Fran Albreht
Encyclopedia
Fran Albreht was a Slovenia
n poet
, editor
, politician
and partisan
. He also published under the pseudonym
Rusmir.
He was born as Franc Albrecht in the Upper Carniola
n town of Kamnik
in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He grew up in a liberal
milieu, but he later came closer to more leftist views. He studied at the University of Vienna
and became a literary critic and a neo-romantic
poet.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Albreht was editor of the prestigious liberal literary magazine Ljubljanski zvon
. After the crisis of the journal in 1932, which emerged from different interpretations of Slovene identity and attitudes towards the centralist policies in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
, Albreht left the journal and established, together with the literary critic Josip Vidmar
and author Ferdo Kozak
, a new magazine called Sodobnost
("Modernity"). Under Albreht, Vidmar and Kozak, the new magazine became the foremost progressive journal in Slovenia, in which also many Marxists and Communists could publish their articles under pseudonym
s.
After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia
in April 1941, Albreht became an active member of the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
in Ljubljana
. He was imprisoned by Italian fascist
authorities on a number of occasions. In 1944, the Nazis sent him to Dachau concentration camp.
Soon after the liberation from Nazi occupation and the establishment of the Communist regime in Yugoslavia
in 1945, he was appointed mayor
of Ljubljana. He served in that office between 1945 and 1948. In 1948, he was dismissed and shortly imprisoned under the suspiction of anti-Communist activity.
He was married to the poet Vera Albreht
. He died in Ljubljana in 1963 and is buried in the Žale
city cemetery.
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...
n poet
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
, politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
and partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. He also published under the pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
Rusmir.
He was born as Franc Albrecht in the Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola
Upper Carniola is a traditional region of Slovenia, the northern mountainous part of the larger Carniola region. The centre of the region is Kranj, while other urban centers include Jesenice, Tržič, Škofja Loka, Kamnik, and Domžale.- Historical background :...
n town of Kamnik
Kamnik
Kamnik is the name of a municipality in Slovenia as well as the town that serves as its administrative, cultural, economic, and educational center. The municipality is in north central Slovenia. It encompasses a large part of the Kamnik Alps and the surrounding area...
in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. He grew up in a liberal
Liberalism in Slovenia
This article gives an overview of liberalism in Slovenia. It is limited to liberal parties with substantial support, mainly proved by having had a representation in parliament. The sign ⇒ means a reference to another party in that scheme...
milieu, but he later came closer to more leftist views. He studied at 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...
and became a literary critic and a neo-romantic
Neo-romanticism
The term neo-romanticism is used to cover a variety of movements in music, painting and architecture. It has been used with reference to very late 19th century and early 20th century composers such as Gustav Mahler particularly by Carl Dahlhaus who uses it as synonymous with late Romanticism...
poet.
In the late 1920s and early 1930s, Albreht was editor of the prestigious liberal literary magazine Ljubljanski zvon
Ljubljanski zvon
Ljubljanski zvon was a journal published in Ljubljana in Slovene between 1881 and 1941. It was considered one of the most prestigious literary and cultural magazines in Slovenia.- Early period :...
. After the crisis of the journal in 1932, which emerged from different interpretations of Slovene identity and attitudes towards the centralist policies in the Kingdom 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...
, Albreht left the journal and established, together with the literary critic Josip Vidmar
Josip Vidmar
Josip Vidmar was a prominent Slovenian literary critic and essayist. Vidmar is remembered because of his role in the Slovenian resistance during World War II, and for his influence in the cultural policies of the Titoist regime in Slovenia from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.He was born in...
and author Ferdo Kozak
Ferdo Kozak
Ferdo Kozak was a Slovenian author, playwright, editor and politician.He was born as Ferdinand Kozak in an upper middle class family in Ljubljana, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire...
, a new magazine called 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...
("Modernity"). Under Albreht, Vidmar and Kozak, the new magazine became the foremost progressive journal in Slovenia, in which also many Marxists and Communists could publish their articles under pseudonym
Pseudonym
A pseudonym is a name that a person assumes for a particular purpose and that differs from his or her original orthonym...
s.
After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
in April 1941, Albreht became an active member of the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
On 26 April 1941 in Ljubljana the Anti-Imperialist Front was established. It was to promote "an international massive movement" to "liberate the Slovenian nation" whose "hope and example was the Soviet Union"...
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...
. He was imprisoned by 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 on a number of occasions. In 1944, the Nazis sent him to Dachau concentration camp.
Soon after the liberation from Nazi occupation and the establishment of the Communist regime in Yugoslavia
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia
The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was the Yugoslav state that existed from the abolition of the Yugoslav monarchy until it was dissolved in 1992 amid the Yugoslav Wars. It was a socialist state and a federation made up of six socialist republics: Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia,...
in 1945, he was appointed mayor
Mayor
In many countries, a Mayor is the highest ranking officer in the municipal government of a town or a large urban city....
of Ljubljana. He served in that office between 1945 and 1948. In 1948, he was dismissed and shortly imprisoned under the suspiction of anti-Communist activity.
He was married to the poet Vera Albreht
Vera Albreht
Vera Albreht was a Slovene poet, writer, publicist and translator.-Life:She was born as Vera Kessler in Krško into the well-to-do family. Her mother was Marija Kessler, nee Trenz, an ethnic German and her father Slovene, Rudolph Kessler...
. He died in Ljubljana in 1963 and is buried in the Žale
Žale
Žale Central cemetery , often abbreviated to Žale, is the largest and the central cemetery in Ljubljana. It is located in the Bežigrad district and operated by the Žale Public Company.- History :...
city cemetery.
Work
- Zadnja pravda (Last Judgement), 1934
- Pesmi,(Poems), 1966
- Gledališke kritike (Theatre Critiques), 1973
See also
- List of Slovenian language poets
- Slovenian literatureSlovenian literatureSlovene literature, meaning the literature in the Slovene language, starts with Freising manuscripts around 1000. From first printed Slovene religious books in 1550 it is followed by these literary periods and notable authors:-Middle Ages:-Folk poetry:...
- Culture of SloveniaCulture of SloveniaSlovenia's first book was printed by the Protestant reformer Primož Trubar . It was actually two books, Katekizem and Abecednik, which was published in 1550 in Tübingen, Germany....
- Yugoslav People's Liberation War