Our dear friend and colleague, Prof. Dr. Andrej 
Mihevc, passed away in October 2024 after a long battle 
with an incurable illness. Andrej was widely known in 
Slovenia and internationally for his passion and remark-
able contributions to cave and karst science.
Andrej was born in Logatec, a town situated in the 
Classical Karst region. His fascination with caves began 
early, during his teenage years, when he joined the lo-
cal caving club. He explored caves near his hometown 
and developed a profound interest in the enigmatic Reka 
River beneath the Kras Plateau. He was among the initia-
tors of renewed explorations in Kačna Jama, which led to 
the groundbreaking discovery of the Reka River passage 
in 1972.
Andrej’s curiosity led him to explore various regions 
of the Dinaric Karst, from the Kras Plateau to the high 
karst of Trnovski Gozd and beyond. He led numerous 
expeditions, including a memorable 1988 excursion to 
the caves of the Dinaric Karst, which remains legendary 
among cavers. His international ventures included lead-
ing a 1995 expedition to Guizhou, China.
He also played a crucial role in organizing and pro-
moting speleology in Slovenia and beyond. As one of the 
founders of the Anthron Karst Research Society in 1989 
and president of the Speleological Association of Slove-
nia (1994–1996), he left a deep mark on the field. Within 
the International Union of Speleology (UIS), he served as 
Adjoint Secretary from 2001 to 2009, helping establish its 
permanent address at the Karst Research Institute ZRC 
SAZU in Postojna. He was instrumental in organizing 
numerous conferences and served on the editorial board 
of Naše Jame (Our Caves), Slovenia's premier caving 
journal.
While attending high school in Postojna, Andrej 
began collaborating with the Karst Research Institute, 
sparking a lifelong pursuit of karst research. He com-
pleted his studies in geography under the mentorship of 
academician Ivan Gams with an award-winning thesis 
on the Rovte Karst. Joining the Karst Research Institute 
in 1980, Andrej's research on contact karst earned him 
a Master's degree and research on speleogenesis of the 
Škocjan Caves and Divača karst region a PhD degree.
Andrej soon realized that the karst surface and un-
derground are evolutionarily inseparable and must be 
IN MEMORIAM
Prof. Dr. ANDREJ MIHEVC 
(1952-2024)  
Geographer, speleologist, and karstologist
(Photo: Nadja Zupan Hajna)
DOI: https://doi.org/10.3986/ac.v53i2-3.14023 
ACTA CARSOLOGICA 53/2-3, 105-107, POSTOJNA 2024
studied as such. His profound understanding of karst and 
unmatched sense of observation enabled him to identify 
and recognize the importance of unroofed caves (Mihevc 
1996; Mihevc & Zupan Hajna 1996; Mihevc et al., 1998), 
laying the foundation for a new understanding of karst 
evolution.
While investigating the age of unroofed caves and 
karst landscapes, Andrej made a groundbreaking dis-
covery: the first fossil remains of the cave-dwelling tube 
worm Marifugia cavatica in an unroofed cave within the 
Črnotiče Quarry. His relentless curiosity and sharp ob-
servational skills also led to other remarkable findings, 
including the discovery of the first black olm (Proteus an-
guinus parkelj) in Dobliče, Bela Krajina, in 1986, as well 
as 7,000-year-old Neolithic cave drawings in Bestažovca 
Cave.
Andrej viewed caves as multifaceted scientific chal-
lenges. He was captivated by their formation and devel-
opment, sediments, archaeology, fauna, climate, utiliza-
tion, and the impact of human activity on both caves and 
the broader karst environment.
He was equally intrigued by the karst surface, 
which he perceived as a dynamic interaction between 
geological structures and karstification processes. A 
particular focus of his lifelong research was the study 
of solution dolines and ice caves. One of his final proj-
ects, conducted with his son Rok, involved identifying 
dolines across Slovenia using a machine learning algo-
rithm. This innovative approach provided new insights 
into doline distribution and resulted in the creation 
of an open-access database (Mihevc & Mihevc, 2021, 
www.dolines.org ), a resource invaluable for research 
and conservation efforts.
Andrej was a lecturer at the University of Ljubljana, 
where his passion for karst studies inspired numerous 
students. He mentored many geography graduates and 
PhD candidates, as well as PhD candidates in Karstology 
at the University of Nova Gorica. He was among the key 
contributors to the Slovenian Cave Act, UNESCO nomi-
nations, and cave protection policies.
His contributions were recognized with numer-
ous awards, including the Silver Plaque of the Slovenian 
Geographical Association (1997) and the Golden Plaque 
of the Slovenian Speleological Association (2022). That 
same year, he was named a "Distinguished Researcher" 
by ZRC SAZU.
Andrej’s warmth, humor, and unrelenting curiosity 
endeared him to colleagues, students, and friends world-
wide. He was a storyteller, an inspiring leader, and a tire-
less advocate for karst science.
Andrej had an unparalleled ability to ignite enthusi-
asm for the Karst, not only among those already passion-
ate about it but even among the uninitiated. From the 
very beginning, he was the heart and soul of the Inter-
national Karst School, an event that, for over thirty years, 
has brought together more than a hundred karstologists 
annually from around the globe. Many participants at-
tended specifically to experience the exceptional and, 
sadly, now unrepeatable excursions through the Classi-
cal Karst that Andrej led. Following one of these schools, 
Andrej and a group of the world’s leading karstologists 
extended their journey across the entire Dinaric Karst, 
a region where he was undoubtedly the foremost expert 
and ambassador.
A day in the field with Andrej was always concise, 
inspiring, and—without fail—exhausting. He shared an 
endless stream of information and reflections, not just 
about the Karst but about anything that captured his ev-
er-curious mind. At the Institute, passing by his office—
whether intentionally or not—almost always led to a con-
versation and a passionate explanation of whatever was 
captivating him at the moment. These discussions would 
inevitably expand to include related topics, as he raised 
questions, shared his views with infectious enthusiasm, 
and—with raised eyebrow—awaited counterarguments.
Even as illness limited his mobility, he continued to 
work, completing his last projects with the support of his 
wife, Bibijana, and son, Rok.
His most recent contribution among over 30 papers 
published in Acta Carsologica was a study on ice caves in 
Trnovski Gozd (Mihevc, 2021).
His passing leaves a profound void in the karsto-
logical and speleological community, but his legacy will 
continue to inspire future generations. Andrej will be 
remembered not only for his extraordinary scientific 
achievements but also for the friendships, laughter, and 
boundless enthusiasm he shared with everyone who had 
the privilege to know him.
Rest in peace, Andrej.
Franci Gabrovšek & Nadja Zupan Hajna
IN MEMORIAM
106 ACTA CARSOLOGICA 53/2-3 – 2024