Ivan Tavcar
Encyclopedia
Ivan Tavčar (28 August 1851 – 19 February 1923) was a Slovene and Yugoslav
writer
, lawyer
, and politician
.
n village of Poljane
near Škofja Loka
in what was then the Austrian Empire
and is now in Slovenia
. It has never been entirely clear who was his father. The disputed origin significantly influenced Tavčar's later personal life and political decisions.
He started schooling in his home village and continued in Ljubljana
from where he was expelled for reasons of discipline. For a while he attended secondary school in Novo mesto
and eventually returned to Ljubljana. In 1871 he began studying law
at Vienna
University
. He began his political career in the Provincial Assembly of the Duchy of Carniola
, where he formed the core of a radical group of Slovene liberals together with Ivan Hribar
. He became one of the leading members of the National Progressive Party
and long served as the chief editor of the party journal Slovenski narod, succeeding Josip Jurčič
. Between 1901 and 1907 he was member of the Austrian
Parliament
. In 1911, he succeeded Ivan Hribar as mayor of Ljubljana.
In 1887, he married to Franja Košenini, who later became the leading figure in the Slovene women associations at the time. The marriage won Tavčar the entrance to the Ljubljana high society and enabled him to buy the Visoko manor in 1893 and to become the mayor of Ljubljana in 1911. The couple was the center of the social life in Ljubljana. They were both active in many organizations. Tavčar was very keen in sport and promoted cycling and athletics. He was one of the founders of the Sokol
movement in the Slovene Lands
.
Tavčar remained in office as the mayor of Ljubljana until 1921, when he withdrew from public life after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer
. He spent his last years on his estate in Visoko.
Ivan Tavčar was one of the main figures in the national-liberal political movement in the Slovene Lands
which emerged in the late 19th century from the Young Slovenes
movement. After the Slovenian National Movement split in the Catholic
and Progressive wing in the late 1880s, Tavčar became one of the co-founders of the National Party of Carniola (renamed to National Progressive Party
in 1905). He led the party together with Ivan Hribar
until the end of World War I
, when it was renamed to Yugoslav Democratic Party before merging into the State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats. After 1918, Tavčar became a staunch supporter of Yugoslav unitarism, that is the merger of Slovenes, Croats
and Serbs
into one Yugoslav
nation.
Tavčar was also known for his polemics with the Catholic theoretician Anton Mahnič
. In 1884, Mahnič published a satiric short story, entitled Indija Koromandija, in which he mocked the progressive ideas of Josip Stritar
, whom Tavčar admired. Tavčar responded with the dystopic novel with the name 4000, in which he described the sad and repressive society resulting from the implementation of Mahnič's integralist policies.
(Mladoslovenci), among them Fran Levstik
, Josip Jurčič
, Josip Stritar
and Janko Kersnik
. Tavčar was however one of the first who fully adhered to Literary realism
, rejecting the post-romanticism
of the Young Slovenes.
He started writing already at the age of 17 in a school magazine and reached his stylistic maturity in his latest works. He signed many of his works with the pseudonym
Emil Leon. He often depicted rural
environments of his native Upper Carniola
, in which he saw a genuine and healthy counterpart to the somehow degenerated urban life. His most important work is The Visoko Chronicle, (Visoška kronika in Slovene), a short historical novel
set in the period after the Thirty Years' War
in the 17th century. Another important work is Cvetje v jeseni ("The Autumn Blooms"), a novel of a middle age urban dweller who moves to the countryside, where he falls in love with a younger girl.
Although he never rejected his Roman Catholic religion, he was de facto an agnostic who adhered to an outward naturalistic
world view. In his novels, he conveyed a critically optimistic view on the human condition
, drawing from the tradition of Enlightenment
and humanism
.
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
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....
, 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 politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
Biography
Tavčar was born into a poor peasant family of Janez and Neža née Perko in the CarniolaCarniola
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...
n village of Poljane
Poljane nad Škofjo Loko
Poljane nad Škofjo Loko is a settlement in the Poljanska Sora valley in the Gorenja vas - Poljane Municipality in the Upper Carniola region of Slovenia....
near Škofja Loka
Škofja Loka
-Art colony:Before the civil war in the former Yugoslavia the Serbian town of Smederevska Palanka and the town of Škofja Loka held art colonies Groharijeva kolonija run by an art teacher from elementary school Olga Milošević in Smederevska Palanka. Now, after the split of SFR Yugoslavia, the two...
in what was then the Austrian Empire
Austrian Empire
The Austrian Empire was a modern era successor empire, which was centered on what is today's Austria and which officially lasted from 1804 to 1867. It was followed by the Empire of Austria-Hungary, whose proclamation was a diplomatic move that elevated Hungary's status within the Austrian Empire...
and is now 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...
. It has never been entirely clear who was his father. The disputed origin significantly influenced Tavčar's later personal life and political decisions.
He started schooling in his home village and continued 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...
from where he was expelled for reasons of discipline. For a while he attended secondary school in Novo mesto
Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto is a city and municipality in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historic Lower Carniola region.-Geography:...
and eventually returned to Ljubljana. In 1871 he began studying law
Law
Law is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
at 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...
University
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...
. He began his political career in the Provincial Assembly of the Duchy of Carniola
Duchy of Carniola
The Duchy of Carniola was an administrative unit of the Holy Roman Empire and the Habsburg Monarchy from 1364 to 1918. Its capital was Ljubljana...
, where he formed the core of a radical group of Slovene liberals together with Ivan Hribar
Ivan Hribar
Ivan Hribar was a Slovene and Yugoslav banker, politician, diplomat and journalist. At the turn of the century, he was one of the leaders of the National Progressive Party, and one of the most important figures of Slovene liberal nationalism...
. He became one of the leading members of the National Progressive Party
National 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...
and long served as the chief editor of the party journal Slovenski narod, succeeding Josip Jurčič
Josip Jurcic
Josip Jurčič was a Slovene writer and journalist. He was born in Muljava, Austrian Empire and died in Ljubljana, Austria-Hungary...
. Between 1901 and 1907 he was member of the Austrian
Cisleithania
Cisleithania was a name of the Austrian part of Austria-Hungary, the Dual Monarchy created in 1867 and dissolved in 1918. The name was used by politicians and bureaucrats, but it had no official status...
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...
. In 1911, he succeeded Ivan Hribar as mayor of Ljubljana.
In 1887, he married to Franja Košenini, who later became the leading figure in the Slovene women associations at the time. The marriage won Tavčar the entrance to the Ljubljana high society and enabled him to buy the Visoko manor in 1893 and to become the mayor of Ljubljana in 1911. The couple was the center of the social life in Ljubljana. They were both active in many organizations. Tavčar was very keen in sport and promoted cycling and athletics. He was one of the founders of the Sokol
Sokol
The Sokol movement is a youth sport movement and gymnastics organization first founded in Czech region of Austria-Hungary, Prague, in 1862 by Miroslav Tyrš and Jindřich Fügner...
movement in 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.-...
.
Tavčar remained in office as the mayor of Ljubljana until 1921, when he withdrew from public life after being diagnosed with colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer
Colorectal cancer, commonly known as bowel cancer, is a cancer caused by uncontrolled cell growth , in the colon, rectum, or vermiform appendix. Colorectal cancer is clinically distinct from anal cancer, which affects the anus....
. He spent his last years on his estate in Visoko.
Politics
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.-...
which emerged in the late 19th century from the Young Slovenes
Young Slovenes
Young Slovenes were a Slovene national liberal political movement in the 1860s and 1870s, inspired and named after the Young Czechs in Bohemia and Moravia. They were opposed to the national conservative Old Slovenes. They entered in a crisis in the 1880s, and disappeared from political life by the...
movement. After the Slovenian National Movement split in the Catholic
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and Progressive wing in the late 1880s, Tavčar became one of the co-founders of the National Party of Carniola (renamed to National Progressive Party
National 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 1905). He led the party together with Ivan Hribar
Ivan Hribar
Ivan Hribar was a Slovene and Yugoslav banker, politician, diplomat and journalist. At the turn of the century, he was one of the leaders of the National Progressive Party, and one of the most important figures of Slovene liberal nationalism...
until the end 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...
, when it was renamed to Yugoslav Democratic Party before merging into the State Party of Serbian, Croatian and Slovene Democrats. After 1918, Tavčar became a staunch supporter of Yugoslav unitarism, that is the merger of Slovenes, Croats
Croats
Croats are a South Slavic ethnic group mostly living in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and nearby countries. There are around 4 million Croats living inside Croatia and up to 4.5 million throughout the rest of the world. Responding to political, social and economic pressure, many Croats have...
and Serbs
Serbs
The Serbs are a South Slavic ethnic group of the Balkans and southern Central Europe. Serbs are located mainly in Serbia, Montenegro and Bosnia and Herzegovina, and form a sizable minority in Croatia, the Republic of Macedonia and Slovenia. Likewise, Serbs are an officially recognized minority in...
into one Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
nation.
Tavčar was also known for his polemics with the Catholic theoretician Anton Mahnič
Anton Mahnič
Dr. Anton Mahnič, also spelled as Antun Mahnić in Croatian ortography , was a Slovene and Croatian Roman Catholic bishop, theologian and philosopher, founder and the main leader of the Croatian Catholic movement....
. In 1884, Mahnič published a satiric short story, entitled Indija Koromandija, in which he mocked the progressive ideas of Josip Stritar
Josip Stritar
Josip Stritar was a Slovene writer, poet, playwright, publisher and translator.Stritar spent his early childhood in his home village in rural Lower Carniola and was sent to school in Ljubljana...
, whom Tavčar admired. Tavčar responded with the dystopic novel with the name 4000, in which he described the sad and repressive society resulting from the implementation of Mahnič's integralist policies.
Literary work
He was influenced by the literature of the older generation of Slovenian nationalist and liberal authors, known as Young SlovenesYoung Slovenes
Young Slovenes were a Slovene national liberal political movement in the 1860s and 1870s, inspired and named after the Young Czechs in Bohemia and Moravia. They were opposed to the national conservative Old Slovenes. They entered in a crisis in the 1880s, and disappeared from political life by the...
(Mladoslovenci), among them Fran Levstik
Fran Levstik
Fran Levstik was a Slovene writer, political activist, playwright and critic. he was one of the most prominent exponents of the Young Slovene political movement.-Life and work:...
, Josip Jurčič
Josip Jurcic
Josip Jurčič was a Slovene writer and journalist. He was born in Muljava, Austrian Empire and died in Ljubljana, Austria-Hungary...
, Josip Stritar
Josip Stritar
Josip Stritar was a Slovene writer, poet, playwright, publisher and translator.Stritar spent his early childhood in his home village in rural Lower Carniola and was sent to school in Ljubljana...
and Janko Kersnik
Janko Kersnik
Janko Kersnik was a Slovene writer and politician. Together with Josip Jurčič, he is considered the most important representative of Literary realism in the Slovene language.- Biography :...
. Tavčar was however one of the first who fully adhered to Literary realism
Literary realism
Literary realism most often refers to the trend, beginning with certain works of nineteenth-century French literature and extending to late-nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century authors in various countries, towards depictions of contemporary life and society "as they were." In the spirit of...
, rejecting the post-romanticism
Post-romanticism
Post-romanticism or Postromanticism refers to a range of cultural products and attitudes emerging in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, after the period of Romanticism....
of the Young Slovenes.
He started writing already at the age of 17 in a school magazine and reached his stylistic maturity in his latest works. He signed many of his works with 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...
Emil Leon. He often depicted rural
Rural
Rural areas or the country or countryside are areas that are not urbanized, though when large areas are described, country towns and smaller cities will be included. They have a low population density, and typically much of the land is devoted to agriculture...
environments of his native 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 :...
, in which he saw a genuine and healthy counterpart to the somehow degenerated urban life. His most important work is The Visoko Chronicle, (Visoška kronika in Slovene), a short historical novel
Historical novel
According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...
set in the period after the Thirty Years' War
Thirty Years' War
The Thirty Years' War was fought primarily in what is now Germany, and at various points involved most countries in Europe. It was one of the most destructive conflicts in European history....
in the 17th century. Another important work is Cvetje v jeseni ("The Autumn Blooms"), a novel of a middle age urban dweller who moves to the countryside, where he falls in love with a younger girl.
Although he never rejected his Roman Catholic religion, he was de facto an agnostic who adhered to an outward naturalistic
Naturalism (philosophy)
Naturalism commonly refers to the philosophical viewpoint that the natural universe and its natural laws and forces operate in the universe, and that nothing exists beyond the natural universe or, if it does, it does not affect the natural universe that we know...
world view. In his novels, he conveyed a critically optimistic view on the human condition
Human condition
The human condition encompasses the experiences of being human in a social, cultural, and personal context. It can be described as the irreducible part of humanity that is inherent and not connected to gender, race, class, etc. — a search for purpose, sense of curiosity, the inevitability of...
, drawing from the tradition of Enlightenment
Age of Enlightenment
The Age of Enlightenment was an elite cultural movement of intellectuals in 18th century Europe that sought to mobilize the power of reason in order to reform society and advance knowledge. It promoted intellectual interchange and opposed intolerance and abuses in church and state...
and humanism
Humanism
Humanism is an approach in study, philosophy, world view or practice that focuses on human values and concerns. In philosophy and social science, humanism is a perspective which affirms some notion of human nature, and is contrasted with anti-humanism....
.
Essential bibliography
- Ivan Slavelj (1876)
- Vita vitae meae (1883)
- Mrtva srca ("The Dead Shadow", 1884)
- Janez Sonce (1885-1886)
- Med gorami ("Among the Mountains", collection of short stories, 1876-1888)
- Grajski pisar ("The Castle Scribe, 1889)
- 4000 (1891)
- V Zali ("In the Zala Valley", 1894)
- Izza kongresa ("Behind the Congress", 1905-1908)
- Cvetje v jeseni ("Autumn Blooms", 1917)
- Visoška kronika ("The Visoko Chronicle", 1919)
Further reading
- Branko Berčič, Mladost Ivana Tavčarja (Ljubljana, Slovenska maticaSlovenska maticaSlovenska matica , also known as Matica slovenska, is the second-oldest publishing house in Slovenia, founded in the 19th century as an institution for the scholarly and cultural progress of Slovenes...
, 1971). - Miran Hladnik, "Visoška kronika".
- Franček Bohanec, Ivan Tavčar (Ljubljana, Partizanska knjiga, 1985).
- Igor Grdina, Slovenci med tradicijo in perspektivo: politični mozaik 1860-1918 (Ljubljana: Študentska založba, 2003).
- Anton Slodnjak, Realizem kod Slovenaca (Beograd: Radnički univerzitet, 1960).
See also
- Anton AškercAnton AškercAnton Aškerc was a Slovene poet and Roman Catholic priest, best known for his epic poems.Aškerc was born into a peasant family near the town of Rimske Toplice in the Duchy of Styria, then part of the Austrian Empire . His exact birthplace is unknown because his family was on the move at the time...
- 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....
- Liberalism in SloveniaLiberalism in SloveniaThis 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...