Anton Martin Slomšek and the Problem of Alcoholism in Lower Styria

Abstract

The author analyses the time of Slomšek's bishopry in the 1850s and early 1860s. During Bach's Absolutism, alcoholism spread even more dramatically and held sway over the Bishop's “lambs”. Slomšek therefore dedicated much of his attention to control over alcoholism in his parishes and surveyed the situation in the field through visitations. His antialcohol activities were also clearly evident in his pastoral epistles, to which he dedicated (zealously) much of his attention. It was precisely this “medium” through which he tried to exert an influence on the population and rescue it from mortal perdition, in particular from drinking spirits, a habit that was propagating widely among the nation. However, that did not mean that Slomšek was against alcohol as such. All he fought against was its excessive use (i.e. alcoholism), while he respected alcohol (i.e. wine) extraordinarily, which is evident from his poems dedicated to wine-growing.