Introduction

The history of today’s Gimnazija Bežigrad dates back to 1908, when the German Grammar School was founded; it was taught primarily by German-speaking teachers, and Slovenian was only an elective subject. After the end of World War I, in 1918, the German school was closed, and four years later it was renamed Realna gimnazija with Slovenian as the language of instruction.

The high school, which was initially located on Vegova street, moved into a new building in Bežigrad in 1936. With this project, architect Emil Navinšek designed the world’s first corridor-free school building. The number of students, teachers, and classes was constantly growing, so in 1940 the Ministry divided the school into the IV. State Realna gimnazija and the III. Grammar school.

During World War II, the school building was occupied by the military, and classes were severely curtailed and frequently interrupted. After the war, however, the school came back to life and attracted numerous students. More modern curricula and syllabi were introduced, and with the implementation of compulsory eight-year schooling, the high school, like others in Slovenia, became a four-year institution.

In 1982, a reform of specialized education was introduced, leading to the school being renamed the Secondary School of Natural Sciences. In 1990, a decision was made to reinstate the name Gimnazija Bežigrad. That same year, students were first given the opportunity to pursue the International Baccalaureate program under the auspices of UNESCO and the United Nations, and two years later, the International School was established.

Due to a shortage of space, an annex was officially opened in 1991, allowing classes to be held exclusively in the morning. In 1995, the high school also received a new sports complex. In 2026, with the construction of an additional extension, the school gained 11 more classrooms, three teachers’ offices, a large dance hall, and a theatre hall.