 His political role during and after World War II made him one of the most controversial figures in Slovenia in the 20th century.Kocbek was born in the village of Sveti Jurij ob Ščavnici in the Duchy of Styria, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, now in Slovenia.His father Valentin Kocbek was originally from the nearby Slovene Hills () area, while his mother Matilda, née Plohl was from the neighboring village of Sveti Tomaž in the Prlekija Hills.