Of slovenly attitudes...
I watched a TV show yesterday, interviewing some of the 100 richest Slovenes. Funny thing - for many of these rich blokes admiting their ethnic origin is a very hard thing to consider. There was this one guy - Walter Wolf - who would vehamently deny he's a Slovene. Eventhough his mother is a Slovene and he was born and raised in Maribor (and still retains his humourously accented styrian way of speech). Furthermore he even LIVES in Maribor now. But is he a Slovene? Nooo. First and foremost he's a Canadian he says (and adds he has six mansions in Canada but only goes there when visiting his children). But he has 5 other passports. It just so happens he has Slovene genes. And lives here. And was educated here... funny guy Walter.
He's not the only one though. There were loads of prominent Slovenes who found their origins an annoying factor that needs to be swept under the rug, while no one's looking.
Herman Potočnik. One of the pioneers of rocket science and cosmology, probably the first person ever to consider jet propulsion as a viable option for space travel (before Wernher Von Braun even). He came up with a detailed plan for a space station one century before it was built. He was so ashamed of his origins he changed his name to German-sounding Hermann Noordung. He gets a partial pardon from me since living in the Austro-hungarian empire (under which's reign Slovenia was at the time) probably meant you couldn't get far in life with a name like Potočnik.
Janez Puh. One of the inventors of a modern-day bicycle and the first person to establish a motorcycle factory. He was known under his germanized name as Johann Puch. Unlike Herman Potočnik he didn't do it to establish himself (since the name-change came after he was already a wealthy industrialist). He simply denied his Slovene upbringing and insisted on being addressed in German. He made up a false biography placing his origins in Graz, Austria to cover up his shameful slavic origin.
Then there are dosens of half-halfs who'd rather eat their own children than admit they're partially Slovene.
Mickey Dolenz. A drummer/vocalist for the 60 bubblegum pop band The Monkees (son of Hollywood actor George Dolenz, who stared in The Count of Monte Cristo - he changed his name from original Jure Dolenc),
Giuseppe Tartini. The famous violinist - lived and worked in Piran, Slovenia, his mother was a purebred Slovene - famously he wrote her a letter begging her not to give his origins away to the public.
Frankie Yankovic - The undisputed polka-king. Stole our music style and sold it to the Americans. He never once mentioned both he and his music are originally Slovene.
I've heard Melanija Knavs recently state she's originally from "Central Europe". Hmmm yeah... and I'm from Eurasia. Nice to meet you!
Dunno... it seems like being a Slovene is a shameful chronic disease one has to endure throughout their lifetime. It's like having Syphilis or Hepatitis C! Well whatever. If I ever was famous I'd point proudly towards this little dot on the sunny side of the Alps. Nothing to shout about... but certainly not something to be ashamed of neither.
He's not the only one though. There were loads of prominent Slovenes who found their origins an annoying factor that needs to be swept under the rug, while no one's looking.
Herman Potočnik. One of the pioneers of rocket science and cosmology, probably the first person ever to consider jet propulsion as a viable option for space travel (before Wernher Von Braun even). He came up with a detailed plan for a space station one century before it was built. He was so ashamed of his origins he changed his name to German-sounding Hermann Noordung. He gets a partial pardon from me since living in the Austro-hungarian empire (under which's reign Slovenia was at the time) probably meant you couldn't get far in life with a name like Potočnik.
Janez Puh. One of the inventors of a modern-day bicycle and the first person to establish a motorcycle factory. He was known under his germanized name as Johann Puch. Unlike Herman Potočnik he didn't do it to establish himself (since the name-change came after he was already a wealthy industrialist). He simply denied his Slovene upbringing and insisted on being addressed in German. He made up a false biography placing his origins in Graz, Austria to cover up his shameful slavic origin.
Then there are dosens of half-halfs who'd rather eat their own children than admit they're partially Slovene.
Mickey Dolenz. A drummer/vocalist for the 60 bubblegum pop band The Monkees (son of Hollywood actor George Dolenz, who stared in The Count of Monte Cristo - he changed his name from original Jure Dolenc),
Giuseppe Tartini. The famous violinist - lived and worked in Piran, Slovenia, his mother was a purebred Slovene - famously he wrote her a letter begging her not to give his origins away to the public.
Frankie Yankovic - The undisputed polka-king. Stole our music style and sold it to the Americans. He never once mentioned both he and his music are originally Slovene.
I've heard Melanija Knavs recently state she's originally from "Central Europe". Hmmm yeah... and I'm from Eurasia. Nice to meet you!
Dunno... it seems like being a Slovene is a shameful chronic disease one has to endure throughout their lifetime. It's like having Syphilis or Hepatitis C! Well whatever. If I ever was famous I'd point proudly towards this little dot on the sunny side of the Alps. Nothing to shout about... but certainly not something to be ashamed of neither.