Andrej Gosar
Encyclopedia
Andrej Gosar was a Slovenia
n and Yugoslav
politician
, sociologist, economist
and political theorist.
, Inner Carniola, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father was a shoemaker, and Andrej worked in his workshop two years, before enrolling to the Classical Gymnasium
in Ljubljana
in 1902. Between 1910 and 1918, he studied law at the University of Vienna
, where he obtained his PhD.
In 1918, after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the creation of Yugoslavia
, he became a legal advisor to the temporary Provincial Government for Slovenia in matters of welfare and social policy. In this period, he joined the conservative-Catholic Slovene People's Party
. In 1920, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In the early 1920s, he became an active trade unionist, serving as a legal expert in the Yugoslav Professional Union, the largest Christian Socialist trade union in Slovenia. In 1922, he was the co-founder of the Alliance of the Working People, a wide left wing platform that unified several political parties, from Christian Socialist groups to Communists, for the local elections. The platform gained significant support, and won the elections in Ljubljana
, establishing a wide range welfare network. In 1925, he was re-elected to the National Assembly. Between 1927 and 1928, he served as Minister of Welfare in the coalition governments of Velimir Vukićević
and Anton Korošec
. In 1929, he was appointed to the State Legislative Council, an institution established during the royal dictatorship of Alexander I of Yugoslavia
as a substitute for an elected parliament. He resigned in 1931, when the Slovene People's Party withdrew its support to the royal regime.
In 1929, he became professor of sociology and economy at the University of Ljubljana
, and between 1935 and 1939, he served as dean of the Faculty for Technology. In the same period, he also became the president of the Yugoslav section of the International Paneuropean Union
.
with welfare regulations, and urged for a politics of "Christian Social activism". In the early 1920s,he was considered one of the leading theoreticians of the Christian Socialist wing of the Slovene People's Party. By the early 1930s, his theories came under attack from all sides: from the right, he was challenged by the corporativist Catholics around Ernest Tomec, Lambert Ehrlich and Josip Jeraj. From the left, he was seen with suspicion by exponents of the radical Christian Socialist youth, such as Tone Fajfar, Aleš Stanovnik and Edvard Kocbek
. He was also criticized by classical liberal economists and by Marxist theoreticians, including Edvard Kardelj
, the foremost theoretician of the Communist Party of Slovenia.
With the rise of Catholic integralism and corporatism
in the late 1930s, Gosar's position in Slovene political Catholicism became marginal. In the last years before the Second World War, Gosar moved to a more centrist position, calling for a Christian Democratic re-alignment of the Slovene People's Party. He warned against authoritarian corporatism, fascism, and Marxism, calling for an "autonomist Christian solidarism", based on communitarian values. He was also one of the most consistent advocates of the autonomy of Slovenia within Yugoslavia. In 1940, he published a volume exploring the legal, economic, financial, political and social arguments for the creation of a "Banovina of Slovenia", based on the model of the autonomous Banovina of Croatia
.
in April 1941, he refused to join the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
, because of its pro-Communist orientation. By late 1941, he broke with the underground leadership of the Slovene People's Party due to disagreements on the issue of the relations towards the Italian occupation regime; contrary to the party's main current, which supported some sort of tacit tactical agreement, Gosar disapproved of all kinds of collaboration with the occupation forces. Rejecting both the partisan movement and the collaborationist Slovene Home Guard, he became one of the leaders of the so-called "Catholic Centre", together with Jakob Šolar in the Province of Ljubljana
, and Engelbert Besednjak
and Virgil Šček in the Julian March
. In 1944, he was arrested by the Nazi German authorities and sent to the Dachau concentration camp.
After the return in 1945, he was stripped of most of his pre-war academic functions by the new Communist regime; he was however allowed to continue teaching forest legislation at the Technical Faculty. After retirement in 1958, he published a personal memoir, in which he bitterly described his position in the decade 1935-1945 as "the voice shouting in the desert".
In 1967, he was awarded with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
by the Holy See
.
He died in Ljubljana in 1970.
Slovenia
Slovenia , officially the Republic of Slovenia , is a country in Central and Southeastern Europe touching the Alps and bordering the Mediterranean. Slovenia borders Italy to the west, Croatia to the south and east, Hungary to the northeast, and Austria to the north, and also has a small portion of...
n and Yugoslav
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
, sociologist, economist
Economist
An economist is a professional in the social science discipline of economics. The individual may also study, develop, and apply theories and concepts from economics and write about economic policy...
and political theorist.
Early life and career
Gosar was born in a working-class family in LogatecLogatec
Logatec is a town and a municipality in Slovenia. It is located roughly in the centre of Inner Carniola between capital Ljubljana and Postojna. The area is mostly covered by forests and is known for biking and hiking routes. The town of Logatec has seen rapid industrial development and immigration...
, Inner Carniola, in what was then the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His father was a shoemaker, and Andrej worked in his workshop two years, before enrolling to the Classical 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 Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
in 1902. Between 1910 and 1918, he studied law at the University of Vienna
University of Vienna
The University of Vienna is a public university located in Vienna, Austria. It was founded by Duke Rudolph IV in 1365 and is the oldest university in the German-speaking world...
, where he obtained his PhD.
In 1918, after the dissolution of the Austro-Hungarian Empire and the creation of Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
, he became a legal advisor to the temporary Provincial Government for Slovenia in matters of welfare and social policy. In this period, he joined the conservative-Catholic Slovene People's Party
Slovene People's Party (historical)
The Slovene People's Party was a Slovenian political party in the 19th and 20th centuries, active in the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. Between 1907 and 1941, it was the largest and arguably the most influential political party in the Slovene Lands...
. In 1920, he was elected to the Constituent Assembly of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. In the early 1920s, he became an active trade unionist, serving as a legal expert in the Yugoslav Professional Union, the largest Christian Socialist trade union in Slovenia. In 1922, he was the co-founder of the Alliance of the Working People, a wide left wing platform that unified several political parties, from Christian Socialist groups to Communists, for the local elections. The platform gained significant support, and won the elections in Ljubljana
Ljubljana
Ljubljana is the capital of Slovenia and its largest city. It is the centre of the City Municipality of Ljubljana. It is located in the centre of the country in the Ljubljana Basin, and is a mid-sized city of some 270,000 inhabitants...
, establishing a wide range welfare network. In 1925, he was re-elected to the National Assembly. Between 1927 and 1928, he served as Minister of Welfare in the coalition governments of Velimir Vukićević
Velimir Vukicevic
Velimir Vukićević was a Serbian Yugoslav politician. He served as Prime Minister of Yugoslavia from April 17, 1927 until July 28, 1928....
and Anton Korošec
Anton Korošec
Anton Korošec was a Slovenian political leader, a prominent member of the conservative People's Party, a priest and a noted orator....
. In 1929, he was appointed to the State Legislative Council, an institution established during the royal dictatorship of Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I of Yugoslavia
Alexander I , also known as Alexander the Unifier was the first king of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia as well as the last king of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes .-Childhood:...
as a substitute for an elected parliament. He resigned in 1931, when the Slovene People's Party withdrew its support to the royal regime.
In 1929, he became professor of sociology and economy at the University of Ljubljana
University of Ljubljana
The University of Ljubljana is the oldest and largest university in Slovenia. With 64,000 enrolled graduate and postgraduate students, it is among the largest universities in Europe.-Beginnings:...
, and between 1935 and 1939, he served as dean of the Faculty for Technology. In the same period, he also became the president of the Yugoslav section of the International Paneuropean Union
International Paneuropean Union
The International Paneuropean Union claims to be the oldest European unification movement and is also referred to as the Paneuropean Movement and the Pan-Europa Movement...
.
Theoretical work
During the 1920s and 1930s, he published numerous treatises on economic and social policies. The most important of these were Essays on National Economy (1922), For A Christian Socialism (1923), Social Economy (1924). In his magnum opus, the treatise For A New Social Order, published in two volumes between 1933 and 1935, he defended a market economyMarket economy
A market economy is an economy in which the prices of goods and services are determined in a free price system. This is often contrasted with a state-directed or planned economy. Market economies can range from hypothetically pure laissez-faire variants to an assortment of real-world mixed...
with welfare regulations, and urged for a politics of "Christian Social activism". In the early 1920s,he was considered one of the leading theoreticians of the Christian Socialist wing of the Slovene People's Party. By the early 1930s, his theories came under attack from all sides: from the right, he was challenged by the corporativist Catholics around Ernest Tomec, Lambert Ehrlich and Josip Jeraj. From the left, he was seen with suspicion by exponents of the radical Christian Socialist youth, such as Tone Fajfar, Aleš Stanovnik and Edvard Kocbek
Edvard Kocbek
Edvard Kocbek was a Slovenian poet, writer, essayist, translator, political activist, and resistance fighter. He is considered as one of the best authors who have written in Slovene, and one of the best Slovene poets after Prešeren...
. He was also criticized by classical liberal economists and by Marxist theoreticians, including Edvard Kardelj
Edvard Kardelj
Edvard Kardelj also known under the pseudonyms Sperans and Krištof was a Yugoslav communist political leader, economist, partisan, publicist, and full member of the Serbian Academy of Sciences and Arts...
, the foremost theoretician of the Communist Party of Slovenia.
With the rise of Catholic integralism and corporatism
Corporatism
Corporatism, also known as corporativism, is a system of economic, political, or social organization that involves association of the people of society into corporate groups, such as agricultural, business, ethnic, labor, military, patronage, or scientific affiliations, on the basis of common...
in the late 1930s, Gosar's position in Slovene political Catholicism became marginal. In the last years before the Second World War, Gosar moved to a more centrist position, calling for a Christian Democratic re-alignment of the Slovene People's Party. He warned against authoritarian corporatism, fascism, and Marxism, calling for an "autonomist Christian solidarism", based on communitarian values. He was also one of the most consistent advocates of the autonomy of Slovenia within Yugoslavia. In 1940, he published a volume exploring the legal, economic, financial, political and social arguments for the creation of a "Banovina of Slovenia", based on the model of the autonomous Banovina of Croatia
Banovina of Croatia
The Banovina of Croatia or Banate of Croatia was a province of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1939 and 1943 . Its capital was at Zagreb and it included most of present-day Croatia along with portions of Bosnia and Herzegovina and Serbia...
.
World War Two and later life
After the Axis invasion of YugoslaviaInvasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
in April 1941, he refused to join the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
On 26 April 1941 in Ljubljana the Anti-Imperialist Front was established. It was to promote "an international massive movement" to "liberate the Slovenian nation" whose "hope and example was the Soviet Union"...
, because of its pro-Communist orientation. By late 1941, he broke with the underground leadership of the Slovene People's Party due to disagreements on the issue of the relations towards the Italian occupation regime; contrary to the party's main current, which supported some sort of tacit tactical agreement, Gosar disapproved of all kinds of collaboration with the occupation forces. Rejecting both the partisan movement and the collaborationist Slovene Home Guard, he became one of the leaders of the so-called "Catholic Centre", together with Jakob Šolar in the Province of Ljubljana
Province of Ljubljana
The Province of Ljubljana was a province of the Kingdom of Italy and of the Nazi German Adriatic Littoral during World War II. It was created on May 3, 1941 from territory occupied and annexed to Italy after the Axis invasion and dissolution of Yugoslavia, and it was abolished on May 9, 1945, when...
, and Engelbert Besednjak
Engelbert Besednjak
Engelbert Besednjak was a Slovene Christian Democrat politician, lawyer and journalist. In the 1920s, he was one of the foremost leaders of the Slovene and Croat minority in the Italian-administered Julian March. In the 1930s, he was one of the leaders of Slovene anti-Fascist émigrés from the...
and Virgil Šček in the Julian March
Julian March
The Julian March is a former political region of southeastern Europe on what are now the borders between Croatia, Slovenia, and Italy...
. In 1944, he was arrested by the Nazi German authorities and sent to the Dachau concentration camp.
After the return in 1945, he was stripped of most of his pre-war academic functions by the new Communist regime; he was however allowed to continue teaching forest legislation at the Technical Faculty. After retirement in 1958, he published a personal memoir, in which he bitterly described his position in the decade 1935-1945 as "the voice shouting in the desert".
In 1967, he was awarded with the Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice
The Pro Ecclesia et Pontifice medal is an award of the Roman Catholic Church. It is also known as the "Cross of Honour". The medal was established by Leo XIII on July 17, 1888, to commemorate his golden sacerdotal jubilee and was originally bestowed on those women and men who had aided and...
by the Holy See
Holy See
The Holy See is the episcopal jurisdiction of the Catholic Church in Rome, in which its Bishop is commonly known as the Pope. It is the preeminent episcopal see of the Catholic Church, forming the central government of the Church. As such, diplomatically, and in other spheres the Holy See acts and...
.
He died in Ljubljana in 1970.