The contribution traces the presence of pedagogical classics and analyses of their pedagogical standpoints in Slovene pedagogical periodicals from the end of the 19th to the beginning of the 20th century. This is the period preceding World War I that brought about also the end of Austria-Hungary, the multinational central European Habsburg empire, in which Slovenes lived in several lands and then after 1918 the period of its successor states, four of which included also Slovene population. The survey addresses the question how ideational orientation of teaching or pedagogical periodicals was reflected also in the discussion of history of education or specific important European pedagogues. Articles on J. A. Comenius/Komensky, J.-J. Rousseau but also on J. H. Pestalozzi, J. F. Herbart and others German-speaking pedagogues marked various anniversaries and publishing of books; occasional entries presented the subject of inscriptions on school premises. The question is whether in Slovene periodicals the inclination toward respective standpoints of pedagogical classics was to a greater degree influenced by a general Slavic orientation or predominately by liberal-Catholic disputes in questions of education and upbringing that were in 1869 outlined in the liberal Austrian Education Act. 

At the end of the 19th century liberal cultural orientation prevailed among Slovene teachers and such became also the central teacher journal »Učiteljski tovariš/Teachers Comrade« (published from 1861 onward) that was considered their topical political gazette. We shall also assess the position of the journal »Popotnik/ Traveller, pedagogical journal« (published from 1880 onwards) alongside the discussion of the European history of education. To what extent did it remain a scientific journal since it was published by an association of teacher societies that at the end of the 19th century took a liberal turn? The position of Pedagoški letopis/Pedagoški zbornik / Pedagogical Yearbook/Pedagogical Bulletin published from 1900 by Slovenska šolska matica/ Slovenian Pedagogical Society could be also interesting with some presentations of prominent European pedagogues. On the Catholic side, a new journal »Slovenski učitelj/Slovenian Teracher« was first published in 1899 as a gazette of the society »Slomškova zveza/Slomšek's Union«. This duality enables an estimation of the mode in which liberal or catholic orientation of pedagogical periodicals was accompanied also by different emphases in writings on the European history of education and pedagogy. What were the differences that were brought about by the period following World War I with its new borders that split Slovenes into four states (Yugoslavia, Italy, Austria, Hungary)? How noticeable are differences in the issues of the European history of education in Slovene pedagogical periodicals that were published in Italy (»Učiteljski list/Teachers Journal«, 1920-1926) and those that continued to be published in the Yugoslav part of Slovenia?

Education journals and bibliography: Učiteljski tovariš / Teachers Comrade 1861-1841; Slovenski učitelj / Slovenian teacher 1899-1944; Popotnik, Traveller, pedagogical journal 1880-1941. – Popotnik - Sodobna pedagogika 1880-1980. Bibliografsko kazalo [Traveller - Contemporary Pedagogy. Bibliography], T. Hojan, A. Perkič, A. Vovko, Ljubljana 1983. – Pedagoški letopis/Pedagoški zbornik // Pedagogical Yearbook/Pedagogical Bulletin 1900-1941 published by Slovenska šolska matica/Slovenian Pedagogical Society; Učiteljski list. Bibliografsko kazalo / Teachers Journal. Bibliography 1920-1926, Ljubljana 1991. - Digital Library of Slovenia http://www.dlib.si. – Bezjak, J., Občna zgodovina vzgoje in pouka [General History of Education and Teaching], Ljubljana 1921. – Brus, S., Zapisi o Pestalozziju v slovenskih pedagoških revijah [Written references to Pestalozzi in Slovenian educational journals], Šolska kronika/School Chronicle, 19(43), No.1, 2010, pp. 7-28.- Čapková, D., 400 let Jana Amosa Komenskega [400 years of J. A. Comenius], Ljubljana: Slovenski šolski muzej 1992. – Engelbrecht, H., Geschichte des österreichischen Bildungswesens : Erziehung und Unterricht auf dem Boden Österreichs, Wien Österreichischer Bundesverlag, 1982-1988. – Medveš, Z., Pedagoški nazori Jana Amosa Komenskega med Slovenci. [Educational views of Jan Amos Comenius among Slovenes], In: Pánek, Jaroslav: Jan Amos Komenski: češki humanist na poti k boljšanju reči človeških, Nova Gorica 1993, pp. 9-20. – Protner, E., Herbartianism and its educational consequences in the period of the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy : the case of Slovenia, Frankfurt am Main: P. Lang, 2014. – Protner, E., Herbartizem na Slovenskem do 1. svetovne vojne [Herbartianism in Slovenia until the First World War], Šolska kronika/School Chronicle 7(31), No. 7 (1998), pp. 87-110. – Schmidt V., 1988. Zgodovina šolstva in pedagogike na Slovenskem [History of Schooling and Pedagogy in Slovenia] Ljubljana,part 1-3, 2th ed. – Šuštar, B., 2001. Učiteljske organizacije na Slovenskem in njihova idejna usmeritev od srede 19. do sredine 20. stoletja [Teachers' organisation in Slovenia and their conceptual orientation from the mid-19th to the mid-20th century], Šolska kronika / School Chronicle, 34 (2), pp. 329-39.– Šuštar, B., Nekaj slovenskih srečevanj z J.-J. Rousseau-jem [Some Slovenian encounters with J.-J.Rousseau], Šolska kronika/School Chronicle 21(45), No. 1-2, 2012, pp. 15-25.– Šuštar, B., J.-J. R. - vznemirljivi meščan Ženeve. 300 Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712-1778: razstava in simpozij v Slovenskem šolskem muzeju [J-J. R. - the Fascinating Resident of Geneva. 300 Jean-Jacques Rousseau 1712-1778: an exhibition and symposium at the Slovenian School Museum], Šolska kronika/School Chronicle 21(45), No. 1-2, 2012, pp. 26-30.– Žnidar, V., Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi: razstava v Slovenskem šolskem muzeju [Johann Heinrich Pestalozzi: exhibition at the Slovenian School Museum], Ljubljana 1970.