Modern History of Slovenia

Until Slovenia attained independence in 1991, it constituted the northwestern part of Yugoslavia. After Slovenia became independent, its economy enjoyed steady growth, and in 2004, Slovenia became part of the European Union. Despite its relatively small size, Slovenia offers richly diverse landscapes. Within the country are majestic alps, mountain lakes, lush forests, immense limestone caves, and the charming Slovenian Riviera. In little more than an hour, one can descend from the crisp alpine slopes to the balmy olive groves and vineyards of the Adriatic Coast. In addition, Slovenia’s cultural and historical sites offer endless possibilities for exploration. This small country’s beauty goes deeper than national parks and historic towns, though. Slovenia has a rich spiritual heritage.

KINGDOM HALLS AND PIONEERS

You no doubt recall that Maribor was the city where the “Bible-believing barbers” preached about their new faith. A restaurant, later appropriately named Novi Svet (New World), was a convenient meeting place for the small group that developed there. Today, Slovenian Witnesses thank Jehovah for beautiful Kingdom Halls in which they meet for worship and instruction. Because of the increase in publishers, as well as improved circumstances in the 1990’s, a Regional Building Committee was formed. With the help of more than 100 volunteers and funds from abroad, congregations have built or renovated 14 Kingdom Halls since 1995.

As the number of publishers grew, so did the ranks of regular pioneers​—from 10 in 1990 to 107 in 2000. Among those zealous pioneers was Anica Kristan, who was very involved in politics before she accepted the truth.

Brothers and sisters who have come from other countries to serve in Slovenia have provided great stimulus to the preaching work. In 1992 the first missionaries here, Franco and Debbie Dagostini, arrived. When they were reassigned to Africa, two new missionaries, Daniel and Karin Friedl from Austria, were assigned to Slovenia. More recently, Gilead missionaries Geoffrey and Tonia Powell and Jochen and Michaela Fischer were assigned here. They, along with special pioneers from Austria, Italy, and Poland, have brought with them a deep love for Jehovah and a fervent desire to help people.

HOSPITAL LIAISON COMMITTEES

In 1994 a Hospital Information Desk was set up at Bethel, and two Hospital Liaison Committees (HLCs) were established. Some of the brothers appointed to those committees met with the minister of health, who, in turn, organized a meeting with the directors of all the hospitals in Slovenia. The brothers explained the function of HLCs and clarified why Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse blood transfusions. This has led to good cooperation between doctors and their patients who refuse blood transfusions and has resulted in the appearance of articles explaining bloodless treatment in medical journals.

In 1995, doctors in Slovenia performed their first open-heart surgery without the use of blood. The media reported on the successful operation, and the surgeon and anesthesiologist involved wrote a scholarly article about it. Thus, the door to bloodless medicine has been opened, and more doctors are willing to respect Jehovah’s Witnesses’ choice of medical treatment.

MEETING THE NEEDS OF A GROWING FIELD

After the political changes in 1991, the Governing Body decided that an office should be established in Slovenia to provide better care for Kingdom activities. A one-story building was purchased in the central part of Slovenia’s capital, Ljubljana. The premises were renovated, and on July 1, 1993, the building was ready for Bethelites to move in. At first, the Bethel family consisted of 10 members, but within a decade the number had grown to 35. Consequently, a nearby building was rented to house the kitchen, the dining room, and the laundry. Meanwhile, the Bethelites moved to nearby apartments to make room for more office space. The Slovenia office began functioning as a branch office of Jehovah’s Witnesses in 1997.

When the Governing Body approved the construction of a new branch office for Slovenia, the brothers began searching for a suitable site. After investigating about 40 different properties, the brothers chose a lot near the town of Kamnik, 12 miles [20 km] from the capital, at the foot of beautiful alpine peaks. Soon, zoning requirements were met, building permits were obtained, the property was purchased, contracts were signed with a construction company, and international servants were invited to work on the project. Everything seemed set to start.

When news about the project became public, however, neighbors quickly demonstrated their opposition. On the day that construction was to have begun, protesters barred access to the building site with barricades. Soon they displayed banners expressing their opposition. Six days later, at about noon, some 30 policemen arrived to protect city workers who had been assigned to remove the protesters’ barricades; the protesters verbally abused the police. In the meantime, though, the project had been postponed, so neither the brothers nor anyone from the construction company was on site that day. With the project postponed, opposition began to wane, and our brothers worked toward a peaceful solution.

The construction fence had been torn down three times by protesters, but the project finally got underway a month later and continued without further hindrance. Actually, what began as an attack on Jehovah’s people resulted in a blessing because the matter attracted much media attention. More than 150 news items on the building project were presented on TV and radio and in newspapers. Construction was completed after about 11 months, and in August 2005, the Bethel family moved into their new facilities.

Since then, the relationship between the brothers and their neighbors has changed completely. Many neighbors have visited the branch facilities. One former opposer later became very interested in the building project. He asked who we are and what would be done inside the building. When he toured the facilities, he was impressed by the friendly welcome he was given as well as by the cleanliness of the building. “The neighbors are asking me if I am now on your side,” he told the brothers, “and I answer, ‘As much as I was against Jehovah’s Witnesses before, I am now for them because they are good people.’”

August 12, 2006, was the happy day on which Theodore Jaracz of the Governing Body delivered the dedication talk to an audience of 144 from about 20 different countries. At a special meeting in Ljubljana, he spoke to an audience of 3,097 from all parts of Slovenia, as well as from Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina.

A BRIGHT FUTURE

Jehovah’s Witnesses in Slovenia face the future with complete confidence in their heavenly Father’s guidance and blessing. At the 2004 district convention, they were delighted to receive the New World Translation of the Christian Greek Scriptures in Slovenian. Now, with the support of a well-equipped new branch and with many of them working hard as pioneers, they are determined to carry out their commission to preach and make disciples.​—Matt. 28:19, 20.

In Slovenia, which is mostly Roman Catholic, the Communist era produced many atheists. Additionally, many people are weighed down by the anxieties of life or are enticed by the lure of materialism. Others are more interested in sports or entertainment. However, there are still honesthearted individuals who are drawn to God’s promises found in the Bible.

The work has continued to progress. A peak of 1,935 publishers was reached in August 2008, and about one fourth of the publishers were engaged in some form of pioneer service. The foreign-language fields now include Albanian, Chinese, Croatian, English, and Serbian, as well as Slovenian Sign Language. Unlike the humble beginnings of the work in Slovenia, when there were just two barbers preaching the good news, a large multinational crowd of zealous preachers is now searching out deserving ones who desire to serve the true God, Jehovah.​—Matt. 10:11.

[Box/​Picture on page 249, 250]

“It Seemed That Jehovah Blocked Their Sight”

JANEZ NOVAK

BORN 1964

BAPTIZED 1983

PROFILE He spent three years in prison for his faith and is now a member of the Slovenia Branch Committee.

IN December 1984, the military authorities repeatedly issued orders for me to report to the army. When they stuck the call-up notice on my door and threatened that the military police would come for me, I decided to report to the barracks to explain my position to them. This was not successful, and they decided to do everything in their power to make a soldier out of me. They shaved my head, took away my civilian clothes, and offered me a soldier’s uniform. When I refused the uniform, they put it on me by force, and then they put a pen in my hand and tried to force me to sign up for the army. I refused.

I also refused to take part in such activities as morning exercise and saluting the flag. When four soldiers took me to the yard and ordered me to do the exercises, I would not lift up my hands. They tried to lift my hands until they realized how ridiculous the situation was. They aimed a rifle at me and threatened to kill me. Sometimes they tried to bribe me by offering me coffee and cakes.

My determination made some of them cry. Others became furious when I refused to spit on the picture of Marshal Tito that they held in front of my face. After a couple of days, they tried to make me carry weapons, which I also refused to do. This was classified as a military offense, and I was confined to the barracks for one month. Then I spent several weeks in a prison cell in Zagreb, Croatia, awaiting the verdict. A red light was left on in the cell the whole night, and only if the person in charge was in a good mood was I allowed to go to the restroom.

Finally, I was sentenced to three years’ imprisonment on an Adriatic island called Goli Otok, where they sent the worst convicts. They took me to this prison, notorious for violence among the inmates, with my hands bound in chains because I refused to fight. There I met four other Witnesses who had been imprisoned because of their neutral stand.

We were not allowed to bring in a Bible or any other literature. However, one Bible was there already. My relatives mailed me The Watchtower in a box with a false bottom. The guards never discovered our literature and never found out that we were holding Christian meetings. Sometimes when guards came in, literature that had been left out was lying right in front of them, but it seemed that Jehovah blocked their sight because they did not notice anything.

After a year I was moved to Slovenia to complete my sentence. I got married to Rahela while I was still in prison. When I was finally released, I started pioneering with my wife, and since 1993 we have been serving at Slovenia Bethel.