Ulderiko Donadini
Encyclopedia
Ulderiko Donadini was a Croatia
n novelist, dramatist and short story
writer.
, a village in Karlovac County
, Croatia, to a family originating from Italy
(the Donadinis moved to Korčula
from Vicenza
or Mantova sometime around 1750). As a result of his father's heavy drinking, the family went bankrupt and his parents divorced, leaving Ulderiko and his siblings (six sisters and one brother) in dire straits. Ulderiko later studied biology
and chemistry
in Zagreb
, but left the university without graduating. As a student, he participated in riots and demonstrations directed against Slavko Cuvaj
, the viceroy
of Croatia-Slavonia. After a couple of months in the military hospital, where he faked mental distraction to avoid service, Donadini was finally proclaimed ineligible for the army, enabling him to lead an extravagant life style over the following years. Among his good friends were fellow poets Antun Branko Šimić
and August Cesarec
, but he was also influenced by the works of Antun Gustav Matoš
, Vladimir Čerina and Miroslav Krleža
. Up until 1921, when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
, he worked as a school teacher in Petrinja
, Zagreb and Vinkovci
. He died in 1923 in a mental hospital in Zagreb, one day after cutting his throat with a razor.
and Avant-garde
ideas into Croatian literature
. His writing is to be found in other important journals of the period as well, such as Savremenik, Vijavica, Obzor, Kritika etc. Due to his constant criticism of stable and preferred social institutions that enable the functioning of civil society, Donadini is also considered to be the successor to Janko Polić Kamov
. Some of his most famous short stories are "Đavo gospodina Andrije Petrovića", "Dunja" and "Doktor Kvak".
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 novelist, dramatist and short story
Short story
A short story is a work of fiction that is usually written in prose, often in narrative format. This format tends to be more pointed than longer works of fiction, such as novellas and novels. Short story definitions based on length differ somewhat, even among professional writers, in part because...
writer.
Life
He was born in PlaškiPlaški
Plaški is a village and a municipality in Karlovac County, Croatia. It is part of Lika.- Geography :Plaški is situated in the lower part of the Ogulin-Plaški valley. Together with Gorski kotar and Lika, the Ogulin-Plaški valley forms Mountainous Croatia...
, a village in Karlovac County
Karlovac County
Karlovac County is a county in central Croatia, with the administrative center in Karlovac.The city of Karlovac is another fort from the times of the Military Frontier...
, Croatia, to a family originating from 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...
(the Donadinis moved to Korčula
Korcula
Korčula is an island in the Adriatic Sea, in the Dubrovnik-Neretva County of Croatia. The island has an area of ; long and on average wide — and lies just off the Dalmatian coast. Its 16,182 inhabitants make it the second most populous Adriatic island after Krk...
from Vicenza
Vicenza
Vicenza , a city in north-eastern Italy, is the capital of the eponymous province in the Veneto region, at the northern base of the Monte Berico, straddling the Bacchiglione...
or Mantova sometime around 1750). As a result of his father's heavy drinking, the family went bankrupt and his parents divorced, leaving Ulderiko and his siblings (six sisters and one brother) in dire straits. Ulderiko later studied biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...
and chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....
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...
, but left the university without graduating. As a student, he participated in riots and demonstrations directed against Slavko Cuvaj
Slavko Cuvaj
Baron Slavko Cuvaj de Ivanska was a Croatian politician who used to be the ban of Croatia-Slavonia and royal commissioner for Austria-Hungary....
, the viceroy
Viceroy
A viceroy is a royal official who runs a country, colony, or province in the name of and as representative of the monarch. The term derives from the Latin prefix vice-, meaning "in the place of" and the French word roi, meaning king. A viceroy's province or larger territory is called a viceroyalty...
of Croatia-Slavonia. After a couple of months in the military hospital, where he faked mental distraction to avoid service, Donadini was finally proclaimed ineligible for the army, enabling him to lead an extravagant life style over the following years. Among his good friends were fellow poets Antun Branko Šimić
Antun Branko Šimic
Antun Branko Šimić was a Herzegovinian Croat expressionist poet.-Life:He was born in Drinovci near Grude on November 18, 1898, in the family of Vida and Martin Šimić. He attended primary school in his native village, and then the first three forms of the Franciscan classical grammar school in...
and August Cesarec
August Cesarec
August Cesarec was a Croatian writer and left-wing politician.Cesarec was born in Zagreb, which was part of Austria-Hungary at a time. As a high school student he was involved in radical nationalist politics and joined the group that tried to assassinate Croatian ban Slavko Cuvaj...
, but he was also influenced by the works of Antun Gustav Matoš
Antun Gustav Matoš
Antun Gustav Matoš was a Croatian poet, short story writer, journalist, essayist and travelogue writer. He is considered the champion of Croatian modernist literature, opening Croatia to the currents of European modernism, and one of the greatest Croatian literary figures of all time.-Life:Matoš...
, Vladimir Čerina and Miroslav Krleža
Miroslav Krleža
Miroslav Krleža was a leading Croatian and Yugoslav writer and the dominant figure in cultural life of both Yugoslav states, the Kingdom and the Republic . He has often been proclaimed the greatest Croatian writer of the 20th century.-Biography:Miroslav Krleža was born in Zagreb, modern-day...
. Up until 1921, when he was diagnosed with schizophrenia
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia is a mental disorder characterized by a disintegration of thought processes and of emotional responsiveness. It most commonly manifests itself as auditory hallucinations, paranoid or bizarre delusions, or disorganized speech and thinking, and it is accompanied by significant social...
, he worked as a school teacher in Petrinja
Petrinja
Petrinja is a city in central Croatia near Sisak in the historic region of Banovina. The city belongs to Sisak-Moslavina County .- History :The name of Petrinja has its roots in Latin petrus, meaning "stone"...
, Zagreb and Vinkovci
Vinkovci
Vinkovci is a city in Croatia, in the Vukovar-Syrmia County. In the 2011 census, the total population of the city was 35,375, making it the largest town of the county...
. He died in 1923 in a mental hospital in Zagreb, one day after cutting his throat with a razor.
Writing
Donadini is best remembered as the editor of the short-lived literary journal Kokot (1916–1918), in which he introduced expressionistExpressionism
Expressionism was a modernist movement, initially in poetry and painting, originating in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century. Its typical trait is to present the world solely from a subjective perspective, distorting it radically for emotional effect in order to evoke moods or ideas...
and Avant-garde
Avant-garde
Avant-garde means "advance guard" or "vanguard". The adjective form is used in English to refer to people or works that are experimental or innovative, particularly with respect to art, culture, and politics....
ideas into Croatian literature
Croatian literature
Croatian literature is a definition given to the compilation of novels, dramas, short stories, poems and other various work of written kind entirely attributed to the medieval and modern culture of the Croats and the Croatian language....
. His writing is to be found in other important journals of the period as well, such as Savremenik, Vijavica, Obzor, Kritika etc. Due to his constant criticism of stable and preferred social institutions that enable the functioning of civil society, Donadini is also considered to be the successor to Janko Polić Kamov
Janko Polic Kamov
Janko Polić Kamov was a Croatian writer and poet.He was born in Sušak, Rijeka. Rebellious by nature, he was expelled from Rijeka high school and dropped out of the school in Zagreb. Because of his participation in the demonstration against the Hungarian governor in Croatia, Khuen-Héderváry, he was...
. Some of his most famous short stories are "Đavo gospodina Andrije Petrovića", "Dunja" and "Doktor Kvak".
Works
- Lude priče (short stories, 1915)
- Sablasti (novel, 1917)
- Vijavice (novel, 1917)
- Kamena s ramena (essays and feuilletons, 1917)
- Bezdan (drama, 1919)
- Igračka oluje (drama, 1921)
- Kroz šibe (novel, 1921)
- Bauk (novel, 1922)