On 31 October, we celebrate Reformation Day, which honours the religious, political and cultural movement of the 16th century. It was then that Slovenians received the first printed book in the Slovenian language, published by Primož Trubar.
The Reformation was a watershed period for Slovenia and its people. The changes that began as a result of the Reformation had an impact on the religious, cultural and social life of the country.
Primož Trubar, the reformer and central figure of Slovenian Protestantism, embodied and lived the Reformation.
The consolidator of the Slovenian literary language and literature, he published Catechismus (Katekizem), the first book printed in the Slovenian language. It enabled the inhabitants of Slovenian lands to read it in their own, comprehensible language. Trubar continued his Reformation journey with Abecedarium (Abecednik), a book intended to teach people to read and write in their own language.
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On Reformation Day, 31 October, Slovenians commemorate the birth of the Slovenian language and remember Primož Trubar. Photo: Stanko Gruden/STA
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Primož Trubar was born in 1508 or 1509 in Rašica near Velike Lašče in the Duchy of Carniola and was a Protestant priest. Photo: taldav68/depositphotos.com
In addition to Abecedarium and Catechismus, Trubar published 22 books in Slovenian and two in German, including Church Canon (Cerkveni red), The Whole New Testament (Ta celi novi testament), and Three Spiritual Songs (Tri duhovne pejsni), among many others.
Primož Trubar left an indelible mark on the history of Slovenia. His works have been of great importance for the development of the Slovenian language, culture and religion, and they continue to have a lasting impact on Slovenian society today.
Date: 30. October 2023
Time to read: 1 min
