Julius Kugy

Julius Kugy (19 July 1858 — 5 February 1944) was a Slovene mountaineer and writer.

Biography

Julius Kugy was born in Gorizia, then part of the Austrian Empire (now in Italy) to Slovene parents. His father was a Carinthian Slovene whose original surname was "Kogej". His mother was the daughter of the poet Jovan Vesel Koseski. Julius was educated in a multi-lingual environment. From a young age he was fluent in the four major languages of his native Gorizia and Gradisca: Slovene, Italian, German and Friulian. During his childhood he would spend the summers in his father's native village of Lipa near Arnoldstein, where he developed his interest in nature.

Julius attended secondary school in Trieste and continued his studies at the University of Vienna, graduating in law in 1882.

Upon returning to Trieste he took over the management of the import-export company "Pfeifer & Kugy" company co-founded by his father.

He explored large portions of the Eastern Alps, dedicating most of his mountaineering career to climbing in the Julian Alps, where he discovered and marked more than 50 new routes. Local guides helped him climb many a previously unconquered peak in the Julian Alps: he became famous for climbing Škrlatica and Jôf di Montasio.

In addition to mountaineering, Kugy was interested in many other subjects such as literature, botany and music. One of the riddles he tried to solve was a mysterious plant species "Scabiosa trenta", described by Belsazar Hacquet and later proven by Anton Kerner von Marilaun to be a specimen of the already known "Cephalaria leucantha". [cite web |url=http://www.ukom.gov.si/eng/slovenia/background-information/floral-wealth/16/ |title=Trenta Scabious ("Scabiosa Trenta") |publisher=Republic of Slovenia: Government Communications Office] Together with his friend Albert Bois de Chesne he created an Alpine botanic garden near Bovec. He was among the founders of two amateur music societies in Trieste: the Philharmonic Society and the Palestrinian Chorus. He also donated an organ to the Mekhitarist church in Trieste.

After Italy declared war on Austria-Hungary in 1915, Kugy volunteered to the Austro-Hungarian Army. In the Battles of the Isonzo his mountaineering knowledge and experience proved to be extremely valuable and he was promoted to the rank of Second Lieutenant. He was demobilized after the Battle of Caporetto.

After the War he closed down his company and dedicated his time to writing and lecturing throughout the Slovene and German speaking lands.

During the World War II Kugy rescued several Slovene alpine climbers from the Dachau concentration camp.

He died in Trieste in 1944. He is buried in the central city cemetery.

Literary work and influence

Kugy is considered the father of mountaineering in the Julian Alps, together with Henrik Tuma. He wrote several books based on his experiences, in which he expressed his humanist ideals and the love for nature. His books were very influential and created a specific genre of mountaineering literature within Slovenian literature. He influenced many important authors, mostly from the Slovenian Littoral, such as Klement Jug, Vladimir Bartol, Igor Škamperle and Dušan Jelinčič. He was also influential in some Italian-speaking circles of Trieste. Among his admirors were the writers Giani Stuparich, Claudio Magris, Livio Isaak Sirovich, Marco Albino Ferrari and Paolo Rumiz.

There is a monument to Julius Kugy in the Trenta Valley near the road to Vršič [ [http://www.slovenia.info/en/kul-zgod-znamenitosti/Monument-to-Dr.Julius-Kugy.htm?kul_zgod_znamenitosti=6063&lng=2 Monument to Dr.Julius Kugy - Cultural and Historical Heritage - Slovenia - Official Travel Guide ] ] with a sculpture of Kugy by Jakob Savinšek. A number of mountain routes are also named after him, including the famous one in Nabrežina near Duino.

Major works

* "Iz mojega življenja v gorah" ("From my Life in the Mountains", 1925),
*"Delo, glasba, gore" ("Work, Music, Mountains", 1931)
*"Julijske Alpe v podobi" ("The Julian Alps in Images", 1933)
*"Anton Ojcinger: življenje gorskega vodnika" ("Anton Ojcinger: The Life of a Mountain Guide", 1935)
*"Pet stoletij Triglava" ("Five Centuries of Triglav")
*"Božanski nasmeh Monte Rose" ("The Divine Smile of Monte Rosa")
*"Iz minulih dni" ("From Days Past")

References