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Petar Preradović (; 19 March 1818 – 18 August 1872) was a Croatian
poet A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
,
writer A writer is a person who uses written words in different writing styles, genres and techniques to communicate ideas, to inspire feelings and emotions, or to entertain. Writers may develop different forms of writing such as novels, short sto ...
, and military general. He was one of the most important Croatian poets of the 19th century Illyrian movement and the main representative of
romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
in
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
. He was also the paternal grandfather of the Austrian writer and poet Paula Preradović, who is best known for composing the lyrics of the Austrian national anthem.


Early life and education

Petar Preradović was born to a family of Serb origin in the village of Grabrovnica near the town of Pitomača in modern-day
Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...
, which was a part of the Croatian Military Frontier at the time. He was born to Ivan and Pelagija () Preradović, and spent his childhood in his fathers' hometown of Grubišno Polje and Đurđevac. In autobiography ''Crtice moga života'', Preradović wrote of himself as 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 ...
. He had two sisters, Marija (20 December 1812 – 25 February 1867) and Ana (11 February 1820 – 5 April 1822). Following his fathers' death in 1828, Preradović, like many from the Military Frontier area, chose to become a professional soldier. He enrolled at the military academy in
Bjelovar Bjelovar (, , Czech language, Czech: ''Bělovar'' or ''Bělovár,'' Kajkavian dialect, Kajkavian: ''Belovar,'' Latin: ''Bellovarium'') is a city in central Croatia. In the Demographics of Croatia, 2021 census, its population was 36,316 . It is ...
and later Wiener Neustadt where he converted from
Eastern Orthodox Church The Eastern Orthodox Church, officially the Orthodox Catholic Church, and also called the Greek Orthodox Church or simply the Orthodox Church, is List of Christian denominations by number of members, one of the three major doctrinal and ...
to
Catholicism The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the List of Christian denominations by number of members, largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics Catholic Church by country, worldwid ...
and went on to excel as one of the school's best students. During the training, all Academy students were conducted as Roman Catholics, which could have been changed at the express request of the soldier. However, this has rarely occurred. Thus Preradović, tacitly signed as a Roman Catholic convert from the Orthodox Christianity which was legitimized by a formal act of conversion. His loyalty to the Roman Catholic Church was later increased since both he and his wife were Roman Catholics. While at the Academy, he began writing his first poems in German with distinctive features of
romanticism Romanticism (also known as the Romantic movement or Romantic era) was an artistic and intellectual movement that originated in Europe towards the end of the 18th century. The purpose of the movement was to advocate for the importance of subjec ...
.


Career

After graduation, he was stationed in
Milan Milan ( , , ; ) is a city in northern Italy, regional capital of Lombardy, the largest city in Italy by urban area and the List of cities in Italy, second-most-populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of nea ...
where he met Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski, a fellow officer from Croatia, who inspired him to start writing in Croatian. This stimulated his interest in Croatian culture and Croatia's political and economic situation. After Milan, Preradović was posted to Zadar where he wrote his first song in Croatian, ''Poslanica Špiri Dimitroviću'' (''Epistle to Špiro Dimitrović''). His writings were published in the local Croatian-language newspaper ''Zora dalmatinska'' in 1846. He then went to
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, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
where he met the leading figures of the Illyrian movement. At the request of Ante Kuzmanić, who was then-editor of the ''Zora dalmatinska'', Preradović wrote the song "Zora puca, biche dana" ("Dawn breaks, the day is coming") for the first issue of the paper, published on 1 January 1844. Like most of his songs, this one speaks of the emergence of Croatian national consciousness and suggests a new, prosperous era for the Croatian people. Since then, he had systematically continued his poetry in Croatian and has also advocated official acceptance of
Ljudevit Gaj Ljudevit Gaj (; born Ludwig Gay; ; 8 August 1809 – 20 April 1872) was a Croatian linguist, politician, journalist and writer. He was one of the central figures of the pan-Slavist Illyrian movement. Biography Origin He was born in Krapina ( ...
's grammar in southern Croatia. In 1848, he was again stationed in
Italy Italy, officially the Italian Republic, is a country in Southern Europe, Southern and Western Europe, Western Europe. It consists of Italian Peninsula, a peninsula that extends into the Mediterranean Sea, with the Alps on its northern land b ...
where he took part in the
Wars of Italian Unification The War of Italian Independence, or Italian Wars of Independence, include: * First Italian War of Independence (1848–1849) * Second Italian War of Independence (1859) * Third Italian War of Independence (1866) * Fourth Italian War of Independence ...
. In September 1848, he traveled to
Dubrovnik Dubrovnik, historically known as Ragusa, is a city in southern Dalmatia, Croatia, by the Adriatic Sea. It is one of the most prominent tourist destinations in the Mediterranean Sea, Mediterranean, a Port, seaport and the centre of the Dubrovni ...
, where a month later he married Zadar native Pavica de Ponte. In 1849, he was transferred to
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, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
where he was assigned to the military department of the Ban's Court (Government of the
Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia The Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia (; or ; ) was a nominally autonomous kingdom and constitutionally defined separate political nation within the Austro-Hungarian Empire. It was created in 1868 by merging the kingdoms of Kingdom of Croatia (Habs ...
). In 1851, Ban Josip Jelačić appointed him deputy commander of the military department and Ban's
adjutant Adjutant is a military appointment given to an Officer (armed forces), officer who assists the commanding officer with unit administration, mostly the management of “human resources” in an army unit. The term is used in French-speaking armed ...
. At the end of 1852, he moved to
Cremona Cremona ( , , ; ; ) is a city and (municipality) in northern Italy, situated in Lombardy, on the left bank of the Po (river), Po river in the middle of the Po Valley. It is the capital of the province of Cremona and the seat of the local city a ...
, in 1853 to Verona, in September of that same year to Pančevo, and afterward to Kovin, Arad 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 ...
. In 1854, he was assigned to the Supreme Command in
Vienna Vienna ( ; ; ) is the capital city, capital, List of largest cities in Austria, most populous city, and one of Federal states of Austria, nine federal states of Austria. It is Austria's primate city, with just over two million inhabitants. ...
. In 1855, his wife Pavica committed suicide which sparked his interest in
spiritism Spiritism may refer to: Religion * Espiritismo, a Latin American and Caribbean belief that evolved and less evolved spirits can affect health, luck and other aspects of human life * Kardecist spiritism, a new religious movement established in ...
in his later years. In 1865, he married Emma Regner and was sent to Verona to fight in a war with Italy. On 24 February 1864, Emperor Franz Joseph I awarded Preradović with the nobility, and also gave him a part of his personal treasury as Preradović was at the time in a bad financial situation. Preradović wrote a song in his honor. In 1866, he became a general. In mid-1871, he participated in the military exercises at Bruck and was in the same year suggested for the position of Croatian ban, but he was very sick and wrote in a letter that he was not interested. As his health continued to deteriorate at the end of 1871, he was sent to treatment in Mariabrunn near
Munich Munich is the capital and most populous city of Bavaria, Germany. As of 30 November 2024, its population was 1,604,384, making it the third-largest city in Germany after Berlin and Hamburg. Munich is the largest city in Germany that is no ...
and then in the Austrian town of Fahrafeld. Petar Preradović died on 18 August 1872 from dropsy. He was buried on 21 August 1872 in Vienna. Viennese youth organization Velebit, proposed that his remains should be transferred to Zagreb. On 11 July 1879, his remains were removed from the Vienna cemetery and transferred to the arcades of Mirogoj cemetery where he was buried on 14 July 1879. Mayor of Zagreb August Šenoa held an inspired speech and stirred up the hymn to Preradović, which was inaugurated by Ivan Zajc. The gravestone monument to Petar Preradović, depicting Croatia in a form of a woman that lays flowers on his grave, was made by sculptor Ivan Rendić. He had eight children: Čedomil (8 July 1849 – 24 September 1849), Milica (b. 24 September 1850), Slavica (17 August 1852 – 23 March 1854), Dušan (18 September 1854 – 30 September 1920), Radovan Josip Petar (24 August 1858 – 11 February 1908), Milan (5 February 1866 – 6 August 1879), Zora (13 December 1867 – 10 May 1927) and Jelica (13 June 1870 – 27 December 1870). One of his grandchildren was
Paula von Preradović Paula or PAULA may refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional characters * Paula, in television sitcom ''Dr. Cándido Pérez'' * Paula, in video game ''EarthBound'' * Paula, List of The Larry Sanders Show characters, in ''The Larry Sanders Show' ...
, Austrian poet and the author of the Austrian national anthem.


Lyrical poetry

While attending the military academy in Vienna, Preradović began writing his first poems (''Der Brand von Neustadt'', 1834) in German. In 1840, he met Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski, who awoke his interest in Croatian culture and encouraged him to write in his native Croatian. In 1841, in Zagreb's German magazine ''Croatia'' he published the song ''Das Uskoken-Mädchen''. On the initiative of Špiro Dmitrović, in 1843, Preradović wrote the first poem in Croatian, ''Poslanica Špiri Dimitroviću''. His first published song written in Croatian ''Zora puca, bit će dana'' was published in 1844 in the first issue of Zora dalmatinska. Preradović remained one of the constants of Croatian romanticism by its very nature.


Translator

Preradović translated during schooling the song ''Máy'' by Czech poet Karel Hynek Mácha to German. He published in ''Prevenci'' his translations of works by Lenau, Schmidt von Lübeck, Gleim, Wieland,
Goethe Johann Wolfgang (von) Goethe (28 August 1749 – 22 March 1832) was a German polymath who is widely regarded as the most influential writer in the German language. His work has had a wide-ranging influence on Western literature, literary, Polit ...
and Bürger. Under Kukuljević's advisement, he translated part of Ivan Gundulić's ''Osman'' to German. Preradović translated from French to Croatian Allan Kardec's ''L’Évangile selon le Spiritisme'' (Zagreb, 1865). He also translated works by V. J. Pick, George Gordon Byron, Dante Alighieri and Alessandro Manzoni. Preradović translated from Croatian to German Franjo Rački's ''Rieka prema Hrvatskoj'' (Fiume gegenüber von Croatien, Dr Franz Rački, Aus dem kroatischen übers von X.Y., Zagreb, 1869). He spoke German, Italian, French, English and almost all Slavic languages.


Works

* Pervenci: različne piesme od P. Preradovića, Zadar, 1846. *Nove pjesme, Zagreb, 1851. *Proslov k svečanom otvorenju Narodnoga kazališta dne 29. siječnja 1852. Od P. P. Brzotiskom dra. Ljudevita Gaja., Zagreb, 1852. *Prvi ljudi, 1862. *Poesie di Pietro Preradović., Traduzione di Giovanni Nikolić. Tip. Demarchi-Rougier. Zadar, 1866. *Opera libreto Vladimir i Kosara (in 4 acts) *Lopudska siroticaĐuro Šurmin, Povjest književnosti hrvatske i srpske, Tisak i naklada knjižare L. Hartmana, Kugli i Deutsch, 1898., Google Books, p. 182-183 *Pustinjak


Published posthumously

Incomplete list : *Pjesnička djela Petra Preradovića, Izdana troškom naroda, Zagreb, 1873 *Gedichte / Peter Preradović; treu nach dem Kroatischen übersetzt von H. ermanS. ommer Druck von I. Franck , Osijek, 1875 *Izabrane pjesme, Intro by Milivoj Šrepel, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb, 1890 *Izabrane pjesme Petra Preradovića / ed. Franjo Bartuš, Zagreb, 1896 *Básně / Petr Preradović; z chorvatštiny přeložil Frant. Veverka, J. Otto, Prag, 1904 *Život i pjesme Petra Preradovića, ed. Rudolfo Franjin Magjer, Klub hrvatskih književnika Osijek, Osijek, 1916 *Djela Petra Preradovića / ed. Branko Vodnik, volume 2, Zagreb, 1918–1919 *Pesme / Petar Preradović d. Andra Žeželj Beograd, 1940 *Preradovićeva pisma Vatroslavu Bertiću / ed. Ivan Esih, HAZU, Zagreb, 1950 *Izabrane pjesme / Petar Preradović, ed. Dragutin Tadijanović, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb, 1956 *Petar Preradović. Pozdrav domovini: izabrane pjesme, ed. Dragutin Tadijanović, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb, 1968 *Rodu o jeziku / Petar Preradović, ed. Dragutin Tadijanović), Preradovićev muzej u Grabrovnici, Grabrovnica, 1972 *Izabrane pjesme / Petar Preradović,ed. Mirko Tomasović, Erasmus, Zagreb, 1994 *Izabrana djela, ed.Cvjetko Milanja, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb, 1997 *Petar Preradović. Izabrane pjesme, Matica hrvatska, Zagreb, 1999 *Putnik, izabrane pjesme, Kršćanska sadašnjost, Zagreb, 2004


Gallery

File:Petar Preradović Square (Zagreb).jpg, A statue of Petar Preradović at the Preradović square 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, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...
File:Cathedral of the Transfiguration of the Lord in Zagreb 01.jpg, A view of Preradović square in Zagreb with the Serbian Orthodox Cathedral in the background File:GuentherZ 2010-07-10 0125 Wien03 Ungargasse39 Gedenktafel Petar Preradovic.jpg, Commemorative Plaque in Vienna File:Bjelovar knjiznica.JPG, The Petar Preradović Library in
Bjelovar Bjelovar (, , Czech language, Czech: ''Bělovar'' or ''Bělovár,'' Kajkavian dialect, Kajkavian: ''Belovar,'' Latin: ''Bellovarium'') is a city in central Croatia. In the Demographics of Croatia, 2021 census, its population was 36,316 . It is ...


See also

* Lavoslav Vukelić


References


External links


Petar Preradović: Izabrane pjesme


{{DEFAULTSORT:Preradovic, Petar 1818 births 1872 deaths People from Pitomača 19th-century Croatian people 19th-century Austrian people Burials at Mirogoj Cemetery Croatian Austro-Hungarians People of the Illyrian movement 19th-century Croatian poets Converts to Roman Catholicism from Eastern Orthodoxy Former Serbian Orthodox Christians People of the Military Frontier Habsburg Croats Poets from the Austrian Empire Croatian male poets 19th-century Croatian male writers Austrian Roman Catholics Croatian Roman Catholics Habsburg Serbs Theresian Military Academy alumni Serbs of Croatia Poets from Austria-Hungary