Original scientific paper
Podravka Mara Matočec: The First Peasant Writer and Politician in the Croatian Peasant’s Movement (1918 to 1940)
Mira Kolar Dimitrijević
orcid.org/0000-0002-6050-5700
; Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb – Full Professor (retired)
Abstract
Mara Matočec (Đelekovec, 1886 - Korija near Virovitica, 1967) was a legend for the peasant women in Radić«s movement. Although self-taught she had no peer among urban women in public activity when it came to campaigning and work on the state of rural life. With her natural intelligence and great diligence she attracted peasant women to public life, and drew the attention of politicians in the Croatian Peasants« Party to the importance of women«s activity. After Mara Matočec the women of the Podravina region were never again absent from social and cultural activity. Her activity should be regarded in three phases. In the first she wrote poetry about nature and poetry that reflected the political scene. It was in this fashion that the peasant women of the Podravina region learned of the work of the brothers Radić. Mara Matočec, a republican, was upset when Stjepan Radić recognised the monarchy and the Vidovdan Constitution and distanced herself from the party for an extended period. That was the time of her colonisation from Đurđevac to Korija near Virovitica, thanks to Dr. Đuro Basariček. His tragic murder in the People«s Assembly saw Mara Matočec once again become active in the Croatian Peasants« Party. Her intensive activity in culture and education saw its culmination around the year 1937 when she served as a member on the Central Committee of the Peasants« Union and when her works, especially the plays Matija Gubec and The Invalid, where performed at numerous venues. As a woman and as a peasant Mara Matočec played a campaigning role for the Croatian Peasants« Party in Bosnia. Through short lectures and articles, and through poetry, she is present up to World War II at Peasant Union festivals in Zagreb and at many other peasant gatherings in northern Croatia. Refusing to cooperate with the Partisans, Mara Matočec suffered the fate of many prominent members of the Croatian Peasants« Party. She was forgotten. Her contribution in bringing rural women into cultural, educational, instructional and political activity is nevertheless crucial when considering the history of women and women«s movements in Croatia. She was respected by both Antun and Stjepan Radić, and by also Juraj Krnjević, who was indebted to her competence in working among rural women and girls.
Keywords
Mara Matočec; Podravina; Seljačka sloga; works
Hrčak ID:
78146
URI
Publication date:
1.12.2007.
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