Vjekoslav Vrancic
Encyclopedia
Vjekoslav Vrančić was a member of the Croatia
n World War II
Ustaše
regime. As the undersecretary for the interior, he was responsible for the concentration camps set up in Croatia and the repressive acts of the police.
Vrančić was born in Ljubuški
on March 25, 1904.
He reached the rank of Major
in the Ustaša forces. More significantly, he held the government posts of Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and later Minister of Labour of the Independent State of Croatia
.
He managed to escape from the country after the war and made it to Argentina
under false papers obtained with the help of Krunoslav Draganovic
. He lived the rest of his life there until his death in Buenos Aires
in 1990. He was active in the Croatian community of Argentina, and became vice-president of the Croatian so-called "government in exile" under Ante Pavelić
. Vrancic was also involved in terrorist activities with extreme right-wing Argentine political groups. In Argentina, he formed the weekly paper Hrvatski narod ("Croatian People').
At the Croatian National Council
's parliament in 1980, Vrančić stated that the new Croatian nation could not rely on the tradition of the Independent State of Croatia, and would have to minimize that tradition as much as possible.
Vrančić was awarded the honorary title Vitez ("knight
") and as such the title is often included with his name.
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 World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
regime. As the undersecretary for the interior, he was responsible for the concentration camps set up in Croatia and the repressive acts of the police.
Vrančić was born in Ljubuški
Ljubuški
Ljubuški is a town and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina, located in thewestern part of Herzegovina.-1971:28.269 total* Croats - 26.198 * Muslims by nationality - 1.812 * Serbs - 118 * Yugoslavs - 49...
on March 25, 1904.
He reached the rank of Major
Major
Major is a rank of commissioned officer, with corresponding ranks existing in almost every military in the world.When used unhyphenated, in conjunction with no other indicator of rank, the term refers to the rank just senior to that of an Army captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel. ...
in the Ustaša forces. More significantly, he held the government posts of Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs and later Minister of Labour of the Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
.
He managed to escape from the country after the war and made it to Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
under false papers obtained with the help of Krunoslav Draganovic
Krunoslav Draganovic
Krunoslav Stjepan Draganović was a Croatian Roman Catholic priest and historian who is accused as being one of the main organisers of the ratlines which aided the escape of Nazi war criminals from Europe after World War II.-Biography:Draganović was from Travnik...
. He lived the rest of his life there until his death in Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires is the capital and largest city of Argentina, and the second-largest metropolitan area in South America, after São Paulo. It is located on the western shore of the estuary of the Río de la Plata, on the southeastern coast of the South American continent...
in 1990. He was active in the Croatian community of Argentina, and became vice-president of the Croatian so-called "government in exile" under Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelic
Ante Pavelić was a Croatian fascist leader, revolutionary, and politician. He ruled as Poglavnik or head, of the Independent State of Croatia , a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia...
. Vrancic was also involved in terrorist activities with extreme right-wing Argentine political groups. In Argentina, he formed the weekly paper Hrvatski narod ("Croatian People').
At the Croatian National Council
Croatian National Council
The Croatian National Council was a representative body of Croatian emigrant groups which operated from 1974 to the nation's independence in 1991....
's parliament in 1980, Vrančić stated that the new Croatian nation could not rely on the tradition of the Independent State of Croatia, and would have to minimize that tradition as much as possible.
Vrančić was awarded the honorary title Vitez ("knight
Knight
A knight was a member of a class of lower nobility in the High Middle Ages.By the Late Middle Ages, the rank had become associated with the ideals of chivalry, a code of conduct for the perfect courtly Christian warrior....
") and as such the title is often included with his name.