The Instruction of History and History Textbooks in Slovenian History1
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The instruction of History and History Textbooks in Slovenian 1 History The instruction of history and the history textbooks from Austro-Hungarian times till the socialist Yugoslavia (1774 -1945) History is, or better should be, one of the main school subjects. It should help young people to find orientation within time and place, give them knowledge about the life in different historical periods and thus help them create their national awareness and self- confidence, which is particularly important for small nations. The instruction of history, and especially history textbooks as the most tangible evidence of what is being taught, also reflects the political and ideological state of each respective society (including the relations between the nations in case of multinational formations). Throughout its history, Slovenia changed several systems and states, whereby gaining its independence and the transition into a multi-party parliamentary system had the strongest impact upon its social structure. The purpose of this paper is to show how these processes influenced the instruction of history and history textbooks. Following the reforms of Maria Teresia, history was introduced as a compulsory subject into Slovenian schools during the 1770s, however, it lost a great deal of its importance during the 19th century when it was usually taught together with geography. The Austro- Hungarian authorities feared liberal ideas might enter the school through teaching of history, therefore “the choice of historical subjects taught in schools was strictly controlled from the top.”2 During the time of the so-called Illyrian Provinces, history enjoyed a more important role: the first history textbooks, though in German, appeared (one of the very first authors was the Slovenian historian and dramatist, an adherent of the Slovenian circle of Enlightenment Valentin Vodnik who for some time taught history in the grammar school in Ljubljana). It was not until the mid-fifties of the 19th century that the first history textbooks in Slovenian language were published. Until 1918, history was taught together with geography; its content was based on the history of the dynasty and glorification of the Habsburg monarchs, as well as on political and military history. The textbooks had to be approved by the imperatorial Ministry for the Worship of God and Instruction and were published by publishing houses and associations. 3 In 1918, when the short-lasting (only one month long) transitional state formation of Austro-Hungarian South Slavs, called The State of the Slovenians, the Croats and the Serbs was founded, the principle was introduced according to which the “sole language of instruction in all primary and secondary schools is to be Slovenian. In case there are enough children of other nationalities required to attend school, minority schools will be established, with the state language as a compulsory subject”.4 A general network of the new educational system 1 The instruction of History and History Textbooks in Slovenian History (Studia Historica Slovenica, 1 2005 - in print). 2 Janja Bizjak, Primerjava učbenikov zgodovine za osmi razred osnovne šolein četrti letnik gimnazihe (A Comparison of History Textbooks for the 8th Grade of Primary School and the 4th Grade of Grammar School during the Post-war Period (1945 – 1985), Department for History, Faculty of Arts, Ljubljana, 1998) 3 The last textbook before World War II (and the disintegration of Austria-Hungary) for the senior classes of secondary schools was published by the Društvo slovenskih profesorjev (The Association of Slovenian Professors) (F. Komatar, M.Pirc: Zgodovina novega veka od westfalskega miru do današnjih dni - History of the New age from the Peace of Westfall till the Present Time), Ljubljana, 1912 4 A decree of the Commission for Education and Religion, Official Gazette of the National government of SHS in Ljubljana, Volume 1, No 20, November, 1918 1 (and within it, the instruction of history) was formed in the Kingdom of the Serbs, the Croats and the Slovenes and later in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. A transition from lower elementary to either higher elementary school (leading to diverse vocational schools) or secondary modern and grammar school was possible. Secondary modern schools graduates were able enrol into technical faculties, whereas grammar school graduates were able to enrol into any faculty.5 Established in 1919, the University of Ljubljana introduced history as one of its fundamental studies at its very beginning. This fact allowed for the scientific and professional development of history and a continuous education of numerous generations of Slovenian historians, which consequently led to a change of instruction of history in schools. The Constitution of the Kingdom of the Serbs, the Croats and the Slovenians laid down the general conditions for the culture and education and among others determined that “all schools were to give moral education and develop civil awareness in the sense of national unity and religious tolerance” and that “throughout the state, the instruction is to be based on the same foundations, whereby it should be adapted according to the local circumstances.”.6 This way the authorities of the Yugoslav kingdom attempted to create a uniform Yugoslav nation. The attempt failed in spite of the strong centralist pressure.7 Slovenia managed to acquire a kind of informal cultural and to certain extend educational autonomy. In spite of that, the new ideological issues (Jugoslavphilia and the new dynasty of Karadjordjević) had to be celebrated by the school system and instruction of history in schools too. The former Germanophilia was replaced by the Jugoslavphilia; history (and geography) in schools paid a lot of attention to the history of the South-Slav nations. Within this framework a rise of the Slovenian (often mythological) history which followed the development of Slovenian historiography between the two wars could be observed. The most noticeable foreign influence was that of France (with emphasis on sociological issues); the consequence was that more information on economy and social circumstances was included in the instruction of history. It was also modernised didactically; a number of new history textbooks appeared which could be compared to those from other, more advanced European states. Brotherhood and unity, the class awareness and Yugoslav socialist patriotism through the instruction of history and history textbooks in the People’s and Socialist Republic of Slovenia (1945 - 1985) During World War II, two of the three occupying forces (the German and the Hungarian) attempted to carry out a quick magyarisation, whereas the Italians allowed the use of Slovenian language for instruction for a transitional period, yet its contents had to be adapted to the Italian fascist system. During the war, the partisan authorities started to build up a new educational system, including a new assessment of history and its instruction. The post-war education was based on the partisan tradition.8 Not only did history become one of the basic universal education subjects, it was also the most important subject – apart from Slovenian Language – influencing the formation of national awareness, as well as the formation of 5 Ervin Dolenc, Bojan Godeša, Aleš Gabrič: Slovenska kultura in politika v Jugoslaviji (Slovenian Culture and Politics within Yugoslavia), Historical Resources, Modrijan, Ljubljana 1999 p. 14. 6 Constitution of the Kingdom SHS (adopted on St. Vitus Day on June 21, 1929, Official Gazette of the provincial government for Slovenia, No 87/192. 7 For more information see: Charles Jelavich., South Slav Nationalism, Textbooks and Yugoslav Union Before 1914, Columbus, Ohio: OSU Press, 1990 (the Serbo-Croat edition by Globus, Školska knjiga, Zagreb 1992) and Ervin Dolenc: Kulturni boj : slovenska kulturna politika v Kraljevini SHS 1918-1929 (The Cultural Battle: Slovenian Cultural Politics within the Kingdom SHS 1918-1929). Cankarjeva založba, Ljubljana 1996. 8 Aleš Gabrič: Slovenska agitpropovska kulturna politika (The Slovenian Agitprop Cultural Policy) 1945-1952, Borec 7/8, p. 504. 2 the new Yugoslav socialist patriotism, most frequently expressed through the slogan “brotherhood and unity.” Not only the instruction of history, the entire school system, as well as the Pioneer and the Youth Organisation as a part of it were used to create the personality cult of the new Yugoslav leader Josip Broz Tito. So for example the first letter to be taught to children in the post-war reading books was T for Tito, which was only then followed by vowels. The entire concept was based on presenting the national liberation fight, the suffering and heroic deeds of the children during the war. A new ideological orientation was only given to the contemporary history, whereas the instruction, the curricula and the textbooks for older periods of history remained unchanged until the beginning of the seventies.9 Until the mid-seventies, a lot of attention was also paid to the social, economic and cultural issues.10 During the seventies, after the defeat of the party “liberalism”, the winning political forces increased the pressure on the school; they needed the instruction of history to prove the correctness of “Tito’s way” since the end of the war on. Ideologisation of instruction and of history cannot be proven only by the textbooks and the curricula, it is also evident from the school celebrations and the established school rituals (the Relay of the Youth, the Mail