ANTON TOMAŽ  LINHART

   1756 – 1795

BIOGRAPHY

Writer, poet, historian – Anton Tomaž Linhart- was born in December 11, 1756 in a small town Radovljica in a craftsmen family. His mother Terezija was a Slovenian, his father Vaclav was a Check. He spoke with his mother in Slovenian and with his father in Check language.

His birth town Radovljica was a small medieval town in the past. Most of the people were craftsmen with their own workshops, outside the town farmers' families lived. As he was very young, he knew alot about the ways of life of noblemen and farmers as well.

He visited school in his home-town, In 1767 he was a student of gymnasium for the priests in Ljubljana. Already  at that time he had a great talent for writing.

At the age of 22 he left for Vienna, where he was studying financial and trade matters. In such a wondeful city he was especially keen on theatre.

He died when he was only 39. Ziga Zois wrote: Linhart was a great genius.

          HIS WORK

William Shakespeare was Linhart's ideal. He wrote poems for the German magazine which was edited in Ljubljana in 1781.

He is also the author of two plays TAVESELI DAN ali MATIČEK SE ŽENI. (This Pleasant Day or Matiček is Getting mMarried), and ŽUPANOVA MICKA (the Mayor's Daughter).

ŽUPANOVA MICKA is not just the translation from German, but  it represents the Slovenian habits – the image of Slovenia'a life. It is a great work.

In 1786-1787 he founded the amateur theatre and in December 1789 the play Županova Micka was performed.

He was a scholar, too. He wanted to write a historical work very early. He started writing it, but he did not complete it. Linhart is considered the only Slovenian scholar in the 18th century.