„Youth writes“ in Slovenia for the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung/FAZ:
Was it the nightingale or the lark after all? Why does this question arise in connection with the Carthusian monastery of Jurklošter, south of Celje? Did a crucial chapter in Slovenia’s historically documented ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story unfold there, in the idyllic and secluded valley of the little river Gračnica? Did Veronika Deseniška and Frederick II of Cilli find refuge there?
And why is Reformation Day a national holiday in Slovenia – one of only two countries in the world to observe it – even though less than 1 per cent of the Slovenian population identifies as Protestant? And what does Tübingen in Baden-Württemberg have to do with it?
Two reportages published on 2 November 2026 in the FAZ as part of the ‘Jugend schreibt’ series provide further details: Anja Oblak, Amaya Kragolnik and Evita Kranjec from Celje carried out research and interviewed Špela Hribernik and Janko Cesar in Jurklošter; Jure Fekonja and Mateja Petek from Maribor met with former Bishop Leon Novak in Murska Sobota for an interview.
Under the patronage of the Municipality of Celje, with the support of II. gimnazija Maribor; Project management/Photos: Gerald und Monica Hühner, PhD; INSTITUT DISCIMUS LAB.