Anthron Society (Postojna 1889 - 1911), the Beginning of Organised Speleology in Slovenia

Abstract

Sredi 19. stol. sta bila jamarstvo in speleologija na Kranjskem že dobro razvita. Od 1878 se je za naš kras pričel zanimati F. Kraus. 1879 je ustanovil “Verein für Höhlenkunde”, leto kasneje pa “Karst Comité”. Kmalu zatem je želel ustanoviti tudi podružnico tega društva v Postojni. V Planini je bilo že 50 bodočih članov. Poleti 1889 sta domačina z Velikega Otoka pri Postojni odkrila vhod v Otoško jamo, del postojnskega jamskega sistema. Nastal je spor za lastništvo Postojnske jame in kako naj bi delili dohodek. Takoj za tem je bilo ustanovljeno društvo Anthron - odziv na odkritje Otoške jame. Anthron je bilo ekskluzivno društvo z omejenim številom članom, ki so morali živeti v Postojni - večina jih je bila članov postojnske Jamske komisije. »lani Anthrona so odkrili pomembne del Postojnskega jamskega sistema, raziskovali jame v okolici in pomagali takratnim najvidnejšim speleologom Krausu, Martelu, Perku in Puticku. Ko je bilo v Ljubljani ustanovljeno Društvo za raziskavanje podzemskih jam in je Perko objavil namen ustanoviti speleološki inštitut v Postojni, je bilo društvo Anthron ukinjeno. Tako je mogoče dokumentirano podpreti trditev, da se je organizirana speleološka dejavnost v Sloveniji pričela 1889.

In the middle of the 19th century caving and speleological activities were well developed in Kranjska (Carniola) already. F. Kraus took an interest in our karst by 1878. In 1879 he founded ˝Verein für Höhlenkunde˝ and a year later ˝Karst Comité˝. Soon afterwards he wanted to set up a branch of ˝Verein˝ at Postojna. In Planina he had 50 future members already. In summer of 1889 some villagers of Veliki Otok near Postojna discovered the entrance to so-called Otoška jama, making a part of Postojnska jama system. The dispute about the ownership and how to share the income of Postojnska jama aroused. And soon afterwards in Postojna the club Anthron was founded - a reaction to this discovery. Anthron was an exclusive club with limited number of members who must live in Postojna - and majority were members of Postojnska jama Cave (Managing) Commission. The Anthron members discovered an important part of Postojnska jama system, explored caves nearby and helped the best known speleologists of that time such as Kraus, Martel, Perko and Putick. When Speleological club was set up in Ljubljana and Perko announced the foundation of Speleological Institute at Postojna, the club Anthron was dismissed. Thus the documents prove that continuous organised speleological activity started in Slovenia in 1889.