Petar Preradovic
Encyclopedia
Petar Preradović was a Croatia
n poet of Serb
origin.
(near Pitomača
), which was part of the Austrian Military Frontier
, in Serbian Orthodox family of Jovan (Ivan) Preradović and Pelagija Preradović. He spent childhood in Grubišno Polje
, were his father was born. Like many from the area, he chose to become a professional soldier. He was educated at the military academy at Wiener Neustadt
where he converted to Catholicism
and later excelled as one of the best students. There he began to write his first poems in German
.
After graduation he was stationed in Milan
, where he met Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski
, who inspired him to start writing in Croatian
. Preradović was later stationed in Zadar
where he began to write for the local Croatian newspaper Zora dalmatinska in 1846. He then went to Zagreb
where he met the leading figures of the Illyrian movement
. The champions of Illyrism, instrumental in securing the triumph of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
and Ljudevit Gaj
, were Njegoš, Branko Radičević
, Atanacković, Stjepan Mitrov Ljubiša
, Vraz, Mažuranić, and Preradović.
In 1847 he was again stationed in Italy
where he took part in the Wars of Italian Unification
. When he returned to Croatia
, he became a close associate of Josip Jelačić
. He was stationed to various Austrian military outposts and gradually rose to the rank of general.
Preradović wrote poetry under the strong influence of national romanticism, while his poems often show Panslavist ideas. Due to family tragedy, he took interest in spiritism
and wrote some articles about the subject.
His life, torn between his military career, politics and literature, was also marked by gambling problems and bad health. He died in Fahrafeld, Austria
at the age of 54.
He had seven children. One of his grandchildren was Paula von Preradović
, Austrian poet and the author of the Austrian national anthem.
Who has stirred thee, heart of mine,
That thou art so restless now?
As a bird in a cage thou longest,
In the heavens to wing thy way.
Be still, my heart, be still! . . .
In most of his poems Preradović upheld a mystic patriotism in the manner of the Polish messianists and Czech and Slovak pan-Slavists. But being too reflective, and not so keen as his progenitors, he did not exercise any decided influence on his successors.
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 ...
n poet of Serb
Serbs of Croatia
Višeslav of Serbia, a contemporary of Charlemagne , ruled the Županias of Neretva, Tara, Piva, Lim, his ancestral lands. According to the Royal Frankish Annals , Duke of Pannonia Ljudevit Posavski fled, during the Frankish invasion, from his seat in Sisak to the Serbs in western Bosnia, who...
origin.
Biography
Preradović was born in the village of GrabrovnicaGrabrovnica
Grabrovnica is a village in Croatia located in the Pitomača municipality, Virovitica-Podravina County. The village is known as a birthplace of Croatian poet Petar Preradović.-References:...
(near Pitomača
Pitomaca
Pitomača is a municipality in Croatia in the Virovitica–Podravina County. It has a population of 10,465 , 98% which are Croats....
), which was part of the Austrian Military Frontier
Military Frontier
The Military Frontier was a borderland of Habsburg Austria and later the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy, which acted as the cordon sanitaire against incursions from the Ottoman Empire...
, in Serbian Orthodox family of Jovan (Ivan) Preradović and Pelagija Preradović. He spent childhood in Grubišno Polje
Grubišno Polje
-Demographics:In the 2001 census, the municipality had 7,523 inhabitants, with the following ethnic makeup:* 4,692 Croats* 1,356 Czechs* 872 Serbs* 228 Hungarians...
, were his father was born. Like many from the area, he chose to become a professional soldier. He was educated at the military academy at Wiener Neustadt
Wiener Neustadt
-Main sights:* The Late-Romanesque Dom, consecrated in 1279 and cathedral from 1469 to 1785. The choir and transept, in Gothic style, are from the 14th century. In the late 15th century 12 statues of the Apostles were added in the apse, while the bust of Cardinal Melchior Klesl is attributed to...
where he converted to Catholicism
Catholicism
Catholicism is a broad term for the body of the Catholic faith, its theologies and doctrines, its liturgical, ethical, spiritual, and behavioral characteristics, as well as a religious people as a whole....
and later excelled as one of the best students. There he began to write his first poems in German
German language
German is a West Germanic language, related to and classified alongside English and Dutch. With an estimated 90 – 98 million native speakers, German is one of the world's major languages and is the most widely-spoken first language in the European Union....
.
After graduation he was stationed in Milan
Milan
Milan is the second-largest city in Italy and the capital city of the region of Lombardy and of the province of Milan. The city proper has a population of about 1.3 million, while its urban area, roughly coinciding with its administrative province and the bordering Province of Monza and Brianza ,...
, where he met Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski
Ivan Kukuljevic Sakcinski
Ivan Kukuljević Sakcinski was a Croatian historian, politician and writer. Most famous for the first speech delivered in Croatian before the Parliament, this patriot and cultural figure did some pioneering work in Croatian historiography and bibliography...
, who inspired him to start writing in 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...
. Preradović was later stationed in Zadar
Zadar
Zadar is a city in Croatia on the Adriatic Sea. It is the centre of Zadar county and the wider northern Dalmatian region. Population of the city is 75,082 citizens...
where he began to write for the local Croatian newspaper Zora dalmatinska in 1846. He then went to Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
where he met the leading figures of the Illyrian movement
Illyrian movement
The Illyrian movement , also Croatian national revival , was a cultural and political campaign with roots in the early modern period, and revived by a group of young Croatian intellectuals during the first half of 19th century, around the years of 1835–1849...
. The champions of Illyrism, instrumental in securing the triumph of Vuk Stefanović Karadžić
Vuk Stefanovic Karadžic
Vuk Stefanović Karadžić was a Serbian philolog and linguist, the major reformer of the Serbian language, and deserves, perhaps, for his collections of songs, fairy tales, and riddles to be called the father of the study of Serbian folklore. He was the author of the first Serbian dictionary...
and Ljudevit Gaj
Ljudevit Gaj
Ljudevit Gaj was a Croatian linguist, politician, journalist and writer. He was one of the central figures of the Croatian national reformation, also known as the Illyrian Movement.-Origin:...
, were Njegoš, Branko Radičević
Branko Radicevic
Branko Radičević , an influential Serbian poet, within a short space of time contrived to enhance Serbian literature with several perennially attractive poems.- Biography:...
, Atanacković, Stjepan Mitrov Ljubiša
Stjepan Mitrov Ljubiša
Stjepan Mitrov Ljubiša , was a Serbian-Montenegrin writer and politician. He is famous for his unique short stories, generally ranked among the masterpieces of Serbian literature in its day...
, Vraz, Mažuranić, and Preradović.
In 1847 he was again stationed in Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
where he took part in the Wars of Italian Unification
Italian unification
Italian unification was the political and social movement that agglomerated different states of the Italian peninsula into the single state of Italy in the 19th century...
. When he returned to 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 ...
, he became a close associate of Josip Jelačić
Josip Jelacic
Count Josip Jelačić of Bužim was the Ban of Croatia between 23 March 1848 and 19 May 1859...
. He was stationed to various Austrian military outposts and gradually rose to the rank of general.
Preradović wrote poetry under the strong influence of national romanticism, while his poems often show Panslavist ideas. Due to family tragedy, he took interest in spiritism
Spiritism
Spiritism is a loose corpus of religious faiths having in common the general belief in the survival of a spirit after death. In a stricter sense, it is the religion, beliefs and practices of the people affiliated to the International Spiritist Union, based on the works of Allan Kardec and others...
and wrote some articles about the subject.
His life, torn between his military career, politics and literature, was also marked by gambling problems and bad health. He died in Fahrafeld, Austria
Austria
Austria , officially the Republic of Austria , is a landlocked country of roughly 8.4 million people in Central Europe. It is bordered by the Czech Republic and Germany to the north, Slovakia and Hungary to the east, Slovenia and Italy to the south, and Switzerland and Liechtenstein to the...
at the age of 54.
He had seven children. One of his grandchildren was Paula von Preradović
Paula von Preradovic
Paula Preradović , known professionally as Paula von Preradović or by her married name as Paula Molden, was a Croatian and Austrian writer and narrator....
, Austrian poet and the author of the Austrian national anthem.
Lyric Poems
The romantic love for mediaeval traditions has complete expression in two dramas Marko Kralyevich and Vladimir i Kosara of Petar Preradović. But he achieved widespread popularity with his lyric poems. His pensive melancholy expressed itself in the allegory Putnik (The Traveler), which hides a whole life of homelessness and isolation. The same note of sadness and longing is felt in his songlet Miruy, miruy, srtse moye (Be still, my heart, be still):Who has stirred thee, heart of mine,
That thou art so restless now?
As a bird in a cage thou longest,
In the heavens to wing thy way.
Be still, my heart, be still! . . .
In most of his poems Preradović upheld a mystic patriotism in the manner of the Polish messianists and Czech and Slovak pan-Slavists. But being too reflective, and not so keen as his progenitors, he did not exercise any decided influence on his successors.