All the best, Rudolf Maister!

The big man, who stands on one leg in front of his birth house – which children often marvel at – has stood firm on both in his life. He was born on March 29, 1874 in this house on Šutna, in one of the then Kamnik suburbs. I remember how the silhouettes, which were placed in front of Maister’s birth house on St. Nicholas Day, were delighted by the schoolchildren. The old people of Kamnik looked at it and tried to move it in concern whether it still stands firm enough that it will not fall on anyone’s head.

In 2013, the beautifully restored Maister birth house on the ground floor was transformed into a museum. In it, a permanent exhibition by the author mag. Zora Torkar tells a story of dramatic dimensions, a story from birth to death, about Rudolf Maister, a general and poet. The same goes for all the occasional exhibitions that remind of individual events and people associated with the Maister. The giant in front of the museum prefers to stop at the children, sometimes saluting him militarily and chatting casually. Certainly, the curious Maister listens to them and at the same time frowns. And he’s waiting for them to maybe just come in one day.

The visitor to the permanent exhibition is surprised and moved at first by a gentle boy in his mother’s lap in a family photo, a boy who shows nothing that he will grow into a soldier and a general; also, the eye stops with admiration at the precious document with which the people of Kamnik congratulated their famous compatriot on his 60th birthday. Congratulations to the great man, the defender of our northern border and Maribor, are signed by Mayor Fran Kratnar and all the city fathers. And certainly today, not only all the people of Kamnik, but all Slovenes would sign the congratulations for the general’s birthday. This is evidenced by the growing number of people who come to visit, especially on his birthday, and since 1996 also the holiday of the Municipality of Kamnik.

All the best, Rudolf Maister, Kamnik mountains list!

Prepared by: Alenka Juvan