Literature is the most authentic expression of Slovenian character, history and soul

In her speech at the opening of the anniversary edition of the fair, the President emphasised the special place that language and books have in the Slovenian national and cultural consciousness. Due to historical circumstances, the language in which we converse and create defines us more than our territory, even today, which is why literature is the most authentic expression of Slovenian character, our history and soul, as visitors to the fair from all over the world will be able to discover when they visit the Slovenian pavilion.

Slovenia therefore takes on the role of being the guest of honour at the Frankfurt Book Fair with all seriousness, responsibility and pride, while this is also symbolically important due to the historical links between countries, nations and authors. “Slovenia has been an independent country for 32 years, but interconnections with Germany in the field of books go back centuries, and even further so in the language,” said President Pirc Musar, referring to the Freising Manuscripts and other important works from the history of our literature that are in one way or another linked to Germany. The intertwining of the Slovenian and German economies and people is evident in everything related to books, a tradition that goes back to the very beginning of the printing industry. Even before there were Slovenian authors, our printers were doing business in Germany and equipping Slovenian printing houses with German printing presses. After all, the first Slovenian book was printed in Germany in 1550. “We value these beginnings very highly in Slovenia,” emphasised President Pirc Musar, who sees the honour bestowed on our country at the famous fair as a step on the common path of Slovenia and Germany, built on thousands of years of history.

She highlighted two special features of Slovenia’s guest of honour programme: the focus on Slovenian contemporary poets and the so-called return to the book, which reminds visitors of the importance of in-depth reading and reflective, analytical and critical thinking. “This is also crucial for the overall functioning of democracy. Only an informed citizen, who critically assesses the available information, can participate fully in democratic processes,” said the President, adding that literacy was key to the preservation and existence of democracy.

President Pirc Musar also reiterated her condemnation of the recent attack by the terrorist organisation Hamas in Israel and expressed her deep concern about the situation in Gaza, where the number of civilian casualties, including children, is rising, as well as her concern about the humanitarian crisis. “This is unacceptable”, the President was clear in reiterating her call for a halt to violence, respect for international humanitarian law, and human rights law. The message of words and poetry is highly valued in Slovenia and this was one of the reasons why, at the time of declaring our independence, Slovenians chose the seventh stanza of Prešeren’s Zdravljica as the text of the national anthem, which remains an invaluable sign of our respect for all nations, as well as a spiritual and political commitment to a strong national consciousness.

She then attended the opening of the Slovenian pavilion and, in the early afternoon, together with members of the Slovenian delegation, visited the Town Hall, where Mike Josef, Lord Mayor of Frankfurt am Main, hosted a reception in honour of the opening of the Book Fair and the dignitaries of this year’s guest of honour country.

The opening evening concluded with a gala reception hosted by the Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia at the Museum of Natural History, where President Pirc Musar was joined by Peter Tschentscher, President of the Bundesrat, who gave a keynote speech. Tomorrow, on Wednesday, 18 October, the President will meet with representatives of Slovenian publishers and Slovenian literary authors.

The President of the Republic of Slovenia is accompanied in Frankfurt by the Minister of Culture Dr Asta Vrečko, the Minister of Economy, Tourism and Sport Matjaž Han, the State Secretary in the Prime Minister’s Office Dr Kaja Širok, and the State Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs Marko Štucin.