About castle gardeners. From the archives of the Rojc family from Hudo near Radomlje

The exhibition shows interesting stories from the Rojc family from Hudo near Radomlje, which are revealed through a rich house archive and a family tree, composed over the years by Peter Rojc.

We can say that gardening was a traditional family activity, as more or less all the children of Franc and Frančiška Rojc, as well as the next generation are connected with it. The title of the exhibition About Castle Gardeners tells us that they arranged gardens and parks in the nearby Souvan Park in Volčji Potok, near the manors of Novo Celje and Miramar near Trieste, not least the younger generation gardens in the Arboretum Volčji Potok and under Zaprice Castle, in the Kamnik city garden.

The well-known history of the Rojc family begins in the time of Napoleon. The first known information is that Janez Rojc (1811–1879) married Marija Šarec (1803–?). Their son Franc (1847–1922) married in 1880 Frančiška Stare (1847–1928). During the Austrian occupation of Bosnia (1878), Franc was drafted into the 17th Infantry Regiment. He earned three decorations. His courage and ingenuity were mentioned by officer and writer Jernej Andrejka.

We present interesting stories of their five children:

Franc Rojc (1882–1946), American. In 1903 he went to USA, where he was to continue his studies in theology. But life is full of challenges. In 1909, he even looked for precious stones in Montana, especially opals. In 1918, he married widow Doris May Boling in Los Angeles. According to tradition, he was also an actor in the first Hollywood movies. His last recorded profession was a gardener.

Janez Rojc (1884–1971), gardener at Souvan. From the very beginning, he participated in the planting of the park in Volčji Potok. Leon Souvan has been arranging the park based on his own plans, drawings and sketches since 1919. As the gardeners dug the planting holes for the trees, the gentleman guided and supervised them with binoculars.

Peter Rojc (1887–1944), gardener at Miramar near Trieste and in Novo Celje. He continued the family tradition and trained as a gardener in Vienna, and also worked for the gardener Anton Lap from Kamnik. Before World War I, he worked in a park at Miramar Castle near Trieste. Shortly after the war, it can be found at the Novo Celje manor and on other estates of Baron Turković, in Opatija and on the island of Krk.

Frančiška Rojc (1890–1980) was the only daughter. She got a job as a maid and cooking assistant at the Souvans in Volčji Potok.

Anton Rojc (1892–1968), painter and carver. He was a master carpenter. However, he created as a child, as a booklet of his drawings and poems from 1905 has been preserved. He enjoyed painting all his life. It is known mainly for the landscape motifs of the Kamnik surroundings and the town. As a carver, he made frames and small figurines, and also restored and restored wooden parts of altars for church purposes.

The horticultural tradition continues in Peter’s family. His son Edi (1915–1989) studied with the well-known Ljubljana gardener and florist Fran Herzmanyski in Rožna dolina. He then arranged the park at the villa of the factory owner Majdič in Jarše. After the war, as the head of the transport team, he took care of the surroundings of the Induplati factory.

Peter Rojc (1952), a retired gardener, is Eddie’s son. He completed a three-year apprenticeship at the former manor garden, today the Arboretum. He then worked for two horticultural seasons in the city garden below Zaprice Castle. And then, for years until his retirement, he independently managed the park areas next to a large pharmaceutical factory.