August Ivan Nepomuk Eduard Šenoa (; originally Schönoa; 14 November 1838 – 13 December 1881) was a Croatian novelist. Born to an ethnic German and Slovak family, Šenoa became a key figure in the development of an independent literary tradition in
Croatian and shaping the emergence of the urban Croatian identity of Zagreb and its surroundings at a time when Austrian control was weaning. He was a literary transitional figure, who helped bring
Croatian literature
Croatian literature refers to literary works attributed to the medieval and modern culture of the Croats, Croatia, and Croatian. Besides the modern language whose shape and orthography was standardized in the late 19th century, it also covers t ...
from
Romanticism
Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic, literary, musical, and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century, and in most areas was at its peak in the approximate ...
to
Realism
Realism, Realistic, or Realists may refer to:
In the arts
*Realism (arts), the general attempt to depict subjects truthfully in different forms of the arts
Arts movements related to realism include:
*Classical Realism
*Literary realism, a move ...
and introduced the historical novel to
Croatia
, image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg
, image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg
, anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland")
, image_map =
, map_caption =
, capit ...
. He wrote more than ten
novel
A novel is a relatively long work of narrative fiction, typically written in prose and published as a book. The present English word for a long work of prose fiction derives from the for "new", "news", or "short story of something new", itsel ...
s, among which the most notable are: ''Zlatarovo zlato'' (
The Goldsmith's Treasure; 1871), ''Čuvaj se senjske ruke'' (Pirates of
Senj
Senj (; it, Segna, la, Senia, Hungarian language, Hungarian and german: Zengg) is a town on the upper Adriatic coast in Croatia, in the foothills of the Mala Kapela and Velebit mountains.
The symbol of the town is the Nehaj Fortress ( hr, Tvr ...
; 1876), ''Seljačka buna'' (Peasants' revolt; 1877), and ''Diogenes'' (1878).
Šenoa was one of the most popular Croatian novelists in his day, and the author of the popular patriotic song "
Živila Hrvatska "Živila Hrvatska" (lit. Long live Croatia) is a Croatian patriotic song. The lyrics were written by August Šenoa, while the melody was composed by Ivan Zajc.
The lyrics first appeared in the September 1873 print of ''Vienac'' magazine and other ...
".
Life
He was born in
Zagreb
Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
, then part of the
Habsburg Empire
The Habsburg monarchy (german: Habsburgermonarchie, ), also known as the Danubian monarchy (german: Donaumonarchie, ), or Habsburg Empire (german: Habsburgerreich, ), was the collection of empires, kingdoms, duchies, counties and other polities ...
, into a family of
Slovak-
German
German(s) may refer to:
* Germany (of or related to)
**Germania (historical use)
* Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language
** For citizens of Germany, see also German nationality law
**Ger ...
origin. His surname was originally spelled ''Schönoa''. His father was Alois Schönoa, and mother was Terezija Rabacs, a
Slovak woman from
Budapest
Budapest (, ; ) is the capital and most populous city of Hungary. It is the ninth-largest city in the European Union by population within city limits and the second-largest city on the Danube river; the city has an estimated population ...
. He studied law in
Prague
Prague ( ; cs, Praha ; german: Prag, ; la, Praga) is the capital and largest city in the Czech Republic, and the historical capital of Bohemia. On the Vltava river, Prague is home to about 1.3 million people. The city has a temperate ...
. He also lived in
Vienna
en, Viennese
, iso_code = AT-9
, registration_plate = W
, postal_code_type = Postal code
, postal_code =
, timezone = CET
, utc_offset = +1
, timezone_DST ...
for a while, but returned to Zagreb in 1866. He died in Zagreb at the age of 43.
From 1874 to 1881, he edited the literary journal ''
Vijenac
''Vijenac'' (English: '' The Wreath'') is a biweekly magazine for literature, art and science, established in December 1993 and published by ''Matica hrvatska'', the central national cultural institution in Croatia.
Historical background
The ...
'' ("Wreath").
He died from disease picked up after the
1880 Zagreb earthquake
The 1880 earthquake which struck Zagreb, and is also known as The Great Zagreb earthquake, occurred with a moment magnitude of 6.3 on 9 November 1880. Its epicenter was in the Medvednica mountain north of Zagreb. Although only one person was kill ...
.
Work
In his novels, he fused
national romanticism
Romantic nationalism (also national romanticism, organic nationalism, identity nationalism) is the form of nationalism in which the state claims its political legitimacy as an organic consequence of the unity of those it governs. This includes ...
characterized by buoyant and inventive language with realistic depictions of the growth of the
petite bourgeois class.
This "father of the Croatian novel" (and modern national literature) is known for his mass Cecildemillean scenes and poetic description of oppressed
Croatian peasantry and nobility struggling against foreign rule (Venetians, Austrians/Germans and Hungarians) and romanticised period from the 15th to the 18th century. It has become a commonplace phrase that "Šenoa created the Croatian reading public", especially by writing in a popular style.
Legacy
In 2008, a total of 182 streets in Croatia were named after August Šenoa, making him the person with the seventh most streets in the country named after him.
Šenoa's birth house is located at 27 Ivo Mallin House. It is open to visitors. The house suffered damage in the
2020 Zagreb earthquake
At approximately 6:24 AM CET on the morning of 22 March 2020, an earthquake of magnitude 5.3 , 5.5 , hit Zagreb, Croatia, with an epicenter north of the city centre. The maximum felt intensity was VII–VIII (''Very strong'' to ''Damaging'') o ...
, but was later reopened.
References
Further reading
*
Sources
August Šenoa at the
Zagreb City Museum
Zagreb City Museum or Museum of the City of Zagreb ( hr, Muzej grada Zagreba) located in 20 Opatička Street, was established in 1907 by the Association of the Brethren of the Croatian Dragon ( hr, Braća hrvatskoga zmaja).
It is located in a ...
{{DEFAULTSORT:Senoa, August
1838 births
1881 deaths
Writers from Zagreb
Croatian people of German descent
Croatian people of Slovak descent
Croatian novelists
Croatian male writers
Male novelists
Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery
19th-century novelists
19th-century male writers
19th-century Croatian writers