Juraj Dobrila
Encyclopedia
Juraj Dobrila (16 March 1812 – 13 January 1882) was a bishop and benefactor from Istria
who advocated for greater national rights for Croats under Italian rule.
Dobrila was born in the village of Veli Ježenj, Tinjanština (Antignana) region of middle Istria, which was then and for a brief period part of Napoleon's Illyrian provinces
and shortly thereafter the Habsburg monarchy
(today part of Croatia
). His above-average intelligence let him engage a German elementary school in Tinjan
and Pazin
, then a gymnasium
in Gorizia
, and Karlovac
where he also attended a seminary
. He became a priest
in 1837 and took duty 1837 - 1838 in Munama and Hrusici. From 1839 he studied theology
at Augustineum in Vienna
and finished in 1842. After his studies, he became a chaplain
in Trieste
, 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
, 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
, 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
and Kastav
) and encouraged the peasant
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
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 is depicted on the obverse
of the Croatian 10 kuna
banknote, issued in 1993, 1995, 2001 and 2004. Two high schools are named after Dobrila, one in Pazin
and one in Pula
.
The University of Pula is called in his honour Juraj Dobrila University of Pula.
Istria
Istria , formerly Histria , is the largest peninsula in the Adriatic Sea. The peninsula is located at the head of the Adriatic between the Gulf of Trieste and the Bay of Kvarner...
who advocated for greater national rights for Croats under Italian rule.
Dobrila was born in the village of Veli Ježenj, Tinjanština (Antignana) region of middle Istria, which was then and for a brief period part of Napoleon's Illyrian provinces
Illyrian provinces
The Illyrian Provinces was an autonomous province of the Napoleonic French Empire on the north and east coasts of the Adriatic Sea between 1809 and 1816. Its capital was established at Laybach...
and shortly thereafter the Habsburg monarchy
Habsburg Monarchy
The Habsburg Monarchy covered the territories ruled by the junior Austrian branch of the House of Habsburg , and then by the successor House of Habsburg-Lorraine , between 1526 and 1867/1918. The Imperial capital was Vienna, except from 1583 to 1611, when it was moved to Prague...
(today part of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
). His above-average intelligence let him engage a German elementary school in Tinjan
Tinjan
Tinjan is a village and municipality in Istria, Croatia. The population is 1,800 , 400 pf whom live in the eponymous village. It is 50 km north of Pula and 10 km southwest of Pazin, in the Draga valley. The Coat of Arms of Tinjan is azure on a base vert a tower argent behind walls of the...
and Pazin
Pazin
Pazin is the administrative seat of Istria County in Croatia. The town has a population of 4,986 , the total Pazin municipality population is 9,227...
, then a gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
in Gorizia
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
, and Karlovac
Gymnasium Karlovac
Gymnasium Karlovac , sometimes historically referred to as Higher Real Gymnasium, is a gymnasium in the city of Karlovac in Croatia. Housed in a dedicated building constructed in 1863, the school considers itself to have been founded as early as 1766. At that time, Karlovac was part of the Croatian...
where he also attended a seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
. He became a priest
Priest
A priest is a person authorized to perform the sacred rites of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in particular, rites of sacrifice to, and propitiation of, a deity or deities...
in 1837 and took duty 1837 - 1838 in Munama and Hrusici. From 1839 he studied theology
Theology
Theology is the systematic and rational study of religion and its influences and of the nature of religious truths, or the learned profession acquired by completing specialized training in religious studies, usually at a university or school of divinity or seminary.-Definition:Augustine of Hippo...
at Augustineum in Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and finished in 1842. After his studies, he became a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
in Trieste
Trieste
Trieste is a city and seaport in northeastern Italy. It is situated towards the end of a narrow strip of land lying between the Adriatic Sea and Italy's border with Slovenia, which lies almost immediately south and east of the city...
, a German enlighter and a principal of a girl-school. From 1857 to 1875 he was the bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
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
Josip Juraj Strossmayer was a Croatian politician, Roman Catholic bishop and benefactor.-Early life and rise as a cleric:...
, 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
Revolutions of 1848
The European Revolutions of 1848, known in some countries as the Spring of Nations, Springtime of the Peoples or the Year of Revolution, were a series of political upheavals throughout Europe in 1848. It was the first Europe-wide collapse of traditional authority, but within a year reactionary...
, 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
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
and Kastav
Kastav
Kastav is a historical town located about 10 km northwest of Rijeka and about 5 km northeast of Opatija in Primorje-Gorski Kotar County in Croatia.-Demographics:The total population of Kastav is 10,472 ....
) and encouraged the peasant
Peasant
A peasant is an agricultural worker who generally tend to be poor and homeless-Etymology:The word is derived from 15th century French païsant meaning one from the pays, or countryside, ultimately from the Latin pagus, or outlying administrative district.- Position in society :Peasants typically...
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
Prayer book
A 'prayer book' is a book outlining the 'liturgy' of religious services.In this sense, it may carry the following specific names in various religions:*Breviary or Missal, in Roman Catholicism*Agenda , in Lutheranism...
Oče, budi volja tvoja in Croatian in 1854, and supported the publishing of the first Croatian
Croatian language
Croatian is the collective name for the standard language and dialects spoken by Croats, principally in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Serbian province of Vojvodina and other neighbouring countries...
newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
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
First Vatican Council
The First Vatican Council was convoked by Pope Pius IX on 29 June 1868, after a period of planning and preparation that began on 6 December 1864. This twentieth ecumenical council of the Roman Catholic Church, held three centuries after the Council of Trent, opened on 8 December 1869 and adjourned...
(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 is depicted on the obverse
Obverse and reverse
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, obverse means the front face of the object and reverse...
of the Croatian 10 kuna
Croatian kuna
The kuna is the currency of Croatia since 1994 . It is subdivided into 100 lipa. The kuna is issued by the Croatian National Bank and the coins are minted by the Croatian Monetary Institute....
banknote, issued in 1993, 1995, 2001 and 2004. Two high schools are named after Dobrila, one in Pazin
Pazin
Pazin is the administrative seat of Istria County in Croatia. The town has a population of 4,986 , the total Pazin municipality population is 9,227...
and one in Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
.
The University of Pula is called in his honour Juraj Dobrila University of Pula.