Ivan Dečko – »učitelj« slovenskih županov in »duša« spodnještajerske politike na prelomu stoletja

Abstract

IVAN DEčKO – »TEACHER« OF SLOVENIAN MAYORS AND »SOUL« OF LOWER‐STYRIAN POLITICS AT THE TURN OF THE CENTURY

In the following discussion the author analysed certain aspects of Ivan Dečko’s political activi- ties since the 1890s. He focused on the local (municipal) self-government, which represented the springboard for the rest of his political life. The Slovenian politics was well aware of this fact. To this end Dečko compiled or adapted the manual entitled zbirka zakonov, zadevajoč posle občinskega področja [Collection of Legislation Regarding the Operations of the Municipal Field], which assisted many a Slovenian mayor significantly in the time of tense national relations. As it was, the municipal legislation was »scattered« around several provincial legal codes, written in the German language. Many mayors in the rural areas were not fluent in German, while Slovenian translations were more or less poor and incomprehensible. The German side would take advantage of their ignorance. In the second part of the following contribution the author describes Dečko’s role in the Lower Styrian policy of unity and establishes that his sudden retreat contributed decisively to the final dissolution of unity in the Lower Styria.