Danilo Lokar
Encyclopedia
Danilo Lokar was a Slovene doctor
and Expressionist
writer
.
in the County of Gorizia and Gradisca, in what was then Austria-Hungary
(today in Slovenia
). Danilo was the oldest of six children in a family which made its living through tanning
, and which ran a small leather shop. He graduated at the prestigious Gorizia
State Gymnasium
in 1910 and entered the University of Vienna
, where he studied medicine. Upon finishing he returned to his birthplace with Jelka Špacapan, who was to become his wife, and began working as a doctor. In Ajdovščina he made the acquaintance of painter Veno Pilon
.
Lokar did specialist work in Zagreb
for a time before realizing that he could not work as a surgeon
due to his poor health; as a consequence he decided to become a writer. In 1933 he published his first short story
, "The Dance", in the progressive literary review Sodobnost
. During World War II
he was imprisoned by the Italian Fascist
authorities in the concentration camp at Medea, in the Friul region. Upon the Italian armistice he joined the partisan forces
together with his wife. After the war he worked as a doctor until 1951, when he retired, fully dedicating his time to writing. In 1959 he won the Prešeren Award
, the highest Slovenian prize for artistic achievements, for his short story collection Sodni dan na Vasi ("Doomsday in the Village").
Lokar died in Ljubljana
in 1989 and was buried in his hometown.
Danilo Lokar was the brother-in-law of the Slovene Communist theoretician Dragotin Gustinčič and uncle of the renowned journalist Jurij Gustinčič.
and its surroundings. Artistic elements, especially related to painting, can often be seen in his plots; these are frequently fleshed out with more essay
-like passages. Lokar's work is known mostly for its expressionist manner and for the peculiar worldview which it espouses.
Physician
A physician is a health care provider who practices the profession of medicine, which is concerned with promoting, maintaining or restoring human health through the study, diagnosis, and treatment of disease, injury and other physical and mental impairments...
and Expressionist
Expressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
writer
Writer
A writer is a person who produces literature, such as novels, short stories, plays, screenplays, poetry, or other literary art. Skilled writers are able to use language to portray ideas and images....
.
Life
He was born in the town of AjdovščinaAjdovšcina
Ajdovščina is a small town and a municipality with the same name and a population of 7000 , located in the Vipava Valley , Slovenia....
in the County of Gorizia and Gradisca, in what was then 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...
(today in Slovenia
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
). Danilo was the oldest of six children in a family which made its living through tanning
Tanning
Tanning is the making of leather from the skins of animals which does not easily decompose. Traditionally, tanning used tannin, an acidic chemical compound from which the tanning process draws its name . Coloring may occur during tanning...
, and which ran a small leather shop. He graduated at the prestigious Gorizia
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
State Gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in 1910 and entered the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, where he studied medicine. Upon finishing he returned to his birthplace with Jelka Špacapan, who was to become his wife, and began working as a doctor. In Ajdovščina he made the acquaintance of painter Veno Pilon
Veno Pilon
Veno Pilon was a Slovene expressionist painter, graphic artist and photographer.Pilon was born in Ajdovščina, then part of the Austro-Hungarian province of Gorizia and Gradisca . After graduating from the prestigious gymasium of Gorizia, he was drafted by the Austro-Hungarian Army during World War I...
.
Lokar did specialist work 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...
for a time before realizing that he could not work as a surgeon
Surgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
due to his poor health; as a consequence he decided to become a writer. In 1933 he published his first short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
, "The Dance", in the progressive literary review Sodobnost
Sodobnost
Sodobnost is a Slovenian literary and cultural magazine, established in 1933. It is considered the oldest of currently existing literary magazines in Slovenia. Although Sodobnost has traditionally been a magazine focused on cultural and literary issues, it nowadays covers a wide range of current...
. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was imprisoned by the Italian Fascist
Italian Fascism
Italian Fascism also known as Fascism with a capital "F" refers to the original fascist ideology in Italy. This ideology is associated with the National Fascist Party which under Benito Mussolini ruled the Kingdom of Italy from 1922 until 1943, the Republican Fascist Party which ruled the Italian...
authorities in the concentration camp at Medea, in the Friul region. Upon the Italian armistice he joined the partisan forces
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
together with his wife. After the war he worked as a doctor until 1951, when he retired, fully dedicating his time to writing. In 1959 he won the Prešeren Award
Prešeren Award
Prešeren Award is the highest decoration in the field of artistic and in the past also scientific creation in Slovenia awarded each year to one or two eminent Slovene artists...
, the highest Slovenian prize for artistic achievements, for his short story collection Sodni dan na Vasi ("Doomsday in the Village").
Lokar died in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
in 1989 and was buried in his hometown.
Danilo Lokar was the brother-in-law of the Slovene Communist theoretician Dragotin Gustinčič and uncle of the renowned journalist Jurij Gustinčič.
Work
Lokar's stories often describe people from the Vipava ValleyVipava Valley
The Vipava Valley is a valley located in the Slovenian Littoral, between the towns of Nova Gorica and Vipava.-Geography:It is a narrow valley, serving as the main passage between Friulian lowland and central Slovenia, and thus also an important corridor connecting Northern Italy to Central Europe...
and its surroundings. Artistic elements, especially related to painting, can often be seen in his plots; these are frequently fleshed out with more essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...
-like passages. Lokar's work is known mostly for its expressionist manner and for the peculiar worldview which it espouses.