Franjo Bucar
Encyclopedia
Franjo Bučar was a Croatia
n writer and sports popularizer of Slovenian origin. He is considered to be the father of Croatian sport and olympism.
Franjo Bučar was born in a family of Slovene father and Croatian mother. He was educated in Zagreb
, Vienna
and Stockholm
where he studied Swedish gymnastic.
As a historian of literature he also worked on the study of Croatian Protestant
literature and he wrote about Scandinavian literature
. He was a prominent sports writer and has written several manuals for many types of sports.
Bučar was the popularizer and initiator of introduction of many sports in Croatia - football, gymnastics, ice skating
, alpine skiing
, ice hockey
, fencing
and other.
He participated in the establishment of numerous clubs and professional alliances and also played prominent role in Sokol organization. He left an extensive correspondence with major figures of European culture and sport and raised the library of several thousand volumes. He was awarded with numerous national and international recognitions. In 1909 Bučar was elected the first president of Croatian Sports Federation which he founded. He was also the founder and president of the Yugoslav Olympic Committee
which initially worked in Zagreb. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee
since 1920 until his death in 1946.
In his honour Croatia established Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport
in 1991 which is the highest award that the Croatian state awards for exceptional achievements in the development of sport and the achievements regarding the ongoing development of sport.
The greatest personal achievement of Franjo Bučar in sport in which he was competing (he was performing in sports gymnastics, figure skating
, skiing, and fencing) was the second place in the "steep run" on the ski competition in Prague
in 1896.
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 writer and sports popularizer of Slovenian origin. He is considered to be the father of Croatian sport and olympism.
Franjo Bučar was born in a family of Slovene father and Croatian mother. He was educated in 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...
, Vienna
Vienna
Vienna is the capital and largest city of the Republic of Austria and one of the nine states of Austria. Vienna is Austria's primary city, with a population of about 1.723 million , and is by far the largest city in Austria, as well as its cultural, economic, and political centre...
and Stockholm
Stockholm
Stockholm is the capital and the largest city of Sweden and constitutes the most populated urban area in Scandinavia. Stockholm is the most populous city in Sweden, with a population of 851,155 in the municipality , 1.37 million in the urban area , and around 2.1 million in the metropolitan area...
where he studied Swedish gymnastic.
As a historian of literature he also worked on the study of Croatian Protestant
Protestantism
Protestantism is one of the three major groupings within Christianity. It is a movement that began in Germany in the early 16th century as a reaction against medieval Roman Catholic doctrines and practices, especially in regards to salvation, justification, and ecclesiology.The doctrines of the...
literature and he wrote about Scandinavian literature
Scandinavian literature
Scandinavia literature or Nordic literature is the literature in the languages of the Nordic countries of Northern Europe. The Nordic countries include Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway , Sweden and associated autonomous territories .The majority of these nations and regions use North Germanic...
. He was a prominent sports writer and has written several manuals for many types of sports.
Bučar was the popularizer and initiator of introduction of many sports in Croatia - football, gymnastics, ice skating
Ice skating
Ice skating is moving on ice by using ice skates. It can be done for a variety of reasons, including leisure, traveling, and various sports. Ice skating occurs both on specially prepared indoor and outdoor tracks, as well as on naturally occurring bodies of frozen water, such as lakes and...
, alpine skiing
Alpine skiing
Alpine skiing is the sport of sliding down snow-covered hills on skis with fixed-heel bindings. Alpine skiing can be contrasted with skiing using free-heel bindings: Ski mountaineering and nordic skiing – such as cross-country; ski jumping; and Telemark. In competitive alpine skiing races four...
, ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
, fencing
Fencing
Fencing, which is also known as modern fencing to distinguish it from historical fencing, is a family of combat sports using bladed weapons.Fencing is one of four sports which have been featured at every one of the modern Olympic Games...
and other.
He participated in the establishment of numerous clubs and professional alliances and also played prominent role in Sokol organization. He left an extensive correspondence with major figures of European culture and sport and raised the library of several thousand volumes. He was awarded with numerous national and international recognitions. In 1909 Bučar was elected the first president of Croatian Sports Federation which he founded. He was also the founder and president of the Yugoslav Olympic Committee
Yugoslav Olympic Committee
The Yugoslav Olympic Committee was the non-profit organization representing Yugoslavian athletes in the International Olympic Committee. The YOC organized Yugoslavia's representatives at the Summer and Winter Olympic Games...
which initially worked in Zagreb. He was a member of the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
since 1920 until his death in 1946.
In his honour Croatia established Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport
Franjo Bucar State Award for Sport
Franjo Bučar State Award for Sport is the highest recognition that Republic of Croatia gives for extraordinary achievements and contributions of remarkable meaning for the development of sport in Croatia.This award has been given since 1991...
in 1991 which is the highest award that the Croatian state awards for exceptional achievements in the development of sport and the achievements regarding the ongoing development of sport.
The greatest personal achievement of Franjo Bučar in sport in which he was competing (he was performing in sports gymnastics, figure skating
Figure skating
Figure skating is an Olympic sport in which individuals, pairs, or groups perform spins, jumps, footwork and other intricate and challenging moves on ice skates. Figure skaters compete at various levels from beginner up to the Olympic level , and at local, national, and international competitions...
, skiing, and fencing) was the second place in the "steep run" on the ski competition 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...
in 1896.