Laibach was formed on 1 June 1980 in Trbovlje, a mining-industry town. "Laibach" is the German language name of the city of Ljubljana, a name used during the period when Slovenia was a part of the Habsburg Monarchy and the World War II occupation of Yugoslavia. At the time, the group collaborated with art groups Irwin (painting) and Rdeči Pilot (theatre). Since its formation, Laibach had been preparing a multimedia project "Rdeči revirji" ("Red District"), a piece intended to challenge and provoke the current political structures in Trbovlje. The group's use of Malevich's black crosses on their posters was determined to be "improper and irresponsible," leading to the cancellation of the performance of "Red District," an action which was met with considerable negative reaction in the media and by the general public. At this early stage of their career, Laibach's visuals employed mining iconography. Eventually, the group would add such symbols as Triglav, deer horns and the Malevich's black cross encircled with a gear.