Stories: MEDIEVAL REENACTMENTS IN SLOVENIA

Europe has a rich Medieval history, known for its chivalry, romance, kings and queens. In 1994, a couple of enthusiasts in Slovenia decided to start reviving it in a grander scale. Today, there are over ten large Medieval events throughout the country, starting in May and ending as late as in October. Darja and Andrej Žnidaršič with the help of Dušan Kramberger, secretary of cultural heritage directory at the Ministry of Culture, and Vesna Berce, the then-manager of the Snežnik castle, despite very few sources gathered clothes and equipment to organize the very first knight games at the Kaja & Grom ranch on newyear’s eve 1994 and thus started what became one of the most popular cultural events in Slovenia. Today, at least 15 such events are organized annually including those in Predjama, Ljubljana, Celje, Velenje, Žužemberk, Ptuj, Bled , Škofja Loka and elsewhere. Many had become traditional more that a decade ago, some of them are new, and most of them are trying to weave their programs around different topics from the medieval histories of their towns. The organizers try to make the events as realistic as possible while trying to work around all the modern day essentials that are present on every step. No coffee, no cell phones, no glasses, no watches ... But it is easier said than done.