Vinko Ošlak
Encyclopedia
Vinko Ošlak is a Slovene author
, essayist, translator, columnist
and esperantist
from the Austria
n state Carinthia
.
Ošlak was born in the town of Slovenj Gradec
, then part of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia
in former Yugoslavia
. After completing his primary and high school education in his native province of Slovenian Carinthia
, he enrolled to the University of Ljubljana
, where he studied political science
. Due to economic problems, he quit the studies and dedicated himself to journalism
. A devout Roman Catholic, he became active in the Slovenian Christian intellectual subculture around the alternative journal Revija 2000 ("Review 2000"). Among others, he became a close friend of the Slovenian Christian Socialist poet and dissident Edvard Kocbek
, who strongly influenced Ošlak's spiritual and intellectual development.
Due to his critical attitude towards the Titoist regime, Ošlak was unable to get a job as journalist, and worked as a manual worker. In 1983, after pettifoggery by the Yugoslav secret police, Ošlak decided to move to Austria. He settled in Klagenfurt
, Carinthia, and became involved in the cultural activities of the Carinthian Slovene minority. He enrolled at the Akademio Internacia de la Sciencoj in San Marino
, where he graduated from philosophy
in 1991 with a thesis on Novalis
'es state philosophy. Two years later, he obtained an MA at the same institution with a thesis entitled "Identity and Communication in the Case of the Slovene Minority in Carinthia".
Ošlak has written several books of essays in Slovene, German
and Esperanto
. He also writes columns in several Slovenian and Austrian journals. In 2003, he received the Rožanc Award, the highest award for essayism in Slovenia.
From 1989 to 2006, Ošlak has worked as an official at the Slovene section of the Catholic Action
for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk
. During this time, he appeared in public as a Catholic intellectual. In 2006, however, he left the Roman Catholic Church and joined the Evangelical
community. He especially criticised the political involvement of the Roman Catholic Church and its lack of commitment to the Christian eschatology
.
Since 2004, Ošlak has served as the chairman of the Esperantist centre of the International P.E.N..
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, essayist, translator, columnist
Columnist
A columnist is a journalist who writes for publication in a series, creating an article that usually offers commentary and opinions. Columns appear in newspapers, magazines and other publications, including blogs....
and esperantist
Esperantist
An Esperantist is a person who speaks or uses Esperanto. Etymologically, an Esperantist is someone who hopes...
from the Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
n state Carinthia
Carinthia (state)
Carinthia is the southernmost Austrian state or Land. Situated within the Eastern Alps it is chiefly noted for its mountains and lakes.The main language is German. Its regional dialects belong to the Southern Austro-Bavarian group...
.
Ošlak was born in the town of Slovenj Gradec
Slovenj Gradec
Slovenj Gradec is a town and a municipality in northern Slovenia. It is part of the historic Lower Styria region, since 2005 it belongs to the NUTS-3 statistical region of Carinthia...
, then part of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia
Socialist Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until 1990...
in former Yugoslavia
Former Yugoslavia
The former Yugoslavia is a term used to describe the present day states which succeeded the collapse of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia....
. After completing his primary and high school education in his native province of Slovenian Carinthia
Carinthia (province)
Slovenian Carinthia or Slovene Carinthia, most commonly simply Carinthia is a traditional region in the north of Slovenia. It has no official status as an administrative unit within Slovenia, although the association with an informal province is still quite common.The region is referred to as...
, he enrolled to 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:...
, where he studied political science
Political science
Political Science is a social science discipline concerned with the study of the state, government and politics. Aristotle defined it as the study of the state. It deals extensively with the theory and practice of politics, and the analysis of political systems and political behavior...
. Due to economic problems, he quit the studies and dedicated himself to journalism
Journalism
Journalism is the practice of investigation and reporting of events, issues and trends to a broad audience in a timely fashion. Though there are many variations of journalism, the ideal is to inform the intended audience. Along with covering organizations and institutions such as government and...
. A devout Roman Catholic, he became active in the Slovenian Christian intellectual subculture around the alternative journal Revija 2000 ("Review 2000"). Among others, he became a close friend of the Slovenian Christian Socialist poet and dissident Edvard Kocbek
Edvard Kocbek
Edvard Kocbek was a Slovenian poet, writer, essayist, translator, political activist, and resistance fighter. He is considered as one of the best authors who have written in Slovene, and one of the best Slovene poets after Prešeren...
, who strongly influenced Ošlak's spiritual and intellectual development.
Due to his critical attitude towards the Titoist regime, Ošlak was unable to get a job as journalist, and worked as a manual worker. In 1983, after pettifoggery by the Yugoslav secret police, Ošlak decided to move to Austria. He settled in Klagenfurt
Klagenfurt
-Name:Carinthia's eminent linguists Primus Lessiak and Eberhard Kranzmayer assumed that the city's name, which literally translates as "ford of lament" or "ford of complaints", had something to do with the superstitious thought that fateful fairies or demons tend to live around treacherous waters...
, Carinthia, and became involved in the cultural activities of the Carinthian Slovene minority. He enrolled at the Akademio Internacia de la Sciencoj in San Marino
San Marino
San Marino, officially the Republic of San Marino , is a state situated on the Italian Peninsula on the eastern side of the Apennine Mountains. It is an enclave surrounded by Italy. Its size is just over with an estimated population of over 30,000. Its capital is the City of San Marino...
, where he graduated from philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
in 1991 with a thesis on Novalis
Novalis
Novalis was the pseudonym of Georg Philipp Friedrich Freiherr von Hardenberg , an author and philosopher of early German Romanticism.-Biography:...
'es state philosophy. Two years later, he obtained an MA at the same institution with a thesis entitled "Identity and Communication in the Case of the Slovene Minority in Carinthia".
Ošlak has written several books of essays in Slovene, German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
and Esperanto
Esperanto
is the most widely spoken constructed international auxiliary language. Its name derives from Doktoro Esperanto , the pseudonym under which L. L. Zamenhof published the first book detailing Esperanto, the Unua Libro, in 1887...
. He also writes columns in several Slovenian and Austrian journals. In 2003, he received the Rožanc Award, the highest award for essayism in Slovenia.
From 1989 to 2006, Ošlak has worked as an official at the Slovene section of the Catholic Action
Catholic Action
Catholic Action was the name of many groups of lay Catholics who were attempting to encourage a Catholic influence on society.They were especially active in the nineteenth century in historically Catholic countries that fell under anti-clerical regimes such as Spain, Italy, Bavaria, France, and...
for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk
Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Gurk is a diocese comprising the Austrian state of Carinthia and is part of the Ecclesiastical province of Salzburg. Due to the presence of Carinthian Slovenes the Slovenian language is, together with Latin and German, the language of the liturgy in the Southern parts...
. During this time, he appeared in public as a Catholic intellectual. In 2006, however, he left the Roman Catholic Church and joined the Evangelical
Evangelicalism
Evangelicalism is a Protestant Christian movement which began in Great Britain in the 1730s and gained popularity in the United States during the series of Great Awakenings of the 18th and 19th century.Its key commitments are:...
community. He especially criticised the political involvement of the Roman Catholic Church and its lack of commitment to the Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology
Christian eschatology is a major branch of study within Christian theology. Eschatology, from two Greek words meaning last and study , is the study of the end of things, whether the end of an individual life, the end of the age, or the end of the world...
.
Since 2004, Ošlak has served as the chairman of the Esperantist centre of the International P.E.N..