Matko Laginja (August 10, 1852 – March 18, 1930) was a

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 ...

n lawyer and politician. Born in Klana, he earned a doctorate in law in

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. In his youth he adopted the political program of

Ante Starčević Ante Starčević (; 23 May 1823 – 28 February 1896) was a Croatian politician and writer. His policies centered around Croatian state law, the integrity of Croatian lands, and the right of his people to self-determination. As an important memb ...

and together with

Vjekoslav Spinčić Vjekoslav Spinčić (23 October 1848 – 27 May 1933) was a Croats, Croatian politician from Istria. Born in Spinčići near Kastav, he studied theology in Gorizia and Trieste, and was ordained a priest in 1872. Afterwards, he continued stud ...

and Matko Mandić brought Croatian national thinking and sharp attacks against the local Italian party and

Italian nationalism Italian nationalism is a movement which believes that the Italians are a nation with a single homogeneous identity, and therefrom seeks to promote the cultural unity of Italy as a country. From an Italian nationalist perspective, Italianness is ...

into the political life of

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. As a leading local politician, he fought for three decades for a renaissance of the region's

Croats The Croats (; hr, Hrvati ) are a South Slavic ethnic group who share a common Croatian ancestry, culture, history and language. They are also a recognized minority in a number of neighboring countries, namely Austria, the Czech Republic, G ...

. He continued his work in

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, particularly as the

ban of Croatia Ban of Croatia ( hr, Hrvatski ban) was the title of local rulers or office holders and after 1102, viceroys of Croatia. From the earliest periods of the Croatian state, some provinces were ruled by bans as a ruler's representative (viceroy) an ...

. From 1900 to 1915 he was an attorney in

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; in 1915 he moved his practice to Zagreb. He was one of the leaders of the Croatian national movement in Istria as well as a member of the Istrian provincial parliament from 1883 to 1914. For one period he was ambassador to the Imperial Council in

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, then president of Starčević's Party of Rights. During the upheaval of fall 1918 he was trustee of the National Council in Istria. With the annexation of Istria to the

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after

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, he settled in Zagreb. From February to December 1920 Laginja was ban of Croatia within the

Kingdom of the Serbs, Croats and Slovenes The Kingdom of Yugoslavia ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Kraljevina Jugoslavija, Краљевина Југославија; sl, Kraljevina Jugoslavija) was a state in Southeast and Central Europe that existed from 1918 until 1941. From 1918 ...

. He was dismissed by the cabinet of

Milenko Radomar Vesnić Milenko Radomar Vesnić (''Vesnitch'' in French, and ''Wesnitsch'' in German; 13 February 1863 – 15 May 1921) was a Serbian politician, diplomat, cabinet member and prime minister. Biography Vesnić studied law at la Grande École of Belg ...

on December 11, 1920 after allowing a rally by the

Croatian Peasant Party The Croatian Peasant Party ( hr, Hrvatska seljačka stranka, HSS) is an agrarian political party in Croatia founded on 22 December 1904 by Antun and Stjepan Radić as Croatian Peoples' Peasant Party (HPSS). The Brothers Radić believed that t ...

politician

Stjepan Radić Stjepan Radić (11 June 1871 – 8 August 1928) was a Croat politician and founder of the Croatian People's Peasant Party (HPSS), active in Austria-Hungary and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. He is credited with galvanizing Cro ...

in Zagreb on December 8. He was elected to the Constitutional Assembly which he resigned on June 1, 1921 along with ten others issuing a statement against centralization and for a federalized country. After this he withdrew from public life. He died in Zagreb.

Sources

Laginja, Matko (Matija, Matej, Mate)
{{DEFAULTSORT:Laginja, Matko 1852 births 1930 deaths Bans of Croatia Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery Croatian nationalists Party of Rights politicians People from Istria Yugoslavism