Veno Taufer facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Veno Taufer
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Taufer in 2012
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| Born | 19 February 1933 Ljubljana, Drava Banovina, Kingdom of Yugoslavia |
| Died | 20 May 2023 (aged 90) Topolšica, Slovenia |
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Veno Taufer (born February 19, 1933 – died May 20, 2023) was a famous Slovenian poet, essayist, translator, and playwright. He was very important in creating new cultural and intellectual projects in Socialist Slovenia. These projects bravely challenged the strict rules of the government at the time.
During a period called the Slovenian Spring (1988–1990), he worked hard to help Slovenia become more free and independent.
Contents
Veno Taufer's Life Story
Early Life and Education
Veno Taufer was born as Venčeslav Taufer in Ljubljana, Slovenia. At that time, Slovenia was part of a country called the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. His father was a political activist who believed in freedom. Because of his father's political work, the government moved his family to a busy industrial area in Slovenia. Veno spent his childhood there.
In 1943, during World War II, his father was killed by the Nazis. His father was a leader in the local resistance group, fighting against the occupation.
In 1944, Veno moved to Ljubljana and went to high school. He later studied at the University of Ljubljana. He learned about different types of literature and graduated in history and literary theory in 1960.
Standing Up for Freedom
In the late 1950s, Veno Taufer became a leader among young Slovenian artists and thinkers. They wanted to challenge the strict cultural rules of the government. In 1957, he helped start a literary magazine called Revija 57. This was the first independent magazine in Slovenia since the government took power in 1945.
Because the magazine openly criticized the government, it was soon shut down. Some of its writers, including Taufer himself, were even put in prison.
In 1961, he worked briefly as an editor for Slovenian Television. But he soon left because of political pressure. From 1962 to 1964, he directed an alternative theater called Oder 57. Here, he put on new and daring plays by Slovenian and foreign writers.
Later Activism and Awards
After another magazine he worked with, Perspektive, was banned in 1964, Taufer stepped back from public life. He spent most of his time translating books. In 1966, he moved to London and worked for the Yugoslav section of the BBC. He returned to Slovenia in 1970 and worked again for Slovenian television.
In the early 1980s, he helped start a new magazine called Nova revija. Throughout the 1980s, he was very active in helping Slovenia become more open and free. In 1987, he joined a group called the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights.
He also took part in the May Declaration of 1989. In this declaration, a group of Slovenian thinkers and activists openly asked for more freedom in politics. They also wanted a free market economy and for Slovenia to become independent from Yugoslavia. He was one of the people who started the Slovenian Democratic Union. This was one of the first political parties against the government, formed in 1989.
From 1990 to 1995, he worked as an advisor for the Ministry of Culture in Slovenia. In 1996, he received the Prešeren Award. This is a very important award for lifetime achievements in Slovenia.
In the 1990s, Taufer supported many humanitarian efforts during the Yugoslav Wars. During the war in Bosnia, he personally visited the city of Sarajevo, which was under attack. He went with other writers to deliver supplies to the people living there.
In 2002, Taufer received the Jan Smrek Prize. This is the highest literature prize given to foreign writers in Slovakia. In 2011, he became the president of the Slovene Writers' Association.
Veno Taufer was the father of film director Lara Simona Taufer. He passed away in 2023.
Veno Taufer's Writings
Veno Taufer started his writing career in 1956 and 1957. He published poems in a student magazine called Tribuna. From 1958 to 1972, he became known as an important poet. Other famous Slovenian poets of that time included Gregor Strniša and Tomaž Šalamun.
Early Poetry Collections
He published a collection of poems called Lead Stars (Svinčene zvezde) in 1958. His second collection, published in 1963, was mostly about love. His third collection, Exercises and Tasks (Vaje in naloge), came out in 1969. Many people think this was his most daring poetry.
In this collection, Taufer used pieces and mixes of different texts. He hinted at political situations and used humor to share his message. In his later poems from the 1970s, he experimented even more with language. This helped inspire younger poets like Tomaž Šalamun.
Later Works and Style
Taufer's poetry from the 1970s and 1980s became a classic part of modern Slovenian literature. His book Songbook of Used Words (Pesmarica rabljenih besed), published in 1975, was a collection of modern versions of Slovenian folk songs. A famous critic called it the first "post-modern" work in Slovenian literature. Taufer's next collection, The Management of Nails (Ravnanje žebljev), published in 1979, also played with language.
The poems in Water Marks (Vodenjaki), published in 1986, tell a story of confusion. They describe a world where old ideas and values are fading away. The collection Crocks of Songs (Črepinje pesmi), published in 1989, shows the influence of poet Ezra Pound. These poems use parts of ancient Greek myths and old images. They also show visions of disasters, reflecting modern times.
In the 1990s, his most important poetry collection was Still Odes (Še ode), published in 1996. This book went back to older, classical poetry styles, especially sonnets. The book starts with two poems that strongly condemn the destruction of Vukovar and Sarajevo during the Yugoslav wars.
Plays
Taufer also wrote several plays. His most famous play is Odysseus & Son or on the World and Home (1990). In this play, he retells the story of Odysseus and Telemachus. He even includes parts from Homer's original text, mixed with pieces from other stories.
