Slovenska matica

The Slovenian Literary Society (SM) has a tradition of over 150 years of continuous cultural and scientific work, which is a rarity for such associations even in the European context.
The Slovenian Literary Society was founded in 1864 at the initiative of Maribor "patriots" with voluntary contributions from intellectuals, merchants and entrepreneurs with the aim of printing more demanding works from various fields in the Slovenian language, raising the level of education and knowledge, creating Slovenian terminology for various professions, etc. At the time, Austria supported the establishment of such associations, as evidenced by the personal contribution of Emperor Franz Joseph for its establishment (in the amount of 500 guilders). The SM experienced its first peak at the beginning of the century, when its books were published in large editions and it maintained contacts with universities and academies from London to St. Petersburg. During the First World War, she came into conflict with the authorities over the publication of a book about the conduct of the Austrian military in annexed Bosnia, and her property was confiscated. Between the two wars, she continued her work and helped establish the (Slovenian) Academy of Sciences and Arts. In September 1941, the Cultural Plenum of the OF met illegally in SM, and in 1944, her work was stopped for the second time by decree of the German administration, again due to book publications, including the geographical monograph "Slovenia". After the Second World War, she had difficulty getting back on her feet; the new authorities considered her too "conservative", and her property was nationalized. However, the prevailing view was that the Slovene Matica should be preserved and its work subsidized. Today, the Slovene Matica (Society) is a scientific and cultural institution that organizes scientific meetings on a wide variety of problems of Slovenian culture and society and its future. It is also a publishing house that publishes high-quality original works and translations in the humanities, social sciences, natural sciences, medicine, and technology.