Ferdo Kozak
Encyclopedia
Ferdo Kozak was a Slovenia
n author
, playwright
, editor
and politician
.
He was born as Ferdinand Kozak in an upper middle class family in Ljubljana
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His older brother Juš Kozak
also became a renowned author and literary critic, while his younger brother Vlado Kozak became a Communist politician.
In 1913, Kozak joined the radical Yugoslavist
subversive youth organization Preporod, which was engaged in anti-Austrian and pro-Yugoslav activities, in connection with other organizations of Austro-Hungarian South Slavs
, such as Mlada Bosna. During World War I, he was drafted to the Austro-Hungarian Army
and fought on the Eastern Front
.
After the War, he studied Slavic philology in Prague
, where he became friend with many Slovenes living in the Czechslovak
capital, such as the painter Božidar Jakac
, philosopher Anton Trstenjak and sociologist Mihajlo Rostohar
. In 1926, he moved to Belgrade
where he worked as a librarian. In 1929, he returned to Ljubljana
, where he worked as professor at the Ljubljana Classical Lyceum until 1942, except for few years in the early 1930s, when he punitively transferred to Novo Mesto
because of his public opposition to the dictatorship of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia.
As a fierce opponent of Yugoslav centralism and nationalism, Kozak was among the founders of the left liberal journal Sodobnost
, which he edited together with Josip Vidmar
, Fran Albreht
and Stanko Leben. The journal supported Slovenian autonomy within a democratic and federal Yugoslavia. In the years before World War II, it started moving to positions sympathetic to the Communist Party.
After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia
in April 1941, Kozak was among the founders of the Liberation Front of the Slovenian People
, a broad coalition of left wing coalition established to fight the Nazi German and Fascist Italian occupation of Slovenia. Kozak was imprisoned by the Italians in 1942. After the Italian armistice, he served as member of the Yugoslav partisan war mission to the allies in Bari
. He returned to the liberated territory in Slovenia in 1944, and was appointed as Secretary for Culture in the Slovenian National Liberation Council. After World War II, he served as Minister of Culture of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia
between 1945 and 1947, although he never became a member of the Communist Party of Slovenia.
He died in Ljubljana. His son Primož Kozak
was also a renowned playwright and essayist.
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 author
Author
An author is broadly defined as "the person who originates or gives existence to anything" and that authorship determines responsibility for what is created. Narrowly defined, an author is the originator of any written work.-Legal significance:...
, playwright
Playwright
A playwright, also called a dramatist, is a person who writes plays.The term is not a variant spelling of "playwrite", but something quite distinct: the word wright is an archaic English term for a craftsman or builder...
, editor
Editing
Editing is the process of selecting and preparing written, visual, audible, and film media used to convey information through the processes of correction, condensation, organization, and other modifications performed with an intention of producing a correct, consistent, accurate, and complete...
and politician
Politician
A politician, political leader, or political figure is an individual who is involved in influencing public policy and decision making...
.
He was born as Ferdinand Kozak in an upper middle class family 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...
, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. His older brother Juš Kozak
Juš Kozak
Juš Kozak , also known under the pseudonym Jalanov, was a Slovenian writer, playwright and editor. He is most famous for his autobiographic novels, such as "The Cell" on his experience as political prisoner, and "Wooden Spoon" on life during World War II.He was born in a wealthy middle class...
also became a renowned author and literary critic, while his younger brother Vlado Kozak became a Communist politician.
In 1913, Kozak joined the radical Yugoslavist
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
subversive youth organization Preporod, which was engaged in anti-Austrian and pro-Yugoslav activities, in connection with other organizations of Austro-Hungarian South Slavs
South Slavs
The South Slavs are the southern branch of the Slavic peoples and speak South Slavic languages. Geographically, the South Slavs are native to the Balkan peninsula, the southern Pannonian Plain and the eastern Alps...
, such as Mlada Bosna. During World War I, he was drafted to the Austro-Hungarian Army
Austro-Hungarian Army
The Austro-Hungarian Army was the ground force of the Austro-Hungarian Dual Monarchy from 1867 to 1918. It was composed of three parts: the joint army , the Austrian Landwehr , and the Hungarian Honvédség .In the wake of fighting between the...
and fought on the Eastern Front
Eastern Front (World War I)
The Eastern Front was a theatre of war during World War I in Central and, primarily, Eastern Europe. The term is in contrast to the Western Front. Despite the geographical separation, the events in the two theatres strongly influenced each other...
.
After the War, he studied Slavic philology in Prague
Prague
Prague is the capital and largest city of the Czech Republic. Situated in the north-west of the country on the Vltava river, the city is home to about 1.3 million people, while its metropolitan area is estimated to have a population of over 2.3 million...
, where he became friend with many Slovenes living in the Czechslovak
Czechoslovakia
Czechoslovakia or Czecho-Slovakia was a sovereign state in Central Europe which existed from October 1918, when it declared its independence from the Austro-Hungarian Empire, until 1992...
capital, such as the painter Božidar Jakac
Božidar Jakac
Božidar Jakac was a Slovene Expressionist, Realist and Symbolist painter, graphic artist, art teacher, photographer and filmmaker. He produced one of the most extensive oeuvres of pastels and oil paintings , drawings and, above all, graphics in Slovenia...
, philosopher Anton Trstenjak and sociologist Mihajlo Rostohar
Mihajlo Rostohar
Mihajlo Rostohar was a Slovenian psychologist, author and educator, who played an important role during the creation of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs...
. In 1926, he moved to Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
where he worked as a librarian. In 1929, he returned to 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...
, where he worked as professor at the Ljubljana Classical Lyceum until 1942, except for few years in the early 1930s, when he punitively transferred to Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto
Novo Mesto is a city and municipality in southeastern Slovenia, close to the border with Croatia. The town is traditionally considered the economic and cultural centre of the historic Lower Carniola region.-Geography:...
because of his public opposition to the dictatorship of King Alexander I of Yugoslavia.
As a fierce opponent of Yugoslav centralism and nationalism, Kozak was among the founders of the left liberal journal Sodobnost
Sodobnost
Sodobnost is a Slovenian literary and cultural magazine, established in 1933. It is considered the oldest of currently existing literary magazines in Slovenia. Although Sodobnost has traditionally been a magazine focused on cultural and literary issues, it nowadays covers a wide range of current...
, which he edited together with Josip Vidmar
Josip Vidmar
Josip Vidmar was a prominent Slovenian literary critic and essayist. Vidmar is remembered because of his role in the Slovenian resistance during World War II, and for his influence in the cultural policies of the Titoist regime in Slovenia from the mid 1950s to the mid 1970s.He was born in...
, Fran Albreht
Fran Albreht
Fran Albreht was a Slovenian poet, editor, politician and partisan. He also published under the pseudonym Rusmir....
and Stanko Leben. The journal supported Slovenian autonomy within a democratic and federal Yugoslavia. In the years before World War II, it started moving to positions sympathetic to the Communist Party.
After the Axis invasion of Yugoslavia
Invasion 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, Kozak was among the founders of 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"...
, a broad coalition of left wing coalition established to fight the Nazi German and Fascist Italian occupation of Slovenia. Kozak was imprisoned by the Italians in 1942. After the Italian armistice, he served as member of the Yugoslav partisan war mission to the allies in Bari
Bari
Bari is the capital city of the province of Bari and of the Apulia region, on the Adriatic Sea, in Italy. It is the second most important economic centre of mainland Southern Italy after Naples, and is well known as a port and university city, as well as the city of Saint Nicholas...
. He returned to the liberated territory in Slovenia in 1944, and was appointed as Secretary for Culture in the Slovenian National Liberation Council. After World War II, he served as Minister of Culture of the Socialist Republic of Slovenia
Socialist Republic of Slovenia
The Socialist Republic of Slovenia was a socialist state that was a constituent country of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia from 1943 until 1990...
between 1945 and 1947, although he never became a member of the Communist Party of Slovenia.
He died in Ljubljana. His son Primož Kozak
Primož Kozak
Primož Kozak was a Slovenian playwright and essayist. He was, together with Dominik Smole, Dane Zajc and Taras Kermauner, the most visible representative of the so-called Critical generation, a group of Slovenian authors and intellectuals that reflected on the paradoxes of the Communist regime,...
was also a renowned playwright and essayist.