PUCONCI – PLACE OF REFORMATION

The entrance to our village PUCONCI was in August, more specifically on the 25. August marked with beautiful signboards showing with its image a part of the great story of our region, the identity which has strongly influenced not only the village Puconci, but in general the places of the Prekmurje region, not least entire Slovenia. The foundations and traces of Reformation are indelible as they were basis for a new social life in all senses, which development still takes place today. Martin Luther (born 10. November 1483 in Eisenach - died 18. February 1846 in Eisleben) as the central figure on the signboard is considered as the pioneer of a renewed faith and thoughts, as the one that triggered an avalanche of changes in all areas, in all the structures of European life. It is right and good that we have placed the image of him on the map of Europe, where he, with his adherents and with the support of the masses started a new era, new, new ways. The Reformation Route 2017, which is organized as part of the celebrations of the 500 - anniversary of the Reformation, and whose symbol is the evident map, counts 68 cities, towns, among them are also Puconci and Ljubljana with Rašica. In all these places, the Reformation left special traces or the beginnings were concentrated, where prominent personalities were working or different institutions were set up and these were places where everything was imbued with Protestantism and has remained until today more or less so.

Let me list some of the places among which we are included as well. This is of course the city Wittenberg (the starting place  of Reformation on 31. October 1517), Augsburg (the place where Protestants for the first time publicly confessed their faith in the Augsburg Confession or Confessio Augustani 1530), Torgau (political center of the Reformation at that time), the Austrian cities Villach, Graz, Vienna, then the cities Dublin, Liverpool, Cambridge, London, Bergen, Riga, Sopron, Strasbourgh, Prague, Bardejov, Rome, Venice, Bern, Zurich and Geneva, in which on the 3. November 2016 the Reformation Route 2017 will be solemnly opened and from where the "Reformation bus", which will visit all covered places, will start the journey across Europe. To us in Puconci it will arrive on Wednesday, the 25. January 2017, on which day the main event will also be prepared the Reformation Route will be officially closed on 20. May 2017 in the Luther town Wittenberg.

We should all, regardless of affiliation or belief, be happy and proud that we are also counted among this 68 cities or places, because we are all part of this great story and we are all descendants of those places and life, which took place here and is has developed over the centuries. In the future, of course, this status can bring us only benefits by making new contacts, connections and cooperation at multiple levels of life.

 

Katja Ajdnik