FRANC  MINAŘIK
pharmacist and historian of medicine and pharmacy
(Smolnik, 9. June 1887 – Maribor, 9 June 1972)

After he had arrived to Maribor, he owned and managed the City Pharmacy at the Eagle between 1927 and 1949. Since 1955 he had taught the history of pharmacy at the Pharmacy Department of the then Faculty of Natural and Mathematical Sciences in Ljubljana. In 1967 he started lecturing at the Medical Faculty. He was the first to thoroughly collect and study the material on the history of pharmacy in Slovenia. He gathered most of the material for the permanent pharmacy collection displayed in the Regional Museum in Maribor. His works include 5 independent publications, among which Olimje is the most important. Other are Historical Pharmacy in Picture and Words (Historična lekarna v sliki in besedi) (1955), Pohorje Glassworks (Pohorske steklarne) (1966) and From Old Slavic Medicament to Modern Medicine (Od staroslovanskega vraštva do sodobnega zdravila) (1971). He was a member of the International Society of the History of Pharmacy seated in Basel and the International Academy of the History of Pharmacy in the Hague as well as an honourable member of the Historical Society of Slovenia. The top pharmacy award is named after him.

JOSIP  PRIMOŽIČ - TOŠO
gymnast, painter and scene painter
(Ljubljana, 7 February 1900 – Maribor, 18 August 1985)

Between 1923 and 1940 he practiced gymnastics and was besides Leon Štukelj the most successful competitor of the pre-war gymnastic club Sokol, having won 11 medals at the Olympics (Paris 1924, Amsterdam 1928 and Berlin 1936) and world championships (Lyon 1926, Luxemburg 1930, Prague 1938). His most successful performance took place in 1928, when he earned the silver medal in the parallel bars. His greatest achievement was the 4 gold medals at the world championship in 1930.
Later he participated at gymnastics competitions as a referee. He had lived in Maribor since 1928 and worked as a designer with construction companies. In the period between 1949 and 1962 he was the scene painter in the Slovene National Theatre Maribor, where he created over 60 opera, drama and ballet scenes. After retirement he devoted his time mainly to painting.

JOSIP  PRIOL
sadjar in šolnik
pomologist and professor
(Morje pri Framu, 19 February 1889 – Maribor, 21 May 1969)

Since 1919 he had worked as a technical teacher at Viticulture and Fruit School in Maribor. After having passed the professional exam in 1924, he started teaching fruit growing (pomology) and in 1928 became the headmaster of the school. In 1946 he was appointed headmaster of the newly founded Slovene Institute for Fruit Growing in Maribor. He was the leading pomologist in Slovenia, studying fruit types and diseases, fertilisation, sorting, storage and the development of new fruit varieties.
He organised courses for teachers of primary schools, farm masters and housekeepers. He participated at many fruit exhibitions and congresses, where he reported about his biological experiments with fruit trees.
He cultivated several varieties of apple trees, among which also the renowned Priol`s Delicious in 1967. Moreover, he published more than 250 professional articles and a number of independent publications and text books.

BOGO  TEPLÝ
Slavicist and historian
(Velika Loka pri Trebnjem, 10 January 1900 – Maribor, 13 July 1979)

He taught at the classics-program secondary school in Maribor (1928-1941, 1946-1950). Between 1950 and 1963 he was the headmaster of the Regional Museum of Maribor, where he continued the work of Franjo Baš.
After he had retired, he worked for 16 years as an outsourcer of the Maribor University Library, where he created rich and valuable documents about the events taking place in Maribor (Marburger Zeitung catalogue), which still today provides the basis of many scientific discussions.
He wrote essays about the social art, political and cultural history of the Slovene Štajerska region. In addition, he translated technical and literary works. He promoted the development of gallery activity in Maribor, the establishment of the Art Gallery and the Memorial Protection Institute in Maribor. In 1971 he received the Valvazor Award for his contribution in the field of museums, economic, political and general history. In 1980 he was posthumously conferred the Trubar Plaque for popularising literature. The explanation said that as he organised cultural events within the scope of the pre-war Zveza Svobod (The Association of Freedoms - association of cultural societies), he promoted and advanced the reading culture among workers.

PAVEL  TURNER
patron, publicist and educator
(Planica nad Framom, 21 January 1842 – Maribor, 25 September 1924)

As a secondary school student he was an active member of the Slavonic Reading Club (Slovanska čitalnica), the first national society in Maribor.
After he had been awarded the doctor`s degree in Strasbourg in 1873, he worked as a tutor in Budapest, Vienna and in England, where he met many writers and statesmen. He was considered one of the most educated Slovenes of that time. In 1903 he returned to Maribor. Intellectuals gathered at his estate below Kalvarija. He was a patron of many Slovene pupils, students and artists. In 1924 he bequeathed his property for grants to the then established University of Ljubljana (Turner scholarship) and his vast library to the Historical Society of Maribor.