Kinesiology, Vol. 27 No. 2, 1995.
Original scientific paper
Development of Olympism in Croatia in the period between 1894 and 1912
Zdenko Jajčević
; Fakultet za fizičku kulturu Sveučilišta u Zagrebu
Abstract
The first piece of news about the foundation of the International Olympic Committee and about the restoration of modem Olympic Games was published by Franjo Bučar in the professional journal "Gimnastika” (Issue 8, 1894). In January 1896 the journal "Sport” started to publish the articles under the title "Olympic Games - then and now” in serial form. They were written by Miljenko Stefanović from Karlovac. Since many articles about Olympism were published in periodicals during the year 1896, we can consider this year as the beginning year of Olympism in Croatia. After the foundation of the IOC, Franjo Bučar tried to make Croatia the full member of this elite world sports organization. Therefore he asked the Czech Jiri Gutha-Jarkovski, the Swedish officer Viktor Balck and the Russian general Aleksej Butowski, the members of the IOC, for help and support. It was thanks to Jiri Gutha-Jarkovski that Franjo Bučar was invited to the Olympic Congress in Le Havre in 1897. Burdened with numerous problems of private nature Bučar did not leave for Le Havre. Milan Neralić participated for Austria at the Second Olympic Games in Paris and won the bronze medal in the competition of professional fencing teachers. Croatian competitors almost succeeded in taking part at the Games in Athens in 1906. The organization committee of these Games has initially accepted the participation of our sportsmen, but later altered its decision, after Hungarian Olympic Committee had intervened. Hungary demanded that the Croats become members of Hungarian Olympic Committee. Since Bučar did not want the Croatian competitors to participate at the Games under the Hungarian flag, they gave up the Games. While visiting Paris in 1908 Franjo Bučar talked to Pierre de Coubertin about Croatia’s membership in the IOC. Coubertin suggested that Croatian association Sokol should submit a request for the membership in the IOC. Despite his promise, Coubertin has not put this request on the agenda of annual meetings of the IOC in the period between 1910 and 1912. Thus Croatian competitors could not participate in any Games before the First World War.
Keywords
Olympism, Olympiad, Olympic Games, Olympian
Hrčak ID:
253724
URI
Publication date:
15.3.1995.
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