Franc Hladnik and Nicolas Thomas Horst. The cooperation of Franc Hladnikand Nicolas Thoms Host in the Enlightment Spirit in Ljubljana and Vienna. 2025. illus. 294 p. gr8vo.- Bilingual (Slovenian / English).

The book contains the first translation of Nikolaus Thomas Host's letters to Franc Hladnik into Slovenian and English, thus making a significant contribution to the depiction of the Enlightenment period and the connection between Ljubljana, Klagenfurt and Vienna. All original letters are also reprinted, so that they can also be read in German for those who have a good enough command of the manuscripts

Host was certainly the botanist with whom Hladnik had the longest contact. They were very friendly, as is also shown in later letters when they discuss Hladnik's progressive vision loss. Host advised him on what he could do to alleviate his problems. He had also previously encouraged Hladnik to persevere in his work, because the conditions for working in the Botanic Garden were not exactly rosy. The letters that Host sent to Hladnik in Ljubljana reflect the spirit of the time, the respectful and professional relationship between the two botanical authorities, and of course botanical knowledge that can still be useful today (Rechfeld 1849, Praprotnik 1994, 2012).

The rich correspondence and notes, as well as the clarification of the conditions at that time, significantly contribute to making the knowledge and new discoveries of that time known to both researchers and the general public. Such work has never been done before. Even more importantly, we managed to involve the most competent botanical historian from Vienna in the work, who added a Viennese perspective on the conditions at the time and contributed important documents from the Viennese archives. Thus, the connection between Vienna and Ljubljana from that time continues here.