Old Hospital

The large building was erected at the end of the 19th century. Originally it had richly articulated façades, but a major adaptation before the Second World War removed almost all of this decoration. Today only a modest reflection remains of what was once a highly ambitious architectural design.

The building stands on the site of the former Old Hospital, founded around 1420 by Hans Meusenreiter, chancellor to Frederick II, Count of Celje. As estate administrator he created an institution for the care of the sick, elderly and infirm. After almost four hundred years of operation, the municipality rented the building and installed a school there. The Ljubljana earthquake of 1895 was strongly felt in Laško as well, damaging the Old Hospital so badly that it had to be demolished. A new school building rose on the site and, although greatly altered, still stands today. Its present function is also educational: it houses a music school.

In 1774 Empress Maria Theresa issued school regulations for German normal, main and trivial schools throughout the empire. Trivial schools were the lowest level of education and were intended to operate beside every parish church, which is why they were also called parish schools. Laško therefore established its first trivial school that same year. Lessons took place in the Old Hospital and were taught by the organist, whose main profession at that time became teaching. At the end of the 18th century, 51 children were enrolled, but only 35 attended more or less regularly.