Ivan Goran Kovačić (; 21 March 1913 – 12 July 1943) was a Croatian poet and writer.

Early life and background

He was born in the town of

Lukovdol Lukovdol is a small village located in the Gorski Kotar region of Croatia, about one mile south of the Slovenian border. Lukovdol is part of Vrbovsko municipality. Local industries include cattle raising, lumber processing, and textile products. L ...

Vrbovsko Vrbovsko ( sr-Cyrl, Врбовско) is a town in western Croatia, situated at the far east of the mountainous region of Gorski Kotar in the Primorje-Gorski Kotar County; on its 280 square kilometers area, Vrbovsko features 60 settlements and a t ...

municipality, in

Gorski Kotar Gorski Kotar () is the mountainous region in Croatia between Karlovac and Rijeka. Because 63% of its surface is forested it is popularly called ''the green lungs of Croatia'' or ''Croatian Switzerland''. The European route E65, which connects B ...

, to a

Croat The Croats (; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and other neighboring countries in Central Europe, Central and Southeastern Europe who share a common Croatian Cultural heritage, ancest ...

father, Ivan Kovačić, and

Transylvania Transylvania ( or ; ; or ; Transylvanian Saxon dialect, Transylvanian Saxon: ''Siweberjen'') is a List of historical regions of Central Europe, historical and cultural region in Central Europe, encompassing central Romania. To the east and ...

Jew Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, religion, and community are highly inte ...

ish mother Ruža (

née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...

Klein). Ha-Kol (Glasilo Židovske zajednice u Hrvatskoj); Nataša Maksimović Subašić; Zora Dirnbach – Svjetionik s one strane nacionalizma; stranica 4; broj 110, lipanj/srpanj/kolovoz 2009. He attended the

Gymnasium Karlovac Karlovac Gymnasium (), sometimes historically referred to as Higher Real Gymnasium, is a secondary school ( gymnasium) located in the city of Karlovac in Croatia. Description Housed in a dedicated building constructed in 1863, the school conside ...

. In his honour, the Karlovac city library, the city's oldest cultural institution founded in 1838, was renamed after him. During World War II, in the harsh winter of 1942, Kovačić and

Vladimir Nazor Vladimir Nazor (30 May 1876 – 19 June 1949) was a Croatian poet and politician. During and after World War II in Yugoslavia, he served as the first President of the Presidency of the Croatian Parliament (Croatian head of state), and first ...

volunteered for the

Partisan Partisan(s) or The Partisan(s) may refer to: Military * Partisan (military), paramilitary forces engaged behind the front line ** Francs-tireurs et partisans, communist-led French anti-fascist resistance against Nazi Germany during WWII ** Ital ...

forces to set an anti-fascist example for the world. At that time, Goran was already ill with tuberculosis and Nazor was advanced in age, but they were motivated by their consciences. Kovačić was killed by Serbian

Chetnik The Chetniks,, ; formally the Chetnik Detachments of the Yugoslav Army, and also the Yugoslav Army in the Homeland; and informally colloquially the Ravna Gora Movement, was a Kingdom of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav royalist and Serbian nationalist m ...

troops in an east-Bosnian village of Vrbica near

Foča Foča ( sr-Cyrl, Фоча, ) is a town and municipality in Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in the south-east on the banks of Drina river. As of 2013, the town has a population of 12,234 inhabitants, while the municipality has 1 ...

on 13 July 1943. His death is described as follows: “Like in an ancient tragedy, the one who is most opposed to evil will most cruelly die from evil. The poet who raised his voice against the Croatian

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...

massive killing and torturing of Serbian civilians (women and children mostly) had his throat cut by Serbian Chetniks….A few reliable witnesses confirm that Goran survived the hell of the fifth offensive, but when he returned to help his ill, left-behind, friend, Dr Simo Milošević, the fascists killed both the Croatian poet and the Serbian scholar without distinction. Fascism did not look on poets or scientists anywhere in the world as being of value.”

Works

Death is a central theme in much of Kovačić's poetry,The pit Ivan Goran Kovacic
/ref> however this is not a reflection on his life outlook. His melancholy subjects came from outside events—such as his own and his brother's affliction with tuberculosis—rather than from an internal disposition toward the morose. Jure Kaštelan, one of Kovačić's contemporaries, expressed that Kovačić was inclined both toward romanticism and realism in his poetry, and that Kovačić had an intense perception of life. His best known work is ''"Jama"'' (''"The Pit"''). He penned it during the war, while in service near the town of

Livno Livno ( Serbo-Croatian Cyrillic: ''Ливно'', ) is a town and the administrative center of the Township of Livno and Canton 10 of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is situated on the river Bis ...

. The poem was written out of intellectual and ethical responsibility that condemns atrocities and massacres done by the Croatian

. It has been described as a metaphor about the sufferer, martyr, and victim: “The sufferer is when a person without fault suffers. The martyr is when nonhumans torture a person. The victim is when the whips of injustice extinguish life. That is Goran’s metaphor. And his life.” His work is an example of

anti-war An anti-war movement is a social movement in opposition to one or more nations' decision to start or carry on an armed conflict. The term ''anti-war'' can also refer to pacifism, which is the opposition to all use of military force during conf ...

poetry with messages against torture, mass murders and war crimes. "Jama" was studied in elementary schools throughout the

Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia The Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (commonly abbreviated as SFRY or SFR Yugoslavia), known from 1945 to 1963 as the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia, commonly referred to as Socialist Yugoslavia or simply Yugoslavia, was a country ...

"Jama"

The poem starts with a striking metaphor of blood replacing both light and darkness as victim's eyes were plucked out with a knife. That common torture was probably a mere sadism, since the victims were mass-murdered by Croatian

after that anyway: :''Blood is my daylight and darkness too.'' :''Blessing of night has been gouged from my cheeks'' :''Bearing with it my more lucky sight.'' :''Within those holes, for tears, fierce fire inflamed'' :''The bleeding socket as if for brain a balm –'' :''While my bright eyes died on my own palm''

In culture

* Paul Éluard wrote a poem called ''The grave of Goran Kovačić''. * A Yugoslavian film ''

Ivan Goran Kovačić Ivan Goran Kovačić (; 21 March 1913 – 12 July 1943) was a Croatian poet and writer. Early life and background He was born in the town of Lukovdol, Vrbovsko municipality, in Gorski Kotar, to a Croat father, Ivan Kovačić, and Transylvani ...

'', was made in 1979, written and directed by Ljubiša Ristić. Croatian actor

Rade Šerbedžija Rade Šerbedžija ( sr-Cyrl, Раде Шербеџија, ; born 27 July 1946) is a Croatian actor, director and musician. He is known for his portrayals of imposing figures on both sides of the law. He was one of the best known Yugoslav actors ...

portrayed Kovačić. * The ban
Warnament
recorded a song titled "Hollow Of The Innocent Victims" inspired by the poe
''"Jama"''
*

Branko Miljković Branko Miljković (Serbian Cyrillic: Бранко Миљковић; 29 January 1934 – 12 February 1961) was a Serbian poet. Biography Miljković was born in Niš to a Serb father Gligorije Miljković, who hails from Gadžin Han, and a Croat m ...

's poem ''"Goran"'' is dedicated to Ivan Goran Kovačić. *

Dragutin Tadijanović Dragutin Tadijanović (4 November 1905 – 27 June 2007) was a Croatian poet, and in his native Croatia he is referred to as a "Bard." Tadijanović was born in the village of Rastušje close to Slavonski Brod in the region of Slavonia. He publ ...

's poem ''"Goran's Epitaph"'' (1945) is dedicated to Ivan Goran Kovačić. *

Živko Anočić Živko Anočić (born 13 May 1981) is a Croatian male actor. He appeared in more than fifteen films since 2005. Filmography Film Voice acting References External links

* 1981 births Living people Actors from Osijek Croatian male ...

portrayed the poet in ''Narodni heroj Ljiljan Vidić'', receiving critical acclaim

Bibliography

* * * * *

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kovacic, Ivan Goran 1913 births 1943 deaths People from Vrbovsko People from the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia Croatian Jews Jews from Austria-Hungary Croatian Austro-Hungarians Croatian people of Romanian-Jewish descent Yugoslav Partisans members Croatian people of World War II Jewish poets Croatian writers Yugoslav writers Executed writers Yugoslav military personnel killed in World War II People killed by Chetniks during World War II 20th-century Croatian poets Gorski Kotar