Planinski vestnik has been with readers for 125 years

Planinski vestnik has been with readers for 125 years - part of the national wealth and cultural heritage.



Planinski vestnik, the oldest still-publishing Slovenian magazine, has been delighting mountain lovers for 125 years, since the time of Jakob Aljaž. Its first issue was published on 8 February 1895 as the newsletter of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association in Ljubljana, and the jubilee February issue will be number 1289. Planinski vestnik is part of the national wealth and cultural heritage and the most complete archive of Slovenian mountaineering. The magazine's editorial board and collaborators invite you to the performance of the comedy Uredniki gredo v nebesa on the occasion of the 125th anniversary, which will take place on Saturday, 15 February 2020, at 6 p.m. in the Slovenian Mountaineering Museum in Mojstrana.







Planinski vestnik is considered the oldest Slovenian magazine still in publication; its first issue reached readers on 8 February 1895. The young Slovenian Mountaineering Association (SPD) needed a unifying, educational and informative mission during the years of testing national consciousness, which the Vestnik purposefully promoted among its members. Thus, it found its way into the hearts of all who helped spread mountaineering awareness during this long period. Today, Planinski vestnik represents the most complete historical archive of Slovenian mountaineering and its umbrella organisation, the Alpine Association of Slovenia (PZS). Throughout all periods of its publication, it has been a mirror of the mountaineering organisation's work, mountaineering culture, a reflection of general conditions and Slovenians' experiences of the mountains, and today it represents the most complete mountaineering historical archive while retaining youthful energy despite its venerable age.







"Planinski vestnik has travelled a long path in 125 years. It began in times of the national struggle for Slovenian mountains and our language. Former editors would probably be amazed today that we are facing so many competitors of the printed word. I mean television, the web, social networks, etc., which are taking readers away from print media despite reading problems, as it no longer attracts young people as it once did," outlines the current challenges Vladimir Habjan, editor of Planinski vestnik since 2001, justly proud of the oldest Slovenian magazine still publishing: "In this long period of time, I am only the eighth responsible editor in a row. My editorship has lasted a full 18 years, and many changes have occurred in it due to trends and technology. With content, attractive monthly themes, photography and the core where we offer trip descriptions every month, we still manage to attract readers. A step forward was increasing the magazine's format ten years ago, which improves our design possibilities. The magazine is also digitised and available online from the first issue to the latest volume. We believe it will continue this way, meaning Planinski vestnik remains our oldest magazine still publishing. Planinski vestnik is part of the national wealth and cultural heritage, of which we are proud."







The oldest regularly published Slovenian monthly has accompanied mountaineers since the time of Jakob Aljaž. Together with the first few readers, it witnessed the erection of the Aljaž Tower on top of Triglav, rejoiced with them at the first hut on Kredarica, reported on the opening of our first high-mountain trails ... and later relived the boldness of the first climbers at home, and when the time was ripe, also on the world's highest peaks. Planinski vestnik rejoiced at setting important historical milestones and sincerely mourned tragedies, an inevitable part of all successful stories. In the recent period, several thematic issues have been published, marking the 40th anniversary of the ascent of Everest and schools for Nepalese mountain guides in Manang, and paying tribute to the memory of Pavle Kozjek, Franček Knez, Davo Karničar ... "We strive to publish the magazine at a level comparable to similar mountaineering magazines published abroad, so we continuously introduce necessary changes. We strive for content diversity and emphasise good photography. Planinski vestnik will continue to retain the characteristics of a professional-informative magazine, which in its essence remains the publisher's magazine, the Alpine Association of Slovenia. We try to educate readers with professional-educational articles, and with literary themes and excellent photography, to culturally educate and raise awareness in an environmental spirit. We are also aware of the importance of knowing the history of Slovenian mountaineering and its role in turbulent history. Therefore, it is essential that the magazine has something for everyone, because tastes differ," Habjan is aware.







"On such a high anniversary, we cannot help but look around and compare it with the oldest magazine in the world on the same topic. The mountaineering magazine Alpine Journal was started as the first publication about mountains by the London Alpine Club in 1863. The time difference in publication between the magazines is almost two millennia, but Planinski vestnik does not need to blush when comparing the age of magazines from the Victorian era. The Vestnik is a monthly, while Alpine Journal has been issued only once a year since 1969 - before that, two issues per year. Nevertheless, there are many interesting similarities between the two magazines, which during their long existence have seen, accompanied and buried many generations of famous personalities - these created the history of organised mountain visiting and conquest. Such a magazine cannot be just an archive in its essence. Nor is Planinski vestnik, although it is considered our most complete mountaineering archive. It is a unique diary written by Slovenian mountaineering during the years of its existence," emphasises Dušan Škodič, member of the editorial board.



Some facts about Planinski vestnik







• In 125 years, 120 volumes of the magazine have been published.

• The first issue was published on 8 February, which is our biggest cultural holiday. It was pure coincidence, as the first issue was supposed to come out in January.

• There have only been eight chief editors in all that time. The average editorship lasted 15.6 years. Tine Orel edited the most volumes (30), Milan Cilenšek the fewest (1). The current editor Vladimir Habjan has edited 18 volumes. More volumes than Orel were edited only by Josip Tominšek (26).

• During World War I, the magazine did not publish, but shortly after, a transitional issue 1915-1919 was published.

• During World War II, Planinski vestnik was published in a truncated form, but throughout all the war years.

• All Planinski vestnik issues stacked together measure more than four metres in height. This stack of magazines weighs 135 kilograms.

• The Planinski vestnik to be published in February has serial number 1289. Currently, eleven issues are published each year, but it was not always so. There were years with twelve issues, and in the past, due to financial or technical problems, only a few issues were published annually. Accurate statistics were only enabled by the new editorial application of the magazine.

• All magazines together comprise almost 60,000 pages.

• Around 11,000 authors have contributed more than 40,000 articles (excluding short news items) over the years.

• In addition to the magazine, 43 supplements have been published.

• Planinski vestnik is today our most complete mountaineering archive, as practically nothing remains from the beginnings of the Slovenian Mountaineering Association. When the premises of the Alpine Association of Slovenia on Likozarjeva Street burned down in 1958, more than 60 years of archive burned with them.

• Even if you do not have all physical copies of the magazine, you will not be deprived. The magazine is digitised. Without weight and height, it is easily accessible on the website www.planinskivestnik.com.



* The data were collected by editorial board members Dušan Škodič and Emil Pevec.