Background
Kovačič was born to a Slovene father and a German mother in Basel, Switzerland in 1928. His father's death in 1944 shifted the burden of supporting the family onto Lojze.
Kovačič was born to a Slovene father and a German mother in Basel, Switzerland in 1928. His father's death in 1944 shifted the burden of supporting the family onto Lojze.
In 1962 he graduated in Slavic and Germanic Studies from the Faculty of Education of the University of Ljubljana.
His novel The Newcomers (Slovene: Prišleki) is often considered one of the most important Slovene novels of the 20th century and has been translated into German, French, Spanish, and Dutch. At the end of the war, the mere fact that they were half German made them suspicious and the whole family apart from Lojze were deported. Lojze remained despite frequent confrontations with the authorities.
He found employment as an art and puppetry teacher in Ljubljana, and from 1978 to his retirement in 1989 he was also involved in literary education. Literary recognition did not come until the 1970s. Many of his novels are highly autobiographical.
In addition to his opus of adult fiction, he also published a number of books for children and young readers. He died in Ljubljana in 2004.
With Yugoslav Army, 1948-1950. Member Slovene Writers' Association, Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists and Novelists association Center.
Married Marija Vida Sever, May 6, 1951 (divorced 1969). Married Ksaverija Beba Kogovsek, October 10, 1977. Children: Darko, Jani, Tina.