“A nova-vas event in Styria”

The illustrations of Gustav Jaroslav Schulz in the Pavliha magazine

Abstract

The Czech illustrator and caricaturist Jaroslav Schulz (1846–1903) drew a series of caricatures and illustrations for seven editions of the satirical paper Pavliha published in 1870 by Fran Levstik (1831-1887). These illustrations graced the inside and the back page of the paper. Levstik chose Schulz's work to illustrate the poem “Novovaška dogodba” (“A Nova vas Event”) which discusses the attack carried out by pro-German supporters against the Slovenian parliamentary candidate, dr. Janko Sernec (1834- 1909) – a lawyer from Maribor, and the notary public dr. Franc Radej (1830-1903). The attack, during which three people were wounded, took place in June of 1870 during an election assembly held in a private house in Nova vas by Slovenska Bistrica. In his poem, Levstik drew on the report on the incident published in the Slovenski gospodar, Slovenski narod and Novice papers. Reports of the violent incident also appeared in the German papers (such as the Marburger Zeitung). The trial of the 16 workers in the employ of the factory owner Sternberger from Zgornja Bistrica took place from January 3 to 5, 1872 at the Regional Court of Celje. The Slovenski narod published a part of the court stenographer's notes on the proceedings, which were prepared by Ivan Tanšek at the request of the lawyer and entrepreneur dr. Fran Rapoc (1842-1888). The accused received prison sentences ranging from 14 days to 3 months.