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Josip Broz Tito
born May 7, 1892, Kumrovec, near Zagreb, Croatia, Austria-Hungary [now in Croatia]
died May 4, 1980, Ljubljana, Yugos. [now in Slovenia]
Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman
That is how the Encyclopedia Britannica starts its entry on Tito, who died today 29 years ago. Today's TV Kalendar featured a short item about Tito, otherwise I would have completely forgotten about it. Except for older generations (35+), no one in Croatia seems to pay much attention to the 4th of May, which does not mean that Tito and his legacy are forgotten all together. He, his partisan army, and their ustaše opponents regularly dominate the news. Last week's commemoration at the site of concentration camp Jasenovac led to the usual bickering between Croatian president Mesić, the catholic church, Croats with (too much) love for the homeland and historians. Mesić, referring to mass graves filled with bodies of victims of the partisans, said that Tito was no criminal and that his rule was not criminal.
What followed was the usual outcry. If murdering people is a crime, then those responsible for it are criminals, said the head of the Helsinki Committee. I can see the logic of that, but I would first like to know who the "victims" of the partisans are. Are these innocent, homeland-loving Croats who wanted to save their country from communism, or are these "victims" the very same people who tried to purify Croatia from Serbs, Jews and gypsies in the Second World War and set up Jasenovac?
Back to Tito. I accidentally visited Kumrovec last week, Tito's birthplace. Kumrovec has been turned into an ethno-village, with the humble dwellings of blacksmiths, farmers, craftsmen and so on. I was surprised to see that Tito's house was rather big.
And popular with tourists, who can also buy appropriate souvenirs.
Marshal Tito was a great friend of younger generations, so don't hesitate to bring you teenage boys and girls.
If you are in the region anyway, you could also visit the birthplace of Antun Augustinčić, the sculptor best known for his statue of Tito. Augustinčić was born on 4 May 1900 in Klanjec, at a stone's throw from Kumrovec. Guess who's the mayor of Klanjec? Žarko Broz.
Drive another twenty kilometers through the charming landscape of Zagorje and you will pass by Veliko Trgovišće, the birthplace of Franjo Tuđman, who was once proud to be a partisan but who also rounded down the number of victims of Jasenovac.
born May 7, 1892, Kumrovec, near Zagreb, Croatia, Austria-Hungary [now in Croatia]
died May 4, 1980, Ljubljana, Yugos. [now in Slovenia]
Yugoslav revolutionary and statesman
That is how the Encyclopedia Britannica starts its entry on Tito, who died today 29 years ago. Today's TV Kalendar featured a short item about Tito, otherwise I would have completely forgotten about it. Except for older generations (35+), no one in Croatia seems to pay much attention to the 4th of May, which does not mean that Tito and his legacy are forgotten all together. He, his partisan army, and their ustaše opponents regularly dominate the news. Last week's commemoration at the site of concentration camp Jasenovac led to the usual bickering between Croatian president Mesić, the catholic church, Croats with (too much) love for the homeland and historians. Mesić, referring to mass graves filled with bodies of victims of the partisans, said that Tito was no criminal and that his rule was not criminal.
What followed was the usual outcry. If murdering people is a crime, then those responsible for it are criminals, said the head of the Helsinki Committee. I can see the logic of that, but I would first like to know who the "victims" of the partisans are. Are these innocent, homeland-loving Croats who wanted to save their country from communism, or are these "victims" the very same people who tried to purify Croatia from Serbs, Jews and gypsies in the Second World War and set up Jasenovac?
Back to Tito. I accidentally visited Kumrovec last week, Tito's birthplace. Kumrovec has been turned into an ethno-village, with the humble dwellings of blacksmiths, farmers, craftsmen and so on. I was surprised to see that Tito's house was rather big.
And popular with tourists, who can also buy appropriate souvenirs.
Marshal Tito was a great friend of younger generations, so don't hesitate to bring you teenage boys and girls.
If you are in the region anyway, you could also visit the birthplace of Antun Augustinčić, the sculptor best known for his statue of Tito. Augustinčić was born on 4 May 1900 in Klanjec, at a stone's throw from Kumrovec. Guess who's the mayor of Klanjec? Žarko Broz.
Drive another twenty kilometers through the charming landscape of Zagorje and you will pass by Veliko Trgovišće, the birthplace of Franjo Tuđman, who was once proud to be a partisan but who also rounded down the number of victims of Jasenovac.
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