Family
Franc Maister from Ptuj worked as an inspector for the Financial Guard, thus he moved often and all over Austria-Hungary. Among other places, he was transferred to Trebnje. He lived at Trg no. 26. Here he met Frančiška Tomšič (b. 1834), daughter of teacher Matija Tomšič. Franja married Franc Maister on 6 May 1867. Their first son, Artur, was born on 9 December 1868. The family then most likely lived at Franc’s residence at Trg 26 – Trebnje. In the second half of 1869 they moved to Dobe no. 1, the building of the former monastery, which is today part of Kostanjevica na Krki. Ernest was born here on 30 December 1870. We do not yet know when the family moved to Kamnik, but certainly before March 1874.
Rudolf was born on 29 March 1874 in Kamnik. They lived as tenants in the house of the innkeeper and merchant Blaž Svetic at Šutna 16. Then, in 1876/1880, they moved to Mengeš and in 1883 to Kranj, where father Franc died in 1887. Mother Frančiška moved with her sons to Ljubljana in 1890. Ernest became a railway official and, after two years of higher grammar school, Rudolf decided to study at the Landwehr-Kadettenschule in Vienna.
Rudolf married Marija Sterger (b. 1885) in Ljubljana in 1905. In addition to the eight-grade primary school, Marija completed a three-year girls secondary school. She achieved an enviable level of education and knowledge of languages, which later helped her in social and cultural life. Her father was a prominent Ljubljana doctor, Dr Stanko Sterger. He helped the newlyweds cover a deposit of 50,000 kronen, which was required of officers upon marriage by Austro-Hungarian military regulations.
Marica and Rudolf had two sons, Hrvoj (1905–1982) and Borut (1908–1984). The family moved to Przemyśl (present-day Poland) in 1908/1909, from there to Celje, and in 1914 to Maribor.
