List of people from Ljubljana

This is a list of notable individuals who were born or lived in Ljubljana:

Coats of arms of Ljubljana

Authors

• Anton Aškerc (1856–1912), poet
• Vladimir Bartol (1903–1967), author
• Adam Bohorič (1520–1598), Protestant preacher, author and philologist
• Peter Božič (1932–2009), writer, playwright, journalist, and politician
• Ivan Cankar (1876–1918), writer, playwright, and essayist
• Peter Čeferin (born 1938), attorney, writer, playwright
• Aleš Debeljak (1961–2016), poet, essayist and sociologist
• Anton Funtek (1862–1932), writer, poet, editor and translator
• Alojz Gradnik (1882–1967), poet
• Drago Jančar (born 1948), writer and essayist
• Jože Javoršek (1920–1990), author, essayist, playwright and translator
• Taras Kermauner (1930–2008), literary historian and essayist
• Mile Klopčič (1905–1984), poet and translator
• Edvard Kocbek (1904–1981), poet, essayist, writer and politician
• Srečko Kosovel (1904–1926), poet
• Ferdo Kozak (1894–1957), writer, playwright, and politician
• Juš Kozak (1892–1964), writer
• Primož Kozak (1929–1981), playwright and essayist
• Taja Kramberger (born 1970), poet, essayist and anthropologist
• Anton Tomaž Linhart (1756–1795), playwright and historian
• Janez Menart (1929–2004), poet and translator
• Josip Murn (1879–1901), poet
• Lili Novy (1885–1958), poet
• Iztok Osojnik (born 1951), poet
• Marko Pohlin (1735–1801), author, philologist
• France Prešeren (1800–1849), poet
• Alenka Puhar (born 1945), columnist, historian, political activist
• Samo Resnik (1962–2011), Slovenian journalist, essayist, political activist, writer and poet
• Tomaž Šalamun (1941–2014), poet
• Mirca Sancin (1901–1970), composer
• Dominik Smole (1929–1992), writer and playwright
• Bojan Štih (1923–1986), stage director, literary critic and essayist
• Gregor Strniša (1930–1987), poet and playwright
• Veno Taufer (1933–2023), poet
• Ivan Tavčar (1851–1923), writer, editor and politician
• Igor Torkar (1913–2004), writer and playwright
• Primož Trubar (1508–1586), Protestant preacher and writer
• Josip Vidmar (1895–1992), literary critic, essayist and politician
• Anton Vodnik (1901–1956), poet, art historian, and critic
• France Vodnik (1903–1986), literary critic, essayist, translator and poet
• Valentin Vodnik (1758–1819), poet
• Demetrio Volčič (1931–2021), Slovenian-Italian journalist
• Constant von Wurzbach (1818–1893), Austrian biographer
• Dane Zajc (1929–2005), poet
• Vitomil Zupan (1914–1987), writer
• Oton Župančič (1872–1949), poet and playwright

Architects and visual artists

• Aleksa Ivanc Olivieri (1916–2010), Slovenian painter, graphic designer and art restorer, who lived and worked in France
• Rihard Jakopič (1869–1943), painter
• Ivana Kobilca (1861–1926), painter
• Zoran Mušič (1909–2005), painter
• Jože Plečnik (1872–1957), architect
• Edvard Ravnikar (1907–1993), architect
• Francesco Robba (1698–1757), Italian sculptor
• Jakob Savinšek (1922–1961), sculptor
• Carl Schütz (1745–1800), Austrian engraver and architect
• Barbara Jožefa Struss (1805 –1880), drawing teacher and painter.
• Vladimir Šubic (1894–1946), architect
• Damijan Stepančič (born 1969), Slovene painter and illustrator ^[1]

Statesmen, politicians, diplomats and religious leaders

• Juro Adlešič (1884–1962), politician, Mayor of Ljubljana
• Fran Albreht (1889–1963), Mayor of Ljubljana, poet
• Andrej Bajuk (1943–2011), Prime minister of Slovenia (2000)
• Joze Brilej (1910–1981), politician, diplomat, ambassador, chief justice of the supreme court of Slovenia until his death
• France Bučar (1923–2015), first Chairman of the Slovenian National Assembly (1990–1992)
• Carlos, Duke of Madrid (1848–1909), claimant to the Spanish throne. ^[2]
• Philipp von Cobenzl (1741–1810), Austrian diplomat
• Etbin Henrik Costa (1831–1875), politician, Mayor of Ljubljana
• Karel Dežman (1821–1889), Mayor of Ljubljana, historian
• Anton Füster (1808–1881), Austrian radical activist
• Anastasius Grün (1806–1876), liberal politician and poet. ^[3]
• Ivan Hribar (1851–1941), politician and diplomat, mayor of Ljubljana
• Edvard Kardelj (1910–1979), Communist leader
• Boris Kidrič (1912–1953), Communist leader
• Ciril Kotnik (1895–1948), Yugoslav diplomat and anti-fascist hero
• Milivoj Lajovic (1921–2008), Australian politician
• Janez Potočnik (born 1958), European Commissioner
• Ciril Ribičič (born 1947), politician, jurist, and author
• Anton Rop (born 1960), politician
• Dimitrij Rupel (born 1946), politician and writer
• Marjan Šarec (born 1977), Slovene prime minister
• Matjaž Šinkovec (born 1951), diplomat, author, translator and politician
• Sergiy Verigin (1868–1938), clergyman
• Gregor Virant (born 1969), public servant and politician

Performing artists

• Josipina Eleonora Hudovernik (1863–1945), nun, music teacher, headmistress and composer
• Bojan Adamič (1912–1995), composer, conductor, photographer
• Maks Bajc (1919–1983), actor
• Leo Funtek (1885–1965), violinist, conductor, arranger and music professor
• Jarmila Gerbič (1877–1964), Slovenian soprano, opera singer, concert vocalist and music teacher
• Johann Berthold von Höffer (1667–1718), nobleman and composer
• Željko Ivanek (born 1957), actor
• Lina Kuduzović (born 2002), child singer
• Peter Lovšin (born 1955), rock icon, singer, writer
• Ula Ložar (born 2002), child singer
• Dubravka Tomšič Srebotnjak (born 1940), pianist and music teacher
• Zlatko Šugman (1932–2008), actor
• DJ Umek (born 1976), deejay and music producer

Scientists and academics

• Robert Blinc (1933–2011), physicist
• Katja Boh (1929–2008), sociologist, politician and diplomat
• Miran Božovič (born 1957), philosopher
• Bibijana Čujec (1926-2022), physicist
• Božidar Debenjak (born 1935), philosopher
• Mladen Dolar (born 1952), philosopher
• Joannes Disma Floriantschitsch de Grienfeld (1691–1757), Carniolan astronomer, mathematician, geographer, and cartographer
• Bogo Grafenauer (1916–1995), historian
• Jovan Hadži (1884–1972), zoologist
• Hermann Haus (1925–2003), scientist
• Peter Jambrek (born 1940), jurist, sociologist, and public intellectual
• Taras Kermauner (1930–2008), literary historian and essayist
• Milan Komar (1921–2006), philosopher
• Emil Korytko (1813–1839), Polish philologist and ethnographer
• Janko Kos (born 1931), literary historian, theoretician, and critic
• Milos Krofta (1912–2002), Slovenian engineer and businessman
• Ernst Mally (1879–1944), philosopher
• Vasilij Melik (1921–2009), historian
• Tamara Griesser Pečar (born 1947), historian
• Anton Peterlin (1908–1993), physicist
• Fritz Pregl (1869–1930), chemist, Nobel Prize winner
• Janko Prunk (born 1942), historian
• Rado Riha (born 1948), philosopher
• Renata Salecl (born 1961), philosopher, sociologist, legal theorist and columnist
• Vasko Simoniti (born 1951), historian
• Marko Snoj (born 1959), linguist
• Janez Strnad (1934–2015), physicist and populariser of natural science
• Johann Gregor Thalnitscher (1655–1719), lawyer and historian
• Miha Tišler (1926–2021), chemist
• Gregor Tomc (born 1952), sociologist and musician
• Milan Vidmar (1885–1962), electrical engineer, chess player and philosopher
• Josef Kalasanz von Erberg (1771–1843), botanist, historian, and collector
• Johann Weikhard von Valvasor (1641–1693), scholar, polymath, member of the Royal Society
• Egon Zakrajšek (1941–2002), mathematician and computer scientist
• Slavko Ziherl (1945–2012), psychiatrist
• Slavoj Žižek (born 1949), sociologist and philosopher
• Sigismund Zois (1747–1819), natural scientist
• Alenka Zupančič (born 1966), philosopher

Athletes

• Milenko Ačimovič (born 1977), football player
• Pia Babnik (born 2004), golfer
• Alenka Bikar (born 1974), track and field
• David Brekalo (born 1998), football player ^[4]
• Brigita Bukovec (born 1970), track and field
• Miro Cerar (born 1963), gymnast
• Boštjan Cesar (born 1982), football player
• Ivo Daneu (born 1937), basketball player
• Luka Dončić (born 1999), NBA basketball player for the Los Angeles Lakers
• Goran Dragić (born 1986), NBA basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks
• Zoran Dragić (born 1989), NBA basketball player
• Marko Elsner (1960–2020), football player
• Luka Gregorc (born 1984), ATP tennis player
• Samir Handanović (born 1984), football player
• Urška Hrovat (born 1974), alpine skier
• Tomaz Humar (1969–2009), mountaineer
• Kaja Juvan (born 2000), tennis player
• Srečko Katanec (1981–1994), football player
• Jaka Lakovič (born 1978), basketball player
• Zlatan Ljubijankič (born 1983), football player
• Erazem Lorbek (born 1984), basketball player
• Petra Majdic (born 1979), nordic skier
• Maksimilijan Mihelčič (1905–1958), football player
• Radoslav Nesterovič (born 1976), NBA basketball player
• Džoni Novak (born 1969), football player
• Milivoje Novakovič (born 1979), football player
• Brane Oblak (1965–1985), football player
• Jan Oblak (born 1993), football player
• Aljaž Pegan (born 1974), gymnast
• Janez Perme (born 1982), retired Slovenian footballer
• Mitja Petkovšek (born 1977), gymnast
• Rok Petrovič (1966–1993), alpine skier
• Tadej Pogačar (born 1998), cyclist
• Mateja Svet (born 1968), alpine skier
• Andraž Šporar (born 1994), football player
• Jurij Tepeš (born 1989), ski jumper
• Miran Tepeš (born 1961), ski jumper
• Sašo Udovič (born 1968), football player
• Primož Ulaga (born 1962), ski jumper
• Haris Vučkić (born 1992), football player
• Aljoša Žorga (born 1947), basketball player

People who lived in Ljubljana temporarily

• Miodrag Bulatović (1930–1991), Serb-Montenegrin writer
• Eugène de Beauharnais (1781–1824), Viceroy of Italy
• Gabriel Gruber (1740–1805), Austrian Jesuit and engineer
• Antonija Höffern (1803–1871), Slovene noblewoman and educator ^[5]
• Emil Korytko (1813–1839), Polish ethnographer, philologist and translator
• Gustav Mahler (1860–1911), Austrian composer
• Charles Nodier (1780–1844), French author
• Joseph Radetzky (1766–1858), Austrian general
• Mirko Ramovš (1935–2023), Slovene ethnochoreologist
• Boris Sket (1936–2023), Slovenian zoologist and speleobiologist

References

1. Slovenia's Best for Young Readers by the Slovenian Book Agency Archived February 3, 2013, at the Wayback Machine
2. "Carlos, Don (Prince of Bourbon)"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. 5 (11th ed.). 1911. pp. 344–345.
3. "Anastasius Grün"  . Encyclopædia Britannica . Vol. XI (9th ed.). 1880. p. 224.
4. "David Brekalo". Major League Soccer . Retrieved 14 July 2025.
5. Glonar, Joža (2013). "Höffern, Antonija, pl. (1803–1871)". Slovenian Biographical Lexicon (in Slovenian). Slovenian Academy of Sciences and Arts . Retrieved May 5, 2023.