The first gymnastics society in Slovenia was founded in Ljubljana in 1863 and, following the Czech model of Sokol societies, gave itself the name Južni Sokol (meaning “Southern Sokol”, where sokol is a Slavic word for hawk or falcon). The first Sokol society in the southern part of the present-day Primorska region (then part of the Austrian Küstenland or Litorale) was established in Ilirska Bistrica in 1867. This was followed by another in Trieste in 1882. The individual societies were brought together in the Slovene Sokol Union, established in 1905, and subdivided into territorial units called župe. These gymnastics societies strengthened national consciousness through the organisation of excursions, dances and theatrical and musical evenings. They also began opening gymnastics schools. To begin with, the Sokols did not have a political orientation, but in the early years of the twentieth century a split occurred between “liberal” Sokols and “clerical” Sokols. As a result, gymnastics sections began to be formed within Christian social organisations, which from 1905 onwards gave birth to Orel (“Eagle”) gymnastics societies, organised on a district basis and, from 1909 onwards, linked together as the Orel Union.
