#mesto Guide

History of Ljubljana

Ljubljana

Greek mythology claims that the city was founded by Jason, but it was the Romans who were in control for five hundred years. After its sacking in the fifth century, it was settled by Slovene, Hun, and Hungarian tribes, to name a few. It was conquered by the Habsburgs in 1277, and remained an Austrian provincial city until 1918. There was a short period of Ottoman control and for four years, when Napoleon controlled much of Europe, he made Ljubljana, known in German as Laibach, the capital of his Illyrian Provinces (1809-1813). Laibach continued to serve as regional capital of the reconstituted Illyria, an Austrian sub-division, until 1849. Reforms initiated by Napoleon led to growing local nationalism, eventually leading to the separation of Slovenia from the neighboring Austrian states.