Anton Melik
Encyclopedia
Anton Melik was a Slovene geographer
.
, now part of Ljubljana
, Slovenia
, at that time part of Austria-Hungary
. Before and during World War I
, he studied at the University of Vienna
, graduating in 1916 in history
and geography
. Later he was employed as a secondary school
teacher. In 1926-1927 he became a senior university teacher at the Faculty of Arts
of the University of Ljubljana
, in 1932 a senior lecturer, and then in 1938 a professor.
In 1927 he received his PhD from the Faculty of Arts with his dissertation on the Settlement of the Ljubljana Marshes. Between 1938 and 1966, he was a professor of geomorphology
at the Department of Geography at the University of Ljubljana
, succeeding professor Artur Gavazzi
in 1938. With his work in this field he established his well-known geomorphological school.
In 1935-1936, the prestigious publishing house Slovenska matica
published his monumental monograph Geografija Slovenije ("The Geography of Slovenia"), in two volumes with a general regional part, later extended with four additional books between 1954 and 1960, with a detailed regional description of particular areas of Slovenia
: the Alps
, Styria
with Prekmurje
and the Mežica Valley
, the Sava Valley
, and the Slovenian Littoral
.
Between 1947 and 1960, Melik was head of the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Arts. Between 1948 and 1966, he was head of the Geographical Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
. Between 1946/1947 and 1949/1950, he was chancellor of the University of Ljubljana, and he served twice as dean of the Faculty of Arts in 1940/1941 and 1945/1946. He retired in 1966. He died in Ljubljana.
In 1976, the Geographical Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, founded in 1946, was renamed to Anton Melik Geographical Institute
in his honor.
) on November 25, 1943 together with 12 other victims by a unit of the collaborationist Slovenian Home Guard militia under the command of Franc Frakelj
.
For his work on the geography of Slovenia and Yugoslavia
, Melik received the Prešeren Award
in 1947, 1949, and 1951. His only son, Vasilij Melik
, is a historian
.
Geographer
A geographer is a scholar whose area of study is geography, the study of Earth's natural environment and human society.Although geographers are historically known as people who make maps, map making is actually the field of study of cartography, a subset of geography...
.
Biography
Melik was born in the village of Črna VasČrna vas
Črna vas is a settlement on the right bank of the river Ljubljanica, to the south of the capital Ljubljana in central Slovenia. It belongs to the Ljubljana Urban Municipality...
, now part of Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
, at that time part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
. Before and during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, he studied at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, graduating in 1916 in history
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
and geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
. Later he was employed as a secondary school
Secondary school
Secondary school is a term used to describe an educational institution where the final stage of schooling, known as secondary education and usually compulsory up to a specified age, takes place...
teacher. In 1926-1927 he became a senior university teacher at the Faculty of Arts
Faculty of Arts
The Faculty of Arts was one of the four traditional divisions of the teaching bodies of medieval universities, the others being Theology, Law and Medicine...
of the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, in 1932 a senior lecturer, and then in 1938 a professor.
In 1927 he received his PhD from the Faculty of Arts with his dissertation on the Settlement of the Ljubljana Marshes. Between 1938 and 1966, he was a professor of geomorphology
Geomorphology
Geomorphology is the scientific study of landforms and the processes that shape them...
at the Department of Geography at the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, succeeding professor Artur Gavazzi
Artur Gavazzi
Artur Gavazzi was a Croatian geographer of Italian ancestry.Gavazzi was born in Split and died in Zagreb ....
in 1938. With his work in this field he established his well-known geomorphological school.
In 1935-1936, the prestigious publishing house Slovenska matica
Slovenska matica
Slovenska matica , also known as Matica slovenska, is the second-oldest publishing house in Slovenia, founded in the 19th century as an institution for the scholarly and cultural progress of Slovenes...
published his monumental monograph Geografija Slovenije ("The Geography of Slovenia"), in two volumes with a general regional part, later extended with four additional books between 1954 and 1960, with a detailed regional description of particular areas of Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
: the Alps
Alps
The Alps is one of the great mountain range systems of Europe, stretching from Austria and Slovenia in the east through Italy, Switzerland, Liechtenstein and Germany to France in the west....
, Styria
Lower Styria
Lower Styria or Slovenian Styria is a traditional region in northeastern Slovenia, comprising the southern third of the former Duchy of Styria. The population of Lower Styria in its historical boundaries amounts to around 705,000 inhabitants, or 34.5% of the population of Slovenia...
with Prekmurje
Prekmurje
Prekmurje is a geographically, linguistically, culturally and ethnically defined region settled by Slovenes and lying between the Mur River in Slovenia and the Rába Valley in the most western part of Hungary...
and the Mežica Valley
Meža
The Meža is a long river in Carinthia, Slovenia. It has its source on the Austrian side of the state border near Mount Olševa, becomes subterranean a kilometer from its source, and reappears on the surface in Koprivna near Črna na Koroškem, Slovenia. It is the central river of the Mežica Valley...
, the Sava Valley
Posavje
The Lower Sava Valley is a region in southeastern Slovenia on the border with Croatia. It has three major urban centers: Brežice, Krško, and Sevnica. Its borders are almost identical with those of the Lower Sava statistical region....
, and the Slovenian Littoral
Slovenian Littoral
The Slovenian Littoral is a historical region of Slovenia. Its name recalls the historical Habsburg crown land of the Austrian Littoral, of which the Slovenian Littoral was a part....
.
Between 1947 and 1960, Melik was head of the Department of Geography at the Faculty of Arts. Between 1948 and 1966, he was head of the Geographical Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Slovenia, which encompasses science and the arts and brings together the top Slovene researchers and artists as members of the academy....
. Between 1946/1947 and 1949/1950, he was chancellor of the University of Ljubljana, and he served twice as dean of the Faculty of Arts in 1940/1941 and 1945/1946. He retired in 1966. He died in Ljubljana.
In 1976, the Geographical Institute of the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, founded in 1946, was renamed to Anton Melik Geographical Institute
Anton Melik Geographical Institute
The Anton Melik Geographical Institute was founded in 1946 by the Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts, and in 1976 it was named after the Slovene geographer and academy member Anton Melik , who was the first head of the institute. Since 1981, the institute has been a member of the Scientific...
in his honor.
Family
His two brothers Franc Melik (born 1885), and Ivan Melik (born 1894) were killed in a grove known as Kozler's Thicket ' onMouseout='HidePop("84283")' href="/topics/Peter_Kozler">Peter KozlerPeter Kozler
Peter Kozler or Kosler was a Slovene lawyer, geographer, cartographer, activist and manufacturer...
) on November 25, 1943 together with 12 other victims by a unit of the collaborationist Slovenian Home Guard militia under the command of Franc Frakelj
Franc Frakelj
Franc Frakelj was a member of the collaborationist Slovenian Home Guard and a member of a secret murderous militia called Črna roka who killed over 60 people during the Second World War...
.
For his work on the geography of Slovenia and Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, Melik received the Prešeren Award
Prešeren Award
Prešeren Award is the highest decoration in the field of artistic and in the past also scientific creation in Slovenia awarded each year to one or two eminent Slovene artists...
in 1947, 1949, and 1951. His only son, Vasilij Melik
Vasilij Melik
Vasilij Melik was a Slovenian historian, who mostly worked on political history of the Slovene Lands in the 19th century.He was born in Ljubljana as the only son of the renowned geographer Anton Melik...
, is a historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
.