Janko Vranyczany-Dobrinović (born May 1, 1920) is a former Croatian politician and diplomat. Vranyczany-Dobrinović is of noble descent from Austro-Hungarian times. As such, his name is sometimes prefixed with the titles of either grof or barun (count or baron).

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...

, Vranyczany-Dobrinović entered the Croatian Home Guard

Croatian Home Guard

Croatian Home Guard or also, known as the "Homeland Defenders," was the name used for the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia which existed during World War II.- Formation :...

 and was sent to Stockerau

Stockerau

Stockerau is a town in the district of Korneuburg in Lower Austria, Austria.Leisure facilities are various: wellness centre, sports centre with three gyms, judo and table tennis gym, skittle alley and football stadium...

. He attained the rank of zastavnik

Croatian Home Guard military ranks

Croatian Home Guard military ranks were the titles given to soldiers in the Croatian Home Guard in World War II.-Army ranks:-Air Force ranks:-External links:*...

 and was part of the Lorković-Vokić coup

Lorkovic-Vokic coup

Lorković-Vokić coup was a failed attempt plotted by Mladen Lorković and Ante Vokić to take over the power in Independent State of Croatia in August 1944. Mladen Lorković, Foreign Minister in government of NDH realized that Axis powers are going to lose World War II and decided it is time NDH...

. After the war he was taken by Yugoslav Partisans to a prison camp in Osijek

Osijek

Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...

. With the help of pre-war friends in the Communist Youth

Young Communist League of Yugoslavia

Young Communist League of Yugoslavia, commonly known by its abbreviation SKOJ was the youth wing of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia from 1919 to 1948...

, he was able to leave the camp and escaped the country for Italy

Italy

Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...

. He then moved to Austria

Austria

Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...

. When the communists came to power in Yugoslavia, the Vranyczany-Dobrinović's property was nationalized.

With democratic changes happening in the republics of Yugoslavia, Vranyczany-Dobrinović was able to return to Croatia after nearly 45 years abroad. He joined the Croatian Democratic Union

Croatian Democratic Union

The Croatian Democratic Union is the main center-right political party in Croatia. It is the biggest and strongest individual Croatian party since independence of Croatia. The Christian democratic HDZ governed Croatia from 1990 to 2000 and, in partial coalition, from 2003...

. He served as minister of tourism from 1990 to 1992 in Croatia's first democratically elected government. From 1992 he served as the head of Croatia's permanent mission to the European Union

European Union

The European Union is an economic and political union of 27 independent member states which are located primarily in Europe. The EU traces its origins from the European Coal and Steel Community and the European Economic Community , formed by six countries in 1958...

 in Brussels

Brussels

Brussels , officially the Brussels Region or Brussels-Capital Region , is the capital of Belgium and the de facto capital of the European Union...

. In 2000 he was removed from the post as part of a widespread turnaround of Croatian foreign diplomats. In 2004, he represented the Croatian president at the beatification 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...

's final emperor, Charles I.