Juraj (Giorgio) Dobrila (16 March 1812 – 13 January 1882) was a
Catholic bishop
In the Catholic Church, a bishop is an Holy Orders, ordained Minister (Catholic Church), minister who holds the fullness of the Sacraments of the Catholic Church, sacrament of Holy orders in the Catholic Church, holy orders and is responsible ...
and benefactor from
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
who advocated for greater national rights for Croats and also Slovenes in
Istria
Istria ( ; Croatian language, Croatian and Slovene language, Slovene: ; ist, Eîstria; Istro-Romanian language, Istro-Romanian, Italian language, Italian and Venetian language, Venetian: ; formerly in Latin and in Ancient Greek) is the larges ...
under Austrian rule.
Biography
Dobrila was born in the village of Veli Ježenj (now part of
Pazin
Pazin ( it, Pisino, german: Mitterburg) is a town in western Croatia, the administrative seat of Istria County. It is known for the medieval Pazin Castle, the former residence of the Istrian margraves.
Geography
The town had a population of 8,6 ...
),
Tinjan
Tinjan ( it, Antignana) is a village and municipality in Istria, Croatia. The total population is 1,684 (2011 census), distributed in the following settlements:
* Brčići, population 100
* Brečevići, population 187
* Jakovici, population 268 ...
ština (Antignana) region of middle Istria, which was then and for a brief period part of Napoleon's
Illyrian provinces
The Illyrian Provinces sl, Ilirske province hr, Ilirske provincije sr, Илирске провинције it, Province illirichegerman: Illyrische Provinzen, group=note were an Autonomous administrative division, autonomous province of France d ...
and shortly thereafter the
Habsburg monarchy
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 ...
(today part of
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 ...
). His above-average intelligence let him engage a German elementary school in
Tinjan
Tinjan ( it, Antignana) is a village and municipality in Istria, Croatia. The total population is 1,684 (2011 census), distributed in the following settlements:
* Brčići, population 100
* Brečevići, population 187
* Jakovici, population 268 ...
and
Pazin
Pazin ( it, Pisino, german: Mitterburg) is a town in western Croatia, the administrative seat of Istria County. It is known for the medieval Pazin Castle, the former residence of the Istrian margraves.
Geography
The town had a population of 8,6 ...
, then a
gymnasium in
Gorizia
Gorizia (; sl, Gorica , colloquially 'old Gorizia' to distinguish it from Nova Gorica; fur, label= Standard Friulian, Gurize, fur, label= Southeastern Friulian, Guriza; vec, label= Bisiacco, Gorisia; german: Görz ; obsolete English ''Gori ...
, and
Karlovac
Karlovac () is a city in central Croatia. According to the 2011 census, its population was 55,705.
Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County. The city is located on the Zagreb- Rijeka highway and railway line, south-west of Zagre ...
where he also attended a
seminary
A seminary, school of theology, theological seminary, or divinity school is an educational institution for educating students (sometimes called ''seminarians'') in scripture, theology, generally to prepare them for ordination to serve as clergy, ...
. He became a priest in 1837 and took duty 1837 - 1838 in Munama and Hrusici. From 1839 he studied theology at
Augustineum 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 ...
and finished in 1842. After his studies, he became a chaplain in
Trieste
Trieste ( , ; sl, Trst ; german: Triest ) is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is the capital city, and largest city, of the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, one of two autonomous regions which are not subdivided into provi ...
, a German enlighter and a principal of a girl-school. From 1857 to 1875 he was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Parenzo e Pola - Poreč i Pula region and from 1875 until his death he was the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Trieste e Capodistria - Trst in Koper region.
Dobrila studied with and was a friend of
Josip Juraj Strossmayer
Josip Juraj Strossmayer, also Štrosmajer (; german: Joseph Georg Strossmayer; 4 February 1815 – 8 April 1905) was a Croatian politician, Roman Catholic Bishops in the Catholic Church, bishop, and benefactor (law), benefactor.
Early life an ...
, another Croatian bishop and benefactor of the 19th century. He was a vocal supporter of the Croat and
Slovene population in Istria, which was the majority there, but culturally and politically dominated by Italians from the coastal towns.
During the
Revolutions of 1848
The Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Springtime of the Peoples or the Springtime of Nations, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe starting in 1848. It remains the most widespread revolutionary wave in Europea ...
, Dobrila became a member of the ''Slavjansko društvo'' ("Slavic society") in Trieste. He supported the introduction of the Slavic languages into schools and public life, funded children who wanted to attend schools in the Croatian part of the monarchy (in
Rijeka
Rijeka ( , , ; also known as Fiume hu, Fiume, it, Fiume ; local Chakavian: ''Reka''; german: Sankt Veit am Flaum; sl, Reka) is the principal seaport and the third-largest city in Croatia (after Zagreb and Split). It is located in Primor ...
and
Kastav
Kastav (Italian: Castua) is a town in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County, Croatia, built on a 365 m high hill overlooking the Kvarner Gulf in the northern part of the Adriatic coast. It is in close vicinity of Rijeka, the largest port in Croatia, an ...
) and encouraged the
peasant
A peasant is a pre-industrial agricultural laborer or a farmer with limited land-ownership, especially one living in the Middle Ages under feudalism and paying rent, tax, fees, or services to a landlord. In Europe, three classes of peasants ...
s in Istria, mostly composed of Slavic people, to read books in their native language and avoid being abused by their mostly Italian lords.
Dobrila printed the
prayer book
A prayer book is a book containing prayers and perhaps devotional readings, for private or communal use, or in some cases, outlining the liturgy of religious services. Books containing mainly orders of religious services, or readings for them are ...
''Oče, budi volja tvoja'' in Croatian in 1854, and supported the publishing of the first
Croatian newspaper in Istria ''Naša sloga'' in 1870. He also published a collection of
folk tales and proverbs ''Različno cvijeće''. His second prayer book ''Mladi Bogoljub'' was published in 1889.
He was a member of the Regional Council of Poreč since its founding in 1861 and the representative of the council in the Parliament in Vienna until 1867. He was also a participant of the
First Vatican Council (1870) where he supported bishop Strossmayer's views on the future of the Church.
Dobrila donated his whole estate to charity post mortem. Dobrila's portrait was depicted on the
obverse
Obverse and its opposite, reverse, refer to the two flat faces of coins and some other two-sided objects, including paper money, flags, seals, medals, drawings, old master prints and other works of art, and printed fabrics. In this usage, ...
of the Croatian 10
kuna
Kuna may refer to:
Places
* Kuna, Idaho, a town in the United States
** Kuna Caves, a lava tube in Idaho
* Kuna Peak, a mountain in California
* , a village in the Orebić municipality, Croatia
* , a village in the Konavle municipality, Croatia ...
banknote, issued in 1993, 1995, 2001 and 2004.
Croatian National Bank
: ttp://www.hnb.hr/novcan/novcanice/e10nk.htm?tsfsg=133d2a4d3beae36004bc09ad47fadf73 10 kuna (1993 issue)
10 kuna
(1995 issue)
(2001 issue)
(2004 issue). – Retrieved on 30 March 2009. Two high schools are named after Dobrila, one in Pazin
Pazin ( it, Pisino, german: Mitterburg) is a town in western Croatia, the administrative seat of Istria County. It is known for the medieval Pazin Castle, the former residence of the Istrian margraves.
Geography
The town had a population of 8,6 ...
and one in Pula
Pula (; also known as Pola, it, Pola , hu, Pòla, Venetian language, Venetian; ''Pola''; Istriot language, Istriot: ''Puola'', Slovene language, Slovene: ''Pulj'') is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, and the List of cities and town ...
.
The University of Pula is called in his honour Juraj Dobrila University of Pula
The Juraj Dobrila University of Pula ( hr, Sveučilište Jurja Dobrile u Puli, la, Universitas studiorum Polensis Georgii Dobrila) is a university in Pula, Croatia. It was founded in 2006 and has eleven constituents.
History
The establishment ...
.
References
External links
Juraj (Giorgio) Dobrila by istrianet.org
Juraj Dobrila at the "Juraj Dobrila gymnasium and vocational school", Pazin
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dobrila, Juraj
1812 births
1882 deaths
People from Pazin
People from Istria
Roman Catholic bishops in the Austrian Empire
Members of the Austrian House of Deputies (1861–1867)
People of the Illyrian movement
Higher Scientific Institute for Diocesan Priests at St. Augustine's alumni