879 in Ponikva, and from 1879 until his death in Stari Trg near

Slovenj Gradec Slovenj Gradec (; '', ''after about 1900 ''Windischgraz'') is a town in northern Slovenia. It is the centre of the Urban Municipality of Slovenj Gradec. It is part of the historical Styria region, and since 2005 it has belonged to the NUTS-3 C ...

Work

Philology and history work

Trstenjak collaborated closely with the Slovene-Croatian poet and ethnologist

Stanko Vraz Stanko Vraz (baptized Jakob Fraß; 30 June 1810 – 20 May 1851) was a Slovenian language, Slovenian-Croatian language, Croatian poet. He Slavicized his name to ''Stanko Vraz'' in 1836. Biography Born in the village of Cerovec Stanka Vraza, Cero ...

. Influenced by the theories of

Ján Kollár Ján Kollár (; 29 July 1793 – 24 January 1852) was a Slovak writer (mainly poet), archaeologist, scientist, Lutheran pastor, politician, and main ideologist of Pan-Slavism. Life He studied at the Lutheran Lyceum in Pressburg (Pozsony, ...

and

Pavel Jozef Šafárik Pavel Jozef Šafárik (; 13 May 1795 – 26 June 1861) was a Slovak philologist, poet, literary historian, historian and ethnographer in the Kingdom of Hungary. He was one of the first scientific Slavists. Family His father Pavol Šafárik (17 ...

, two influential lovakphilologists who advocated

Pan-Slavic Pan-Slavism, a movement that took shape in the mid-19th century, is the political ideology concerned with promoting integrity and unity for the Slavic people. Its main impact occurred in the Balkans, where non-Slavic empires had ruled the South S ...

ideals, Trstenjak wrote several historical books, in which he claimed that the

Slavs The Slavs or Slavic people are groups of people who speak Slavic languages. Slavs are geographically distributed throughout the northern parts of Eurasia; they predominantly inhabit Central Europe, Eastern Europe, Southeastern Europe, and ...

were the most ancient people in Europe (an antecedent of the Venetic theory). However, he gave up these claims after he found they were scientifically untenable.

National awakening work

During 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 ...

in 1848, Trstenjak became an enthusiast supporter of the

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 ...

program. As a close collaborator of

Matija Majar Matija Majar, also spelled Majer (7 February 1809 – 31 July 1892), pseudonym Ziljski, was a Carinthian Slovene Roman Catholic priest and political activist, best known as the creator of the idea of a United Slovenia. Biography Majar was bor ...

, the author of the program, Trstenjak helped in raising signatures for the establishment of a unified political entity comprising all Slovenian ethnic territory. After 1849, he established contacts with Janez Bleiweis and

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 ...

who became the leaders of the Slovene National Movement in the 1850s and early 1860s. In 1863, he was among the co-founders of the prestigious publishing house and scientific society ''

Slovenska matica The Slovene Society (, also ) is the second-oldest publishing house in Slovenia, founded on 4 February 1864 as an institution for the scholarly and cultural progress of Slovenes. History The Slovene Society was founded upon the proposal of sev ...

''. He was also a collaborator of the bishop

Anton Martin Slomšek Beatification, Blessed Anton Martin Slomšek (26 November 1800 – 24 September 1862) was a Slovene Catholic Church, Roman Catholic prelate who served as the Bishop of Lavant from 1846 until his death. He served also as an author and poet as wel ...

. In 1877, upon his initiative, a marble plaque to Slomšek was unveiled on his birth house in Uniše.

Literary work

Trstenjak was also a writer and poet. He wrote in a typically Romantic manner, following the example of

France Prešeren France Prešeren () (3 December 1800 – 8 February 1849) was a 19th-century Romantic Slovene poet whose poems have been translated into many languages.

and Josipina Turnograjska. He rejected the

literary realism Literary realism is a movement and genre of literature that attempts to represent mundane and ordinary subject-matter in a faithful and straightforward way, avoiding grandiose or exotic subject-matter, exaggerated portrayals, and speculative ele ...

of the younger generations of Slovene authors who entered the scene in the mid-1860s: he strongly polemicised against

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 ...

and rejected the poetry of Simon Gregorčič and

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 ...

, as well as the circle around the literary journal ''

Ljubljanski zvon ''Ljubljanski zvon'' (The Ljubljana Bell) was a Literary magazine, journal published in Ljubljana in Slovene language, Slovene between 1881 and 1941. It was considered one of the most prestigious literary and cultural magazines in Slovenia. Earl ...

''. In 1878, he was elected the first president of the

Slovene Writers' Association The Slovene Writers' Association () is a non-profit association of Slovene writers based in Ljubljana. The association was founded on 21 April 1872 in Ljubljana at the initiative of Davorin Trstenjak who also became its first president. The statu ...

Bibliography

* Kdo so bili Ambidravi, in kdo je sozidal starodavni mesti Virunum in Teurnia Kelti ali Venedi? V Celovcu : J. Leon, 1853 * Mesec Marije, ali častenje presvete device Marije skoz eden celi mesec s vsakdanjimi premišljevanji, molitvami in izgledi iz živlenja svetnikov, ter z molitvami v jutro, večer, pri sv. maši, za spoved ino sv. obhajilo, kak tudi s kratkim opisom naj imenitnejših Marijinih svetstev, katere slovenski romarji obiskavajo. U Gradcu: J. Sirolla, 1856 * Pannonica: spomeniški listi. Samozal. D. Trstenjak, 1887 * Weriand de Graz: zgodovinsko-rodoslovna razprava. V Celovci : pisatelj, 1884 * Triglav, mythologično raziskavanje. Samozal. D. Trstenjak, 1870 * Slovanščina v romanščini. onikva pisatelj, 1878

Sources

*"Trstenjak, Davorin" in ''Slovenski biografski leksikon'', edited by

Izidor Cankar Izidor Cankar (22 April 1886 – 22 September 1958) was a Slovenian author, art historian, diplomat, journalist, translator, and liberal conservative politician. He was one of the most important Slovenian art historians of the first part of the ...

(Ljubljana: Zadružna gospodarska banka, 1925). *

Bogo Grafenauer Bogo Grafenauer (16 March 1916 – 12 May 1995) was a Slovenian historian, who mostly wrote about medieval history in the Slovene Lands. Together with Milko Kos, Fran Zwitter, and Vasilij Melik, he was one of the founders of the so-called ...

, ''Struktura in tehnika zgodovinske vede'' (Ljubljana: Univerza v Ljubljani, 1980).

External links

Trstenjak's writings on history
*
{{DEFAULTSORT:Trstenjak, Davorin 1817 births 1890 deaths People from the Municipality of Sveti Jurij ob Ščavnici 19th-century Slovenian historians Slovenian writers Slovenian philologists 19th-century Slovenian Roman Catholic priests Presidents of the Slovene Writers' Association Slovenian theologians 19th-century Austrian historians