Mount Triglav from BohinjNational and University Library of Slovenia
A Short History of Mountain Postcards in Slovenia
Postcards seem to be slowly but steadily saying goodbye in our digital age.
It is almost impossible today to fully understand the role that postcards once played in maintaining contacts, conveying messages and views, promoting tourism and understanding the world.
Postcard from the Cows' Ball from 1938 (1938)National and University Library of Slovenia
With the development of graphic printing, the first “cards with a view" appeared around 1870, and as early as 1900, the Schweizer Post teasingly answered the question"What is the purpose of traveling?" with:
“Greedy race for postcards!”
Mountaineers below Triglav (1925)National and University Library of Slovenia
The Golden Age
The period between 1897 and 1918 is called the golden age of postcards.
Collectors' fever has spread all over the world: local and world associations of postcard lovers were founded, special magazines published, world congresses and exhibitions were organised, and even marches of postcard collectors were composed.
Triglav Lodge on Kredarica with a view on TriglavNational and University Library of Slovenia
Thanks to collectors so many different postcards from the earliest period have been preserved.
Walter Lukan, Janez Kajzer: "Pozdrav iz Ljubljane":
"It is assumed that during this postcard period, about a third of all postcards were distributed only by collectors who constantly supplied each other with the latest acquisitions, and these were in large quantities."
Martuljek Group (1924)National and University Library of Slovenia
The trend quickly spread to Slovenian places as well. The first preserved postcards of Slovenian places date from the eighties and nineties of the 19th century.
A postcard of Uršlja gora (1928) by Kvac.National and University Library of Slovenia
The most common motifs are Bled, Ljubljana, Portorož, Rogaška Slatina and other health resorts, which were by far the most visited tourist places in Slovenia.
The back side of a postcard from 1924 (1924)National and University Library of Slovenia
In 1902, the Gorenjec newspaper reported that during the summer only one of the Bled merchants sold around 12,000 postcards in a year.
Triglav Lodge on Kredarica below TriglavNational and University Library of Slovenia
At the end of the 19th century, first postcards with motifs of Slovenian mountains and mountain huts appeared.
The first Slovenian mountain postcard from 1898 (1898)National and University Library of Slovenia
The first mountain postcard was issued in 1898 by the Slovenian Mountaineering Association.
It featured an image of Ljubljana at night along with an ad for matches.
It featured an image of Ljubljana at night along with an ad for matches.
A winter view of Karavankas (1913)National and University Library of Slovenia
The motifs of most popular peaks, views and mountain huts, whose number was rapidly increasing, followed shortly.
Various stamps from Slovenian mountainsNational and University Library of Slovenia
With the expansion of mass mountain tourism, the number of postcards also increased; a postcard with the stamp on it, soon became the best proof of a conquered peak and at the same time a memory of overwhelmed efforts.
A postcard with some of the first lodges in Slovenian mountains (1900)National and University Library of Slovenia
This especially refers to Triglav, the highest Slovenian mountain.
Aljaž Tower by Fran PavlinNational and University Library of Slovenia
With the construction of the Aljaž Tower in 1895, it became almost a sacred, a pilgrimage mountain - a symbol of Slovenehood, which every Slovene must climb at least once during a lifetime.
On top of Triglav (1898)National and University Library of Slovenia
»Greetings from Triglav« soon became one of the most frequently sent postcards in Slovenia, more often than of Bled, Portorož, thermal spas and other internationally visited tourist attractions.
An interesting old postcard with an image of Triglav in the middle (1907)National and University Library of Slovenia
Postcards brought substantial profits to the publishers, so practically all popular peaks and huts got their own.
Let's take a look at some of the early view of the Slovenian mountains.
Orožen Lodge on Črna prstNational and University Library of Slovenia
Orožen hut on Črna prst
The first Slovenian mountain hut, built in 1893.
Triglav Lodge on Kredarica with a view on TriglavNational and University Library of Slovenia
Triglav Hut
A postcard of Triglav hut, the first Slovenian hut near the peak of Mount Triglav.
The history of Aljaž Lodge on postcards: from a simple chalet in 1895, to a lodge, destroyed by an avalanche, and finally to the building as we know it today.
Triglav Lodge on Kredarica (1909)National and University Library of Slovenia
Today, when the role of postcards has been taken over by digital media mainly, and other means of communication, postcards are becoming a kind of curiosity - a memory of the past, different times and stories of people who lived at that time.
Nevertheless - or perhaps for this very reason - postcards remain a unique source for studying the past and an invaluable document of Slovenian cultural heritage.
The featured postcards from the collections of The National and University Library.
Author: Žiga Cerkvenik
Translation: Janja Korošec
Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica, 2021
SOURCES AND FURTHER READING
Deržaj, Matjaž: Planinski pozdrav, Ljubljana 1993
Lukan, Walter in Kajzer, Janez : "Pozdrav iz Ljubljane": mesto na starih razglednicah, Ljubljana 1986
Mikša, Peter in Ajlec, Kornelija: Slovensko planinstvo / Slovene Mountaineering, Ljubljana 2011
Strojin, Tone: Zgodovina slovenskega planinstva, Radovljica 2009
