Ivana Brlić Mažuranić: Croatia’s Literary Icon

In this special episode of Zov Domovine, I delved into the life and legacy of Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, one of Croatia’s most celebrated writers. Inspired by a request from the Croatian community in Lima, Peru, I explored her timeless stories, literary achievements, and the impact she continues to have on Croatian culture. Now, let’s take a deeper dive into her extraordinary journey.

https://youtu.be/QSTxETFBjq0?si=B1EXVqLxut4r2O1L
 

A Timeless Storyteller

Few figures in Croatian literature have left such a lasting impression as Ivana Brlić Mažuranić. Dubbed the “Croatian Andersen”, she transported generations of readers into worlds of wonder with her storytelling. This blog explores her life, her achievements, and her invaluable legacy.

A Life Shaped by Words

Born in Ogulin in 1874, Ivana hailed from an intellectually distinguished family. Her grandfather, Ivan Mažuranić, was not only a poet but also Croatia’s first plebeian Ban. Growing up in this environment enriched her literary aspirations.

From a young age, Ivana demonstrated her talent for writing. Her earliest poems were in French, while her Croatian poetic debut, Zvijezda moje domovine, emerged when she was only 12 years old. Her passion for literature blossomed as she continued her journey, eventually settling in Slavonski Brod, where she raised her family and devoted herself to writing.

Works that Defined Generations

Her literary career took off with Čudnovate zgode i nezgode šegrta Hlapića (The Brave Adventures of Apprentice Hlapić), Croatia’s first children’s novel. However, it was Priče iz davnine (Croatian Tales of Long Ago) that established her reputation worldwide. Drawing inspiration from Croatian folklore, she seamlessly blended tradition with imagination, creating spellbinding stories that remain relevant today.

Her works have been translated into numerous languages, allowing international audiences to experience the magic of her writing.

Recognition and Legacy

Ivana Brlić Mažuranić was not only beloved by readers but also recognized in academic circles. She became the first woman admitted to the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts—a groundbreaking achievement in her time. Furthermore, she was nominated twice for the Nobel Prize in Literature, affirming her influence beyond Croatia’s borders.

Though her life was marked by personal struggles, including severe depression, she continued to write and inspire. Her passing in 1938 did not mark the end of her legacy; rather, her stories live on through festivals, awards, and institutions dedicated to celebrating her work.

Honoring Her Contributions

Croatia proudly embraces Ivana’s legacy through cultural events such as the Ogulin Fairy Tale Festival and the World of Fairy Tales in Slavonski Brod. Moreover, her birthplace, Ogulin, houses the Ivana’s House of Fairy Tales, a multimedia center devoted to nurturing imagination and storytelling.

Her works continue to enrich childhoods, inspire writers, and remind us of the power of storytelling in preserving cultural identity.

Watch the Full Episode

If you’d like to learn more about Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, watch the full Zov Domovine episode below. I discuss her life, the cultural significance of her works, and even highlight how she’s remembered in modern-day Croatia.

Share Your Thoughts

What are your favorite works by Ivana Brlić Mažuranić? Have they influenced your connection to Croatian heritage? Share your experiences in the comments!

Author: Anita Prka Đurašić

TRANSCRIPT:

Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić

[Presenter 1]

Good evening, dear viewers. Welcome to another show, Call of the Homeland. I'm your host and editor Anita Prka Đurašić, and tonight is our 23rd show in a row. Let's see who is here tonight with us, let me know in the comments, I send you all my greetings. Here we start today with a beautiful topic, since yesterday was Women's Day, which some women celebrated, others did not, but here was an opportunity to remember it of all those beautiful women, all those heroines who are worth admiring.

One of them was born in the late 19th and 20th centuries, lived and worked in Croatia.

You guessed it, it's Ivana Brlić Mažuranić. Today we will talk a little about it. I saw it before the show, many of you were quite interested in this topic, and I would like to especially greet the Croatian community in Lima, Peru, who contacted me with the desire to tell a little more about this beautiful Croatian writer.

Why is it so important? I'm sure you all remember when you were younger, you read The Forest of Stribor, you probably watched, or you read the stories of the apprentice Hlapić, stories from ancient times and all those wonderful works, which were actually marked by our grandfather. Here, many of you have written to me several times below that you have already read all this, that you have seen it several times, that Ivana Brlić Mažuranić simply sparked your imagination, the imagination of children and here, so today we will remember a little bit just before our writer.

So why Ivana Brlić Mažuranić was so famous, today we will talk a little more about it. As far as it is known, it was born, therefore, at the end of the nineteenth century in the time of the so-called Renaissance.

the first modern, at the beginning of the twentieth century. In other words, she is our most famous Croatian children's writer.

And not only in Croatia, but also in the world. That is, his works have been translated into almost every language in the world, and here, I'm not sure how it is with Spanish, nor do you think that our Croats in South America can be a little deprived of it. Well, today we have opened this topic in this way.

Here, do not hesitate to contact me from where you are watching us. I see, there's something in the viewers here. Collected, tell me where you are looking at us from.

Have you read the works of Ivana Brlić Mažuranić yourself, or maybe something else? It is not for nothing that they call her Croatian Anderson. It seems that this is its name.

Of course, there was one of them in our country, she became a world-renowned writer, and not many people are born that way. Here, of course, it is also important that she was a woman, so for all women, of course, it can be a coup d'état. Here, feel free to let me know in the comments from where you are watching us, write us our greetings or from where you are watching us now.

I know that our Croatian community from Peru is watching now, so I greet you kindly. Greetings to all, to all. Here, I am glad, thank you for always contacting me in such a kind and warm way, either through Facebook or through some other channels and contacts.

I am very happy to hear from all of you. Especially for your some ideas or desires that you have of everything to talk about in our emotions. Here it is, today I'm going to show you a little bit, I've prepared a little presentation for you.

A performance I took from a primary school in Šibenik, but it's very good and will be enough for our show. Here it is, for our Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić, I have prepared a somewhat abbreviated version for you, so that we do not delve too deeply into the theory of literature itself or the historical woman. Ivana Brlić-Mažuranić was born in Ogulin on the 18th.

He was born in April 1874 and died in Zagreb on September 21, 1938. She is one of the most famous Croatian children's writers, in fact Croatia is the most famous, and on a global scale, we would say that she can really be compared to Andersen.

As for his family tree, his mother Henrietta was born Bernat and came from a wealthy family in Varaždin, and his father Vladimir Mažuranić was a lawyer and scribe. However, Ivana herself is actually the granddaughter of the first Croatian commoner, the writer and writer Ivan Mažuranić.

Here, it is very important to say it. While, for example, sister Aleksandra Mažuranići was born Demeter and is the sister of our famous writer Dimitrije Demeter. He was a doctor by profession and, of course, a writer, playwright and translator by choice.

He wrote the libretto for Vatroslav Lisinski's operas, Love and Malice. Of the famous Mažuranićs, as we have said, there is Ivan Mažuranić, the first ban, commoner, poet, politician, sang the song of Osman by Ivan Gundulić and is the author of the poem The Death of Smail Aga Čengić. Also Matija Mažuranić, who is Ivan's brother, was a builder, traveler, also writer, completed the blacksmith's trade and wrote the travel book Pogled u Bosna.

Stan Mažuranić was the son of Matija and was a cavalry captain and also devoted himself to literature, and his most famous work is the sketches called Lišće. As for biographical entries, Ivana Brlić Mažuranić was born in Ogulin on April 18, 1874.

age. She was mostly privately educated, completed an exceptional education, and was fluent in several foreign languages. He wrote his first poems at the age of nine in French, Macrocy and Le Bonheur.

In Ogulin, he drinks his first poetic attempt in the Croatian language, Zvijezda moje domovine. He was only 12 years old. Here is a beautiful testimony, hers from school, and this is her home in Slavonski Brod.

That is, on her 18th birthday in 1892, she married Dr. Vatroslav Brlić, a lawyer of the Distinguished Family, and moved to a ship on the Sava, which today is Slavonski Brod.

She had six children with Vatroslav Brlić. This is where you see the main square, then, a long time ago and now. And of course, that square today is called Ivana Brlić Mažuranić Square.

In 1902 he published his first book of stories and poems for children entitled Valid and Invalid. And 1905.

He published a collection of poems and stories for children, school and holidays. In 1913, he published the first Croatian novel for children, Čudnovate zgode i nezgode (Strange Adventures and Accidents) by Šegrta Hlapića.

Of course, you guessed it, Ivana wrote them mainly for her children, which she did a lot, she played with them, she invented all kinds of things, she was really dedicated to children and we can say that she was first and foremost a mother and wife, and only then, in some free time, she was also a writer. In 1916 he published fairy tales, tales and toasts.

What makes her truly special and what makes her one of the great Croatians, who is worth knowing, is that she was nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature twice, the first in 1931 and the second in 1938.

The first Nobel Prize ceremony for Literature, Physics, Chemistry and Medicine was held at the Royal Academy of Music in Stockholm in 1901. These awards are given annually to individuals or groups whose achievements are exceptional, including outstanding research in new techniques and technologies or exceptional contributions to society.

The Nobel Prize is named after Alfred Nobel, the world's largest industrialist and inventor of dynamite. Producing explosives and exploiting oil resources in Baku, he obtained a huge bullet. Nobel was amazed and shocked by the way the world used his invention, and in this fact lies the reason for his decision to award prizes to those who contribute the most to humanity with their skills.

On November 27, 1895, he announced the idea of establishing a fund from which prizes would be awarded to the most deserving.

Nobel was established by the foundation in its will. Here we see the current Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, at that time the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts. The action of establishing the Academy in Zagreb began in 1860.

Bishop of Đakovo-Sirmium Josip Juraj Strossmayer. In 1866 it had 16 members, and today it has 160 regular members.

The Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, abbreviated as Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, promotes and organizes scientific work, develops cultural and artistic activities to take care of cultural heritage and its affirmation in the world. In 1937, the Yugoslav Academy of Sciences and Arts, now the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts, accepted Ivana Brlić Mažuranić as a corresponding member.

And this is another in a series of great successes. That is why, in addition to writing these novels and poems for children, in addition to being the mother of seven children, two of whom died, both boys. In fact, in addition to being nominated twice for the Nobel Prize, she was also nominated as a corresponding member of the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts.

This makes her the first woman to become a member of the academy. He died in Zagreb on 21 September 1938.

age. Ivana Brlić Mažuranić's life was not as fabulous and brilliant as we are told today. Her life was often impregnated with very severe depressions, she was often ill and was treated in a sanatorium where she committed suicide.

Library and archive of the Brlić Mažuranić family. The library contains all the first editions of Ivana Brličko-Zuranić's works in Croatian and other languages. Ignjat Alojzije Brlić brought a dozen boxes of books from Vienna to open the first bookshop. Over time, the library was expanded and today contains 6055 books, among which the oldest is from 1546.

age. The Brlić family archive contains more than 5000 documents, including historically important documents and correspondence with dignitaries from the political, cultural, and military life of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy of the time. The archive is stored at the branch office of the Croatian Institute of History in Slavonski Brod.

In 1971, the Ivana Brličko-Zuranić Prize, a publisher, a school book from Zagreb, established the Ivana Brličko-Zuranić Prize for the best literary text for children, for the illustration of children's books published in that year. The prize consists of a cash account, a diploma and a statute, Gita and Hlapić by the academic sculptor Želimir Janeča.

There are also events in his honor. In the World of Fairy Tales by Ivana Brličko-Zuranić, an event that takes place in Slavonski Brod every year in the week of her birth. And in Ogulin the Ogulin Fairy Tale Festival is held, a project that was inspired by the creation of Ivana Brličko-Zuranić, whose hometown as a unique combination of natural beauty, numerous myths and legends was an inexhaustible motif for her works.

Ivana and the characters of her stories from ancient times in Ogulin are the homeland of fairy tales, hosts to numerous fairy tale writers from all over the world. You will see later, I will also show you Ivana's fairytale house in Ogulin. A little bit for numismatists.

Her children, the Croatian ban on commoner Ivan Mažuranić, is on this new page of Cien Kunas and she is on one of the postal barges. There he is. I hope I have brought you a little closer to Ivana Brličko-Zuranić and her work, what she wrote and what we know about her.

I've prepared it for you now, let's see a little bit that Vedran is here. Hello dear Ivana Ivana, well, you wrote a little wrong, it doesn't matter.

Here, who else is here? Contact us tonight. How are you doing?

What are you doing tonight? What are you interested in? Do you like Ivana Brlić Mažuranić's artworks?

Did you read that when you were a kid? And if so, which of these works did you like the most? Maybe they read them to their children if they are parents and maybe they would recommend them?

It is good to have it as a Croatian people, we can be proud to be able to highlight these heroines, great women of history. Here, in particular, Ivana Brličko-Zuranić, who belongs to us, as I said, at the end of 19 and the beginning of 20.

century, that is, in the time of the first modern. Here it is, now I will show you a little about Ivana's Fairy Tale House, a contribution of which, we thank Karlovac Television and those who told us today that we can show it for our needs. Of course, they heard it was for our Croatian diaspora, everything was fine right away and they were really delighted that you could see it.

There he is.

[Presenter 2]

Two years ago, on December 13, Ivana's Fairy Tale House, a multimedia and interdisciplinary visitor center, was officially opened. With its permanent exhibition, based on the principles of knowledge, creativity and the use of new technologies, a website, an international virtual reference centre for fairy tales and an online library, a fairytale-themed tour of Ogulin and its surroundings, publishing activities and creative and educational programmed throughout the year for children and adults,  Ivana's House of Fairy Tales celebrates fairy tales and creates fairy tales in a fairy tale-like way.  Ogulinka-born, as well as all the fairy tales and fairy tale writers in the world.

They celebrated their second birthday by planting wheat at St. Lucia's time and an unmissable cake with all the visitors who could visit this center for free that day.

[Presenter 3]

We also organized the activity of folding the Christmas wheat, since today is also the feast of St. Lucy, and also yesterday we inaugurated the exhibition The Forest of Stribor, which was created at the OZANA center for children and grew up with intellectual disability in cooperation, more precisely, with the current fourth grade C. So you have the opportunity to see above what the fairy tale The Starboard Forest looks like through wool.

[Presenter 2]

The centre, which is housed in a newly renovated building inside the Renaissance castle of Frankopan, at the very heart of the fairytale work of Ogulin's native fairy tale, has exceeded all expectations in terms of visitor numbers over the past two years. There is a high demand for organized activities, and they pride themselves on the large number of foreign visitors who are attracted by the world-famous works of our most famous writer. The permanent exhibition also includes storytelling, i.e. fairy tale readings and creative-educational workshops, which are organized up to 16 times more.

The entrance to Ivana's fairytale house is called the Magic Forest.

[Presenter 3]

In the magical forest there is a magic mirror that is in a secret cave

[Presenter 4]

I went to a secret cave.

.

[Presenter 2]

Five additional screens are located in the magical castle, and each is dedicated to a specific theme, listening to the game, viewing photos, and reading a portion of it. There are also two peepholes through which you can peek. Through the first you will see a translation of the cover of Ivana's work, while the second shows fairytale transformations.

There are numerous editions in the fairy tale library, where we have to highlight Ivana's stories from long ago published in 1916. You can listen to up to 79 fairy tales by the warm fireplace, and there's also a mystery chamber, the last room on the ground floor where you can watch three animated movies and play an interactive game.

The top is reserved for creative creation, so workshops where children inspired by invisible imagination can become masterpieces. And finally, let's listen to the birthday wish. With her collection of fairy tales, Ivana marked Croatia's fairy tale heritage, elevated the Croatian language and oral heritage of her people, integrating them into the worldwide family of fairy tales.

The mission of the center, i.e. Ivana's fairy tale house, is to celebrate the work of Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, inspire with fairy tales and awaken a love of reading, knowledge and creation. By spreading knowledge about fairy tales, a widespread literary genre, we encourage intercultural thinking and oral thinking and strengthen the cultural and tourist prosperity of Ogulin by actively serving the development of this work and contributing to the quality of life of all its citizens.

[Presenter 1]

Contact us today about this special topic we have chosen about an exceptional woman in Croatian literary history, Ivana Brlić Mažuranić. It is true that in our history we will also find more exceptional women, but I have chosen this one for us tonight. Hi Vedran, I see you greeted us there.

I'm glad to see if we have anyone else in the chat. Please contact us a little later. Where are you looking at us from?

Here, I would be a little interested if any of you want to contact me a little, let us know if you are interested. I suppose that when you come to Croatia, you will go, among other things, to Ogulin and you will look, see and visit Ivana's house. Watch the video on the channel.

And here we are again. I'm glad I was able to show you a little bit of this tonight. Feel free to tell me what you would like to hear or see on our show.

Tonight, as I have already said, we have shown such an exceptional woman as Ivana Brlić Mažuranić, in whom we can certainly see help. Here, I hope to have fulfilled the wishes of Croatians in faraway Peru, in Lina, in our community there, where they had the desire to hear a little more about who Ivana Brlic-Mažuranić was. I think many of you who speak a little more Croatian also have a great interest in your roots, in your origins.

Similarly, people from Croatian history, our historical figures, we start showing them a little bit from time to time. How are you dealing with this coronavirus lockdown and everything else? Here, who wants to write to me a little bit, I'd be glad if we could listen a little bit here through this talk here directly.

Thank you for all your wonderful comments and inquiries, calls. I'm always happy to talk to you a little. Thank you for all the suggestions you have sent, as well as for all the compliments.

And I hope we continue to look at each other. Here it is, for the end, that I have prepared, and how could it be otherwise, but a song that we all like very, very much, that we adore and for which I have realized that not only do I love it, but I think you love it too.

Here, I chose the version of Ante Gela that was filmed especially for the Croatia Meeting G2. Thank you to them for performing in our program, so you can enjoy it all too. I see you've been seeing a lot.

(TRANSCRIPT AND TRANSLATION AI GENERATED)