Her life
“… I am a man without a nation. In three months, I revealed that I will be to Slovenians still a stranger, and that otherwise can not be. My mother’s language is German, thirty years I was Austrian. ( … ) I do not belong to them also. Now I’m just a citizen of the world. All my actions and cessation should serve humanity,”
Alma M. Karlin was born on 12 October 1889 in Celje. Her father was a retired officer of the Austro-Hungarian army and died when she was 8 years old. Mother Vilibarda Miheljak was a teacher in the German school, the daughter of the first Slovenian notary in Celje Miheljak Martin, who as a young girl appeared publicly in the Slovenian language.
That her daughter was later raised in Celje as German is probably due to the sharp national struggles between Celje’s Germans and Slovenians, pro-german orientation was expected from her in the school where she taught. Alma was born frail and of imperfect appearance. Due to health problems she irregular attended elementary school, she had to undergo a strenuous orthopedic treatment. Alma was bright and far-sighted girl and showed early interest and aptitude for learning foreign languages.
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Even at ten years she began to learn French, then English as well with help of some American woman. Lessons her mother paid, Alma was thus obliged to perform strenuous exercises and orthopedic wear a painful corset. Soon she took decision to gain independence as soon as she is capable of taking care of herself. After the exams in French and English, she with her mother went on a trip across Western Europe; Alma has sometimes assumed the role of translator, which gave her the confidence and determination to find a way to freedom.
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Opportunity has been revealed in 1908 and barely 19-year old Alma traveled to London. After initial difficulties, she found a job as a teacher, she also learned stenography and Typing and continued to study foreign languages. By the year 1910, she completely mastered the Italian language, began to teach herself Swedish, she was also very attracted to the Asian languages and culture. This was followed by learning Japanese, Spanish, Chinese, Sanskrit, Norwegian, Danish and Russian. Her days were filled to perfection, as she every day taught herself another language, but her life was often very difficult. She met Norwegian woman, which familiarized her with theosophy. In 1914 she on the famous London Royal Society of Arts successfully passed exams in languages that she taught herself, and English at the highest level of complexity . In London, she expanded the intellectual and spiritual horizons, since her students taught her about their culture, but also she emotionally revived. With the Chinese Hsi Sing Jung Lungu she has even got engaged and presented it to her mother in Celje, but later canceled the engagement.
At the outbreak of the First World War as an Austrian citizen she was not wanted in London, so she withdrew to Sweden and Norway, where she spent a few weeks in the polar zone and visited the Sami people. In Oslo, she attended lectures at the university, taught and wrote notes. At that time she began to be more seriously involved in writing, and decided also to travel and write about exotic lands, even though she knew about the thorny path to success.
In the summer of 1918, she gave up mom’s pleas and returned to Celje. She opened the language school where she taught and was preparing to travel around the world. From savings she bought her first typewriter, the famous Erika, who was accompanied to the end of life. With great zeal she set to work to gather enough money for the trip because she worked all days. At the same time she was preparing for the trip in such way, that she painted, especially plants, also she studied the maps and learn the history, botany, geography.
Alma originally planned her trip for a maximum of three years, it took a whole 8 years. She went at the end of 1919. On the way she was driven by the research spirit, desire to learn and, last but not least, the desire for recognition of her mother. During this time she traveled much of the world and visited South America and North America, the Far East, Pacific Islands, Australia, Asia. On her journey and experiences she wrote in German in 25 different European newspapers and magazines, including the newsletter of Celje’s germans – Cillier Zeitung. Unfortunately the newspapers paid out fees non-regulary and too late, so she had on her way very often financial difficulties.
In Celje, she returned late in 1927 with two small cases, exhausted and sick. She was hoping that she will be greeted by fellow citizens, but this did not happen; a reunion with her sick mother was cold. But when large amount of collected material was gathered and when she invited people from her city to see the material, they mass responded.
Newsletters have reported about her, her lectures were reaped a lot of interest. Fame and success, about which se dreamed, were brought to Alma by her travelogues; until 1933 she published a travelogue trilogy. The response of readers was enormous, Alma went to give lectures and public readings across Europe. Her books have achieved high circulations, were reprinted and translated into English and Finnish. Its the then popularity is also reflected in the fact that she was presented in the calendar for the year 1931, where every week dedicated to one of the successful women of that time.
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Alma’s presentation of travelogue on the radio was heard by Thea Schreiber Gamelin, painter and journalist of German descent, who was impressed with her adventures. Thea wrote a letter to Alma, and Alma invited her to Celje. From this meeting has developed a lasting friendship as the two seemed to have long known each other. Some years they have written letters to each other, then Thea asked Alma if she could relocate to her; in addition to connection, which she felt with Alma, the Thea wanted to withdraw before Hitler and nacism. Thea has moved permanently in Celje and became Alma’s lifetime confidant and friend.
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In the summer of 1939, Alma and Thea moved to a Zagrad in Celje. At that time also began difficult period for Alma. At the outbreak of the Second World War, Alma took the highly anti-nacist posture, although it was difficult for here, the fact that the Germans have to be seen as the enemy. At home, by 1941 the Germans confiscated it, she was hiding German dissidents many times, and also Jews and she did not want to engage in Kulturbudn. The Germans burned her books and imprisoned her in Celje’s Capuchin monastery and then to Maribor’s barracks. They wanted to send her to Dachau, but she was saved of certainly death because of good friend Thea.
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In the autumn of 1944 Alma has joined the partisans, as she hoped that through them she would have managed to make contact with the British and with their help revive her writing career. Partisans took her to the liberated territory in Bela Krajina. Where they met with Emperor Leskošek Luka, who strongly rejected the request for contact with the British; He offered her the job in place of publicity department, which Alma refused and explained that she is not a communist. Alma was often relocated, she suffered a lack of, have had health problems, but she described partisans as freedom fighters. Also during this time she wrote constantly.
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After the war she was already gravely ill, and returned to Celje. The new government confiscated her apartment in Zagrad. With Thea, who also joined the liberation struggle, they settled in a modest house in Pečovnik above Celje, which they bought it earlier. They lived in a severe shortage, as they were without any funding. They lived from the sale of home furnishings and were forced to trade valuables for food. Alma was of deteriorating health and has asked for a passport to leave country to relocate to Switzerland and to edit her manuscripts, but the government didn’t issue it to her. Alma, who firmly believed in reincarnation, died on 14 January 1950 of tuberculosis and breast cancer. They buried her in a severe blizzard in Svetina as she wanted. Many years later, Thea survived Alma for almost forty years, after that they also buried Thea in same place.