Janko Prunk

Janko Prunk ( pronunciation ) (born 30 December 1942) is a Slovenian historian of modern history. He has published articles and monographs on analytical politology, modern history, the genesis of modern political formations, and the history of social and political philosophy in Slovenia. He has also written on the history of political movements in Slovenia from the end of the 19th century until World War II, especially about Slovene Christian socialism and the history of Slovenian national questions.

Biography

Prunk was born in the small settlement of Loka pri Zidanem Mostu (part of the municipality of Sevnica), in central Slovenia, which was then the German-occupied Slovenian Styria.

Prunk started going to primary school in his birthplace. After fourth grade, he shifted to the school in nearby Radeče. He continued his secondary education at Gymnasium in Celje. Graduating from history and sociology at the University of Ljubljana in 1966. He was recruited into Yugoslav People's Army in Sisak, Socialist Republic of Croatia in the years 1966/67. He obtained his master's degree from University of Ljubljana in 1972. In 1976, he obtained his PhD with a thesis on the relationship between the Slovenian Christian Socialist movement and the Communist Party of Slovenia within the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People, which was still a controversial topic at that time. In 1984 and 1988, Prunk was awarded scholarships by the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, which enabled him to continue his studies in Cologne and Freiburg.

Later, he worked as a researcher at the University of Freiburg. From 1966 to 1995, he worked at the Institute for modern history in Ljubljana. Until his retirement in 2013 he worked as professor at the Faculty of Social Sciences^[1] of the University of Ljubljana.

Prunk is a member of Leibniz Institute of European History in Mainz, and a senior member of the Center for European Integration Studies in Bonn.

Politics

Prunk has been actively involved in politics. As an early admirer of Jože Pučnik, Prunk joined the Democratic Opposition of Slovenia after the democratization of Slovenia. He was an active member of the Slovenian Democratic Party (known as Slovenian Social Democratic Party between 1989 and 2003). Between 1992 and 1993, Prunk served as Minister for Slovenes outside Slovenia and National Minorities in Slovenia in the first coalition cabinet^[2] of Janez Drnovšek.

After 1994, Prunk withdrew from politics for over a decade. Before the parliamentary elections of 2004, he campaigned for the Slovenian Democratic Party. In 2005, he was appointed by the Foreign Minister Dimitrij Rupel, as president of the Slovene-Croatian Historical Commission,^[3] formed by the Government of the two countries, to shed light on the history of the relations between them.^[4] Between 2004 and 2008, he served as chairman of the Slovenian Democratic Party's internal Committee for Education Policies. He resigned in 2008 because of disagreements over the Government's policy favoring private universities. After the split with the party, he became very critical of the then Prime Minister Janez Janša, whom he accused of being a "liberal with an authoritative touch, who aspires at becoming a Slovenian Piłsudski".^[5]

After the parliamentary elections of 2008, Prunk explained his disappointment with the Slovenian Democratic Party as a consequence of its neo-liberal turn. In Prunk's opinion, the party turned its back to the ideals of welfare state held by its founding father Jože Pučnik.^[6] Prunk also criticised the charismatic type of leadership of the party's president Janez Janša, stating that the party would most probably collapse if Janša resigned.^[6]

Publications

Janko Prunk has written over 500 specialized articles and books, since 1966. His book, A brief history of Slovenia: Historical background of the Republic of Slovenia,^[7] is one of the most comprehensive works on modern Slovenian history.^[8][9]

Bibliography

Zgodovina Evrope v dobi racionalistične civilizacije 1775-2015 (in Slovenian). Cankarjeva založba. 2015. ISBN 978-961-282-131-9. 

Janko Prunk (2014). Sto let življenja slovenskih političnih strank : 1890-1990 (in Slovenian). Marjetka Rangus. Založba FDV. ISBN 978-961-235-683-5. 

Facts about Slovenia. Government Communication Office. 2011. ISBN 978-961-6435-55-0. 

Fakten über Slowenien (2nd rev. ed.) (in German). Kommunikationsamt der Regierung der Republik Slowenien. 2009. ISBN 978-961-6435-50-5. 

Faits sur la Slovénie (in French). Bureau gouvernemental pour la communication. 2009. ISBN 978-961-6435-58-1. 

Racionalistična civilizacija : 1776-2000 (in Slovenian). Mladinska knjiga. 2008. ISBN 978-961-01-0629-6. 

A brief history of Slovenia (3rd rev. ed.). Založba Grad. 2008. ISBN 978-961-92448-0-7. 

Datos sobre Eslovenia (in Spanish). Eslovenia Instituto de Geodesía de Eslovenia. 2007. ISBN 978-961-6435-42-0. 

Fakten über Slowenien (in German). Kommunikationsamt der Regierung der Republik Slowenien. 2007. ISBN 978-961-6435-44-4. 

Kratka zgodovina Slovenije (3rd rev. ed.) (in Slovenian). Založba Grad. 2006. ISBN 978-961-90119-9-7. 

Parlamentarna izkušnja Slovencev 1848 - 2004 (2nd rev. ed.) (in Slovenian). Faculty for social sciences. 2006. ISBN 961-235-256-9. 

Facts about Slovenia. Government of the Republic of Slovenia. 2005. ISBN 961-6435-10-8. 

Parlamentarna izkušnja Slovencev (in Slovenian). faculty for social sciences. 2005. ISBN 961-235-223-2. 

Žrtve vojne in revolucije (in Slovenian). Državni svet Republike Slovenije. 2005. ISBN 961-6453-08-4. 

Ernst Gombrich (2005). Kratka svetovna zgodovina za mlade bralce (2nd ed.) (in Slovenian). Janko Prunk (trans.). Založba Grad. ISBN 961-90119-8-8. 

Zgodovina ideoloških spopadov med vojnama (in Slovenian). Društvo 2000. 2004. ISBN 961-91007-9-4. 

Slovenian historia (in Finnish). Kirja-aurora. 2004. ISBN 951-29-2678-4. 

Die rationalistische Zivilisation (in German). Center for European Integration Studies. 2003. ISBN 3-936183-26-0. ISSN 1435-3288. 

Kratka zgodovina Slovenije (in Slovenian). Založba Grad. 2002. ISBN 961-90119-7-X. 

Slowenien - ein Abriss seiner Geschichte (in German). Založba Grad. 1996. ISBN 961-90119-4-5. 

A brief history of Slovenia (in Slovenian). Založba Grad. 1996. ISBN 961-90119-2-9. 

Vodnik po slovenskih vinorodnih okoliših (in Slovenian). Založba Grad. 1994. ISBN 961-90119-1-0. 

20. stoletje - zgodovina za 8. razred osnovne šole (in Slovenian). Državna založba Slovenije. 1993. ISBN 86-341-0870-8. 

Slovenski narodni vzpon (in Slovenian). Državna založba Slovenije. 1992. ISBN 86-341-0846-5. 

Ernst Gombrich (1991). Kratka svetovna zgodovina za mlade bralce (in Slovenian). Janko Prunk (trans.). Državna Založba Slovenije. ISBN 86-341-0666-7. 

Nova slovenska samozavest (in Slovenian). Panatal. 1990. 

Slovenački nacionalni programi : nacionalni programi u slovenačkoj političkoj misli od 1848. do 1945. godine (in Serbian). Eksportpres. 1988. ISBN 86-7145-068-6. 

Slovenski narodni programi :narodni programi v slovenski politični misli od 1848-1945 (in Slovenian). Društvo 2000. 1986. 

Zgodovina 2-2 :druga svetovna vojna in svet po njej (in Slovenian). Državna založba Slovenije. 1978. 

Pot krščanskih socialistov v Osvobodilno fronto slovenskega naroda (in Slovenian). Cankarjeva Založba. 1976. 

Slovenski krščanski socialisti v času šestojanuarske diktature 1929-1934 (in Slovenian). 1972. 

See also

• History of Slovenia

References

External links

Official website