Paper and poems

In 1842 a rich merchant Fidelis Terpinc - one of the richest men of Ljubljana - bought some land on the banks of Ljubljanica river in Vevce, east of Ljubljana, and built a paper mill there.

The dam on Ljubljanica river, supplying the very thirsty paper mill with water.

Fidelis was one of the first big Slovenian capitalists, investing heavily, creating companies, building industry and getting richer and richer. He was a proud Slovene, a patron of arts and crafts, an honourable citizen of Ljubljana, a member of the city council and Landsrat, a pillar of society. Terpinc named the land where the paper mill was built 'Jožefinija' after his wife Jožefina (Josephine) and the factory itself 'Janezija' after the archduke Johann of Austria.

Stitched kite aerial panorama of the modern paper factory.

Jožefina Terpinc, née Cesko (Zeshko), was a most intriguing lady, intimately involved with a circle of Slovenian scholars and poets before her rich marriage. As a fairly weatly heiress she was a part of Ljubljana high society; in time of the great Ljubljana Congress she was reportedly a love interest of a noble Mansurov, an adjutant of Tzar Alexander. Later she was a fiancée of Andrej Smole, a close friend of the great Slovene poet France Prešeren, and enjoyed the merry company of poets, scholars and other ruffians of the time.

The modern factory is producing over 100.000 tons of paper per year.

But alas, this life was not appropriate for a young rich lady, so she married our wealthy industrialist Fidelis. She and her husband enjoyed a nice, calm, long life, with a vast circle of friends, travelling abroad and generally having fun. After Fidelis died, she took over his companies and had proven herself as a competent, smart CEO.

A paper mill on one bank, a printing press on the other.

Jožefina Terpinc died in 1885 in Fužine, a castle near Ljubljana, mourned by poets, composers and painters.

Part of hamlet Slape with Salomon Print printing press.

Today the Vevce paper mill is owned by Brigl & Bergmeister Group. A modern factory produces over 100.000 tons of different types of paper per year.

All kite aerial photos shot with Canon A810 on a Rokkaku kite. And big thanks to the valiant co-pilot and kite pilot trainee Nina! ;-)