Vjekoslav Klaic
Encyclopedia
Vjekoslav Klaić was a Croatia
n historian
and writer
, most famous for his monumental History of the Croats
.
Klaić was born in Garčin
near Slavonski Brod
as the son of a teacher. He was raised in German spirit and language, since his mother was German. Klaić went to school in Varaždin
and Zagreb
. Literature and music were more to his liking in the seminary
than history; some of his musical works were performed. He studied history and geography in Vienna
. After completing his studies, he taught for more than fifty years, first as a high school teacher, and after 1893 as a professor of general history at the University of Zagreb
, where he stayed with short breaks until 1922, when he retired. He died in Zagreb
.
In 1896 he became a regular member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts
, and was an honourable doctor of the University of Prague
and an external member of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Klaić wrote for the weekly Hrvatska lipa of the Croatian Party of Rights
and was the editor of Vienac for several years (1882–1889), founded an orchestra and conducted it, promoting Croatian music. In 1892 he started and edited the musical magazine Gusle
. He wrote short stories and political articles in the Croatian spirit.
Among his historical works, the special place belongs to the monumental history Povijest Hrvata (History of the Croats
), published by Kugli in five books (1899–1911). Unfortunately, Klaić did not manage to finish it. In a text about this book, another famous Croatian historian, Ferdo Šišić
, pointed out (1914): "Materials, scientific method and details of Klaić's work surpass all the existing works of this kind in our historiography
", while Jaroslav Šidak said that "Klaić's book, despite all of its shortcomings, has still not been surpassed regarding the wealth of information in its presentation of the 15th and 16th centuries".
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 ...
n historian
Historian
A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human race; as well as the study of all history in time. If the individual is...
and 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....
, most famous for his monumental History of the 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...
.
Klaić was born in Garčin
Garcin
Garčin is a municipality in Brod-Posavina County, Croatia. There are 5,586 inhabitants in which 90% declare themselves Croats. -References:...
near Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod
Slavonski Brod is a city in Croatia, with a population of 59,507 in 2011. The city was known as Marsonia in the Roman Empire, and as Brod na Savi 1244–1934. It is the sixth largest city in Croatia, after Zagreb, Split, Rijeka, Osijek and Zadar. Located in the region of Slavonia, it is the...
as the son of a teacher. He was raised in German spirit and language, since his mother was German. Klaić went to school in Varaždin
Varaždin
Varaždin is a city in north Croatia, north of Zagreb on the highway A4. The total population is 47,055, with 38,746 on of the city settlement itself . The centre of Varaždin county is located near the Drava river, at...
and 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...
. Literature and music were more to his liking in the seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
than history; some of his musical works were performed. He studied history and geography in 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...
. After completing his studies, he taught for more than fifty years, first as a high school teacher, and after 1893 as a professor of general history at the University of Zagreb
University of Zagreb
The University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
, where he stayed with short breaks until 1922, when he retired. He died in 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...
.
In 1896 he became a regular member of the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts
Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts
The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts is the national academy of Croatia. It was founded in 1866 as the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts , and was known by that name for most of its existence.- History :...
, and was an honourable doctor of the University of Prague
Charles University in Prague
Charles University in Prague is the oldest and largest university in the Czech Republic. Founded in 1348, it was the first university in Central Europe and is also considered the earliest German university...
and an external member of the Czech Academy of Sciences.
Klaić wrote for the weekly Hrvatska lipa of the Croatian Party of Rights
Croatian Party of Rights
The Croatian Party of Rights is a right-wing political party in Croatia. The "right" in the party's name refer to the idea of Croatian national and ethnic rights that the party has vowed to protect since its founding in the 19th century...
and was the editor of Vienac for several years (1882–1889), founded an orchestra and conducted it, promoting Croatian music. In 1892 he started and edited the musical magazine Gusle
Gusle
The Gusle is a single-stringed musical instrument traditionally used in the Dinarides region of the Balkans ....
. He wrote short stories and political articles in the Croatian spirit.
Among his historical works, the special place belongs to the monumental history Povijest Hrvata (History of the 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...
), published by Kugli in five books (1899–1911). Unfortunately, Klaić did not manage to finish it. In a text about this book, another famous Croatian historian, Ferdo Šišić
Ferdo Šišic
Ferdo Šišić was a Croatian historian, the founding figure of the Croatian historiography of the 20th century. He made his most important contributions in the area of Croatian early Middle Ages.- Life :...
, pointed out (1914): "Materials, scientific method and details of Klaić's work surpass all the existing works of this kind in our historiography
Historiography
Historiography refers either to the study of the history and methodology of history as a discipline, or to a body of historical work on a specialized topic...
", while Jaroslav Šidak said that "Klaić's book, despite all of its shortcomings, has still not been surpassed regarding the wealth of information in its presentation of the 15th and 16th centuries".
Selected works
- Prirodni zemljopis Hrvatske (Natural Geography of Croatia, 1878)
- Poviest Bosne do propasti kraljevstva (History of BosniaBosnia (region)Bosnia is a eponomous region of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It lies mainly in the Dinaric Alps, ranging to the southern borders of the Pannonian plain, with the rivers Sava and Drina marking its northern and eastern borders. The other eponomous region, the southern, other half of the country is...
, 1882) - Pripoviesti iz hrvatske poviesti (Tales from Croatian History, 1886–1891)
- Bribirski knezovi od plemena Šubić do god. 1347. (Dukes of Bribir, 1897)
- Povjest Hrvata od najstarijih vremena do svršetka XIX. stoljeća (History of the CroatsCroatsCroats 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...
, 1899–1922) - Krčki knezovi Frankapani (The FrankopanFrankopanThe Frankopans are a Croatian noble family. Also called Frankapan, Frangepán in Hungarian, and Frangipani in Italian.The Frankopan family is the leading princely Croatian aristocratic family which dates back to the 12th Century and even earlier to Roman times...
Dukes of KrkKrkKrk is a Croatian island in the northern Adriatic Sea, located near Rijeka in the Bay of Kvarner and part of the Primorje-Gorski Kotar county....
, 1901) - Život i djela Pavla Rittera Vitezovića (The Life and Work of Pavao Ritter VitezovićPavao Ritter VitezovicPavao Ritter Vitezović was a noted Croatian writer, historian, linguist and publisher.-Early life:Pavao Ritter Vitezović was born in Senj to a family of a frontier soldier. His father was descended from a German immigrant from Alsace, and his mother was Croatian...
, 1914)
External links
- Vjekoslav Klaić at the University of ZagrebUniversity of ZagrebThe University of Zagreb is the biggest Croatian university and the oldest continuously operating university in the area covering Central Europe south of Vienna and all of Southeastern Europe...
website - Vjekoslav Klaić biography at Hrvatski biografski leksikon