Črenšovci Primary School
This is the primary school in Črenšovci, Slovenia. The original, two-room school was built in 1807 and rebuilt in 1857-1860 (though, clearly re-built since then, but the location stayed the same).
The village of Črenšovci was historically ethnically diverse, consisting of a majority ethnic Slovene population and a relatively large population of Roma and Jewish people as well as a Hungarian minority. The overwhelming majority of people (including Roma) spoke the "Vend" (or Prekmurjian) dialect of Slovene as their primary language.
Hungary controlled the region for an extended period of time and made many attempts to forcefully assimilate the people of this region, including allowing only the Hungarian language to be spoken at schools. Although textbooks were written in Hungarian, the teachers didn't actually speak Hungarian, so lessons were given in the local dialect until 1941. From about 1919-1941, the region came under the control of Yugoslavia and was able to use textbooks written in the local dialect.
On April 6, 1941, Nazis arrived in Črenšovci and a local Slovene teacher forced the students to decorate the Nazi vehicles to "welcome" them. That teacher was married to a Hungarian (who later became the first political-administrative official in Črenšovci after the occupation). The Nazis withdrew a little over a week later, leaving the area to the Hungarians again; and so, the Magyarization returned. That teacher was the only teacher who remained employed thereafter. Other teachers were forced to take Hungarian language tests (which they failed) and they were replaced with Hungarian teachers thereafter. After WWII, the region was incorporated into Slovenia/Yugoslavia.
Currently, the population of Črenšovci still contains a Slovene majority and a relatively large Roma minority, though the Jewish population has been essentially zero since WWII.
Črenšovci Primary School
This is the primary school in Črenšovci, Slovenia. The original, two-room school was built in 1807 and rebuilt in 1857-1860 (though, clearly re-built since then, but the location stayed the same).
The village of Črenšovci was historically ethnically diverse, consisting of a majority ethnic Slovene population and a relatively large population of Roma and Jewish people as well as a Hungarian minority. The overwhelming majority of people (including Roma) spoke the "Vend" (or Prekmurjian) dialect of Slovene as their primary language.
Hungary controlled the region for an extended period of time and made many attempts to forcefully assimilate the people of this region, including allowing only the Hungarian language to be spoken at schools. Although textbooks were written in Hungarian, the teachers didn't actually speak Hungarian, so lessons were given in the local dialect until 1941. From about 1919-1941, the region came under the control of Yugoslavia and was able to use textbooks written in the local dialect.
On April 6, 1941, Nazis arrived in Črenšovci and a local Slovene teacher forced the students to decorate the Nazi vehicles to "welcome" them. That teacher was married to a Hungarian (who later became the first political-administrative official in Črenšovci after the occupation). The Nazis withdrew a little over a week later, leaving the area to the Hungarians again; and so, the Magyarization returned. That teacher was the only teacher who remained employed thereafter. Other teachers were forced to take Hungarian language tests (which they failed) and they were replaced with Hungarian teachers thereafter. After WWII, the region was incorporated into Slovenia/Yugoslavia.
Currently, the population of Črenšovci still contains a Slovene majority and a relatively large Roma minority, though the Jewish population has been essentially zero since WWII.