Maxo Vanka’s murals for Millvale’s Croatian Church of St. Nicholas are a unique contribution to the American mural movement of the 1930s and 1940s. The Society to Preserve the Millvale Murals of Maxo Vanka is a nonprofit public supported historic art preservation organization. Vanka’s work touches upon common themes of his era, including family, labor, and war, but with a focus upon the disenfranchised and the dispossessed.
Category: In Memoriam
Mia Slavenska 1916-2002 Croatian ballerina one of the greatest
Mia Eorak Slavenska, born in Croatia, a child star at 4 in Croatia’s capital Zagreb, became a solo dancer at 12, prima ballerina at Croatian National Theatre in Zagreb at 18, starred as prima ballerina of the Ballet Russe in Paris, Ballet Theatre, London Festival Ballet. Organized her first ballet company at 12. With Slavenska-Franklin Ballet , created dance history with the ballet A Streetcar Named Desire . Mia was fluent in five languages. She also starred in the prize-winning French film, Ballerina (in French La Mort du Cygne ), considered one of the best ballet films ever made.
Ljubica Stefan 1921-2002 Croatian Righteous, courageous historian and publicist
With this article we commemorate 10 years since the death of Ljubica Štefan, distinguished Croatian intellectual, exceptionally courageous historian and publicist, recipient of the medal of Righteous among the Nations from Yad Vashem. On 17 March 2012 the Holy Mass has been served in her memory by Rev. Josip Kuhtić in the Zagreb Cathedral, assisted by Mons. Dr. Juraj Batelja. She risked her life living in Belgrade until 1992, and publishing her books in Zagreb under several pseudonims during the Serbian aggression on Croatia and BiH (Bosnia and Herzegovina). In 1992 she left Belgrade leaving there literally all her property. The Prize of Ljubica Štefan has been established in her honour in Zagreb in 2009 for exceptional publicist and scientific work.
The Righteous Road of Stepinac – film by Jakov Sedlar produced by FILMIND Tel Aviv
Important testimonies of Amiel Schromony (1917-2009), Dan Baran and others about blessed cardinal Alojzije Stepinac (1898-1960) in a film by Jakov Sedlar. Text written by Rev. Živko Kustić, narrated by Rick Alerson, produced by Ron Assouline, Jakov Sedlar and Igor Prizmić, executive producers Dominik Sedlar and Stephen Ollendorf. Digital postproduction by FILMIND – Tel Aviv, 2009. Available on YouTube since February 2012.
William Feller distinguished Croatian-American mathematician – first monograph
William Feller 1906-1970 was born in Croatia’s capital Zagreb, where he studied mathematics, professor of mathematics at Princeton Univeristy since 1950. Feller is one of the founders of Probability Theory as a scientific discipline, and best known for his two volume monograph An Introduction to Probability Theory and Its Applications, which is considered as one of the finest mathematical textbooks of the 20th century. A bilingual Croatian-English monograph has been published in Zagreb in 2011, written by Darko Žubrinić, dedicated to the life and work of William Feller.
VUKOVAR 1991 – 2011 CRIME WITHOUT PUNISHMENT – ZLOEIN BEZ KAZNE
Remember Vukovar!
Dinko Fio 1924-2011 distinguished Croatian composer and conductor died at the age of 87
Dinko Fio ostvario je i obiman skladateljski opus na temeljima tradicijske glazbe, a neke njegove pjesme toliko su povezane s tradicijom da ih se često smatra izvornim napjevima. Njegov autorski opus objavljen je u jedanaest zbirki i na tridesetak diskografskih izdanja. Kao melograf i obrađivač spasio je od zaborava neke od najljepših narodnih napjeva iz Dalmacije, zapisao ih te priredio za izvedbe dalmatinskih klapa i zborova.
Ljubo Stipisic Delmata 1938-2011 distinguished composer and proponent of Croatian music and spirituality
Ljubo Stipišić Delmata’s personality contains a multitude of traits: composer, poet, melodiographer, painter, producer, conductor of a-capella ensembles, etc. Maestro Delmata has been honored numerous prestigious music awards including several lifetime achievement awards. His work is of immeasurable musicological and cultural importance, especially for preservation and strengthening of the identity of Croatia. Maestro Ljubo Stipišić died on October 9th 2011 at the age of 74.
Gordan Lederer Croatian cameraman and reporter killed during Serbian aggression on Croatia in 1991
A letter from Gordan Lederer’s mother: I hereby announce publicly that my son GORDAN LEDERER was treacherrously murdered on 9th August 1991, by a mercenary gang of Chetniks while holding a camera in his hand, and that, thanks to the Chetnik collaborator, General Raseta, he was denied any chance of survival. Gordan Lederer’s mother, Vlasta Lederer, Ph.D., consultant, spec. anaesthesiology and reanimatology. Published in Vjesnik, Zagreb 14th August 1991. With this article we mark 20 years since the tragic death of our friend Gordan on 10th August 1991. Seventeen Croatian newspaperman and cameraman have been assassinated during the Serbian 1991-1995 aggression on Croatia.
Branko Fucic 1920-1999, representative collection of conference papers published about his life and work
Sixty three conference papers from the International Scholarly Seminar on the Life and Work of Academician Branko Fučić (1920-1999) have been published in 2011 in voluminous, representative monograph comprising 844 pp. Branko Fučić was distinguished expert in Croatian Glagolitic Script, in the history of Croatian church art, in particular for the area of Istria, dr. honoris causa in theology, and recipient of Herder’s prize in Vienna. The monograph has been edited by dr. Tomislav Galović of the Faculty of Arts and Letters, University of Zagreb.
Iva Eaeija 1953-2011
Iva Čačija, djevojačko prezime Vidić, rođ. 19.01.1953. u Sinju, kao član stare sinjske obitelji Vidić, podrijetlom sa Čitluka. iznenadno preminula, od posljedica moždanog udara, dana 29. ožujka 2011.g. Iva je bila prekrasna osoba, puna zivotne mudrosti, veselja, razumijevanja prema bliznjima, duhovita…nematerijalna. Supruga poznatog Hrvatskog skladatelja Mojimira Čačije.
Mate Ujevic 1901-1967 the founder and editor in chief of Croatian Encyclopaedia
Dr. Mate Ujević was the greatest Croatian lexicographer of the 20th century. The first volume of Croatian Encyclopaedia was published on 10 February 1941. Five volumes were published until 1945, out of 12 planned volumes. He was editor in chief of The Martitime Encyclopaedia published in 1954 in eight volumes. Dr. Ujević was posthumosly honoured by the title of righteous among the nations by Yad Vashem.
Dr. Kathleen V. Wilkes 1946-2003 devoted her life to the victory of Croatia
Dr. Kathleen Vaughan Wilkes was a distinguished British humanist, professor of philosophy at the University of Oxford, and also taught at the Inter-University Centre in Dubrovnik, Croatia. During the Serbian siege of the City in 1991 and 1992, she was spreading the truth about its merciless destruction. Dr. Wilkes wrote on Dec 26, 1991: “Dubrovnik… there is still no water or electricity, scant food, no glass in the windows, temperature at freezing point…”
Carla Martinis 1922-2010 Croatian opera star in Vienna
Dragica Martinis (January 19, 1922 – October 8, 2010), better kown as Carla Martinis, was born in Croatia in a small village of Dančulovići in the region of Žumberak west of Zagreb, near the town of Sošice. An Austrian newpapers proclaimed her to be an “acoustic miracle”. Herbert von Karajan chose her to have the role of Aida in 1951 for the solemn concert organized on the occasion of 50 years since the death of Giuseppe Verdi.
Michael McAdams 1947-2010 historian and sincere Croatian friend
C. Michael McAdams (1947-2010) is best known for his important monograph Hrvatska – mit i istina ( Croatia Myth & Reality ), published in Croatian, Swedish, Danish, Spanish (2 editions), and English (3 editions). Other translations are planned. We invite you to read an article by Croatian historian Dr. Ante Euvalo written in memory of Michael McAdams.
Marko Brešković 1942-2010 a founder of Dubravacki trubaduri
After a long and difficult illness, Marko Brešković passed on August 29th, 2010 at the age of 69. Together with Đelo Jusić, Luciano Capurso, Hamo Hajdarhodžić, Bobo Berdović and Ladislav Padjen, he helped form the legendary group Dubrovački trubaduri. He will be buried on September 1, 2010 at Bonino cemetery in Dubrovnik.
Zvonimir Atletic photographs inspired by Mother Teresa
On the occasion of 100 years since the birth of Mother Teresa, Croatian photographer Zvonimir Atletić has an exhibition of photographs inspired by her missionary work. The exibition will take place in The Memorial House of Mother Teresa in Skopje, capital of Macedonia, August 26, 2010, at 8.00 pm. Photo of Mother Teresa on the left by Zvonimir Atletić, Zagreb, Croatia.
George Jure Prpic 1920-2009 Croatian-American historian
Dr. Jure Prpić, Professor Emeritus of History, John Carroll University, Cleveland USA, authored numerous books, booklets and articles. He wrote many articles in various Croatian immigrant publications., and deserves a special place in the history of the Association for Croatian Studies. Besides being one of its founders (1977), for quite a long time he was its main pillar and promoter. He was truly a gentle soul, a genuinely good person.
Ljeposlav Perinic 1922-2005 the King of Dolls
The King of Dolls Ljeposlav Perinić 1922-2005 was born in the city of Split, Croatia. After 1945 he lived in Argentina. His collection comprises dolls in national costumes donated by kings, queens, presidents, first ladies and prime ministers from about 120 countries. The collection is kept in Ethnographic Museum in Croatia’s capital Zagreb. On the photo is the proud King with the dolls from Pakistan and India donated by Benazir Bhutto and Indira Gandhi.
Ivanka Bubalo from Bosnian Posavina and her white shirt
Ivanka Bubalo, Croatian newspaper-woman, shared the martyrdom of exiled Croats from Bosanska Posavina, reporting about their difficulties in her numerous articles and radio reports. She is a strong representative of what we believe could be called the Croatian spirituality. A monograph “Bijela košuljica Ivanke Bubalo” has been issued by the Plehan Society and Glas koncila in Zagreb.