The Slovene National Movement and the Original Appearance of Narodni Dom in Maribor. Jan Vejrych, His Slovene Clients and the Audience’s Response

Abstract

The article examines the process of construction of Narodni Dom from the fi rst proposal to its completion in 1897–1899. The building in the style of the Czech Neo-Renaissance was designed by the renowned Czech architect Jan Veyrich. Contrary to the predominant opinion that Maribor-based Slovenes were hindered in the completion of this task by the German nationalist extremists and based on an assessment of the archival material, the building itself, its furnishings, contemporary echoes in the press, as well as personal correspondence, it can be demonstrated that the construction was stalled largely due to the disunity among the leading Slovenes in Maribor at the time.