August Cesarec
Encyclopedia
August Cesarec was a Croatian
writer and left-wing politician.
Cesarec was born in Zagreb
, which was part of Austria-Hungary
at a time. As a high school student he was involved in radical nationalist politics and joined the group that tried to assassinate Croatian ban
(viceroy) Slavko Cuvaj
. For his role in failed assassination he received two years of prison sentence, which he served in Sremska Mitrovica
penitentiary. There he began to study books of Stirner
and Kropotkin
, which gradually led him to adopt Marxist philosophy. From 1915 to 1918 he served in Austro-Hungarian Army
and experiences of World War I
made him into enthusiastic supporter of October Revolution
and Communism
.
After the war he became a member of Communist Party of Yugoslavia. Because of that he often had to deal with police and emigrate to Prague
, Vienna
, Moscow
and Spain
, where he spent some time during Spanish Civil War
.
Cesarec, who had discovered his literary talent in teenage years, was also known as one of the leading Croatian literary figures of his time. He wrote poems, plays, short stories and novels and participated in literary magazines run by Miroslav Krleža
. Cesarec's work was heavily influenced by his politics and ideology - in his plays and novels Cesarec expressed his utter disgust for capitalism
and bourgeoisie
, portraying characters belonging to that social class as vile, corrupt and perverse monsters. Best example for that could be found in novel Zlatni mladić ("Golden Youth"), a character study of a young man born in privileged capitalist family who gets away with all kinds of crimes. The novel was so popular that the phrase zlatna mladež ("golden youths") entered Croatian vocabulary and was reintroduced in 1990s in order to describe spoiled children of post-Communist
nouveau riche
.
In March 1941, few days before Axis
invasion of Yugoslavia
, he was arrested and interned in Kerestinec
prison together with some 90 leading members of Croatian left-wing intelligentsia. Few weeks later the prison was taken by new Ustasha regime. On July 9, Ustashas had 10 prisoners, including Božidar Adžija
, Otokar Keršovani
and Ognjen Prica
, shot as retaliation for Partisan
activities. Fearing that the rest of the inmates will be shot soon afterwards, Croatian Communist Party organised a prison-break on the night of July 13. The prison guards were overtaken and inmates escaped. But the operation proved to be poorly organised and most of the prisoners, including Cesarec, were quickly recaptured and shot in Maksimir
woods few days later.
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
writer and left-wing politician.
Cesarec was born in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, which was part of Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary
Austria-Hungary , more formally known as the Kingdoms and Lands Represented in the Imperial Council and the Lands of the Holy Hungarian Crown of Saint Stephen, was a constitutional monarchic union between the crowns of the Austrian Empire and the Kingdom of Hungary in...
at a time. As a high school student he was involved in radical nationalist politics and joined the group that tried to assassinate Croatian ban
Ban (title)
Ban was a title used in several states in central and south-eastern Europe between the 7th century and the 20th century.-Etymology:The word ban has entered the English language probably as a borrowing from South Slavic ban, meaning "lord, master; ruler". The Slavic word is probably borrowed from...
(viceroy) Slavko Cuvaj
Slavko Cuvaj
Baron Slavko Cuvaj de Ivanska was a Croatian politician who used to be the ban of Croatia-Slavonia and royal commissioner for Austria-Hungary....
. For his role in failed assassination he received two years of prison sentence, which he served in Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica
Sremska Mitrovica is a city and municipality located in the Vojvodina province of Serbia, on the left bank of the Sava river. As of 2002 the town had a total population of 39,041, while Sremska Mitrovica municipality had a population of 85,605...
penitentiary. There he began to study books of Stirner
Stirner
Stirner:* Max Stirner, pseudonym for Johann Caspar Schmidt , German philosopher and journalist* Karl Stirner , painter, illustrator and poet...
and Kropotkin
Kropotkin
Peter Kropotkin was a Russian prince and anarchist.Kropotkin may also refer to:*Pyotr Nikolayevich Kropotkin , Soviet/Russian geologist, tectonician, and geophysicist*Mount Kropotkin, a peak in Antarctica...
, which gradually led him to adopt Marxist philosophy. From 1915 to 1918 he served in Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
and experiences of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
made him into enthusiastic supporter of October Revolution
October Revolution
The October Revolution , also known as the Great October Socialist Revolution , Red October, the October Uprising or the Bolshevik Revolution, was a political revolution and a part of the Russian Revolution of 1917...
and Communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
.
After the war he became a member of Communist Party of Yugoslavia. Because of that he often had to deal with police and emigrate to Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
, Moscow
Moscow
Moscow is the capital, the most populous city, and the most populous federal subject of Russia. The city is a major political, economic, cultural, scientific, religious, financial, educational, and transportation centre of Russia and the continent...
and Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, where he spent some time during Spanish Civil War
Spanish Civil War
The Spanish Civil WarAlso known as The Crusade among Nationalists, the Fourth Carlist War among Carlists, and The Rebellion or Uprising among Republicans. was a major conflict fought in Spain from 17 July 1936 to 1 April 1939...
.
Cesarec, who had discovered his literary talent in teenage years, was also known as one of the leading Croatian literary figures of his time. He wrote poems, plays, short stories and novels and participated in literary magazines run by Miroslav Krleža
Miroslav Krleža
Miroslav Krleža was a leading Croatian and Yugoslav writer and the dominant figure in cultural life of both Yugoslav states, the Kingdom and the Republic . He has often been proclaimed the greatest Croatian writer of the 20th century.-Biography:Miroslav Krleža was born in Zagreb, modern-day...
. Cesarec's work was heavily influenced by his politics and ideology - in his plays and novels Cesarec expressed his utter disgust for capitalism
Capitalism
Capitalism is an economic system that became dominant in the Western world following the demise of feudalism. There is no consensus on the precise definition nor on how the term should be used as a historical category...
and bourgeoisie
Bourgeoisie
In sociology and political science, bourgeoisie describes a range of groups across history. In the Western world, between the late 18th century and the present day, the bourgeoisie is a social class "characterized by their ownership of capital and their related culture." A member of the...
, portraying characters belonging to that social class as vile, corrupt and perverse monsters. Best example for that could be found in novel Zlatni mladić ("Golden Youth"), a character study of a young man born in privileged capitalist family who gets away with all kinds of crimes. The novel was so popular that the phrase zlatna mladež ("golden youths") entered Croatian vocabulary and was reintroduced in 1990s in order to describe spoiled children of post-Communist
Post-Communism
Post-communism is a name sometimes given to the period of political and economic transformation or "transition" in former Communist states located in parts of Europe and Asia, in which new governments aimed to create free market-oriented capitalist economies with some form of parliamentary...
nouveau riche
Nouveau riche
The nouveau riche , or new money, comprise those who have acquired considerable wealth within their own generation...
.
In March 1941, few days before Axis
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
invasion of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
, he was arrested and interned in Kerestinec
Kerestinec
Kerestinec is a settlement west of Zagreb, in the Sveta Nedelja, Zagreb County, infamous for events in Croatian history. It has 1,199 inhabitants living on an area of . The name of Kerestinec comes from Hungarian word kereszt which stands for "cross".According to historical sources, there was a...
prison together with some 90 leading members of Croatian left-wing intelligentsia. Few weeks later the prison was taken by new Ustasha regime. On July 9, Ustashas had 10 prisoners, including Božidar Adžija
Božidar Adžija
Božidar Adžija was a Yugoslav left-wing politician and publicist.A native of Drniš, of Croat and Serbian descent, Adžija participated in World War I as a soldier in Austro-Hungarian Army....
, Otokar Keršovani
Otokar Keršovani
Otokar Keršovani was a Croatian and Yugoslav journalist and left-wing politician.He was born in Trieste, which was part of Austria-Hungary at a time. The collapse of Habsburg Empire caught him in Istrian town of Pazin, which was soon occupied by Italian forces and its Croatian school closed...
and Ognjen Prica
Ognjen Prica
Ognjen Prica was a Yugoslav left-wing politician.A native of Ilidža , Prica became interested in politics while studying mathematics and physics at University of Zagreb. In 1921 he became the member of Communist Party of Yugoslavia and one of the founders of SKOJ - Communist Youth League of...
, shot as retaliation for Partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
activities. Fearing that the rest of the inmates will be shot soon afterwards, Croatian Communist Party organised a prison-break on the night of July 13. The prison guards were overtaken and inmates escaped. But the operation proved to be poorly organised and most of the prisoners, including Cesarec, were quickly recaptured and shot in Maksimir
Maksimir
Maksimir is one of the neighborhoods of Zagreb, Croatia. Maksimir stadium and Maksimir Park are located in it. It was named after the bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac....
woods few days later.