Vera Nikolic Podrinska
Encyclopedia
Vera Nikolić Podrinska was a Croatian painter and baron
Baron
Baron is a title of nobility. The word baron comes from Old French baron, itself from Old High German and Latin baro meaning " man, warrior"; it merged with cognate Old English beorn meaning "nobleman"...

ess.

She was the daughter of baron Vladimir Nikolić and baronness Elle née Scotti. Nikolić was taught painting by the Croatian painter Oton Iveković
Oton Ivekovic
Oton Iveković was one of the foremost Croatian painters. He graduated from the Vienna Academy of Painting. He later taught at the Zagreb Academy of Fine Arts. Iveković largely concerned himself with historical topics as well as some religious themes...

 from 1900, and in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...

 by Andre Lhote
André Lhote
André Lhote was a French sculptor and painter of figure subjects, portraits, landscapes and still life. He was also very active and influential as a teacher and writer on art....

 and Leo Junek.

In 1944 a prison camp was established at her property on Pantovčak street in Zagreb by the government of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...

. At the camp were held American captured pilots. The pilots were allowed to work at Nikolić vineyard and could use her estate to play tennis and listen to music, among other activities.

After the war her property was either nationalized or bought up by the ruling Communist Party and Vila Zagorje
Presidential Palace, Zagreb
The Presidential Palace in Zagreb is the official residence of the President of Croatia. The president does not actually live in the building as it is used to house the Office of the President of Croatia rather than as a residence. The structure covers and in 2009 government budget, it was...

, an estate of Yugoslav leader Josip Broz, was built. She published the travel book Od Zagreba do Bangkoka in 1957.

Nikolić travelled to the United States of America in 1966 to attend a showing of her works. She was greeted by several of the former prisoners who were held at her estate 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...

.
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