Original with Oberkrainer – „Jugend schreibt“ (Youth writes) in Begunje/Slovenia

At the “Woodstock of brass music”, they got 25,000 fans in the proper mood; their headquarters in Begunje is regarded by some as the “Vatican of folk music”, and cover versions of their music are also played with Japanese lyrics:

How did the world career start in a small village in the Slovenian Alps? What makes the Oberkrainer so successful, especially in German-speaking countries? And how much hard work is behind the production of cheerfulness and exuberant atmosphere?

A conversation in Begunje with Sašo Avsenik, who is the third generation to carry on the Oberkrainer tradition, and with international guests at his guesthouse. As part of the project ‘Jugend schreibt’ (Youth writes) with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/FAZ and the young journalists Urh Štrakl, Amaya Kragolnik and Julija Pungeršek. And with the support of the Municipality of Celje and the Slovenian Tourist Board. Project management/photos: Gerald Hühner, Monica Hühner, Discimus Lab.

Elvis is alive – in Slovenia!
A three-hour meeting with actor Renato Jenček, on the stage of the Plesni Forum/Dance Forum Celje:
About the programme ‘KUD Mesarija Elvis’ in the ‘Culture and Art Department of the Elvis Butcher’s Shop’, about the stage character of this solo comedy, its creation and the role models Elvis Presley and Oskar Trobec, about the power of parody and music, and how the audience reacts to it across generations.
An interview with Performance, as part of the project „Jugend schreibt“ (Youth writes) with Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/FAZ, conducted by student journalists Milenca Obrul, Ema Holešek, Nika Kroflič and Tjaša Pavc; under the patronage of the Municipality of Celje / Mestna Občina Celje, Project management/Photos: INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB

Discover Slovenia in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/FAZ:
She has a house, a small monkey and a horse, her own multiplication table and over 1.6 million visitors in Slovenia to date: Every year, Pippi Longstocking attracts new guests to the festival named after her in Velenje – the largest festival for children and youth in the international region.
A “Jugend schreibt” (Youth writes) interview with the director Barbara Pokorny, on 12 May 2025 at the ‘Dom Kulture’ in Velenje: About the role model Pippi Longstocking, about great entertainment and professional management behind the scenes, about 35 years of festival history, the programme 6 – 12. 09. 2025, and about plans for the future.
With the student journalists Dina Skamagkouli, Lan Jerič, Lucian Lovrenčič and Anja Oblak. Under the patronage of the Municipality of Celje; Coordination/Photos: INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB, Monica and Gerald Hühner.

Discover Slovenia in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/FAZ – 5.5.2025: Jewish life in Slovenia. How Robert Waltl discovered his own roots and hidden traces in the ‘most beautiful street in the most beautiful city in the world’, about history and how he works against forgetting it.
The role played by Slovenian presidents and Oscar winner Branko Lustig, and how international diplomats cleaned Stolpersteine across the country in January 2025. (Online: https://lnkd.in/de3-Nnj4)
A reportage by student journalists Urh Štrakl and Blaž Klinar, GCC Celje; under the patronage of the Municipality of Celje / Mestna Občina Celje, Coordination/Photos: INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB

First International CLIL Robotics Championship – Tehno park Celje, 24.4.2025:
The project for the early promotion of robotics and communication (DaF) from a European perspective took place under the patronage of the German embassies in Ljubljana and Zagreb. The first competition organised by INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB/DISCL, with the Municipality of Celje / Mestna Občina Celje, Tehnopark Celje, Marjeta Gmajner, and other supporters, was attended by the first three winners of the CLIL Robotics Championships of Slovenia and Croatia 2024/25. The German-Croatian-Slovenian jury honours the mixed team “Primary School Trnsko, Zagreb/HR – Gymnasium Vegova, Ljubljana/SLO” as the first winner. Certificates and prizes are presented by Katja Kuceja (German Embassy Zagreb), Louis M. (German Embassy Ljubljana), Matjaž Preložnik (ETRA d.o.o. Celje) and Monica Hühner (DISCL).
We would like to thank all the students, teachers and supporters involved and look forward to the next steps on the way to a ‘CLIL Robotics Champions League’. Gerald Hühner, Monica Hühner, Etjan Kiralj and Saša Ljubec.

Echo and external Links:

https://www.facebook.com/goethe.institut.ljubljana/posts/pfbid02aR9PStdLdEfpiW4hYr5spwgziogpxbgD8FS4q3dyPyJcRXYxnWT4xYJUt2csxzkl

https://www.instagram.com/p/DJC2ogBsjiE/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

https://www.facebook.com/tehnoparkcelje/posts/pfbid02mXcD5HFUwqCQxuKEEjbR42mibJ2BzFYuPy6Yq88YeS8kALDf5gp7ubsrTSWNNZj1l

https://www.instagram.com/reel/DI3R_NNqHEk/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link&igsh=MzRlODBiNWFlZA==

“Let there be light!” – Discover Slovenian Art and Artists in Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/FAZ:
22.04.2025: Oto Rimele – “Laibach”-Guitarist – Miles Davis interpreter – visual artist with light installations – professor of art history at the University of Maribor and more. A life with and for art.
A reportage in the context of the project “Jugend schreibt” (Youth writes) with the FAZ. Author: Sara Vidovic/Videm pri Ptuju. After research/interviews in the artist’s studio in Maribor, among other places. Under the patronage of Občina Videm; Coordination/Photos: INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB.

I. International CLIL-Robotics Championship – Robotics in German under the auspices of the German Embassy Ljubljana and the German Embassy Zagreb and under the leadership of the organising INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB/DISCL Tržec/Videm pri Ptuju, the first International CLIL Robotics Championship will be held on 24.04.2025 in Tehno park Celje with the host Mestna Občina Celje and othe supporters. From an international perspective, the project is dedicated to the promotion of so-called 21st century skills: the application of robotics/AI in the simulation of concrete everyday situations, and at the same time the strengthening of communicative competences, multilingualism and cooperation in Europe.
The top three primary and secondary schools in the Slovenian and Croatian CLIL Robotics National Championships 2024/25 will take part.
Originating from a private initiative, CLIL robotics championships have been held annually nationwide in Croatia since 2018 and in Slovenia since 2020 (organisation/management: DISCL). So far, 32 schools in Croatia and 20 schools in Slovenia have taken part nationwide.
We would like to thank all participating schools, students, teachers and supporters, especially the German embassies, the city and Tehnopark Celje, and look forward to an exciting competition that will be followed by others with schools from the international region. In the long term, we are planning a European CLIL Robotics Champions League. We look forward to your interest and support.

Teachers from Slovenia in Rhineland-Palatinate, 01. – 03. 04. 2025 – Expert visit as part of Erasmus+; Topic: “Education in the digital world, STEM at schools in Rhineland-Palatinate”.
The programme organised by the State Pedagogical Institute, Kristina Fischer, and the Digital Competence Centre, Christian Hennicke, took the guests from Slovenia to the State Institute in Bad Kreuznach for talks, to gain insights into school concepts and teaching processes at the Albert-Schweitzer Primary School in Alzey (‘Medienkompetenz macht Schule’), to the IGS Rockenhausen with Heiko Baumann‘s robotics team and to the IGS an den Rheinauen/Oppenheim (‘oLe!/Schulen der Zukunft’).
The delegation from Slovenia presents its own school concepts and robotics projects with Marjana Turnšek (Gimn.Celje Center): Žan Močivnik (I.OŠ Celje) on the First Lego League/FLL and Gerald Hühner and Monica Hühner, (INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB/DISCL) on the institute’s national and international CLIL robotics projects in Slovenia and the region. The supporting programme includes explorations in Bad Münster am Stein and at the Loreley.

The cooperation, which began in December 2023, will continue with joint workshops in Celje in September 2025.