Prelom za prizadeto lokalno prebivalstvo: potres v Brežicah 29. januarja 1917

Abstract

Category: 1.01 Original scientific paper Language: Original in Slovenian (Abstract in Slovenian and English, Summary in English) Key words: First World War, Brežice earthquake and its surroundings, January 29, 1917, restoration of earthquake zone, collection of funds for reconstruction, Aleksander Tornquist, Franciscan monastery Excerpt: Towards the end of the First World War, in the middle of winter, on January 29, 1917, Brežice and its surroundings was devastated by a severe earthquake, one of the worst in recent Slovenian history. Written exclusively on the basis of primary archival sources, this paper speaks of the suffering of the local population brought about by this natural disaster, of the difficult restoration of the affected area, of collection of resources for the affected population, and the response of local, provincial and state authorities, including the Habsburg dynasty, to the situation. It especially touches on the role and importance of military authorities (e.g. the Fifth Army, or the replacement battalion of the 87th infantry regiment), which were, in wartimes, the only authorities in charge of helping the affected population. Additionally, this paper highlights the field work of one of the most important seismologist in the monarchy at the time, Prof. Dr. Aleksander Tornquist, and the problem of restoration of the completely collapsed Franciscan monastery in Brežice.