Slovenians in Cleveland

The Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs has appointed Mr. Jure ˇmauc as the succeeding Consul General of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland, with consular jurisdiction over the states of Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin. This is Consul General ˇmauc's second post as a Consul General; he previously held the position in Klagenfurt, Austria.

Consul General ˇmauc has a degree in Construction from the Maribor School of Construction and Architecture, and a Law degree from the University of Ljubljana, School of Law. His legal career has included positions in the Maribor Prosecutor's Office and the Federal Court of Austria.

In 1994, Mr. ˇmauc served as Director of the Center for International Cooperation at the University of Maribor. From 1994 to 1995, and again in 1997, Mr. ˇmauc was Assistant Instructor in Civil Law and International Business Law at the University of Maribor, School of Law. In 1997, he worked as Counselor at the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Office for Slovenes Abroad.

In 1998, he began his diplomatic career as a Consul at the Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in Klagenfurt, Austria. In 2001, Mr. ˇmauc became Consul General there, and completed his four-year term in 2005, serving a total of seven years in Klagenfurt. Prior to his current post, Mr. ˇmauc spent four years as Secretary at the Republic of Slovenia, Office for Slovenes Abroad, serving as the Director of the Sector for Cooperation with Slovenes Abroad.

In addition to his native Slovenian, Consul General ˇmauc speaks English, German, Croatian and Serbian. His wife, Janja, and their two children join him in Cleveland. Otherwise, the ˇmauc family resides permanently in Maribor Slovenia.

Frankie Yankovic Square
Photos from the 2007 Dedication

Cleveland councilman Mike Polensek and
polka radio host Tony Petkovsek

Consulate General of the Republic of Slovenia in Cleveland
Slovenian Consul General Dr. Zvone ˇigon

Slovenians, Thomas Jefferson and the Declaration of Independence plaque in downtown Cleveland

Submit your Cleveland Slovenian organizations and resources.

Submit your Cleveland Slovenian jobs, classes and other opportunities.

Cleveland Slovenians and the City of Euclid
Professor Edward Gobetz at Slovenian Day at Euclid Historical Museum

Tell us about the music, food, holidays, traditions, costumes, language and other qualities that make Slovenians so special.

The Republic of Slovenia lies at the heart of Europe where the Alps and the Mediterranean meet the Pannonian plains and the mysterious Karst. Slovenia has a population of 2 million and its capital city is Ljubljana. The official language is Slovene, one of the South Slavonic languages.

In Slovenia, the sun shines approximately 2000 hours per year. And yes, there is plenty of snow in winter. As a small, beautiful and picturesque country, Slovenia makes a great tourist destination. Mountains, lakes, waterfalls, forests, caves, hills, plains, rivers and the sea - you name it, you can find it all within a modest 20.273 km2 (half the size of Switzerland), as well as many natural and landscape parks.

You can ski in the morning and surrender yourself to the luxury of the Adriatic Sea in the afternoon. Slovenia has 46.6 km of sea coast - an inch per inhabitant.

The Slovene lands were part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire until the latter's dissolution at the end of World War I. In 1918, the Slovenes joined the Serbs and Croats in forming a new multinational state, which was named Yugoslavia in 1929.

After World War II, Slovenia became a republic of the renewed Yugoslavia, which though Communist, distanced itself from Moscow's rule. Dissatisfied with the exercise of power by the majority Serbs, the Slovenes succeeded in establishing their independence in 1991 after a short 10-day war.

Historical ties to Western Europe, a strong economy, and a stable democracy have assisted in Slovenia's transformation to a modern state. Slovenia acceded to both NATO and the EU in the spring of 2004.

(facts courtesy of CIA World Fact Book)