Special Feature: The Thirsty Man

The Wise Men are accompanied by a Gottscheer man who, thirsty, drinks from a small barrel known as a putscherle. This small but remarkable detail reveals to visitors a glimpse of everyday life in the Kočevje region centuries ago. Putscherles were produced by the Gottscheers and sold in neighbouring regions and countries. Their importance is further attested by the fact that the renowned polymath Johann Weikhard Valvasor depicted the Gottscheers with putscherles in his extensive work The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola (1689).

Other Church Furnishings

The Church of the Three Wise Men stands in the centre of the village of Črni Potok (German: Schwarzenbach), which is listed in the register of cultural heritage as settlement heritage due to its well-preserved village core. The church rises on a small elevation in the middle of the village. Remnants of the former village cemetery wall recall the old cemetery, which was relocated in 1836 to nearby Zajčje Polje (German: Hasenfeld, Gottscheerish: Huəshnbold).

In addition to the main fresco, the church contains other exceptionally well-preserved furnishings. Among these are smaller wall paintings of the Crucified Christ and St. Michael weighing souls on a scale, as well as a late-17th-century altar, which also depicts the Adoration of the Three Wise Men.

Above the clock mechanism in the bell tower hang two iron bells dating from 1923; the smaller one is a donation from the Eisenzopf family from America.

Threats to the Church Due to Structural Damage

Today, the church is unfortunately in very poor condition. Ground subsidence and earthquake damage have caused deep cracks in the structure, threatening both the building itself and the valuable frescoes. Without timely and appropriate measures, there is a serious risk that an important part of the historical and cultural heritage will be lost.

Since 2023, the Putscherle Institute has been working to protect and restore this cultural monument. A significant step forward was made at the beginning of 2025, when the Municipality of Kočevje allocated initial funds for professional analyses. These will precisely determine the necessary restoration measures – but it is already clear that the renovation will be extensive and financially demanding, and we will therefore be grateful for any donation.

The church in Črni Potok is not merely an architectural remnant. It is a bearer of local identity, a silent narrator of regional history, and a symbol of cultural coexistence in the Kočevje region. Preserving such places means preserving memory – and also creates opportunities for the development of cultural tourism in the region. Treh kraljev v Črnem Potoku ni le arhitekturni ostanek. Je nosilka identitete prostora, tiha pripovedovalka lokalne zgodovine in simbol sobivanja kultur na Kočevskem. Ohranitev takšnih krajev pomeni ohranitev spomina – pa tudi priložnost za razvoj kulturnega turizma na Kočevskem.

Sources:

Resman, Blaž in Helena Seražin. 2010. Upravna enota Kočevje: umetnostna topografija Kočevske. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC.

Zupan, Gojko, Ferenc, Mitja in France Dolinar. 1993. Cerkve na Kočevskem nekoč in danes. Kočevje: Župnija, Muzej.

V prejšnji objavi preberite: Turški vpadi: odsev v kočevarskem izročilu

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The inter-war fate of the village of Stari Log

The idyllic forest-bound village of Stari Log was the largest village in Kočevska area before the World War II. Until the World War II, it was the seat of the municipality, the seat of the parish; there was a school, a cemetery, a gendarmerie station, taverns and shops. The war did not spare Stari Log that was caught up in the maelstrom of war. After the resettlement of the Gottscheer people in 1941, only two Gottscheer families remained in the village. To prevent the establishment of an Italian outpost, the village was burnt down by the partisans in 1942, and the Italian army deported women, children and the elderly from Stari Log and the surrounding area to concentration camps, while 74 men were shot.

Cemetery in Stari Log

Initially, the cemetery in Stari Log was located next to the St. Margaret’s Parish Church. In 1853, it became too small, therefore they started burying the deceased southeast of the village, on the site of present-day cemetery. Today, graves of Gottscheers – the indigenous inhabitants are preserved in one part of the cemetery, while another, where burials are still carried out, contains the graves of post-war immigrants, and in the third part is located the tomb of 74 partisans and hostages who were shot by the Italian army in August 1942. There remain 11 tombstones from the 19th century, the rest are more recent. Nine bear the signature of the monumental stonemason A. Plesche.

Different memories permeate Stari Log

After the World War II, the cemetery in Stari Log became a transnational memorial site – a monument to the events that marked the tumultuous history of Kočevska area. Near the entrance to the cemetery, the visitor first sees the monument “in memory of all deceased Gottscheers”, erected in 1997 – a square obelisk with a pyramidal structure at the top and a dedication inscription in Slovene, German, English and Göttscheabarisch. It was set up by organisations from Slovenia and abroad, with the participation of local societies and local communities.

In 1960, a communal grave was constructed for the killed hostages. In addition to the tomb, there is an obelisk and white marble tombstones on an area of about 1000 m².

Less than a decade before that, in 1951, the Slovene Writers’ Association had erected a memorial or a symbolic grave to the poet, writer and puppeteer Miran Jarc. He was shot near the village of Pugled near Stari Log, but the location of his grave remains unknown. In 2002, the monument was modernised by the Association for the Conservation of Partisan Graves in Rog (Hornwald).

For many years, the cemetery in Stari Log had no cemetery crucifix. In August 2023, the villagers of Stari Log symbolically restored a cast-iron cross from one of the pre-war Gottscheer graves and placed it as a cemetery crucifix on the left edge of the cemetery, next to the cemetery walls.

Restoration of tombstones in Stari Log cemetery

The cemetery in Stari Log was built in 1997 by the Stara Cerkev Local Community with the help of Gottscheer organisations. The 45 preserved Gottscheer stone tombstones underwent a basic conservation in 2002, but many of them have been damaged by weather, subsidence and deterioration of the materials.

The Putscherle Institute, a non-governmental organisation dedicated to the preservation of cultural heritage in Kočevsko area, has therefore initiated a more complex restoration of the six most damaged tombstones in 2023, under the direction of Dr Anja Moric. The restoration work is being carried out by the Erjavec Stonemasonry Services from Mahovnik in accordance with the instructions of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Slovenia, and the restoration is financed by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia and the Municipality of Kočevje. The work on each tombstone includes foundation stabilisation (by concreting), removal of moss and mould, restoration of the inscriptions and, where possible, restoration of the photographs in ceramic frames, construction of missing parts of the monuments, such as crosses, ornaments, etc. In the coming years, the Putscherle Institute plans to gradually restore several additional Gottscheer tombstones.

Sources:
– Resman, Blaž in Seražin, Helena. 2010. Upravna enota Kočevje: občine Kočevje, Kostel in Osilnica. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC.
– Stari Log – spominsko obeležje Tomšičeve brigade. Dostopno na: http://www.zb-kocevje.si/starilog_britof.htm
– Šmajdek, Primož. 2012. Stari Log pri Kočevju – Pokopališče. Dostopno na: http://spomeniki.blogspot.com/2012/12/stari-log-pri-kocevju-pokopalisce.html
– Šuštar, Branko. 2006. Zgodba z nagrobnika prvega učitelja na šoli Smuka/Langenthon na Kočevskem okoli leta 1888. Kronika (Ljubljana), letnik 55, številka 3, str. 405-428.

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Podobe trpljenja in težkega življenja

The painter and sculptor Stane Jarm, who left the greatest artistic mark in Kočevsko area with his works, often combined both – nature of Kočevje and its past. Wood served as the basic material for his sculptures. His sculptures, such as the Stations of the Cross at the Pod Krenom burial site and the images of the suffering Christ, depict the suffering that characterised the inhabitants of Kočevska region.

Jarm’s pupil, the amateur sculptor Matija Glad (1912–1995), depicted mainly scenes from everyday life. His sculptures bring to life the coarse faces of charcoal burners, pedlars, dormouse hunters, blacksmiths and other images from the pre-World War II times.

Images of everyday village life are also reflected in the paintings of Martha Hutter from New York. A woman carrying a pail on her head, two Gottscheer women talking in the Gottscheer dialect by the bread oven, or a mother making butter in a churn while children wait for a snack are just a few of them.

Podobe kočevskih vasi

Born in Ovčjak (Schaflein) near Koprivnik, the painter and sculptor Michael Ruppe (1863–1951) is better known in Austria, where he lived and worked for most of his life, than in Kočevje. In Salzburg, they even named a street after him. In August 1928, when he and his wife visited Kočevsko area, he found inspiration for his work in the Kočevje landscape and villages, which he painted on numerous occasions. Images of Kočevje also served as inspiration to Roman Erich Petsche (1907–1993), who depicted them in “lumigraphs” – the name he gave to his mixed collage and pastel painting technique. The artist, who was known for not selling his works, was awarded the title “Righteous Among the Nations” by the Holocaust Memorial Centre in 1982. During the World War II, he saved two Jewish girls from the horrors of a concentration camp.

Fotografije Kočevske 

Photographers have also immortalised images of pre-war Kočevska region. The most widespread are photographs of Kočevje taken by a local Josef Dornig Jr. The photographic material from the period before the World War II was eventually “scattered around” various archives and museums in Slovenia, Austria and Germany. Among other things, there they store photographs of the so-called “German minority” researchers Hugo Grothe (1869–1954) and Rudolf Hartmann (1903–2002).

In the USA, John B. Gladitsch, who captured many images from the life of the emigrated Gottschee people and their associations. Photographers Vito Oražem (Germany) and Klavdij Sluban (France), both of whom were inspired by their experience of growing up in Kočevje, also found inspiration for (some of) their works in Kočevsko region. Oražem, in particular, with his keen eye for detail, captured with his works fragments of Kočevje’s reality that were hidden at first glance.

A particularly common motif of contemporary photographers of Kočevje, such as Petra and Stane Draškovič Pelc, Marjan Artnak and members of the Grča Photographic Society, is the Kočevje forests and their animal inhabitants. Every year, a nature photography exhibition is held under the auspices of the association.

Kočevska sodobna umetnost med lokalnostjo in identiteto

Artistic activity in Kočevska area is not only an aesthetic expression, but also a means of preserving identity, questioning the community and promoting dialogue between the past and the present. This is reflected in the work of writer and visual artist Lela B. Njatin, who, among other things, organised the exhibition Kočevje from the series Ljubljana is Making a Bow to Slovenia III at the Vžigalica Gallery in Ljubljana in 2019. She has selected works by some of the artists who have been connected to Kočevsko area, either professionally or residentially, between 2000 and 2019. They are linked into a thematic whole by the presence of death or passing, which have marked the past and present of Kočevje. Each of the works also reflects the content of the locale in the identity of the artist and/or his/her artistic expression, whether in the form of a (primeval)forest or urban infrastructure.

KočevArt: Gottschee (Kočevje) art exhibition

In September 2019, as part of the 5th Days of Gottschee Culture, which took place in Kočevje, the Putscherle Institute opened an exhibition of works made by Gottschee artists – KočevArt. The exhibition is the first broad presentation of artistic (academic and amateur) creation in the Kočevje region from the beginning of the 20th century to the present day. Visitors were able to look at paintings, sculptures and photographs by 20 academic and amateur artists lent to us by the authors themselves or their relatives.

The works of artists who create or have created in the wider Kočevje region or in Gottscheer communities abroad (Austria, USA and Canada), provide insight into the depth of human perception and depict life in the Kočevje region in different periods, which gives them great ethnological value. The exhibition reflects the social reality in the Kočevje region over a long period of time, as the art work not only depicts everyday life (depicting a conversation in the Kočevje dialect, working in a mine, etc.) but also sheds a light to tragic interwar events (internment in Italian camps), and tells a story about people’s deepest and abstract experience of his their inner world.

With the exhibition, similar as with the exhibition Showcases of memory (in 2016-2018), I wanted to bring the cultural heritage of Gottscheers closer to a wider public and establish a space for connection and cooperation between all who have been shaping the fate of Kočevje region: Gottschee natives, emigrated Gottscheers (from the USA, Canada and Austria) and post-war immigrants. At the same time, the purpose of the project was to promote the Gottscheer culture with amateur and academic art productions in the Kočevje region and in the Republic of Slovenia, while contributing to breaking down stereotypes and promoting intercultural dialogue in the wider Kočevje region.

Exhibited works:
Photographs: Josef Dornig (1904–1983, born in USA, worked in Kočevje until 1942, died in Graz, Austria), John B. Gladitsch (lives in New York, USA, his family originates from Dolnja Briga), and Vito Oražem (grew up in Kočevje, now lives in Germany.
Sculptures: Matija Glad (1912–1995, born in Banja Loka, worked in Kočevje), Marko Glavač (1959–, works in Kočevje), Tomaž Hartman (1957–, works in Kočevje), Matija Kobola (works in Šalka Vas), Anton Križ (born in Tršče, Croatia, works in Dolga Vas), and Matjaž Matko (born in Novo Mesto in 1958, works in Koprivnik).
Carving: Heinrich Putre (1928–1994, born in Kočevska Reka, worked in USA).
Drawing: Martha Hutter (born in Livold, lives in New York, USA).
Paintings: Stane Jarm (1931–2011, born in Osilnica, worked in Kočevje), Irena Kapš (from Občice), Viktor Kobola (1923–, Šalka Vas), Sašo Koprivec (works in Kočevje), Anne Kroisenbrunner (Kitchener, Canada, her family originates from Polom), Elisabeth Pemberger (1948–, works in Kla- genfurt, Austria), Roman Erich Petsche (1907–1998, born in Kočevje, worked in Austria), Michael Ruppe (1863–1951, born in Ovčjak, worked in Austria), and Andrej Trobentar (1951–, worked in Kočevje in 70s and 80s).

In the previous article, read Lynx, the mysterious feline of Slovenian forests.

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»Hey, how it crackled yesterday in Lower Carniola (Dolenjska), down towards Kočevska land! And rightly so. For such a national holiday promoting economic progress will not be celebrated soon by the local generation there, present or future, as yesterday was the day when the Iron Road was solemnly inaugurated /…/ It was a joyful day for the whole land of Carniola, but it was especially joyful for those places bestowed upon by the swift steam engine – provided by God and the Slovenian fortune! — a better future, just as it will bring it a year from now to another even wider region of our homeland. «

It was with this excitement that the newspaper Slovenski narod on 28 September 1893 chronicled the the solemn occasion of the inauguration of the Ljubljana-Kočevje line in an article entitled “Inauguration of the Lower Carniolan Railways”.

It was with this excitement that the newspaper Slovenski narod on 28 September 1893 chronicled the the solemn occasion of the inauguration of the Ljubljana-Kočevje line in an article entitled “Inauguration of the Lower Carniolan Railways”. This year, in September 2023, we will mark 130 years since the start of railway transport. A few decades earlier, Carl Ritter von Ghega, an engineer who, among other things, led the planning of the southern railway from Vienna via Ljubljana to Trieste (its construction began in 1839), and who is perhaps better known in Slovenia for the Borovnica viaduct, which was destroyed during the Second World War, had written: “Railways make distances disappear, railways promote material interests, they strengthen and extend culture.”

The “swift steam engine” came and went…

The Kočevje railway has certainly brought about changes. On the one hand, it has fostered economic development in industries such as coal mining, timber and trade, and on the other, it has brought a variety of educated people, new knowledge and ideas to Kočevska region. It has opened a window on the world to people, sped up the flow of information and reduced distances between places. But not everyone has welcomed the iron snake with joy. It caused a drop in profits, especially for roadside, coaching inns and horse and cart drivers.

In times of economic crises, trains also carried passengers to European port cities, from where they departed, especially for America, looking for a better life. 1941, a turning year in the history of Kočevska region, was also connected with the train. The Gottscheers who opted for resettlement were racially examined on the train at the Kočevje train station. In the winter of 1941/42, 135 train compositions took them to the German Reich or to the resettlement area in the Posavje and Obsotelje (Rann) region.

From idea to construction of the Kočevje railway

After the completion of the Southern Railway in 1857, ideas for railway connections to Lower Carniola began to emerge. in 1869, the first plans were drawn up for the construction of the new Ljubljana–Novo mesto line, which also included a connection to Kočevje. But it took almost 30 years to get there. In 1886, the Trbovlje Coal Mining Company bought the lignite mine in Kočevje and became the leading initiator of the construction of the railway line between Ljubljana and Kočevje. Fran Šuklje, a member of the National Assembly, and Baron Josef Schwegel expressed support of this, which brought the matter from a standstill, and on 1 June 1892 the first construction works commenced.

The first train started its journey on the 76.1 km long line and arrived in Kočevje on 27 July 1893, which was followed by a commission track inspection, and the official inauguration two months later.

Decommissioning and renovation of the Kočevje railway

Passenger trains on the Ljubljana-Kočevje route were discontinued after 1971 due to a decline in passenger numbers, mainly at the expense of the (then) more time-efficient car traffic on the Ljubljana–Kočevje Dolenjska cesta Road. The line’s renovation started in 2008 and was completed in 2020. There are 11 trains from Ljubljana to Kočevje during the week, 3 (Sunday) and 4 (Saturday) at weekends, and 13 trains running in the opposite direction, and 4 at weekends.

Underpass to Trata or the so-called “little tunnel”

Railway architecture also includes overpasses and underpasses. Kočevje residents are familiar with the arched railway underpass to Trata, known as the Tunnel. The stone beauty dating back to the construction of the Kočevje line allowed the townspeople to safely cross the railway tracks and enter the meadows and fields on the other side. When the line was overhauled in 2016, experts and the interested public, following lengthy debates, succeeded in preserving the “tunnel”.

Left to deteriorate: Original railway engine-shed and turntable

At the moment, however, the remaining, no less important, railway facilities in Kočevje are in not in a good condition. The original railway engine-shed and the turntable, built in 1893, have been preserved at the Kočevje railway station. The engine-shed, which accommodates space for two locomotive engines, is of coffered construction and the façade is boarded. In front of the engine-shed is a turntable with a diameter of 14.65 m and a load capacity of 80 tonnes. Despite the fact that the Kočevje engine-shed and turntable represent technical heritage that is difficult to find in Slovenia today and its preservation would be of utmost importance, the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of the Republic of Slovenia downgraded the importance level of its preservation in 2022 from urgent to “recommended”.

In the absence of recognition of the importance of this type of heritage by the owner – Slovenian Railways and the local community in Kočevje, the building will sooner or later fall into disrepair, despite the fact that only basic financial resources would be needed for its basic maintenance. The Kočevska region and the Republic of Slovenia will lose another monument of technical and railway heritage, and the Municipality of Kočevje will lose an opportunity for an interesting tourist product. The museum train, one of those that was so ceremoniously welcomed by the inhabitants of the settlements along the Ljubljana–Kočevje line in 1893, could steam through the Kočevska region in its “old manner”.

Sources:
– The National Register of Cultural Heritage: https://geohub.gov.si/portal/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=d6641ae60c0c47e9b027319f4f0f73
– Brate, Tadej in Ivan Kordiš. 1993. 100 let kočevske železnice: 1893–1993. Kočevje: Muzej.
– Fajfar, Simona. 2016. Kamnita dragotina je v nemilosti pri kočevski občini. Delo: https://old.delo.si/kultura/razno/kamnita-dragotina-je-v-nemilosti-pri-kocevski-obcini.html
– Kočevska proga. 2020. Ljubljana: Direkcija RS za infrastrukturo.
– Rustja, Karel. 2015. 120 let kočevske železnice. Kočevje: Pokrajinski muzej.

Kje vse danes živijo kočevarske skupnosti? Prispevek o Kočevarjih v Clevelandu najdete tukaj, o Kočevarjih v New Yorku pa tukaj.

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Church life played a very important role in the integration of the first immigrants from Kočevje in the USA and for their adjustment to life in a new environment. The first meeting center of the New York Gottscheers was the All Saints Church in Brooklyn. Since 1886, when the first Gottscheer couple married there, the number of Gottscheer marriages has steadily increased. They reached a peak in 1907 with 46 marriages, which represented more than half of all marriages in the parish on an annual basis.

Couples would most often marry two or three years after arriving in America, even if they have not yet solved their residence problem by the time they got married. By the end of 1908, 817 Gottscheer marriages had been conducted in All Saints Church. While Gottscheer men married exclusively Gottscheer women, while Gottscheer women sometimes wed an outsider.

Following 1930, the All Saints Church lost its importance for the Gottscheer community, as Brooklyn was just a stopover for many, from where they scattered across the USA. By the 1930s, most of the Gottscheers from Brooklyn had moved to Ridgewood (Queens).

Gottscheer Hall Club House – a community centre: Ridgewood, Queens

The Gottscheer community in Ridgewood grew in numbers, especially after the World War II, when Gottscheer refugees from the old homeland joined their American compatriots. In the 1950s, when America opened its doors to them, the Gottscheers, who had spent the first post-war years mostly in Austrian refugee camps, once again left in large numbers for the Promised Land. The so-called “Gottscheer Hall” Club House became the heart of the community, where members of various clubs and interest groups such as the hunting club, choir, football club, dance group and others still meet.

The clubhouse accommodates rooms for various activities, a large hall for events and dancing, and a bar. The Gottscheer club is full of memorabilia of the “old homeland”. The main wall of the large hall is decorated with an image of the town of Kočevje, a large map of Kočevje hangs in the bar, and there are also images of Kočevje villages. On the street lamp next to the entrance of the society’s premises hangs the symbolic inscription “Gottscheer Avenue”, although this is not the official name of the street.

Today, not only Gottscheers visit the Gottscheer Hall. The ground-floor bar is also popular with other Americans who want to relax with a “Gottschee 1330” beerstein or a Carniolan sausage. The large hall, which is used several times a year for various events (dances, Christmas celebrations, etc.), can also be rented out for weddings and other events. This covers the maintenance costs of the clubhouse. In the past decades, the number of the Gottscheer community in New York has declined significantly due to the assimilation and displacement of younger generations.

Gottscheer Volksfest – Gottscheer Picnic

In June 1947, the Gottscheer Relief Association organised the first ever Gottscheer Picnic in the Franklyn Square to raise funds for the relief of the Gottscheer refugees in Austria. The music and dance event is now held every year on the first Saturday in June. Today, the event is an important element of the social life of the Gottscheers, as it is an opportunity for members of the community to come together in large numbers. It is marked by a procession of flags and colours of Gottscheer organisations, performances by dance groups and a choir, while the crowning of “Miss Gottschee” is one of the most attention-grabbing events After dancing to the sounds of the accordion, visitors also like to refresh themselves at the sausage stall with sausages, pastries or American sandwiches.

Sources:
– Hutter, Martha. 1999. Die ersten Amerika-Gottscheer. Festschrift: 80 Jahre Gottscheer Landsmannschaft in Graz. Gradec: Gottscheer Landsmannschaft in Graz.
– Moric, Anja. 2014. Domovina globoko v srcu: Kočevski Nemci v diaspori. Etnolog: https://www.dlib.si/stream/URN:NBN:SI:doc-CQV11TNM/6aa9d7f7-e8dc-4f26-acd6-f072cf26c4bd/PDF
– Moric, Anja. 2016. Slovenski Nemci v diaspori : doktorska disertacija. Doktorska disertacija. Ljubljana: Univerza v Ljubljani.

If you are interested in the Gottscheers in New York, you can find the story of the Gladitsch family at this link, and you can read more about the Gottscheers in Cleveland here.

The post Where do Gottscheers Live around the World? – Part II: Gottscheers in New York appeared first on Gottscheer blog.

Emigration from Kočevska region

Although the history of the Kočevska region was tragically marked mainly by the emigration of Gottscheers during the World War II in 1941/42, emigration, as elsewhere in Carniola, was particularly high during the global economic crises. From the mid-19 th century until the 1930s, Gottscheers went abroad seeking one’s fortune. The modest natural conditions (karst terrain, lack of water and arable land, etc.) and the unfavourable economic situation in Kočevska region were the main reasons for the mass emigration to the USA, where it is believed that more Gottscheers lived before the World War II than in Kočevska region. Until the World War II, Gottscheers were leaving for European countries as far away as the Czech Republic, mainly as hawkers. In the major cities of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, some even opened their own shops, while others left in search of an education.

Gottscheers in Cleveland

Gottscheer Kalender from 1926 reports that the first four Gottscheers that came to the USA left in 1853. A little less than 30 years later, around 1880, there were reportedly already a large number of Gottscheers in Cleveland, who were employed in the local industrial companies. In Cleveland, where there was little or no social support for workers from the state, the First Gottscheer Society was founded by Gottscheer industrial workers as early as 1889 – Erster Österreichischer Unterstützungs Verein, literally translated as the First Austrian Mutual Aid Society. After the World War II, in March 1946, the Society, together with another Gottscheer Society, the Deutsche Österreichischer Unterstützungs Verein, also based in Cleveland, founded the Gottscheer Relief Committee. The new organisation was set up to help the Gottscheers in Europe who were left without a homeland after the war. In 1955, the two societies merged to form the Erster Österreichischer Unterstützungs Verein, abbreviated EOUV, which is still active today.

In 1983, with the voluntary work of its members and donations, the society built a new cultural centre or club with a football pitch, a pavilion and a caretaker’s house. At the Gottscheer Park, visitors can stroll through a grove of trees, through which the Gottscheer Weg walking path leads. The club has a brass band, a dance group and a choir.

The Gottscheer women are particularly proud of the society’s Ladies Auxiliary women’s section, which today caters for the cuisine and culinary delights at various events. At the beginning of the 20 th century, women were also politically active, as women in Cleveland, like men, organised to fight for more workers’ rights.

The club’s activities used to include other activities, such as a theatre group and a winter sports group. Founded in 1953, the football club was still active in the 1980s under the name Blau-Weiss Kickers, or the white and blue Kočevje colours.

Sources:
– Sieder, Joseph at al. 1989. 1889-1989 E.O.U.V.
– Ferenc, Mitja. 2005. Kočevska – pusta in prazna. Ljubljana: Modrijan.

In the next article, you can learn where else you can find Gottscheer communities. About the activities of Gottscheer soccer players here.

The post Where do Gottscheers Live around the World? – Part I: Gottscheers in Cleveland appeared first on Gottscheer blog.

Pilichmandle as the protector of dormice

At night Pilichmandle frightened the dormouse hunters, made fun of them and triggered the traps they set. He also appeared when dormice were hunted en masse, and showed them the way to their hiding places in caves with his whip. Sometimes he even led the dormice into another forest. The dormice followed him while he struck each beech tree three times with his ax. In Carniola, similar deeds were usually attributed to the devil – let us remember, for example, the famous Valvasors graphic in which the devil drives the dormice to pasture – the Pilichmandle also belongs to these type of stories. The association of the Pilichmandle with the devil is evidenced by his appearance in the form of a small creature or dwarf, a red cap and a green coat that he wears, and the sounds (clapping and whistling) that accompany his arrival.

The stories about the Pilichmandle served mainly to explain the fluctuations in the number of the dormouse population, which scientists have not yet been able to fully explain. They found that the dormouse aligns its reproductive cycle with the fecundity of the beech tree, since the dormouse population also becomes more numerous when the beech richly bears. On the other hand, the dormouse hunters used the Pilichmandle to explain the voices they heard in the forest. It was believed that sometimes the cracking, clapping and whistling heard at night drove away a large number of dormice, which the hunters could catch right in their jackets and boots. The sounds that the dormice feared and that formed the basis for the stories were actually caused by owls that were blinded by the dormouse hunters’ torches and were trying to drive the intruders away. However, the sounds did not drive away the hunters, but the dormice, because owls are their natural enemies.

Dormouse hunting in the Kočevje region

From the Middle Ages until the Second World War, dormouse hunting was very important for the peasant population in Carniola, including the Gottscheers. The meat of the dormouse was an important source of protein, its ointment was used as a home remedy against frostbite, to heal wounds, to treat ear infections and even to cure pets, as well as to make hats, collars and coats – and to line winter clothing. Fat and fur were also sold.

Dormice were hunted in a variety of ways. Usually they were taken from the nest with a stick, or a box with an opening was placed next to the nest entrance. The dormouse crawled into a trap from which it could not escape. Today, this hunting method is no longer allowed, but the dormouse is still hunted with traps attached to hazelnut sticks and placed on trees near its nests. Since dormice are mainly active at night, hunters often spent the whole night hunting. They usually warmed themselves by the fire and roasted potatoes in the embers. They also liked to drink brandy or cider. Dormouse hunting still exists today, but its importance is mainly social.

The importance of the Pilichmandle today: the guardian of nature and the forest

In Slovenia there are four species of dormice, which differ mainly in size: Edible dormouse, Tree Dormouse, Garden Dormouse and Podlesek. With the exception of the Edible dormouse, the other three dormouse species are classified as endangered. This is due to changes in their habitat, especially deforestation, because dormice need dense tree canopies to survive. Today, Pilichmandle no longer reminds us of the inappropriateness of (excessive) dormouse hunting, but also makes us aware of the importance of preserving the forest and nature.

Children’s book Pilichmandle: a story from the forests of Kočevje

At the end of 2021, the Putscherle Institute published a children’s book Pilichmandle: a story from the forests of Kočevje, in which children and parents get acquainted with this typical Gottscheer narrative hero. The main thread of the story follows old legends, but also offers an insight into the mysterious world of the Kočevje forests and their inhabitants, as the book also introduces some endangered species. For the very curious, there is an accompanying epilogue, which is also suitable as teaching material for elementary schools. The picture book is marked as “bear-friendly“.

Sources:
– Moric, Anja. 2021. Polšji možic: Zgodba iz kočevskih gozdov. Stara Cerkev: Zavod Putscherle.
– Moric, Anja. 2018. Vitrine spomina. Stara Cerkev: Zavod Putscherle.
– Tschinkel, Wilhelm. 2004. Kočevarska folklora: v šegah, navadah, pravljicah, povedkah, legendah in drugih folklornih izročilih = Gottscheer Volkstum: in Sitte, Brauch, Märchen, Sagen, Legenden und anderen volkstümlichen Überlieferungen. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU.
– Hauffen, Adolf. 1895. Die deutsche Sprachinsel Gottschee: Geschichte und Mundart, Lebensverhältnisse, Sitten und Gebräuche, Sagen, Märchen und Lieder. Graz: Styria.
– Valvasor, Janez Vajkard. 1689. Slava Vojvodine Kranjske.

Our previous article is dedicated to Stolen Childhood, and memories of the (post) war period in the Dragarska Valley and the surrounding areas. .

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From the first archaeological surveying to excavation initiative

Due to the lack of archaeological research in Kočevska region, in 1910, the head of the then Regional Museum for Carniola (the present-day National Museum of Slovenia), Josip Mantuani, PhD, sent his colleague, Jernej Pečnik, to conduct the first archaeological survey. Mr Pečnik reported on soil heap under the forest slope in Gorenje that the locals considered to be a burial mound. The research then came to a standstill for the next 14 years. That is, until 1924, when Mantuani received a message from Josef Eppich, the priest in Stara Cerkev, that he intends to dig up the barrow with the help of voluntary workers, especially teachers and students. In order to avoid possible excavation errors, Mantuani decided to head the works himself, and Professor Deuetling from Munich, was also present.

On the origin of the appellation: from the “Chicken Mount” to the “Mount of Giants”

At the time of the excavation, the barrow had two owners, the ownership was shared by the proprietors Josef Kren and Josef Kresse. People called it the “Hühnerbühel” – i.e. “The Chicken Mound”. In a report that he published in the Newsletter of the Museum Society for Slovenia, Mantuani wrote the following about the appellation given to the barrow: “The expression is undoubtedly very old, therefore it was no longer clear to our generation and a few coming before it what it means and so they have tailored the expression in such a way that it should mean a small hillock where chickens would wander off. The term was originally undoubtedly known as the “Hünenbühel”, i. e. the “Mount of Giants”. The belief that people living in prehistorical times were giants was, as Mantuani notes, generally widespread in the 1920s. However, this can be attributed to the size of barrows that led the inhabitants to conclude that giants were buried in them.

Excavation and findings

On 23 July 1924, Mantuani’s team undertook the excavations, which lasted four days. On the third day of excavations, archaeologists discovered a grave or a sandy bed with burnt remains of a dead person circled by stones. Together with the circumference, it was 2 m long and 90 cm wide. The ash was not found only at one point, but was strewn all over the sandy bed. In the grave there were no additions, such as clay vessels, tools, weapons or jewellery that would testify to the gender of the deceased and that could help to determine the age of the barrow. The stone circumference determined the orientation of the grave, namely it was oriented so that the dead person’s head would face towards the east and his or her legs towards the west. Often several corpses were buried in the barrows at several levels, yet the barrow in Gorenje only contains a single grave.

Immediately before the start of the excavations, the barrow measured 21.5 metres in length and 5.9 metres in height with an inclination angle of 25°. Mantuani found that the barrow was taller and steeper at the time of its formation, and its original circumference was approximately three metres smaller.

The barrow today

Today, almost a hundred years after the excavations, the mound is even lower and wider. The area of the mound was arranged some years ago by the villagers of Gorenje. Next to the bench for resting and socializing, an information board was also erected by the Forest Service of the Republic of Slovenia, Regional Department Kočevje.

Sources:
– Gottscheer Kalender
– Gottscheer Zeitung
– Register kulturne dediščine. Ministrstvo za kulturo RS. https://gisportal.gov.si/
– Simonič, Ivan. 1971. Zgodovina mesta Kočevja in Kočevske. V 500 let mesta Kočevje.
– Velušček, Anton. 2011. Spaha. Založba ZRC.

Do you know the legend about the origin of the oldest church in the Kočevje region? Do you know that there is a bell with a mysterious inscription? More in the article about the Church of the Assumption of Mary in Stara Cerkev.

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According to the legend, the residents of Stara Cerkev and Slovenska vas originally intended to build a church on a hillock between the two villages, yet the stones they had brought there would miraculously appear at the current location every morning. They believed that the stones were moved by angels, so they stopped trying and built the church at the present-day location.

The first church

The original church was a low-built Gothic structure with six altars. It was well known as a pilgrimage church, since every year numerous pilgrims thronged there, particularly on the Assumption on 15 August. In his The Glory of the Duchy of Carniola, Valvasor named it “Unserer Lieben Frau zu Altkirchen” (Our Lady of Altkirchen), and an Urbarium from 1574 named it “Liebfrauenkirche zu Mitterdorf” (the Church of Our Lady in Mitterdorf). Until 1788, the church was under the parish of Ribnica and later it became an independant parish.

The second church

Over time, the old church building has become too small as the population has increased, which is why, as was reported in 1822 by the priest Martin Rankel, it has been expanded with two side naves. However, the altar was not visible from there, therefore people sitting in pews chatted during the mass. In 1818, the church was demolished and in just five months, without any proper planning and expert supervision, a second church building was built. Only the belfry remained from the original church. The building constructed in this manner could not serve its purpose in the long run. In 1848, it was already badly dilapidated so that during every storm it was feared that the belfry would collapse, and occasionally pieces of plaster would fall on the faithful during the mass.

The third – present-day church

In 1853, the church was demolished and, according to the plans of the architect Silvestro Venchiarutti, started to erect the third one, i.e. the present-day church. It was blessed on 12 October 1855 and the prince bishop Anton Alojzij Wolf consecrated it on 21 June 1857.

The Fresco of the Assumption

Upon entering the church, the view is mainly attracted by the fresco of the Assumption on the rear wall of the presbytery above the main altar. In 1854, it was painted by Domenico Fabris from Osoppo in Friuli. The fresco depicts Mary, who, accompanied by angels, ascending the sky to God the Father. He is accompanied by two angels who hold the crown and sceptre. The apostles, gathered round the tomb, gaze to the sky. On the arc above the fresco, there is an inscription in German: “Gegrüsset seist du Königin Mutter der Barmherzigkeit” (Hail Thee Queen Mary, Mother of Compassion). The fresco was restored in 2020 by the Restoration Centre under the direction of the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS).

German inscriptions are reminiscent of the former inhabitants.

In the interior of the church there are even more German inscriptions that testify to the former multilingualism that characterised the Kočevska region, e.g. at the triumphal arch: “Gelobt sei Jesus und Maria” (Praise Be to Jesus and Mary), under the stained glass windows and paintings of the Stations of the Cross from 1938. On a memorial plaque affixed to the outer north wall of the belfry, there is also a consecration inscription in German to the casualties of the 1st World War. The Assumption of Mary Parish Church in Stara Cerkev is one of the rare churches in Kočevska region that was not destroyed during the post-war ideological turmoil. Moreover, some statues and paintings from the razed surrounding churches were housed in it.

A mysterious little bell

The belfry of the Assumption of Mary Parish Church conceals a mystery that remains unsolved to date. I.e. a mysterious Latin inscription on a small bronze bell that several experts tried to unravel in vain, and which probably reads as follows: “Iuve Maria Consolatrix, Regina sanctorum.” (Help Mary the Comforter, Queen of All Saints). The bell weighs only 33 kg and is supposed to be the oldest in Kočevska region. Some believe that it was brought here by German farmers-tenants in the 14th century, but it is more likely that it originates from the 16th century. Every time a child’s life passed away in the parish, the sad song of the bell – Knell – sounded already in the church building of 1818.

Today the little bell rings no more. Besides it there are three additional iron bells in the belfry that were cast in 1922 in Jesenice. The C bell weighs 1990 kg, the E bell weighs 980 kg and the G bell weighs 712 kg.

Sources:
– Gottscheer Zeitung
– Gottscheer Kalender
– Eppich, Josef. 1930. Kirchen- und Pfarrgründungen im Gottscheer Gebiete; Josef Erker, ur. Jubiläums-Festbuch der Gottscheer 600-Jahresfeier: aus Anlaß des 600-jährigen Bestandes des Gottscheer Landes, str. 47–67. Gottschee: Festausschuss der Gottscheer 600-Jahrfeier.
– Resman, Blaž in Seražin, Helena. 2010. Umetnostna topografija Slovenije: Upravna enota Kočevje: Občine Kočevje, Kostel in Osilnica. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC.
– Rus, Jože. 1939. Jedro kočevskega vprašanja; Janko Mačkovšek, ur. Kočevski zbornik: razprave o Kočevski in njenih ljudeh. str. 131–173, Ljubljana: Vodstvo Družbe sv. Cirila in Metoda.
– Simonič, Ivan. 1939. Zgodovina kočevskega ozemlja; ur. Janko Mačkovšek, ur. Kočevski zbornik: razprave o Kočevski in njenih ljudeh, str. 45–130, Ljubljana: Vodstvo Družbe sv. Cirila in Metoda.
– Zupan, Gojko, Ferenc, Mitja in M. Dolinar, France. 1993. Cerkve na Kočevskem nekoč in danes. Kočevje: Župnija in Muzej.

Are you interested in the cultural activities of Gottscheers? Read our previous post, in which Urška Kop writes about the beginnings of the Gottscheer folklore group of the of the Society of Native Gottschee Settlers.

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The time of the “twelve holy nights” – from Christmas and until the Twelfth Night – was accompanied by numerous customs and habits connected to the belief in supernatural forces, the malicious activities of which individuals tried to ward off by different means. For example, they sprinkled houses, homesteads, fields and meadows with holy water to guard themselves against witching hags and other creatures of evil. On New Year’s morning, livestock were also sprinkled with holy water, and the sprig that was used for sprinkling was then stored and buried in the first furrow in the field in the spring. This ritual was believed to bring good luck and a good harvest to the farmer. In addition, the house, barnyard and stable got a thorough clean-up on Christmas Eve, otherwise the field crops would be overgrown with weeds.

Foretelling the future

On the three Holy Eves – Christmas, New Year’s and Twelfth Night – they tried to foretell the future in numerous ways. In some villages, this was done by eavesdropping next to fences and at crossroads. Should music or singing be heard, this meant that someone in the household would marry, while weeping foreshadowed grief and misfortune, and the echoing hammering sound heralded death.

The holiday table and Christmas bread – šipling bread

During the festive season the table placed under the “prayer corner” with Nativity scene, was covered with a white tablecloth. At Christmas, the housewives made a large loaf of Christmas bread “šipling” and small loaves called guards (Gottscheerisch: bohtarǝ) and neighbours (Gottscheerisch: nohparn). The šipling bread was decorated with dough figures and it had to remain on the table until the Three Kings’ Day (Epiphany). On that occasion, it was cut up and served among family members and visitors. The domestic animals were also given a piece to protect them from witch’s spells. In some places, they stored the wreath from the edge of the šipling bread and placed it at the bottom of the basket upon first sowing to ensure a rich harvest.

On Christmas Eve, various personal and household items were put on the holiday table besides Christmas breads such as: clothing, jewellery, prayer books, kitchen utensils, blessed candles, while under the table were put items that were used when tilling and ploughing the field (plough, hoes, ox yokes, etc.). Whoever wore or used these blessed items would stay out of harm’s way and be protected from the witches.

St. John’s wine

On the Feast of St. John the Evangelist, in the evening of 27 December, a toast with John’s or St. John’s wine was made. The remainder of the wine was stored and used throughout the year as medicine. It was given to drink to travellers before they ventured forth, to newly-weds after the wedding, to patients before they passed away, and also to acquaintances and friends before bidding them farewell.

Santa Claus from the Kočevska region – the Old man

On New Year’s Eve, the children were visited by the “Old man” (Gottscheerisch: dar autǝ mon). The mother or oldest maidservant opened the door of the room where the children were gathered and threw apples and nuts with a greeting Happy New Year. At this ritual, mothers in Svetli Potok and Nemška Loka used the following saying: “Children, cows, goats, lambs, calves, let’s hope that no shortfall befell us and that we would prosper.” (Tschinkel 34). The children then wrestled for the gifts, and a rich harvest would be ensured next year. This was usually followed by singing of Christmas carols.

January the 1st

It was on New Year’s morning that Gottscheer boys went out carolling. Before the break of dawn the boys from Borovec walked from house to house and recited:
“We wish you a Happy New Year,
full of health and rich in grain,
we wish you happiness, blessings and long life,
and at this same time a year from now
to be a thousand guldens richer.”
(Tschinkel 2004)

On the first of January, a “blessed barley broth” (ritschoch) or pot barley broth was cooked from grains they stored and in spring strewn onto the fields for better fertility.

Today, many old holiday customs have dwindled. However, an old Gottscheer wisdom will come in useful to any one of you who suffer from spinal issues. Upon hearing the sound of thunder for the first time after the New Year, immediately do a somersault to be free from back pain throughout the year.

Sources:
– Tschinkel, Wilhelm. 2004. Kočevarska folklora: v šegah, navadah, pravljicah, povedkah, legendah in drugih folklornih izročilih = Gottscheer Volkstum: in Sitte, Brauch, Märchen, Sagen, Legenden und anderen volkstümlichen Überlieferungen. Ljubljana: Založba ZRC, ZRC SAZU.
– Hauffen, Adolf. 1895. Die deutsche Sprachinsel Gottschee: Geschichte und Mundart, Lebensverhältnisse, Sitten und Gebräuche, Sagen, Märchen und Lieder. Graz: Styria.
– Županič, Niko. 1937. Okrog novega leta na Kočevskem: Tudi med Kočevarji žal izginjajo originalni zimski običaji. Jutro.

You can also read more on how to prepare a fragrant Christmas Bread šipling.

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