“Today, we ‘Savinci’ are going out”

Military and literary traces of Maister in Celje

Abstract

Rudolf Maister, general and artist, stayed in Celje for several months between 1913 and 1914. He was commander of the “Black Army” battalion. Although his stay was brief, he made some close friends in Celje. He participated in cultural life and wrote several poems in the same period. Particularly important was his collaboration with a group of grammar school students who were part of the Kondor literary society. Maister was a role model and mentor for the students, helping them with the Savinja literary magazine. After five issues, World War I broke out and Maister had to leave Celje, which put an end to the magazine. The students primarily wrote poetry, the poems of Fran Roš and Srečko Puncer standing out for quality. Celje has honored Maister and Kondor with a commemorative plaque placed on the wall of the I. gimnazija building.