REMEMBERING: BARBARA OF CELJE BETWEEN HISTORY AND MODERNITY

Friday, March 8th, 5:00 PM, Glazer Hall

This instalment of the Remembering event series will showcase a talk titled Barbara of Celje between History and Modernity, drawing from the insights of the book On the Waves of Happiness and Doom by Assoc. Prof. Dr. Zlatka Rakovec-Felser. The discussion will delve into the life of Queen Barbara of Celje. The author will be interviewed by Mag. Majda Potrata.

In 2013, the author, an assistant professor in health psychology, published a historical novel about Barbara of Celje (c. 1381-1451), who was Queen of Hungary, Germany, and Bohemia. Barbara was born into a noble family that ascended from Habsburg vassals to state rulers by 1536.

The theme of the Counts of Celje is a common subject in Slovenian storytelling and drama, where Veronika of Desenice is often depicted as a heroine, while Barbara of Celje is referred to as the Black Queen. However, Barbara's image has been clouded by prejudices and myths, largely propagated by her adversaries. Through meticulous study of historical sources, Zlatka Rakovec-Felser has stripped away this excess clutter, allowing modern readers to form their own unbiased perceptions of Barbara, who was indeed ahead of her time.

The Remembering event series is organized by the Union of Cultural Societies of Maribor, the University of Maribor Library, and the Public Fund for Cultural Activities of Maribor.

The event will be conducted in Slovene.