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     \|  ===  |/        ~ The Apiary ~
      '._____.`     World Bee Day Celebration
      /|     |\
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🐝 The Apiary 🐝

A celebration of bees, pollinators, and Anton Janša
World Bee Day • May 20

👨‍🏫 Anton Janša (1734-1773)

The Father of Modern Beekeeping

    ╭─────────────────╮
    │   ╭─────────╮   │
    │   │  ◕   ◕  │   │
    │   │    ▽    │   │
    │   │  ╰───╯  │   │
    │   ╰─────────╯   │
    │   ANTON JANŠA   │
    │   1734 - 1773   │
    │    Slovenia     │
    ╰─────────────────╯

"The bee is a creature of extraordinary industry."

His Life & Legacy

Anton Janša was born May 20, 1734, in Breznica, Slovenia (then part of the Habsburg Empire).
He became the first teacher of modern beekeeping at the Imperial Habsburg Court in Vienna.
Janša invented the stackable beehive, revolutionizing hive management.
His 1771 book 'Discussion on Beekeeping' is a foundational text of apiculture.
The Carniolan honeybee (Apis mellifera carnica), native to Slovenia, was his favored breed.
He promoted scientific observation over superstition in bee management.
Janša painted decorative panels on his hives—a Slovenian tradition continuing today.
He died in 1773 at just 39 years old, but his methods spread across Europe.
Slovenia declared his birthday a national holiday, and in 2017, the UN established World Bee Day.
The Anton Janša Beekeeping Museum in Radovljica, Slovenia, preserves his legacy.

Why May 20?

In 2017, Slovenia proposed to the United Nations that Anton Janša's birthday be designated World Bee Day. The resolution passed unanimously, with 115 co-sponsoring countries.

Slovenia has a unique beekeeping tradition—one in 200 Slovenians keeps bees, the highest ratio in the EU. The Carniolan bee, native to the region, is prized for its gentleness and productivity.

Janša's painted hive panels became an art form, with over 600 distinct motifs recorded—religious scenes, folk tales, and daily life. This tradition continues today.

  .  *  🐝  .    .   *   🐝  .  *
    .    *   .  🌻  .   *   .
  *   🐝  .   .   * .  🐝   *  .

🐝 The Apiary 🐝

Celebrating World Bee Day • May 20

Save the bees, save ourselves.

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