Milko Brezigar
Encyclopedia
Milko Brezigar was a Slovene and Yugoslav
liberal economist.
Born to a Slovene family the village of Doberdò del Lago
in the Austrian Littoral
(now part of Italy
), he attended the State gymnasium
in Gorizia
. He studied law at the universities of Graz
and Vienna
, graduating in 1910. In 1911, he started publishing articles on economic policies and economic theory. In 1914, he became the editor of the econimic section of the prestigious Viennese
newspaper Reichspost
.
During World War I
, Brezigar maintained close contacts with the Yugoslav Committee
through his friend, the Slovene émigré Bogomil Vošnjak; together with Janko Hacin, Brezigar was among the organizers of a secret network which made espionage
on behalf of the Entente
against the Austro-Hungarian Empire
After the establishment of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
in October 1918, he moved to Ljubljana
. In 1919, he was member of the Yugoslav delegation at the Versailles conference. In the same period, he joined the Yugoslav Democratic Party, and was elected member of the Temporary Representative Assembly. As a close collaborator of the Slovenian liberal leader Gregor Žerjav
, Brezigar was influential in composing the Democratic Party's economic program, which was based on economic liberalism
, but favoured state economic protectionism against foreign capital. In this period, he published his most important work, An Outline of the Slovenian National Economy (1918).
In 1920, he was named professor at the University of Ljubljana
, where he was among the founders of the Slovenian economic science. During this period, he did not engage in active politics, although he remained a member of the Democratic and later Independent Democratic Party
After the establishment of the Communist system in 1945, he left Yugoslavia and settled in Austria, dying in Salzburg
in 1958.
Yugoslavs
Yugoslavs is a national designation used by a minority of South Slavs across the countries of the former Yugoslavia and in the diaspora...
liberal economist.
Born to a Slovene family the village of Doberdò del Lago
Doberdò del Lago
Doberdò del Lago is a comune in the Province of Gorizia in the Italian region Friuli-Venezia Giulia, located about 30 km northwest of Trieste and about 11 km southwest of Gorizia...
in the Austrian Littoral
Austrian Littoral
The Austrian Littoral was established as a crown land of the Austrian Empire in 1849. In 1861 it was divided into the three crown lands of the Imperial Free City of Trieste and its suburbs, the Margraviate of Istria, and the Princely County of Gorizia and Gradisca, which each had separate...
(now part of Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
), he attended the State 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 Gorizia
Gorizia
Gorizia is a town and comune in northeastern Italy, in the autonomous region of Friuli Venezia Giulia. It is located at the foot of the Julian Alps, bordering Slovenia. It is the capital of the Province of Gorizia, and it is a local center of tourism, industry, and commerce. Since 1947, a twin...
. He studied law at the universities of Graz
University of Graz
The University of Graz , a university located in Graz, Austria, is the second-largest and second-oldest university in Austria....
and 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...
, graduating in 1910. In 1911, he started publishing articles on economic policies and economic theory. In 1914, he became the editor of the econimic section of the prestigious Viennese
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...
newspaper Reichspost
Reichspost
- Imperial Reichspost :* The Imperial Reichspost was the name of the postal service of the Holy Roman Empire, founded by Franz von Taxis in 1495...
.
During World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, Brezigar maintained close contacts with the Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee
Yugoslav Committee was a political interest group formed by South Slavs from Austria-Hungary during World War I aimed at joining the existing south Slavic nations in an independent state.Founding members included:* Frano Supilo* Ante Trumbić...
through his friend, the Slovene émigré Bogomil Vošnjak; together with Janko Hacin, Brezigar was among the organizers of a secret network which made espionage
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
on behalf of the Entente
Triple Entente
The Triple Entente was the name given to the alliance among Britain, France and Russia after the signing of the Anglo-Russian Entente in 1907....
against the Austro-Hungarian Empire
After the establishment of the State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs
The State of Slovenes, Croats and Serbs was a short-lived state formed from the southernmost parts of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy after its dissolution at the end of the World War I by the resident population of Slovenes, Croats, and Serbs...
in October 1918, he moved 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...
. In 1919, he was member of the Yugoslav delegation at the Versailles conference. In the same period, he joined the Yugoslav Democratic Party, and was elected member of the Temporary Representative Assembly. As a close collaborator of the Slovenian liberal leader Gregor Žerjav
Gregor Žerjav
Gregor Žerjav, sometimes spelled Žerjal , was a Slovene and Yugoslav lawyer and liberal politician. Together with Albert Kramer, he was the leader of the Slovenian liberals in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes....
, Brezigar was influential in composing the Democratic Party's economic program, which was based on economic liberalism
Economic liberalism
Economic liberalism is the ideological belief in giving all people economic freedom, and as such granting people with more basis to control their own lives and make their own mistakes. It is an economic philosophy that supports and promotes individual liberty and choice in economic matters and...
, but favoured state economic protectionism against foreign capital. In this period, he published his most important work, An Outline of the Slovenian National Economy (1918).
In 1920, he was named professor 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:...
, where he was among the founders of the Slovenian economic science. During this period, he did not engage in active politics, although he remained a member of the Democratic and later Independent Democratic Party
Independent Democratic Party (Yugoslavia)
The Independent Democratic Party was a social liberal political party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, and later the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. It was established by Svetozar Pribićević as a breakaway faction of the Democratic Party in 1924...
After the establishment of the Communist system in 1945, he left Yugoslavia and settled in Austria, dying in Salzburg
Salzburg
-Population development:In 1935, the population significantly increased when Salzburg absorbed adjacent municipalities. After World War II, numerous refugees found a new home in the city. New residential space was created for American soldiers of the postwar Occupation, and could be used for...
in 1958.
Major works
- Vorboten einer Wirtschaftskrise Deutschlands. Anwendung an die jetztige Wirtschaftslage (Berlin, 1913);
- Die Konjunktur- und Depressionswellen in Oesterreich seit 1896 (Vienna, 1913);
- Osnutek slovenskega narodnega gospodarstva (Celje, 1918).