Anton Tomaž Linhart

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Anton Tomaž Linhart (December 11, 1756 - July 14, 1795) was a Slovene dramatist and historian, best known as the author of first Slovene comedy, the Županova Micka.

Linhart's father was a Czech immigrant who was a hosiery manufacturer. The family lived in the town of Radovljica. Linhart attended the primary school in his home town. Later he went to the capital of Slovenia, Ljubljana, to achieve higher education. He entered the Stična monastery but soon he left it. Afterwards he studied trading and finances in Vienna. After his return to Ljubljana he became archivist of the bishop and later the book revisor, school commissioner, and finally the secretary of Carniola district.

He became the school commissioner for Ljubljana district in 1786. In three years he raised the number of primary schools in rural areas from 9 to 18. He was also striving for foundation of central and public library in Ljubljana. Library of Lyceum, the predecessor of present National Library of Slovenia (NUK), was founded on his initiative as well.

His first literary work was the book of poems Blumen aus Krain (Flowers from Carniola), written in German. Linhart has written when it he was still studying. His tragedy (also in German) Miss Jenny Love was published in 1780.

Under the influence of Slovene enlighteners, especially Žiga Zois, he began writing in Slovene. He translated and adapted the comedy of German dramatist Richter Die Feldmühle (The Country Mill). He titled it Županova Micka (Micka, the daughter of a mayor). It is the first Slovene comedy.

He had adapted Beaumarchais's comedy The Marriage of Figaro and titled it Ta veseli dan ali Matiček se ženi (This merry day or Matiček is getting married).

As a historian he had written two-volumed work in German Versuch einer Geschichte von Krain und den übrigen Ländern der südlichen Slaven Oestérreiches (The essay on history of Carniola and other lands of the Austrian Southern Slavs). The first volume was published in 1788 and describes the proto-Slavic era. The second one was published in 1791. It deals with the migration of the peoples, the Slavic settlement and later political development of the nation.

He died in Ljubljana.