The SSPZ (Slovenska Svobodomiselna Podporna Zveza) or Slovene Free-thinking Benefit Union grew out of the Lunder-Adamic' Society which was founded in 1908 as a drama club. The club was named after the two young victims of the September, 1908 demonstrations in Ljubljana, Slovenia: Rudolf Lunder and Ivan Adamic'. These two students were killed when the Austrian army opened fire on a crowd during an anti-Austrian demonstration. A few months after that incident, the club staged a play called The Bloody Incident which dramatized the event. The Lunder-Adamic' Society became one lodge of the SSPZ which was headquartered in Chicago, Illinois and had a membership of about 9,100 in the years prior to WWII. The SSPZ was integrated into the SNPJ in 1941 when its lodges became SNPJ affiliates.*
Delegates to the 4th Regular Convention of the SSPZ in Cleveland, Ohio on September 18, 1916
Top Row: M. Logar, J Smergut, F. Bostic, A. Pogorelc, J. Pezdirc, M. Petchnick, J. Judnic, F. Somrak, A. Tomazin;
Row 2: A. Mrovlja, M. Dermota, J. Urbas, A. Zloga, J. Cempre, J. Kvartic, F. Demshar, J. Vidmar, G. Pirk;
Row 3: A. Lekse, J. Zabkar, J. Klanc'nik, F. Cerne, A. Markic, M. Stern, J. Kornan, J. Zupancic, J. Jurak;
Row 4: T. Verbic, A. Stefancic', J. Kalan; W. Rus, Preds. Vadronega Odbora; Joseph Fritz, Preds.; J. Levstik, A. Aucin, Sec., J. Zorko, J. Polak;
Bottom Row: P. Tauc'ar, F. Pinter, J. Hauptmann; M. Kochevar, Preds. Perornega Odbora; F. Kauc'ic', A. Kuznik, A. Gruden, A. Sorcic, E. Pretnar.
*Klemenc'ic', Matjaz', Slovenes of Cleveland, 1995, pp. 184-5, 196-7.
Page Created: August 14, 2007
Page Updated: August 14, 2007
© Copyright 2007 Gary L. Gorsha
