In memoriam, Obituary
ŠIME BALEN 1912-2004 marking the 10th anniversary of his death
HELENA KNIFIĆ SCHAPS
Abstract
Born in Podgorje, a resident of Jablanac Šime Balen was an active participant of World War Two and an antifascist, politically persecuted in all political systems, from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia to post-war socialist Yugoslavia. He was a member of ZAVNOH (State Anti-fascist Council for the National Liberation of Croatia) and AVNOJ (Anti-Fascist Council for the National Liberation of Yugoslavia), director of TANJUG (Telegraphic Agency of the New Yugoslavia), a diplomat, member of the Croatian parliament and Interim Parliament of FNRJ (Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia) and FNRJ’s UN delegation and in sessions of UNESCO, press spokesman in the FNRJ embassy in Washington, chief editor of Vjesnik, honorary president of the Croatian Journalists’ Association from its establishment, and HDZ (Croatian Democratic Union) for a short period, … He was decorated with Yugoslavian and Croatian orders, a recipient of numerous acknowledgements and professional awards.
A publicist, writer of brainteasers, an author and literary translator, he left behind him a significant opus from which I have singled put some works dedicated to his homeland and the people: Na zelenim kupolama Zečjaka (On the green cupolas of Zečjak) (1977), Jablanac 1179-1979, Povijesna skica prigodom 800. obljetnice (A historical sketch marking the 800th anniversary) (1979), Izgubljeni na Velebitu (Lost on Velebit) (1980), Velebit se nadvio nad more (Velebit loomed above the sea) (1985), Prva sjećanja: Panos - rat, glad, prevrat, seoba (First memories: Panos - war, famine, revolution) (1993). He died on 16th March 2004, in Zagreb.
Keywords
literature; journalism; antifascism; imprisonment; acknowledgements and orders; Podgorje; Velebit
Hrčak ID:
169252
URI
Publication date:
25.11.2016.
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