Impressions from WDEC 2018 in Maribor

Since Maribor is the European City of Sport 2018, this years Week of discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC) merged together culture and sport.

Legend awakening

The main theme of WDEC in Maribor was the recollection of memories of a less known sports legend Josip Primožič - Tošo. The event was conducted in cooperation with the elementary school Draga Kobala Maribor and their schoolars were the official ASCE guides at the WDEC event. They presented the life and work of Josip Primožič - Tošo to the visitors and led them around the Pobrežje Cemetery.

New Memorial path at Dobrava Cemetery

The other important part of the event was the opening of a new memorial path at the Dobrava Cemetery dedicated to the victims of the killings in the Azerbaijani city of Khojaly. The opening was arranged by the Association of Friendship of Slovenia and Azerbaijan in cooperation with Embassy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and the Municipality of Maribor.

Event responses

Summing up, this years WDEC was a great success. It was attended by many visitors, media representatives, the mayor of Maribor, dr. Andrej Fištravec, and others. The responses to the event were very positive and all present highly praised the overall execution.

WDEC in Maribor, Slovenia

#EuropeForCulture Memorial park Dobrava and Symbols project are in the main focus of WDEC events in Maribor.

Photo exhibition at Pobrežje cemetery | Maribor, Slovenia

European cemeteries: "Soul gardens, variety and heritage”.

Visit some of the Europe's greatest cemeteries with mobile guide ARTOUR

Myths and legends. Buried and ready to be discovered.

Cemetery Tourism | TV Slovenia

On November 1st, TV Slovenia  broadcast the programme about tourism »Na lepše«.

Students as ASCE guides

At the AGM 2012 in Maribor, Slovenia, 6 children from Maribor elementary schools guided the ASCE members through Pobrežje cemetery.

Students becoming guides

With the students becoming guides, this represented a very special and different experience for visitors, scholars and the schools.

It all started at Pobrežje Cemetery in April, when Pogrebno podjetje Maribor (the cemetery management company) hosted scholars from 2 schools for the cultural day. Scholars were presented with the history of the cemetery and important people burried there.

With an excellent prepared guidance, scholars immediately became aware that cemetery is not just a place of death and sadness. It was a place of many interesting findings and as they have learned about the important people in the cemetery, scholars were actually learning about themselves and their own history.

For many of them, the experience was so impressive, that they have volunteered for becoming guides  themselves. Preparations started and soon, they were guiding their first visitors, during the Week of Discovering European Cemeteries (WDEC).

Guided tour at the AGM on September 14, 2012

After the first experience, the youngest guides worked with their english teachers and improved the guidance techniques and knowledge for their big challenge: guiding the ASCE members and partners through the cemetery at AGM 2012.

As it turned out, they were surprisingly relaxed, practical and interesting. Present members enjoyed the easy guidance where scholars presented the most important people of Maribor with just enough facts and interesting stories.

Importance of the project

The project has many important implications and presents one of the best possible ways to get every European citizen in touch with the heritage, preserved in the cemeteries. Because scholars are not the only ones impressed. Their families, friends and many others are now learning from them about the importance of our cemeteries.

Opening of the Memorial Park Dobrava (Maribor, Slovenia)

The opening ceremony of the Memorial Park Dobrava took place on Wednesday 20th of June 2012.

Rudolf Maister, Slovene Division General

Photo from http://www.muzejno-mb.si/

Rudolf Maister nicknamed Vojanov. The Slovene Division General, commander of Maribor in the Slovene army, also a poet and self-taught painter.

Born on March 29th 1874 in Kamnik, Slovenia (Austro-Hungary back then), active in the period from 1890 to 1923. He died on July 26th julija 1934, in Rakek, Slovenia (Yugoslavia at that time). The recipient of numerous military decorations, such as Signum laudis, the order of the white eagle, the order of the star of Karađorđević and the order of Saint Sava.

(from Slovenian governmental portal for children and youth)

More about Rudolf Maister. Burried at cemetery Pobrežje.

Pobrezje Cemetery: The peace monument unveling ceremony

The Peace Monument unveiling ceremony that took place at the cemetery Pobrežje (Maribor, Slovenia) two weeks ago. With the unveiling of the Peace Monument Pogrebno podjetje Maribor concludes activities of the international project »The war graveyards at cemetery in Pobrežje«. More info about the ceremony can be found at Pogrebno podjetje Maribor website..