Slovenians celebrate reunification of Prekmurje with Slovenia
It passed from the military to the civilian authority of the newly-established Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, which fought on the side of the Allies.
On 17 August 1919, 20,000 people gathered in the town of Beltinci for the occasion, witnessing the region's reunification with Slovenia after nearly 900 years under Hungarian rule.
A decision to give Prekmurje to the Kingdom, which later on became the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, was made after the war at the Paris Peace Conference in May 1919.
Although Hungary merged with Austria to form the Austro-Hungarian Empire in the mid-19th century, Prekmurje remained separate from the rest of the Slovenian territory until the end of WWI. Before being reunited, the people of Prekmurje were subject to heavy Hungarization under Hungarian rule.
Prekmurje Reunification Day was for the first time celebrated in 2006 after parliament passed changes to a relevant law to expand it with several new national holidays. It is however not a bank holiday.
In 2009, the government decided, due to austerity, to suspend annual national ceremonies on such holidays, financing them only every five years.
In the years between, the ceremonies are organised by different municipalities from the region. This year's was organised in Turnišče on Friday, with President Borut Pahor delivering the key-note.
Pahor said that while Slovenia's cooperation with other countries was important for the common peaceful and safe future, cooperation within Slovenia was also important in order to "solidify our community".
The past hundred years was decisive in creating the conditions for Slovenians to be able to declare independence 25 year ago, defend the country and promote it internationally in its present-day form, he added.
The president will also mark the occasion with an open house at the Presidential Palace today.