The first Slovenian mayor of Celje, Dr Juro Hrašovec (1858—1957), who led the city from 1921 to 1927, had already exerted an influence on the life of Celje during the Austrian era, and this continued until the end of the first Yugoslav state. While he was in office, the roads in Celje improved, bridges and public buildings were rebuilt, modern public lighting was installed, the city expanded, the city finances stabilized, and municipal enterprises were placed on a solid and independent footing. He served on the Municipal Council of Celje until 1935, and throughout the First Yugoslavia, he was active as a lawyer and in many social and other fields. As the first elected Slovenian mayor and an exemplary and reliable city administrator, he played a historic role in the development of Celje, being involved in the Slovenian emancipation process after the dissolution of the Habsburg monarchy and the construction of Slovenian identity after the First World War.