Branko Bokun (

Serbian Cyrillic The Serbian Cyrillic alphabet ( sr, / , ) is a variation of the Cyrillic script used to write the Serbian language, updated in 1818 by Serbian linguist Vuk Karadžić. It is one of the two alphabets used to write standard modern Serbian, th ...

: Бранко Бокун; 28 June 1920 – 1 January 2011) was an

author An author is the writer of a book, article, play, mostly written work. A broader definition of the word "author" states: "''An author is "the person who originated or gave existence to anything" and whose authorship determines responsibility f ...

in the fields of sociology and psychology.

Early life

Bokun was born in

Koljane Koljane is a small village in Split-Dalmatia County, Croatia. Koljane is a settlement in the Vrlika municipality, and the majority of the population are Croats. In the 1991 census, the population of Koljane was 285, and the majority were Serbs with ...

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 ...

, a small village in the

Dalmatia Dalmatia (; hr, Dalmacija ; it, Dalmazia; see #Name, names in other languages) is one of the four historical region, historical regions of Croatia, alongside Croatia proper, Slavonia, and Istria. Dalmatia is a narrow belt of the east shore of ...

n mountains of the

Kingdom of Yugoslavia The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast Europe, Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 unt ...

. He began to study at the University of Belgrade; however his education there was interrupted by the German invasion of Yugoslavia in 1941. He fled to

Italy Italy ( it, Italia ), officially the Italian Republic, ) or the Republic of Italy, is a country in Southern Europe. It is located in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, and its territory largely coincides with the homonymous geographical re ...

, where he enrolled at the University of Rome, studying

economics Economics () is the social science that studies the Production (economics), production, distribution (economics), distribution, and Consumption (economics), consumption of goods and services. Economics focuses on the behaviour and intera ...

and

social science Social science is one of the branches of science, devoted to the study of societies and the relationships among individuals within those societies. The term was formerly used to refer to the field of sociology, the original "science of soc ...

s. At the same time he also signed on as an extra with the

Cinecittà Cinecittà Studios (; Italian for Cinema City Studios), is a large film studio in Rome, Italy. With an area of 400,000 square metres (99 acres), it is the largest film studio in Europe, and is considered the hub of Italian cinema. The studios we ...

film studio A film studio (also known as movie studio or simply studio) is a major entertainment company or motion picture company that has its own privately owned studio facility or facilities that are used to make films, which is handled by the production ...

in order to earn a living. Later, he acted as a go-between on behalf of the

Yugoslavia Yugoslavia (; sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Jugoslavija, Југославија ; sl, Jugoslavija ; mk, Југославија ;; rup, Iugoslavia; hu, Jugoszlávia; rue, label=Pannonian Rusyn, Югославия, translit=Juhoslavija ...

n embassy to the

Holy See The Holy See ( lat, Sancta Sedes, ; it, Santa Sede ), also called the See of Rome, Petrine See or Apostolic See, is the jurisdiction of the Pope in his role as the bishop of Rome. It includes the apostolic episcopal see of the Diocese of Rome ...

, communicating with the many Yugoslav Jews who were hidden in Italy at the time. He recorded these years in his '' Spy in the Vatican, 1941–45'' (1973).He also exposed the

genocide Genocide is the intentional destruction of a people—usually defined as an ethnic, national, racial, or religious group—in whole or in part. Raphael Lemkin coined the term in 1944, combining the Greek word (, "race, people") with the Latin ...

committed by the Ustashi in the so-called

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist It ...

against its citizens, the Serbs,

Roma Roma or ROMA may refer to: Places Australia * Roma, Queensland, a town ** Roma Airport ** Roma Courthouse ** Electoral district of Roma, defunct ** Town of Roma, defunct town, now part of the Maranoa Regional Council *Roma Street, Brisbane, a ...

and Jews. Bokun graduated from the University of Rome in 1945 and went on to attend the Sorbonne University in

Paris Paris () is the capital and most populous city of France, with an estimated population of 2,165,423 residents in 2019 in an area of more than 105 km² (41 sq mi), making it the 30th most densely populated city in the world in 2020. S ...

, taking courses in

sociology Sociology is a social science that focuses on society, human social behavior, patterns of Interpersonal ties, social relationships, social interaction, and aspects of culture associated with everyday life. It uses various methods of Empirical ...

and

social psychology Social psychology is the scientific study of how thoughts, feelings, and behaviors are influenced by the real or imagined presence of other people or by social norms. Social psychologists typically explain human behavior as a result of the r ...

, and graduating in 1949. In Paris he at one time supported himself by working as a dishwasher.

Life in England

In 1960 Bokun settled in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

United Kingdom The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotland, Wales and North ...

, where he remained for the rest of his life. After his death at the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital on 1 January 2011, an obituary in ''

The Times ''The Times'' is a British daily national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its current name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its sister paper ''The Sunday Times'' (fou ...

'' described him as "a beguiling Balkan boulevardier, author and anecdotist, and for half a century a familiar figure in the cafés and bookshops of Chelsea." He left a son and two grandchildren.name=vita>Cite web , url=http://www.vitabooks.com/ , title=About Vita Books , date=5 January 2011 , website=Vita Books , quote=Vita Books regrets to announce the death of Dr. Branko Bokun aged 90 on Saturday 1st January 2011 in Chelsea and Westminster Hospital after a short illness. He is survived by his son and two grandchildren and many who regarded him as father, mentor, and friend. R.I.P. , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110202142527/http://vitabooks.com/ , archivedate=2 February 2011

Bibliography

* ''Are We Freaks of Nature?: A New View on Evolution'' * ''Humour and Pathos in Judaeo-Christianity'' * '' Spy in the Vatican, 1941-45'' * ''Stress-addiction: A New Theory on Evolution'' * ''Self-help with Stress: A New Approach'' * ''The Pornocracy'' * ''Man — The Fallen Ape'' * ''Bioeconomy — Matriarchy in Post-capitalism'' * ''Humour Therapy''

References

External links

*
Vita Books
— Branko Bokun's books website, which makes his most recent book - ''The Origin of the Mind and its Follies/Humour Remedy'' available for free download.
''Humour Remedy''
Global Ideas Bank {{DEFAULTSORT:Bokun, Branko 1920 births 2011 deaths 20th-century Croatian people Yugoslav writers Yugoslav sociologists Yugoslav psychologists Yugoslav diplomats Croatian sociologists Croatian psychologists University of Belgrade alumni University of Paris alumni Yugoslav expatriates in Italy Yugoslav expatriates in France Yugoslav emigrants to the United Kingdom People from Vrlika

Early life

Life in England

Bibliography

See also

References

External links