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 the first Slovene comedy, Županova Micka.
Linhart's father was a Czech immigrant hosiery manufacturer. The family lived in the town of Radovljica. Linhart attended primary school in his home town and then went to Ljubljana, the capital of Slovenia as well as to the Stična monastery for a short while before finishing his studies in trading and finance in Vienna. After returning to Ljubljana he was employed as archivist to the bishop and later chief book revisor, school commissioner, ending up as secretary to the administration of the district of Carniola.
He was appointed school commissioner for the Ljubljana district in 1786. Within three years of his appointment he increased the number of primary schools in the rural areas of the district from 9 to 18. He was also very keen on establishing a central public study library in Ljubljana and it was on his initiatives that the Lyceum Library in Ljubljana, the predecessor of the present National Library of Slovenia (NUK).
His first literary work, written whilst still studying, was a book of poems titled Blumen aus Krain (Flowers from Carniola), written in German. His first tragedy Miss Jenny Love (also in German) 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). His title for it was Županova Micka (Mayor's Daughter Micka). It is regarded the first Slovene comedy.
He also adapted Beaumarchais's comedy The Marriage of Figaro into a new play Ta veseli dan ali Matiček se ženi (This Merry Day or Matiček is to Marry).
As a historian he wrote a two-volumed work in German Versuch einer Geschichte von Krain und den übrigen Ländern der südlichen Slaven Oestérreiches (An Essay on the 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 was published in 1791. It deals with the age of migrations, the Slavic settlement and later political development of the nation.
He died in Ljubljana.
