Josip Marohnic
Encyclopedia
Josip Marohnić remains up to this day the most influential Croatian emigrant in the Americas.
Marohnić was born in Hreljin
, Croatia
(then in Austria-Hungary
), and lived in the USA for 28 years where he emigrated alone in 1893, later his wife Andrijana and daughter Josipa joined him. He started working at a Chicago
's local printing house, soon he started attending Wheaton College (Illinois)
, founded his own print house, bookstore became publisher, writer and editor of his newspaper "Hrvatski glasnik".
In 1897 Marohnić moved to Pittsburgh where he founded the Eastern Catholic St. Nicholas Parish (whose Church was a First Croatian Church in America) and invited a Croatian pastor
to spiritually lead the US' Croats. He acted as the main accountant of the National Croatian Community (preceding the Croatian Fraternal Union
founded on 11th convention) between 1897 and 1909. He was also the founding father and lifetime President of the Croatian Fraternal Union
from 1912 until his death on January 23, 1921 leaving behind his wife and four children. Marohnić devoted his life to Croats in the US and they honored him with a magnificent funeral.
Marohnić founded the "First Croatian Bookstore" in Allegheny, Pennsylvania
. As an editor, he published books, manuals, grammars, dictionaries, calendars, novels, anthologies, short stories, theatrical works, humorous books, collections of poetry, various books of folklore, maps, albums, breviaries and books of a religious nature. He was the first poet among Croatian emigrants, he published his collections "Jesenke" in 1897 and "Amerikanke" in 1900 and his "Census
of Croats in America". Also, in 1911 he was the first Croat officially invited by an American President.
A street in Trnje
, Zagreb
, the Croatian capital, was named after him; the street is now the site of SRCE
("Sveučilišni računski centar" - "university computing center").
Marohnić was born in Hreljin
Hreljin
Hreljin is a village in western Croatia, just northeast of Bakar and northwest of Kraljevica, above Bakarski zaljev.Administratively belongs to city of Bakar, situated in Primorje-Gorski Kotar county - Primorsko-goranska županija....
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
(then in 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...
), and lived in the USA for 28 years where he emigrated alone in 1893, later his wife Andrijana and daughter Josipa joined him. He started working at a Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
's local printing house, soon he started attending Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College (Illinois)
Wheaton College is a private, evangelical Protestant liberal arts college in Wheaton, Illinois, a suburb west of Chicago in the United States...
, founded his own print house, bookstore became publisher, writer and editor of his newspaper "Hrvatski glasnik".
In 1897 Marohnić moved to Pittsburgh where he founded the Eastern Catholic St. Nicholas Parish (whose Church was a First Croatian Church in America) and invited a Croatian pastor
Pastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
to spiritually lead the US' Croats. He acted as the main accountant of the National Croatian Community (preceding the Croatian Fraternal Union
Croatian Fraternal Union
The Croatian Fraternal Union , the oldest and largest Croatian organization in North America, is a fraternal benefit society of the Croatian diaspora based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
founded on 11th convention) between 1897 and 1909. He was also the founding father and lifetime President of the Croatian Fraternal Union
Croatian Fraternal Union
The Croatian Fraternal Union , the oldest and largest Croatian organization in North America, is a fraternal benefit society of the Croatian diaspora based out of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA....
from 1912 until his death on January 23, 1921 leaving behind his wife and four children. Marohnić devoted his life to Croats in the US and they honored him with a magnificent funeral.
Marohnić founded the "First Croatian Bookstore" in Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Allegheny, Pennsylvania
Allegheny City was a Pennsylvania municipality located on the north side of the junction of the Allegheny and Ohio rivers, across from downtown Pittsburgh. It was annexed by Pittsburgh in 1907...
. As an editor, he published books, manuals, grammars, dictionaries, calendars, novels, anthologies, short stories, theatrical works, humorous books, collections of poetry, various books of folklore, maps, albums, breviaries and books of a religious nature. He was the first poet among Croatian emigrants, he published his collections "Jesenke" in 1897 and "Amerikanke" in 1900 and his "Census
Census
A census is the procedure of systematically acquiring and recording information about the members of a given population. It is a regularly occurring and official count of a particular population. The term is used mostly in connection with national population and housing censuses; other common...
of Croats in America". Also, in 1911 he was the first Croat officially invited by an American President.
A street in Trnje
Trnje
Trnje is a district in the City of Zagreb, Croatia. According to the 2001 census, the district had 45,267 residents. It is located in the central part of the city, south of Donji grad across the railway , east of Trešnjevka , west of Pešćenica , and north of the river Sava...
, 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...
, the Croatian capital, was named after him; the street is now the site of SRCE
Srce
The University Computing Centre in Zagreb is the oldest infrastructural institution of the Croatian academic and scientific community in the area of construction and application of information and communication technologies . Srce is an organizational unit belonging to the University of Zagreb,...
("Sveučilišni računski centar" - "university computing center").