Day of reformation

 In the post-liberation or post-independence period or after the rebirth of the independent state of Slovenes, we began to commemorate or celebrate Reformation Day since 1992. The Reformation, which many have known since the 16th century and is said to be a religious Catholic Reformation or a revaluation of the Catholic faith, brought the first Slovenian printed books to Slovenes and is therefore also considered a "cultural" and "educational" Reformation. With the Reformation, emphasis began to be placed on the education of the broad masses of people and the establishment of schools, as well as the use of native or folk languages. Some also attribute democratic principles of equality to the Reformation.

The Reformation also began to spread on Slovenian soil. The following reformers contributed the most to Slovenian culture and the Slovenian language: 

• In 1550, Primož Trubar published the Alphabet and Catechism. 
• Jurij Dalmatin translated the Bible into Slovenian. 
•  Adam Bohorič published the first Slovenian grammar, or more precisely, the first grammar of the Slovenian language. 
• Sebastian Krelj is known as a linguistic and orthographic reformer.

Of course, today's Reformation Day is not connected to their works or the date of their birth or death. Nor is Reformation Day just a holiday for Slovenians.

October 31, as Reformation Day, is linked to the publication of the Ninety-Five Theses critical of the Catholic Church, which Martin Luther nailed to the door of the Church of All Saints in Wittenberg or, according to another source, sent to the Archbishop of Mainz, Albert of Brandenburg. Because of these theses, Martin Luther was certainly considered a heretic and enemy of the Pope by the very top of the church. He is said to have avoided arrest. 

In 1520, Martin Luther even published new writings on the topic of reforming the papacy, reforming the life of the Church and reforming the sacraments, and emphasizing "Christian freedom". Because of such works, Martin Luther was excommunicated from the Church in 1521. Of course, he continued to defend his ideas even after his excommunication from the Church and even celebrated Mass, as he received support from influential people of the time on several occasions. 

Luther's ideas also inadvertently fueled the peasant uprisings of 1524-25, or the so-called German Peasants' Wars. In 1525, Martin Luther called on the rebellious peasants to respect the authorities. Some rebellious peasants felt betrayed as a result, while other rebellious peasants laid down their arms. 

In 1525, Martin Luther also married a nun or renounced the celibacy mandate for priests. For this reason, he is considered a reformer in this area as well. 

From 1526, he was actively involved in the new Church based on his theses. In 1529, he also published the Small Catechism and the Large Catechism. Many called this new church the Lutheran Church. He died in 1546 due to his long-standing and new illnesses. Martin Luther was buried under the pulpit in Wittenberg.

Martin Luther's ideas continued to spread even after his death. 

The most important "successors" in the sense of those who continued, systematized, and expanded Martin Luther's theology are:

• Philipp Melanchthon (1497–1560):

He was one of Luther's closest associates and an important theologian.

He helped systematize Lutheran theology and is considered the "teacher of Germany" (Praeceptor Germaniae).

He is the author of the Augsburg Confession (1530), a key Lutheran document.

• Jean Calvin (John Calvin, 1509–1564):

Although he was also an important reformer and was not a direct "disciple" of Luther, he was one of the most influential successors of the Reformation.

 He developed his own branch of Protestantism - Calvinism (Reformed Christianity), which spread mainly in Switzerland (Geneva), France (Huguenots), the Netherlands and Scotland.

• Ulrich Zwingli (1484–1531):

The leading reformer in Switzerland, who developed Reformation ideas independently of Luther.

Although he and Luther disagreed on some theological issues (especially regarding the sacrament of the Lord's Supper), he was key to the spread of the Reformation.

The greatest reformer in the Slovenian region is Primož Trubar

 (1508–1586):

The father of the Slovenian Reformation and the Slovenian written word.

He was a follower of Luther and transferred and spread his ideas to Slovenian territory.

Luther began a process that was then developed and spread by other theologians, with Melanchthon being the most direct successor in terms of preserving and systematizing Luther's teachings.

 Reformation ideas or ideas of reformation or renewal of the Church began to be intensively persecuted in the 16th and 17th centuries with the so-called Counter-Reformation, which again tried to consolidate the old position of the Roman Catholic Church with a strict church hierarchy with the Pope at the top. 

In 1618, this led to the outbreak of the 30-year war between Protestants and Catholics, which ended in 1648 with the Peace of Westphalia. 

The Counter-Reformation forces expelled Protestant priests or preachers from Slovenian soil. They also closed Protestant schools and burned books. Moreover, for a long time no books were published on Slovenian soil. The Counter-Reformers also demolished Protestant churches and cemeteries and expelled Protestant families. Thus, the Reformation or Protestantism or Lutheranism was preserved in Slovenia only in Prekmurje.