Rudolf Meister Day in Slovenia (23/11)

Rudolf Maister Day in Slovenia — is a national holiday in honor of Slovenian General Rudolf Maister, who played an important role in the history of the country, celebrated annually on November 23, starting in 2005, but is not a non-working day.

Maribor is the economic and cultural center of the northern lands of Slovenia and to this day remains the second most important city after the capital. Before World War I (1914 - 1918), the region was part of Austria-Hungary, and the city's population was 80% German and 20% Slovenian.

Germans predominated in public life and city government. During the war, many Slovenes of Styria and Carinthia were declared enemies of the Austrian state and denied access to public office. At the same time, almost the entire rural population of the region was Slovenian.

After the collapse of Austria-Hungary in 1918, both the Republic of Austria and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes laid claim to Maribor. On November 23, 1918, Slovenian General Rudolf Maister (1874-1934), with 200 officers and 4,000 soldiers, seized power in Maribor and liberated the city from invaders.

The liberation of Maribor was of strategic importance in the formation of the territory of the modern Slovenian state, as it made it possible not only to strengthen the northern borders, but also opened up opportunities for further reconquest of Slovenian lands, in particular the cities of Ptuj, Celje, Lutomer, and also made possible the reunification of Prekmurje with the fatherland.

In the largest cities of Slovenia (Ljubljana, Maribor, Kranj, Celje) there are streets and squares of Rudolf Meister, and in many cities monuments and busts have been erected to him. In honor of the holiday, ceremonial events are held in Ljubljana with the participation of top officials of the state, and flowers are laid at the monuments to the general.

775