The   collection   contains   some   1800   units   of   postcards   and   prints of   the   local   studies   collection   Gottscheer   Postcards,   dating   from 1844    till    today.    The    purpose    of    the    digitalised    collection    is    to preserve    at    least    a    small    part    of    such    imagery    for    future generations.   The   material   is   intended   primarily   for   descendants   of displaced   Gottschee   Germans   around   the   world,   and   is   presented in the English language.

Seed   funding   for   the   presentation   of   the   first   thirty   postcards   of Koprivnik   was   provided   by   compatriot   Mark   Simonitsch    from Chatham, Massachusetts. We   ask   and   welcome   you   to   consider   supporting   the   expansion of    our    collection    with    your    contribution,    and    thank    you    in advance for your generosity.

Institute of Preservation and Cultural Heritage Nesseltal-Koprivnik - Zavod Nesseltal Koprivnik Koprivnik 13,  1330 Kočevje, Slovenija - Tax number: 13212087 Bank account or IBAN: SI56 2900 0005 5558 644, Unicreditbank Slovenija PE Novo mesto - BIC: BACXSI22

POSTCARDS COLLECTION OF KOPRIVNIK (NESSELTAL)

“Die   Heimat   Koprivnik   ….bila   je   to   lepa   vas   –   a   beautiful   village   this   used   to   be,”      Author:   Matjaž   Matko, ISBN   961-236-980-1,   English-Slovenian   edition,   Publisher:   Institute   of   Preservation   and   Cultural   Heritage Nesseltal-Koprivnik, 2006, 103 pages, 36 photos. From   his   collection   of   photo-postcards   Matjaž   Matko   has   created   a   unique   book   about   the   former Gottschee    village    of    Nesseltal-Koprivnik    between    1898-1942.        Born    in    Rudolfswert    (Novo    mesto, Slovenija)   Matko   lives   in   Koprivnik   where   he   has   formed   the   Institute   of   Preservation   and   Cultural Heritage Nesseltal - Koprivnik. Author   Matko   researched   the   lives   of   former   Nesseltal   residents,   their   homes,   buildings   and   public records.      By   imaginatively   interpreting   this   information   heart   full   yoffers   explanations   of   the   postcard sender’s   message,   photo   and   address.   Information   about   families,   their   habits,   occupations,   residence numbers   and   house   names   are   woven   into   short   narratives   that   comment   on   each   postcard.   The results    are    photos    with    wonderful    descriptions    about    the    rural    life    of    Nesseltal    residents    in    the twentieth century prior to relocation in 1942.  

The   area   of   land   that   constitutes   Nesseltal-Koprivnik   is   a   natural   basin   with   a   large   meadow that   today   is   edged   by   forest.      Some   of   the   postcard   photos   were   taken   from   the   surrounding higher   land   and   provide   a   hawk’s   perspective.      Readers   will   enjoy   views   of   buildings   that   our imagined raptor sees while gliding above the village. Only   if   the   windswere   steady   could   the   hawk’s   eye   have   noticed   the   children   posing   for   Rudolf Verderber’s    1925    photograph    of    Miss    Ana    Piškur’s    (married    Ljubič)    on    the    steps    of    the elementary   school.      Matko   enlightens   us   further   by   listing   the   student’s   villages   and   informs   us the building is no longer a school, but remains in useas # 9. In   the   1920s   Josef      Roschitsch,   Nesseltal   15   (“Kürteish”)   asked   photographer   Josef   Dornig   Sr.   to photograph   his   inn.      Mr.   Dornig   obligingly   combined   two   photos   on   a   single   card:   A   panorama of   Nesseltal   from   Nakl   in   the   upper   part   of   the   village   and   a   view   of   Roschitsch’s   Inn,   most   likely taken   from   the   steeple   of   St.   Jakob’s   which   was   destroyed   in   1949.      The   author   comments   that Roschitsch’s    frequent    use    of    the    Slovenian-Italian    word,    “Malora”    (ruination),    when    playing cards and in daily conversations resulted in friends adopting “Malora” for his nickname.  

Numerous   Nesseltal   homes   and   buildings   are   featured   by   number   and name.      The   distinctive   Schneller   house   #   43   is   owned   by   Matko   and   used as   a   Bed   &   Breakfast   for   his   Gottschee   -   Koprivnik   tours.   The   subject   of one   postcard   is   the   Schneller   family   in   front   of   their   home   in   1935-36   by Josef Dornig Jr. The card was posted on 19 April 1940. The   special   effect   of   this   book   is   produced   by   the   charming   narrative   that Matko   has   developed   from   the   photos   and   messages.      He   notes   the details   in   the   photos   and   with   evident   fondness   offers   stories   for   the reader’s   enjoyment.   The   book’s   exterior   is   water   resistant.      A   photocard of   Nesseltal   is   super   -   imposed   upon   a   map   of   Gottschee   on   the   book’s front   and   back   covers.   The   pages   are   semi   -   gloss   to   resist   water   and aging.  The book is physically attractive and suitable for table display. 

“Die   Heimat   Koprivnik”   will   awaken   memories   of   other   Gottschee   villages.      Readers who   are   not   familiar   with   Nesselthal   -   Koprivnik   or   who   have   not   had   experiences   of Gottschee   life   can   blend   the   book’s   images   and   vignettes   with   their   own   family stories of life in other …….. “beautiful villages (that) used to be….” Information   about   book   sales,   tours   and   the   “Institute   for   Preservation   of   Cultural Heritage Nesseltal Koprivnik” is available at:  www.kocevskirog.si Mark Simonitsch