FAMOUS CROATS - JOSIP JURAJ STROSSMAYER

JOSIP JURAJ STROSSMAYER In its thousands year history Croatian people gave to the world personalities of global importance. Among them is certainly Josip Juraj Strossmayer (4 February 1815- 8 April 1905). He was catholic, active in church, culture and political life, collector of heritage, founder of institutions etc. By his father's side of Austrian roots and by Croatian mother, he grew up in Croatian family which in the Habsburg monarchy opposed to strong feudal and later capitalist Austro-German, Hungarian and Italian rulers. Already as a young catholic priest in Vienna he became a court chaplain, doctor of sciences, one of the leaders of Augustineum – the highest college and a University lecturer. In Croatian he is a bishop in Đakovo, in charge of Srijem and part of Slavonia, and later a bishop of Srijem and Bosnia and the apostolic vicar for Serbia. He had also many other titles and honours. Strossmayer is one of the most deserving that in the “century of nations“ (19th century) also “Croatism“ was born, endangered from ruling powers, as were the other Slavic nations of Central and South Europe. Strossmayer became engaged in defence of forbidden Croatian language and the first Croatian millennium old Glagolitic alphabet and Old Slavic mass in the church. Strong “Yugoslav” i.e. “South Slavic” feeling, which is also evidenced in the Latin name of the most significant institution which Strossmayer founded and which is today active as Croatian Academy of Arts and Sciences with its about ten institutes and museums. It is his merit that a magnificent palace was built in Zagreb for the Academy as the place for collecting and use of its immense written treasures. We rightfully point out – the magnificent complete work of J. J. Strossmayer surpasses national importance and is in constant focus also on global level. Academician Petar Strčić