Department of Geography

A brief history of the department

Geography in Slovenia became established as an academic discipline with the founding of the University of Ljubljana in 1919, with two chairs for physical geography and anthropogeography planned. Prior to that, Slovenian geography was mainly oriented towards promoting familiarity with the homeland and national awakening, and school geography was well developed. Artur Gavazzi was appointed the first full professor of geography. Gavazzi began his work in 1920, when the Institute of Geography, the predecessor of today's Department of Geography, was established within the Faculty of Arts of the University of Ljubljana. The first students and graduates of geography founded the Geographical Society of Slovenia in 1922, which grew into the central professional organization of Slovenian geographers and began publishing the Geographical Bulletin, the oldest Slovenian professional geographical journal, in 1925.

After Gavazzi left for Zagreb, Anton Melik was elected in his place in 1927. He and Svetozar Ilešič then created and developed the program of study and research orientation of Slovenian geography from 1933 to the end of the 1960s. Melik and Ilešič worked to advance both teaching and research in geography, and there was growing interest in studying geography. A seminar was established and intensive field exercises were introduced. Research activities emphasized investigations of the geomorphology, population and agricultural geography of Slovenian regions.

Dokument iz leta 1927, ki priča o namestitvi dr. Antona Melika na delovno mesto docenta za geografijo na Filozofski fakulteti Univerze v Ljubljani.

A document from 1927, which testifies to the appointment of Dr. Anton Melik to the position of assistant professor of geography at the Faculty of Arts, University of Ljubljana.

The staffing situation improved after 1959, when Vladimir Klemenčič took on a third lecturer position, and several assistant positions were approved and filled.

In 1961, the Geographical Institute was renamed the Department of Geography, and additional staff were hired in the following years. The study of geography was organized around two subjects and at two levels. Graduates were employed in primary and secondary schools, and increasing numbers also found employment outside schools. In 1966, the Department of Geography also began offering postgraduate studies. Research activity expanded to new areas: karst geography; functionally based climatogeographic, hydrographic and biogeographical research; the study of natural disasters; the study of rural and urban areas in the wake of deagrarianization, urbanization, industrialization and tourism development; and the study of ethnically mixed areas. Due to the negative effects of industrialization and urbanization, topics in the area of ecological problems and environmental protection have also been given a lot of attention.

Srečanje oddelkov za geografijo iz Ljubljane in Zagreba leta 1978.

Personnel and professional development and the needs of the labor market have led to a thoroughgoing transformation of the study program. In addition to teacher training, a non-pedagogical field of study was established, which eventually grew into an independent area in the 1990s. Within it, five focuses were developed: karst geography, protection of the geographical environment, geography of tourism, political geography, and spatial planning. The study of geography became more popular, with about 100 students enrolling every year. The large number of students gave rise to a wealth of extracurricular activities such as the establishment of the Association of Young Geographers of Slovenia in 1998.

Due to the growing need for publishing activity, in 1985 the Department of Geography decided to start publishing its own research journal, Dela. To improve conditions for research and increase competitiveness, the Department established its own Research Center in 2002, and in 2009 began publishing the collection of research monographs GeograFF.

The study of geography at the University of Ljubljana underwent fundamental changes after 2005, when preparations began for the reorganization of studies according to the Bologna guidelines. The Department started with the first level of the Bologna program in the 2008/2009 academic year, and with the second in the 2011/2012 academic year. Four programs of study are accredited, two at the first and two at the second level, while at the third level geography as an academic discipline is included in the interdisciplinary doctoral study of Humanities and Social Sciences. With the changes that came into force with the 2021/2022 academic year, the first-level programs were merged into one program of study, which offers single-subject and double-subject options. The two second-level programs were also merged, and combined now offer seven areas of focus.

Utrinek s podelitve Priznanj za najboljša študentska zaključna dela Oddelka za geografijo FF UL leta 2007.

The Department of Geography promotes (the study of) geography and supports graduates in their efforts to enhance the role of geographers in various professional fields.

2020 – Simon Kušar
2018 – 2020 Irma Potočnik Slavič
2016 – 2018 Darko Ogrin
2014 – 2016 Tatjana Resnik Planinc
2012 – 2014 Blaž Repe
2010 – 2012 Jernej Zupančič
2008 – 2010 Tatjana Resnik Planinc
2006 – 2008 Dejan Rebernik
2004 – 2006 Marko Krevs
2002 – 2004 Metka Špes
2000 – 2002 Darko Ogrin
1998 – 2000 Marijan M. Klemenčič
1996 – 1998 Mirko Pak
1993 – 1996 Anton Gosar
1992 – 1993 Jurij Kunaver
1989 – 1992 Andrej Černe
1988 – 1989 Dušan Plut
1986 – 1988 Matjaž Jeršič
1985 – 1986 Vladimir Klemenčič
1982 – 1985 Marijan M. Klemenčič
1981 – 1982 Franc Lovrenčak
1980 – 1981 Ivan Gams
1979 – 1980 Mirko Pak
1977 – 1979 Igor Vrišer
1976 – 1977 Mirko Pak
1973 – 1976 Darko Radinja
1972 – 1973 Ivan Gams
1970 – 1972 Jakob Medved
1966 – 1970 Marjan Žagar
1963 – 1966 Igor Vrišer
1960 – 1963 Svetozar Ilešič
1928 – 1960 Anton Melik
1919 – 1928 Artur Gavazzi

Pedagoški delavci

Priimek	Ime	Čas zaposlitve
Bat	Marjan	1982 – 1991
Bec	Damijan	2014 – 2015
Benkovič Krašovec	Monika	2000 – 2006
Bohinec	Valter	1937 – 1942
Brečko Grubar	Valentina	1996 – 2007
Brinovec	Slavko	1979 – 1982
Bufon	Milan	1986 – 1993
Černe	Andrej	1977 – 2016
Gams	Ivan	1967 – 1989
Gavazzi	Artur	1920 – 1927
Gosar	Anton	1973 – 1991, 1992 – 2002
Hrvatin	Mauro	1992 – 1995
Ilešič	Svetozar	1933 – 1975
Jeršič	Matjaž	1982 – 1997
Jurinčič	Igor	1990 – 1993
Klemenčič	Matjaž	1997 – 1998
Klemenčič	Vladimir	1951 – 1996
Klemenčič	Marijan Mihael	1972 – 2011
Kokole	Vladimir	1955 – 1961
Kosten Zabret	Saša	2003 – 2008
Košak	Marija	1979 – 1981
Kunaver	Jurij	1961 – 1974, 1986 – 1999
Kunaver	Jelka	1960 – 1977
Kürbus	Terezija	1988 – 1991, 1992 – 1992
Leban	Vladimir	1962 – 1976
Lovrenčak	Franc	1966 – 2007
Malovrh	Vincenc	1946 – 1948
Medved	Jakob	1962 – 1978
Melik	Anton	1927 – 1965
Mrak	Irena	1998 – 2016
Natek	Milan	1961 – 1966
Natek	Karel	1999 – 2019
Nemec	Lea	2009 – 2009
Pak	Mirko	1962 – 2003
Pichler Milanović	Nataša	2004 – 2008
Plut	Dušan	1974 – 1977, 1978 – 1990, 1993 – 2015
Popit	Sabina	1996 – 2004
Radinja	Darko	1960 – 1996
Slavec	Andrejka	1989 – 1996
Špes	Metka	1997 – 2014
Umek	Maja	1984 – 1991
Vrišer	Igor	1960 – 1997
Vrtačnik Garbas	Katja	2003 – 2008
Zgonik	Mavricij	1956 – 1957
Žagar	Marjan	1960 – 1980

Nepedagoški delavci

Priimek	Ime	Čas zaposlitve
Abbad	Tončka	1971 – 2009
Dolgan Petrič	Mojca	1987 – 2000
Finžgar	Vilko	1930 – 1950
Herakovič	Andrej	2003 – 2009
Jakopič	Danica	1991 – 2016
Jerko	Žiga	2002 – 2002
Jontez	Saša	2016 – 2019
Koželj	Tanja	2010 – 2017
Leskovšek	Veronika	1992 – 1998
Luckmann	Wolf	1927 – 1930
Markelj	Pavel	1969 – 1990
Marolt	Miha	2009 – 2010
Petroša	Irena	1983 – 1997
Pretnar	Tatjana	1963 – 1991
Šifrer	Tatjana	1957 – 1989
Turk	Janja	1979 – 2012
Vatovec	Milan	1973 – 1983
Vojvoda	Ciril	1966 – 1991
Vrabič	Tina	2018 – 2020
Vukelj	Sokol	1965 – 1969
Žerovnik	Marko	1959 – 1966

Zunanji sodelavci

Priimek	Ime	Čas zaposlitve
Bajt	Aleksander	1966 – 1967
Bešter	Mara	1964 – 1968
Brenčič	Mihael	2006 – 2008
Buser	Stanko	1989 – 2003
Cvirn	Janez	1994 – 2002
Cunder	Karmen	1995 – 1996
Čerpes	Ilka	1993 – 1997
Čuček	Majda	1986 – 1987
Čuk	Miran	1970 – 1997
Foški	Mojca	2004 – 2009
Gorenc	Tomaž	2014 – 2017
Grigollo	Dejan	2019 – 2020
Habič	Peter	1997 – 1998
Herlec	Uroš	2014 – 2016
Hladnik	Veronika	2015 – 2017
Hussu	Alojz	1985 – 1987
Jakoš	Zorka	1992 – 2020
Klemenčič	Tone	1964 – 1965
Knap	Žiga	1983 – 1999
Kompare	Dušan	1961 – 1964
Kovač	Bogomir	1992 – 1993
Kranjc	Andrej	1998 – 2002
Lamovšek Zavodnik	Alma	2015 – 2018
Maretič Požarnik	Barica	1997 – 2002
Marovt	Stanko	1961 – 1962
Mihalič	Tanja	1998 – 2001
Mihevc	Andrej	2000 – 2020
Mikuž	Vasja	2006 – 2007
Novak	Vilko	1951 – 1959
Peklaj	Cirila	1997 – 2003
Petkovšek	Zdravko	1963 – 1997
Planina	Janez	1966 – 1968, 1991 – 1994
Skobe	Simona	2012 – 2013, 2014 – 2015
Stiplovšek	Miroslav	1994 – 1997
Šerko	Alfred	1948 – 1949
Šmuc	Andrej	2008 – 2013
Šušteršič	France	1988 – 2006
Telban	Blaž	1998 – 1999
Tepina	Marjan	1986 – 1987
Vadnal	Alojzij	1979 – 1981
Verbič	Tomaž	2006 – 2008
Voje	Ignacij	1964 – 1970
Vovk	Bogdan	1950 – 1960
Vrabec	Mirjam	2008 – 2009, 2012 – 2013
Vrhovec	Tomaž	1994 – 2004
Zrimec	Stane	1947 – 1950
Žabota	Barbara	2019 – 2020
Žabkar	Rahela	2009 – 2013, 2014 – 2015

Oddelek za geografijo je leta 1999 praznoval 100-letnico. Ob tej priložnosti so na Oddelku potekala številna strokovna in družabna srečanja, ki so jih povezovali trije cilji:

(1) povezati geografsko in širšo skupnost, ki ima bogate izkušnje, s tisto, ki se postopno oblikuje, to je s študenti;

(2) negovati in okrepiti intra- in interdisciplinarne povezave geografije;

(3) preko različnih dogodkov omogočiti geografiji, da na primerne načine predstavi tako ožji kot širši, slovenski in mednarodni skupnosti, kako geografija prispeva k bolj odgovornemu odnosu do vseh virov, s katerimi sodobna družba razpolaga.

Na povezavi si lahko ogledate utrinke iz prireditev, pa tudi predstavitve pomembnih del iz knjižnice, ki soustvarjajo geografsko identiteto zaposlenih na Oddelku za geografijo, pa tudi alumnom.

S praznovanjem okroglega jubileja je se strokovna, raziskovalna, pedagoška in promocijska prizadevanja niso končala, ampak gredo novi stoletnici naproti.

Naslovna fotografija: Nejc Kavka