A story from the tombstone of the first teacher at the school Smuka/Langenthon in Kočevska region around 1888

Abstract

Among the rare preserved material witnesses of cultural heritage of the onetime centenary German language island in the region of Kočevska region that lived from the middle of the 14th century to the winter 1941/42, are singular partly preserved cemeteries. At the cemetery Stari Log/Altlag is one such tombstone to Franz Kugler who had an accident in January 1888. His fellow teacher colleagues raised the tombstone. Kugler was born in 1861 in Poljčane in Styria, visited secondary school in Celje, lived in the family of a railwayman (switchman) in Laško as well and studied at the college of education in Ljubljana from which he graduated in 1882. The story of the first teacher at a one-class primary school with German language of teaching, Smuka/Langenthon established in 1882, is composed of scarce data from archival and printed sources on education in that part of Kočevska region. The school was in operation until its cancellation in 1958.