Ivan Pregelj
Encyclopedia
Ivan Pregelj was a Slovene writer
, playwright
, poet
, and critic
.
(at that time called Sveta Lucija). His father died while Pregelj was still a child. He attended school with the help of the parish priest. After graduating from high school, he started studying theology
, but soon abandoned this. He then went to Vienna
, where he entered the programs in Slavic studies and German studies
. He wrote his dissertation on the Capuchin
sermon-writer Mihael Krammer (1667–1728). Pregelj taught as a secondary school instructor in Gorizia
, Pazin
, Idrija
, Kranj
, and Ljubljana
. He intentionally stopped writing around age fifty. Pregelj died in Ljubljana
on 21 January 1960.
for the opera Tajda by Hugolin Sattner (1851–1934). He also wrote a biographical novel
about Simon Jenko
titled Simon iz Praš (Simon from Praše
). Other works by Pregelj include his poetry collection Romantika (Romance, 1910) and the folk tale Mlada Breda (Young Breda, 1913) about a wicked stepmother named Katra and a good bride named Anica, in which he realistically portrays a struggle over a farm in the Tolmin
area.
The novel Tlačani (Serfs, published in Dom in svet
, 1915–1916) is Pregel's most extensive work, published in book form under the title Tolminci (The People from Tolmin, 1927). He retitled his serialized story Zadnji upornik (The Last Rebel, Dom in svet, 1918–1919) as Štefan Golja in njegovi (Štefan Golja and Friends, 1928).
In many of his other stories and novels, Pregelj dealt with issues of ethnicity, faith, and world view, which he always resolved from a Catholic perspective. His last major work was the novella Thabiti Kumi (1933).
In the period from 1918 to 1930 Pregelj was very popular among Catholic intellectuals because he addressed ethical issues, in particular the divide between spiritual and everyday life.
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, and critic
Critic
A critic is anyone who expresses a value judgement. Informally, criticism is a common aspect of all human expression and need not necessarily imply skilled or accurate expressions of judgement. Critical judgements, good or bad, may be positive , negative , or balanced...
.
Life
Pregelj was born to a tailor's family in Most na SočiMost na Soci
Most na Soči is a town in the Municipality of Tolmin in the Littoral region of Slovenia. It was named Sveta Lucija ob Soči until 1952. Other historical names include , and or Maurus Brucke. It is located on a rocky crest above the confluence of Soča and Idrijca rivers...
(at that time called Sveta Lucija). His father died while Pregelj was still a child. He attended school with the help of the parish priest. After graduating from high school, he started studying theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
, but soon abandoned this. He then went to Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, where he entered the programs in Slavic studies and German studies
German studies
German studies is the field of humanities that researches, documents, and disseminates German language and literature in both its historic and present forms. Academic departments of German studies often include classes on German culture, German history, and German politics in addition to the...
. He wrote his dissertation on the Capuchin
Order of Friars Minor Capuchin
The Order of Friars Minor Capuchin is an Order of friars in the Catholic Church, among the chief offshoots of the Franciscans. The worldwide head of the Order, called the Minister General, is currently Father Mauro Jöhri.-Origins :...
sermon-writer Mihael Krammer (1667–1728). Pregelj taught as a secondary school instructor in Gorizia
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
, Pazin
Pazin
Pazin is the administrative seat of Istria County in Croatia. The town has a population of 4,986 , the total Pazin municipality population is 9,227...
, Idrija
Idrija
Idrija is a small town and municipality in the Goriška region of Slovenia. It is known for its mercury mine and lace....
, Kranj
Kranj
' is the third largest municipality and fourth largest city in Slovenia, with a population of 54,500 . It is located approximately 20 km north-west of Ljubljana...
, and Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
. He intentionally stopped writing around age fifty. Pregelj died in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
on 21 January 1960.
Works
Pregelj primarily wrote poems, stories, and plays. He created an extensive body of literary criticism in the form of essays and translations of various works. His best-known works are the novel Tolminci (The People from Tolmin) and Matkova Tina (Tina from the Matko Farm), both set during the Tolmin peasant revolt of 1713. Lesser-known works include his librettoLibretto
A libretto is the text used in an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata, or musical. The term "libretto" is also sometimes used to refer to the text of major liturgical works, such as mass, requiem, and sacred cantata, or even the story line of a...
for the opera Tajda by Hugolin Sattner (1851–1934). He also wrote a biographical novel
Novel
A novel is a book of long narrative in literary prose. The genre has historical roots both in the fields of the medieval and early modern romance and in the tradition of the novella. The latter supplied the present generic term in the late 18th century....
about Simon Jenko
Simon Jenko
Simon Jenko was a Slovene poet, lyricist and writer.Jenko was born in Podreča in the Sora Plain in Upper Carniola, then part of the Austrian Empire, now in Slovenia, as an illegitimate son of poor peasant parents...
titled Simon iz Praš (Simon from Praše
Praše
Praše is a village on the right bank of the Sava River in the municipality of Kranj in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia. It was first mentioned in a land terrier from 1291.The Slovene poet and writer Simon Jenko, born at nearby Podreča, lived in Praše....
). Other works by Pregelj include his poetry collection Romantika (Romance, 1910) and the folk tale Mlada Breda (Young Breda, 1913) about a wicked stepmother named Katra and a good bride named Anica, in which he realistically portrays a struggle over a farm in the Tolmin
Tolmin
Tolmin is a small town and municipality in the Littoral region of Slovenia.-Geography:Tolmin, the old town that gave the name to the entire area , is the largest settlement in the Upper Soča Valley , as well as its economic, cultural and administrative centre. It is located on a terrace above the...
area.
The novel Tlačani (Serfs, published in Dom in svet
Dom in svet
Dom in svet was a Catholic cultural and literary journal in Slovenia, published from 1888 to 1943. Its long-running rivalry with the national-liberal journal Ljubljanski zvon was a major feature of Slovenian cultural life in the late 19th and early 20th centuries; historian Péter Krasztev...
, 1915–1916) is Pregel's most extensive work, published in book form under the title Tolminci (The People from Tolmin, 1927). He retitled his serialized story Zadnji upornik (The Last Rebel, Dom in svet, 1918–1919) as Štefan Golja in njegovi (Štefan Golja and Friends, 1928).
In many of his other stories and novels, Pregelj dealt with issues of ethnicity, faith, and world view, which he always resolved from a Catholic perspective. His last major work was the novella Thabiti Kumi (1933).
In the period from 1918 to 1930 Pregelj was very popular among Catholic intellectuals because he addressed ethical issues, in particular the divide between spiritual and everyday life.
Sources
- Janež, Stanko. 1978. Pregled Slovenske književnosti. Maribor: Obzorja.