Vladimir Šenauer
Encyclopedia
Vladimir "Geza" Šenauer (born November 29, 1930 in Split) is a former Croatia
n football player.
and his mother was Split born Catholic. Šenauer parents had an agreement prior to his birth, if the child is a boy he will be raised as a Jew and if the child is a girl she will be raised as a Catholic. So Šenauer was raised Jewish by his family. His father owned boutique and newsstand at the beginning of the World War II
. Officer of the Italian fascist army has protected the Šenauer family from persecutions until 1943. He advised them to leave the Split before Nazis and Ustashe
come, because as a Jews they will be killed. In September 1943, before the Nazis puppet state NDH
took over the Split from the Italian fascists, Šenauer and his family have escaped and hided on the island of Vis
. After Vis they escaped to Bari
in Italy. Šenauer paternal grandmother and most of his closer and wider family was killed by Nazis and Ustashe during the Holocaust
. Šenauer returned to Split in 1947 with the ship from Italy, while his father has returned to the city before him.
winning with them 3 national championships
. He also won one national cup
in the period in between while he was playing with OFK Belgrade, curiously winning in the final his former club, Hajduk. Before ending his career he also had a spell abroad with SK Austria Klagenfurt
, before returning to finish his career playing with RNK Split
. He was known for his speed and excellent execution of the free kicks. After retiring he was an active member in the direction board of Hajduk, and between 1979 and 1990 he was the director of the Hajduk stadium, Poljud
.
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 football player.
Early life and family
Šenauer was born in Split to Geza Šenauer, leather merchant, and Zorka (née Rakelić). His father was a Jew from DaruvarDaruvar
Daruvar is a town in central Croatia, population 9,815 , total municipality population 13,243 ....
and his mother was Split born Catholic. Šenauer parents had an agreement prior to his birth, if the child is a boy he will be raised as a Jew and if the child is a girl she will be raised as a Catholic. So Šenauer was raised Jewish by his family. His father owned boutique and newsstand at the beginning of the World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. Officer of the Italian fascist army has protected the Šenauer family from persecutions until 1943. He advised them to leave the Split before Nazis and Ustashe
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
come, because as a Jews they will be killed. In September 1943, before the Nazis puppet state NDH
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
took over the Split from the Italian fascists, Šenauer and his family have escaped and hided on the island of Vis
Vis (island)
Vis is the most outerly lying larger Croatian island in the Adriatic Sea, and is part of the Central Dalmatian group of islands, with an area of 90.26 km² and a population of 3,617 . Of all the inhabited Croatian islands, it is the farthest from the coast...
. After Vis they escaped to 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...
in Italy. Šenauer paternal grandmother and most of his closer and wider family was killed by Nazis and Ustashe during the Holocaust
The Holocaust
The Holocaust , also known as the Shoah , was the genocide of approximately six million European Jews and millions of others during World War II, a programme of systematic state-sponsored murder by Nazi...
. Šenauer returned to Split in 1947 with the ship from Italy, while his father has returned to the city before him.
Football career
He spend most of his career playing for his hometown club HNK Hajduk SplitHNK Hajduk Split
HNK Hajduk Split, commonly referred to as Hajduk Split or simply Hajduk, is a Croatian football club founded in 1911 and based in the city of Split. The club's home ground since 1979 is the 35,000-seater Poljud Stadium and the team's traditional home colours are white shirts with blue shorts and...
winning with them 3 national championships
Yugoslav First League
The Yugoslav First League was the premier football league in the Kingdom of Yugoslavia and socialist Yugoslavia...
. He also won one national cup
Yugoslav Cup
The Yugoslav Cup, officially the Marshal Tito Cup, was one of two major football competitions in the former Yugoslavia, the other one being the Yugoslav League Championship. The Yugoslav Cup took place after the league championships when every competitive league in Yugoslavia had finished, in order...
in the period in between while he was playing with OFK Belgrade, curiously winning in the final his former club, Hajduk. Before ending his career he also had a spell abroad with SK Austria Klagenfurt
FC Kärnten
FC Kärnten was an Austrian association football club based in Klagenfurt, Carinthia. It was founded in 1920 under the name of KSK Klagenfurt. They last played home games at the Sportzentrum Fischl.- History :...
, before returning to finish his career playing with RNK Split
RNK Split
RNK Split is a Croatian football club based in the city of Split.-History:Radnički nogometni klub means "Workers' football club".The club was known as workers' club. The club had a strong fanbase in the Split's shipyard...
. He was known for his speed and excellent execution of the free kicks. After retiring he was an active member in the direction board of Hajduk, and between 1979 and 1990 he was the director of the Hajduk stadium, Poljud
Gradski stadion u Poljudu
Stadion Poljud is a multi-use stadium in the Croatian city of Split. It takes its name from the neighbourhood of Poljud, and is located on the northern side of the Split peninsula. its original name is "Gradski stadion u Poljudu" . The stadium was built for the 1979 Mediterranean Games and is the...
.
External sources
- Career story at Nogometni Leksikon.