Gregor Žerjav
Encyclopedia
Gregor Žerjav, sometimes spelled Žerjal (14 November 1882 - 27 June 1929), was a Slovene and Yugoslav
lawyer
and liberal
politician
. Together with Albert Kramer, he was the leader of the Slovenian liberals
in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
in Inner Carniola, Austria-Hungary
(now in Slovenia).
in Carniola
. Despite his young age, he became one of the main financial advisors of the Slovene national liberal political establishment. In 1910, he became notorious for his involvement in the bancrupcy of the Agro Merkur credit bank, established a few years earlier as a financial institution supporting the National Progressive Party.
In 1911, he was elected to the Austrian parliament
, where he became the leader of the 'Yugoslav Club', a caucus
of South Slav national liberal representatives from the Slovene Lands
, Istria
and Dalmatia
.
After the outbreak of World War I
, Žerjav launched an underground network which was working against the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in favour of the creation of a unified Yugoslav state
. Among his closest collaborators in this endeavour were two other radical liberal nationalists from the younger generation, Albert Kramer and Bogumil Vošnjak
. The Austro-Hungarian authorities never disclosed the network. However, already in the first moths of the war, Žerjav was preventively arrested and imprisoned in the Ljubljana Castle
for his "notorious pro-Serbia
n attitudes". He was released after less than a month. In May 1915, when his colleague Bogumil Vošnjak fled to the west in in order to join the Yugoslav Committee
, Žerjav was again arrested and put into custody in the town of Gmund
and later in Graz
, where he spent most of the War.
After the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Žerjav was part of the delegation of Austro-Hungarian South Slavs
which in December 1918 signed the declaration establishing the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. After 1918, Žerjav became a fervent supporter of Yugoslav centralism and unitarism. In June 1918, he was among the co-founders of the Yugoslav Democratic Party, which in 1919 merged into the State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats.
He was elected to the Yugoslav parliament for three consecutive terms, in 1920, 1925 and 1927 (the first time as representative of the Democratic Party
, and the last two on the list of the Independent Democratic Party
. From December 1921 to December 1922, he served as the Minister for Welfare, and between November 1924 and July 1925 as Minister of Forestry and Mining in the Democratic-Radical
coalition governments of Nikola Pašić
.
The last years of his life he suffered tuberculosis; for an attempt of operative surgery he went to Berlin to the Charité
as one of the first patients of Prof. Ferdinand Sauerbruch
when using the iron lung
there.
About half a year later he died in his estate in Poljče
near Radovljica
, and was buried in the Žale
cemetery in Ljubljana
.
His wife and this daughter Tatjana also died by tuberculosis later on.
His son Borut Zerjav became Journalist and lived in Paris, his daughter Nadina Abarth-Zerjav
was married to Carlo Abarth
.
The gravesite in Žale
cemetery still exists.
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
lawyer
Lawyer
A lawyer, according to Black's Law Dictionary, is "a person learned in the law; as an attorney, counsel or solicitor; a person who is practicing law." Law is the system of rules of conduct established by the sovereign government of a society to correct wrongs, maintain the stability of political...
and liberal
Liberalism
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of liberty and equal rights. Liberals espouse a wide array of views depending on their understanding of these principles, but generally, liberals support ideas such as constitutionalism, liberal democracy, free and fair elections, human rights,...
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
. Together with Albert Kramer, he was the leader of the Slovenian liberals
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...
in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes.
Youth
Gregor Zerjav was born in LožLož
Lož is a settlement in the Loška dolina Municipality in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia. Originally the settlement that is now Stari trg pri Ložu was called Lož, but in 1341 a new settlement was begun around Lož Castle and the name of the older settlement as well as its market rights were...
in Inner Carniola, 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...
(now in Slovenia).
Political carreer
In 1908, Dr. Gregor Zerjav became the chief coordinator of the National Progressive PartyNational Progressive Party (Slovenia)
The National Progressive Party was a political party in the Carniola region of Austria-Hungary. It was established in 1894 by Ivan Tavčar as the National Party of Carniola and renamed in 1905 to The National Progressive Party...
in Carniola
Carniola
Carniola was a historical region that comprised parts of what is now Slovenia. As part of Austria-Hungary, the region was a crown land officially known as the Duchy of Carniola until 1918. In 1849, the region was subdivided into Upper Carniola, Lower Carniola, and Inner Carniola...
. Despite his young age, he became one of the main financial advisors of the Slovene national liberal political establishment. In 1910, he became notorious for his involvement in the bancrupcy of the Agro Merkur credit bank, established a few years earlier as a financial institution supporting the National Progressive Party.
In 1911, he was elected to the Austrian parliament
Reichsrat (Austria)
The Imperial Council of Austria from 1867 to 1918 was the parliament of the Cisleithanian part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was a bicameral legislature, consisting of the Herrenhaus and the Abgeordnetenhaus...
, where he became the leader of the 'Yugoslav Club', a caucus
Caucus
A caucus is a meeting of supporters or members of a political party or movement, especially in the United States and Canada. As the use of the term has been expanded the exact definition has come to vary among political cultures.-Origin of the term:...
of South Slav national liberal representatives from the Slovene Lands
Slovene Lands
Slovene Lands or Slovenian Lands is the historical denomination for the whole of the Slovene-inhabited territories in Central Europe. It more or less corresponds to modern Slovenia and the adjacent territories in Italy, Austria and Hungary in which autochthonous Slovene minorities live.-...
, Istria
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
and Dalmatia
Dalmatia
Dalmatia is a historical region on the eastern coast of the Adriatic Sea. It stretches from the island of Rab in the northwest to the Bay of Kotor in the southeast. The hinterland, the Dalmatian Zagora, ranges from fifty kilometers in width in the north to just a few kilometers in the south....
.
After the outbreak 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...
, Žerjav launched an underground network which was working against the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy in favour of the creation of a unified Yugoslav state
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
. Among his closest collaborators in this endeavour were two other radical liberal nationalists from the younger generation, Albert Kramer and Bogumil Vošnjak
Bogumil Vošnjak
Bogumil Vošnjak, also known as Bogomil Vošnjak was a Slovene and Yugoslav jurist, politician, diplomat, author and legal historian...
. The Austro-Hungarian authorities never disclosed the network. However, already in the first moths of the war, Žerjav was preventively arrested and imprisoned in the Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle
Ljubljana Castle is a medieval castle in Ljubljana, Slovenia. It is located on the Castle Hill overlooking the old town.- History:According to archeological surveys, the area of the present castle has been settled continuously since 1200 BC, when the first settlements and later fortifications were...
for his "notorious pro-Serbia
Serbia
Serbia , officially the Republic of Serbia , is a landlocked country located at the crossroads of Central and Southeast Europe, covering the southern part of the Carpathian basin and the central part of the Balkans...
n attitudes". He was released after less than a month. In May 1915, when his colleague Bogumil Vošnjak fled to the west in in order to join the Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee was a political interest group formed by South Slavs from Austria-Hungary during World War I aimed at joining the existing south Slavic nations in an independent state.Founding members included:* Frano Supilo* Ante Trumbić...
, Žerjav was again arrested and put into custody in the town of Gmund
Gmünd
Gmünd is a town in the district of Spittal an der Drau, in the Austrian state of Carinthia.The municipality is situated within the valley of the Lieser river, a left tributary of the Drava, east of the Hohe Tauern mountain range.-Municipality breakdown:...
and later in Graz
Graz
The more recent population figures do not give the whole picture as only people with principal residence status are counted and people with secondary residence status are not. Most of the people with secondary residence status in Graz are students...
, where he spent most of the War.
After the breakup of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, Žerjav was part of the delegation of Austro-Hungarian South Slavs
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
which in December 1918 signed the declaration establishing the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. After 1918, Žerjav became a fervent supporter of Yugoslav centralism and unitarism. In June 1918, he was among the co-founders of the Yugoslav Democratic Party, which in 1919 merged into the State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats.
He was elected to the Yugoslav parliament for three consecutive terms, in 1920, 1925 and 1927 (the first time as representative of the Democratic Party
Democratic Party (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Democratic Party, State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats and Democratic Party was the name of a series of social-liberal political parties that existed in succession in the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and the Kingdom...
, and the last two on the list of the Independent Democratic Party
Independent Democratic Party (Yugoslavia)
The Independent Democratic Party was a social liberal political party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was established by Svetozar Pribićević as a breakaway faction of the Democratic Party in 1924...
. From December 1921 to December 1922, he served as the Minister for Welfare, and between November 1924 and July 1925 as Minister of Forestry and Mining in the Democratic-Radical
People's Radical Party
The People's Radical Party of Serbia was a political party formed on January 8, 1881, which was active in the Kingdom of Serbia and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes...
coalition governments of Nikola Pašić
Nikola Pašic
Nikola P. Pašić was a Serbian and Yugoslav politician and diplomat, the most important Serbian political figure for almost 40 years, leader of the People's Radical Party who, among other posts, was twice a mayor of Belgrade...
.
Private life
Dr. Gregor Zerjav was married to Milena Zerjav, nee Lavrencic. The couple had three children, first Borut, then (5.3.1912 at Görz (today Gorizia)) the twins Nadina and Tatjana.The last years of his life he suffered tuberculosis; for an attempt of operative surgery he went to Berlin to the Charité
Charité
The Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin is the medical school for both the Humboldt University and the Free University of Berlin. After the merger with their fourth campus in 2003, the Charité is one of the largest university hospitals in Europe....
as one of the first patients of Prof. Ferdinand Sauerbruch
Ferdinand Sauerbruch
Ernst Ferdinand Sauerbruch was a German surgeon.Sauerbruch was born in Barmen , Germany. He studied medicine at the Philipps University of Marburg, the University of Greifswald, the Friedrich Schiller University of Jena, and the University of Leipzig, from the last of which he graduated in 1902...
when using the iron lung
Iron lung
A negative pressure ventilator is a form of medical ventilator that enables a person to breathe when normal muscle control has been lost or the work of breathing exceeds the person's ability....
there.
About half a year later he died in his estate in Poljče
Poljce, Radovljica
Poljče is a village near Begunje in the Radovljica municipality in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia.-External links:*...
near Radovljica
Radovljica
Radovljica is a town and a municipality in in the Upper Carniola region of northern Slovenia. The municipality has around 18,000 inhabitants and an area of 118 km²...
, and was 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 :...
cemetery 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...
.
His wife and this daughter Tatjana also died by tuberculosis later on.
His son Borut Zerjav became Journalist and lived in Paris, his daughter Nadina Abarth-Zerjav
Nadina Abarth-Zerjav
Nadina Abarth-Zerjav was the daughter of the Slovene minister Gregor Zerjav and his wife, Milena nee Lavrencic....
was married to Carlo Abarth
Carlo Abarth
Carlo Abarth , born Karl Albert Abarth was an automobile designer. Abarth was born in Austria, but later was naturalized as an Italian citizen; and at this time his first name Karl was changed to its Italian equivalent of Carlo.-Before worldwar II:Abarth was born in Vienna, during the time of the...
.
The gravesite in 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 :...
cemetery still exists.